2021 BIG NTI Closing Plenary

BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT®

2021 VIRTUAL NATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

Closing Plenary Thursday, August 26, 2021

RECOGNIZING

BLACK EXCELLENCE 1

BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT® INCORPORATED IN 1976

BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT was organized in 1975 and incorporated as a non-profit organization under the District of Columbia jurisdiction in 1976.

BIG functions as a knowledgeable, problem identifying and solving organization for Black civil servants. It is dedicated to: (1) establishing and operating socioeconomic, political, and cultural programs which enhance the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for Blacks; (2) eradicating all vestiges of unlawful treatment towards Blacks; (3) eliminating institutionalized racism which oppresses Blacks and reinforces barriers to full and equal citizenship for Blacks; (4) encouraging pride and motivation in Blacks so as to promote achievement of full potential and recognition of societal contribution; (5) sponsoring a national effort to promote the wellbeing, education, and professional development of Blacks; (6) acting as an advocate for equal employment opportunities and conditions which affect Blacks. This shall include, but not be limited to, administrative and personnel selections, recruitment, placements, promotions, upward mobility programs, and other similar areas.

Goals & Objectives 1. To be an advocate of equal opportunity for Blacks in government.

2. To eliminate practices of racism and racial discrimination against Blacks in government.

3. To promote professionalism among Blacks in government.

4. To develop and promote programs which will enhance ethnic pride and educational opportunities for Blacks in government.

5. To establish a mechanism for gathering and disseminating infor mation for Blacks in government.

6. To provide a nonpartisan platform on major issues of local, regional, and national significance that affect Blacks in government.

TRAINING MATTERS: ROADMAP TO SECURING YOUR CAREER GOALS

Program PROGRAM

Master of Ceremony: Stephan Matthews Host City Coordinator st 1 Vice President, Regional Council Robert C. Weaver, HUD Chapter, Region XI Call to Order

Stephan Matthews Host City Coordinator, Region XI

Invocation

LaShan Haynes National Protocol Administrator

Introduction of Dais

Stephan Matthews

Welcome Remarks

Honorable Shirley A. Jones, Esq. President, Blacks In Government, Inc. Honorable Gary Blackmon Chair, National Board of Directors

Musical Selection

Jaime C. Crawford NGA Chapter, Region XI

Introduction of Keynote Speaker Keynote Address

Stephan Matthews Charlotte A. Burrows, Chair U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Special Presentation/Corporate Sponsors Recognition Prestige and Sterling Awards Presidential Awards 2022 National Training Institute Announcement

Honorable Shirley A. Jones, Esq. Honorable Gary Blackmon Honorable Shirley A. Jones, Esq. Adrianne Callahan Regional Council President, Region V Destination Cleveland Video

Closing Remarks

Benediction

Paula E. Davis Chair, National Training Institute LaShan Haynes

Master of Ceremony Stephan P. Matthews Since January 2020, Mr. Matthews has served as the First Vice President for the Region XI Council of Blacks In Government (BIG). In this role, he serves as Chair of the Programs and Education Committee and performs the functions and duties of the Council President in her absence. As the Programs and Education Chair, he develops comprehensive and ongoing general programs for regional members to include the annual Regional Training Conference, Student STEM and Oratorical Competition, and Regional Delegates Training.

Mr. Matthews is a proud member of the Robert C. Weaver HUD Chapter, where he serves as the chapter’s Vice President. He also serves as Region XI’s Host City Coordinator for the 2021 Virtual National Training Institute and a member of the National NTI Planning Committee, a National Memorial Wall Program Planning Committee member, and a member of the NOW Generation.

Mr. Matthews is a native of Washington, D.C., and is a life-long resident of Prince Georges County, Maryland. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland University College and a Master of Science in Law from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He is currently working towards his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation from Marymount University in Arlington, VA.

He currently works at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., as a Correspondence Management Specialist and Writer-Editor with the Executive Secretariat, Office of the Secretary.

Keynote Speaker Charlotte A. Burrows Charlotte A. Burrows was designated by President Biden as Chair of the EEOC on Jan. 20, 2021. She was initially nominated to serve as a Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2014. The U.S. Senate later unanimously confirmed her to a second term ending in 2023.

Chair Burrows has advocated for strong civil rights protections and robust cooperation between the Commission, employers, and employees to advance equal opportunity in the workplace. She seeks to enhance the Commission's enforcement of all laws within its jurisdiction, focusing in particular on initiatives to combat harassment, foster pay equity, and advance diversity and inclusion. While at the Commission, she has worked to increase the agency's outreach to Native Americans, vulnerable immigrant and migrant communities, and other traditionally underserved populations. In addition, Chair Burrows is particularly interested in the impact of technology and big data on civil rights and employee privacy.

Prior to her appointment to the EEOC, Chair Burrows served as Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where she worked on a broad range of civil and criminal matters, including employment litigation, voting rights, combatting racial profiling, and implementing the Violence Against Women Act, among others.

Chair Burrows previously served as General Counsel for Civil and Constitutional Rights to Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee and later on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. During her time on Capitol Hill, she worked on a variety of legislative initiatives, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008.

Chair Burrows also held several roles in the Civil Rights Division's Employment Litigation Section at DOJ, including Deputy Chief of the Section. There, she represented the United States in all phases of civil litigation, including trial, to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Earlier in her career, she served as a judicial clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP. Chair Burrows received an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

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waiting is the hardest part.

National Training Institute

AUGUST 15-18, 2022

August 2022 | Cleveland, OH

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