Acting Chief Complaints and Appeals Staff
Equal Opportunity Specialist
Office of the Director
U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
   
Served as principal coordinator and reviewer of staff operations, preliminary investigations and reviews, evaluated investigative findings in the area of agency programs, and recommended appropriate actions.

Maintained civil rights liaison with the agencies of the Department involved in evaluation of agency complaint management and processing mechanisms; development and appraisal of enforcement instructions and guidelines; application of civil rights policy to specific agency programs and program areas; development of agency civil rights policy necessary to implement legislative and executive policies by correlating information received from agency complaint processing records and Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigative reports, information from sources outside USDA and analysis of agency complaint policies and procedures to insure consistency with Department civil rights objectives.

Provided advice, advocacy and counsel and leadership on civil rights policies and procedures and the interpretation of pertinent laws and regulations relating to specific problems and program actions. Solicited questions on the applicability of civil rights regulations and policies to specific USDA program and service agencies on client service, EEO, investigative problems that transcended USDA  agencies

Processed program discrimination complaints, trained staff in investigative and complaint management procedures; directed staff investigations and evaluated agency inquiry reports to determine discrimination disclosure. Advised Agency officials and  congressional committees  of investigation results, challenges that pre empted or usurped Agency  authority and met with agency representatives and others, as appropriate, to resolve discrimination and investigation cases. Worked with agency personnel on reconciliation activities while carefully observing existing complaint and appeal procedures

Identified areas of discrimination and non-compliance through agency reviews and analysis of investigative findings and stimulated remedial actions.  Developed position paper on expediency and cost effect of computerizing and automating the Title VI complaint inventory, management and resolution system for easy access, retrieval, status update and inter-agency monitoring and adjudication.