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Minutes from Alabama Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting

Clanton, Alabama - April 10, 2007

Special Emphasis Program Manager Reports

American Indian/Alaska Native Special Emphasis Program Manager - David Elliott
  • Two hundred pounds of White Eagle corn seed were sent from the State of Georgia’s AI/AN SEPM to give to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The original corn seed was carried on the "Trail of Tears" Indian removal.
  • NRCS has developed a EWP contract with the Echota tribe to complete conservation planning on the Echota’s tribal land in St. Clair County, Alabama.
  • The NE Cherokee tribe has developed an RV/Campground in Marshall County, Alabama.
  • The UCAN's tribe with RC&D is completing a grant for educational exercises in North Alabama schools.
  • NRCS will have a display in the Ma-Chis Lower Creek Tribe Pow-Wow.
Asian American/Pacific Islander Special Emphasis Program Manager - Sue Daniel
  • The AAPI Heritage Month program is scheduled in May.

Black Special Emphasis Program Manager - Herbert Ross
  • The Black Heritage Month program and luncheon, held at the State Office on February 22, 2007, was a success.
Disability Special Emphasis Program Manager - Charlie Ramsey
  • A workforce recruitment database program, co-sponsored by the Department of Labor and the Department of Defense, is being developed for college students to register for employment.
Federal Women Special Emphasis Program Manager - Linda McGraw
  • Photographs that were mailed to Linda from 4 Alabama NRCS offices, celebrating Wear Red Day, February 2nd, for Heart Awareness Month, appeared on the NRCS website’s "Success Stories."
  • The President’s Proclamation and brochures to announce Women’s History Month was emailed in March to all NRCS employees.
  • A poster contest was held with the winner receiving a monetary award.
Hispanic Special Emphasis Program Manager - Evelyn Bostick
  • The 2007 NOPHNRCSE Annual Training Conference will be held in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 6-10, 2007.
  • USDA-CSREES (Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service) has $2500 grants to cover student’s expenses when they are hired. The CSREES Grant will pay up to 3 years.

Committee Representative Reports

 Central Area Representative - April Hill
  • High school students should be encouraged to apply for the upcoming year’s USDA Scholarships for 1890 Institutions.
State Office Representative - Julie Yates
  • Second Quarter progress reports for the Alabama Business Plan have been emailed to the SEPM’s and Mr. Ford for their input on 2nd quarter accomplishments.
  • A link to the Human Capital Strategic Plan, which works hand in hand with the 2005 NRCS Strategic Plan, has been emailed to NRCS employees.
  • Per the Strategic Plan: 80% of employees nation-wide, with mission critical occupations, such as district conservationist, soil conservationists, soil technicians, and soil scientists, are eligible to retire within the next 3 years.
National Civil Rights Committee Member Representative (SO) – Alice Love
  • Attended the National Civil Rights Committee in December.
  • Suggested the MD 715 Report, released on My NRCS website, be reviewed by the State CRAC for trends in employment from 1985 to the present.
  • The employee should use the IDP as a self-development tool, and request, not only training courses, but work experience.
  • Vacancies for the National Civil Rights Committee will be published on the National Civil Rights Bulletin for White male and White female; Disability - male and female; Black male, and Hispanic male. Applications are due to Ms. Love by June 22, 2007. Selections will be made at the National Civil Rights Committee meeting the week of July 16, 2007.
  • Ms. Love’s 3 year term on the National Civil Rights Committee expires September 2007.
  • Ms. Love and Mr. Williams are working with South Carolina’s Small Farmer Liaisons in the BET (Black Environmental Thought: Land, Power, and Sustainability) Conference in May at the Tuskegee Kellogg Center. A poster will be displayed to promote the successes of the EQIP Initiative Program.
  • Mr. Williams participated in the MANRRS (Minority in Agricultural Natural Resources Related Science) Conference attended by over 1000 minority college students from across the country. The MANRRS conference is well supported financially by FSA, NRCS, Forest Service and other USDA agencies.

Chief Arlan Lancaster has set 3 goals for the agency

  • Meet New Challenges – Make sure we have infrastructure and personnel to assist customers.
  • Make Conservation Easier: Information easily accessible for customers and employees.
  • Accountability: Quantifying what we are doing, account for every dollar.

Committee Business

Retirement Seminar Update

  • Fifty-four employees attended the Retirement Seminar.
  • It was for CSRS employees only, and not intermingled with FERS information.
  • There will be a FERS seminar at a later date.

EEO Civil Rights Training

Committee members volunteered to review or prepare civil rights training presentations/handouts to share with employees out in the field. The presentations will consist of Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Retaliation, EEO Complaint Process, Reasonable Accommodation, and the Program Complaint Process.

Committee Openings

  • Terry Williamson, Member (West)
  • Thomas McDaniel, Member (Central)
  • Johnny Trayvick, BSEPM (SO) – Retired (replaced by Herbert Ross)

Committee Member Training

New SEPM’s and committee members will be scheduled to attend EEO classes at the USDA Graduate School in Atlanta, Georgia: "Roles and Responsibilities of EEO Advisory Committee" on August 27-28, 2007. New SEPM’s will also be scheduled to attend "Managing a Special Emphasis Program" on August 29-31, 2007.

Next Meeting

Next CRAC meeting scheduled 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at the Alabama Power Company in Clanton, Alabama.

If full-time Alabama NRCS employees have comments or suggestions for the committee to take under advisement, please use the Comment/Suggestion Form below and submit to any CRAC member.

The following document is in Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat documentForm to Submit Concerns/Suggestions to the Civil Rights Advisory Committee

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