Atlanta – Today, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Deputy Chief of Staff Khalilah Harris spoke at the White House Initiative Latino Economic Summit, where she made the case for why Latinos and members of other diverse communities are indispensable voices for the federal workforce. Dr. Harris also shared experiences from her own rise into leadership in the Biden-Harris Administration, as well as an intimate look at her work at OPM advancing DEIA practices and principles across the federal government.

“Our most valuable asset in the federal government is our workforce,” OPM Deputy Chief of Staff Khalilah Harris said. “The rising leaders I spoke with today have unique perspectives, opinions, and lived experiences that are invaluable contributions to public service. OPM is focused on building a federal workforce that draws from the full diversity of our country, and the promising talent I saw today can help us continue to achieve the unachievable, from curing disease, to combatting climate change, to landing rovers on the surface of Mars.”

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) supports the federal government as it seeks to hire and retain the best and brightest workforce to meet the needs of the American people. OPM leads the work on the first priority of President Biden’s President’s Management Agenda, which is to strengthen and empower the federal workforce. The Agency is also one of the lead entities working to enact President Biden’s Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the federal workforce, as well as for the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to renew engagement with federal labor unions.

OPM Deputy Chief of Staff Khalilah Harris, EdD, JD, has spent the past two decades working to expand access to opportunity through a racial equity lens by prioritizing community voice in education, education policy and justice, youth advocacy, women's rights, worker's rights and building an inclusive workforce. She previously served as a Senior Advisor to the Director at OPM with a portfolio that included managing labor relations, supporting national efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal workforce, including staffing the White House Diversity and Inclusion in Government Council where she devised and implemented the first ever White House Summit on Diversity and Inclusion in Government. Additionally, she served as the first Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

White House Initiative Latino Economic Summits are a collaboration between the White House and the Aspen Institute to provide regional forums highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to advancing equity and economic empowerment and connect local Latino community members directly with federal leaders and resources. The forums feature community leaders, administration officials, local elected officials, and leadership from the Aspen Institute.