FBI Women’s History Month celebration

March 16, 2015

As prepared for delivery

Good morning. Thank you Director Comey. Thanks to you, and to Assistant Director Turgal for taking time out of your busy schedules to convene this program celebrating Women's History Month.

I know that not only does the FBI have a very active women's committee, but that Director, you have made diversity a core value of the FBI. I applaud you for that.

One of my highest priorities since the day I became Director 16 months ago has been to work with agencies across government to build a workforce that draws from the rich diversity of the America we serve. Your commitment to this goal is so important. I know you have said that people with different heritages and diverse life experiences all bring something important to the decision table. And, that the FBI is stronger for it. I couldn't agree more. And making sure that more women have seats at all those tables – from entry level to middle management to the highest rungs of Federal leadership – is something we must work for every day.

Before I begin my formal remarks I want to thank everyone here today – and everyone watching the webcast in FBI Field Offices across the country.

Thank you for the work you do each and every day to protect the American people. It takes a special person to put their life on the line for their fellow Americans.

The agents of the FBI and the people who support the work you do are the best examples of the purpose-driven mission of our Federal workforce. Thank you.

As you know, the theme of Women's History Month this year is: "Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives." Today I want to share with you the stories of some amazing women – and men – who have helped weave the tapestry of my life - both personally and professionally.

But first I want to tell you about the work I'm doing at the Office of Personnel Management to increase the opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups to join and develop in the Federal service.

We're working hard to remove the barriers to women having seats at decision tables at the highest levels.

And we're working to make sure that all Federal employees feel engaged and included in the workplace.

We are calling this roadmap to excellence and opportunity REDI, which stands for Recruitment, Engagement, Diversity, and Inclusion.

In large measure, REDI grew out of my travels during my first year as Director. I criss crossed the country to meet with Federal employees, with educators and students, with veterans, and with community leaders.

Many of the groups I met with were women – including Federally Employed Women, Executive Women in Government, and women veterans. Their stories and their advice inspired me.

When I think about REDI, I realize that this strategy is also an expression of my values, values that have been shaped by the incredible people who have been – and continue to be – the threads of my tapestry.

So I want to talk to you about a group of women – I'll call them the Grand Canyon 6. That's because in 1990 we all spent nine days in the Grand Canyon camping, floating, riding the rapids, and sharing the stories of our lives.

More than any other friendships in my life, this group of women come from very different walks of life and backgrounds. I've learned from each one of them. I've shared experiences with each one of them that I never expected, and that have shaped me.

A little background about me. I come from a very low-income, mostly uneducated family. My experiences as a young woman shaped a lot of my views about where I stood in my community and what I expected for my future.

But this group of women – the Grand Canyon 6 – broadened my perspective, my vision of what could be – and should be – my community.

Like me, Lori shared a background of poverty.

Judy, Swanee, and Fern represent both accumulated and inherited wealth.

Although one is often led to believe that such wealth predicts happiness, these three women taught me about what the burdens of such wealth can be, and what problems it doesn't solve.

And from my friend Lauren, who comes from a different racial group than me, I learned so much about the realities and depth of prejudice and racism.

As diverse as we are, we have bonded and supported each other as friends, as mentors, as sisters, and as mothers.

Our new friendships – introduced on the river and strengthened by the raft that capsized at Lava Falls with Lauren thrown under – deepened into relationships that have been tried and tested so many times in the past 30 years.

These women are the silver threads that are woven through my life. They have helped shape who I am. Added to the strengths of these silver threads are the gold threads of the people who have helped weave the professional patterns of my tapestry.

In my life, I have had the good fortune to work with and for people who have valued the role of women and the potential of women as partners at the decision table. As role models, they have had a huge impact on my life.

When I think about who has most influenced my professional life, I actually think about a man, a man who - way ahead of his time - deeply believed in inclusion.

He understood how conversations became richer if you had the right folks at the table. He knew that better decisions came at a round table, not a rectangular table with one seat at its head. That man is Federico Pena.

Federico and I started out in our early '20s as social activists together in Denver. I became part of his team when he was elected mayor of Denver and then came with him to Washington when he led the Department of Transportation and then the Department of Energy.

It's because of Federico that I had the experiences and the opportunities that led me to the leadership role I have today.

As we worked side by side, we shared experiences together that were often challenging – how to rebuild a city from its economic doldrums (DIA, Coors Field, Colorado Convention Center ); often traumatic (three major fatal plane crashes in four years when we were at DOT), and exciting (meeting global transportation leaders.) In each of the many years we served together, we learned together and from one another. We watched out for one another as challenges confronted us. And we supported one another during the darkest days – and there were some of those.

Federico and other mentors I have had through the years are the gold threads that run through my life – my tapestry. In so many ways – good and difficult – my life experience has been one where doors were closed and opened for me because of my last name, and because of my gender.

When I think about my life's path I know that my tapestry is strengthened and given color by my own experiences, by what I have made of the opportunities I've had.

But it certainly has been embellished, enhanced and made richer by my friends, and my mentors.

This brings me back to REDI.

This is my vision, my way, as OPM Director, to put in practice my fundamental belief that we must increase opportunity for underrepresented groups – whether that means women, or people of color, or people with disabilities.

It's about how we as a government make sure that someone in Denver, Colorado or Tampa, Florida or Albuquerque, New Mexico sees a path for herself in government.

We know that there are disparities. Women represent only 43 percent of the Federal workforce compared to 46 percent of the civilian workforce.

And we are underrepresented in the Senior Executive Service, where only 34 percent are women. But frankly, we are doing better than the private sector, where fewer than 15 percent of executive officers are women.

Our feeder positions into the SES – the GS 14's and 15's – those numbers are strong. But they need to be higher.

OPM is committed to helping agencies identify and remove the barriers they face to recruiting, hiring, and developing the diverse talent they need.

REDI is a data driven strategy.

We are looking at our applicant pool to find out why people from these underrepresented groups drop out as they go through the process.

We also know that even though women earn roughly half of all bachelor's degrees in the STEM fields, they represent only 26 percent of Federal STEM employees.

I've met with young women at Spelman College in Atlanta, at Texas Women's University in Dallas, and Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles.

I've held roundtables with women veterans and created a task force on women veteran hiring to get to the bottom of the obstacles for women veterans successfully transitioning into the Federal workforce.

OPM is also partnering with some of the groups I met with, such as Executive Women in Government, which is piloting an exciting mentoring program.

And we're encouraging women to participate in OPM's new government-wide mentoring hub.

While I was at Texas Women's University, we held a focus group with young women on what we need to do to improve USAJOBS.

We not only want to better attract the talented millennials who are the future of the Federal workforce, we want to make sure that USAJOBS.gov is an exploration tool for all our prospective job applicants.

The REDI roadmap also focuses on helping leaders lead and creating a culture of engagement in their workplaces.

We know that the more engaged an employee feels the more productive and effective that employee will be. They are looking to us as leaders to make them feel valued, feel included.

Being a leader is not something any of us can do alone. If you're a runner, you run against the clock, run to beat your own best time.

If you're a golfer, you're playing against the course, trying to beat par. If you're a skier, it's you and the mountain.

But the fact is, leadership is not a single person endeavor. It requires a team. It requires many people coming together to share decisions, to assess the impact of those decisions, and to make sure the people they are leading understand the goals and objectives they are seeking.

It is through those collaborations, through that teamwork, that we weave the strong tapestry of leadership.

I could not possibly be standing here without the people I've talked with you about today.

So my advice to women - and to men - is to seek out those silver and gold threads that will embellish the tapestry of your life. Look to others to help you, to learn from. Find your Grand Canyon 6, your Federico Pena.

For if you do that, not only will you help yourself, but you will be better able to guide, to inspire, and to teach those who look to you as a role model, who look to you as a mentor, who look to you as their leader.

Thank you.