Highlighting Diversity and Inclusion at #NatSecGirlSquad 2019 Conference

I began working with the DoD in 2014, and have had a variety of government roles and positions since then.

Below is a piece I wrote during my time with the Recruitment Office at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as their Recruitment Communications Program Manager.

The article was first posted to my LinkedIn on January 29, 2020, and the original piece can be found on here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/highlighting-diversity-inclusion-natsecgirlsquad-2019-brittany-l-reid/

Highlighting Diversity and Inclusion at #NatSecGirlSquad 2019 Conference

(Image from https://www.natsecgirlsquad.com/)

Written by: Brittany L. Reid, Program Manager for Recruitment Communications


NGA Talent Acquisition Center

     Upon Navigating to the #NationalSecurityGirlSquad (#NatSecGirlSqad) website, the following statement welcomes you to the organization’s home page:

“The #NationalSecurityGirlSquad is building diversity in national security and defense.”

     It’s short, it’s direct, and it unveils a key issue that has resonated with the DoD and IC cadre for years, particularly with the evolving shifts in societal norms overs the past several decades.

     I had the opportunity to attend the #NatSecGirlSquad 2019 Conference at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. on December 11, 2019.

     Several significant topics were discussed throughout the duration of the event, including gender-identity, the evolving roles of men and women in the workplace, and how the intelligence community can work to augment the retention rates of a truly diverse workforce.  

     With well over 200 attendees, the conference was buzzing with enthusiastic participants contributing questions and offering proposals on how we can catalyze initiatives for diversity and inclusion over the coming years.

       That morning, the conference opened with a Fireside Chat to discuss realities, challenges, and opportunities regarding Human Talent Acquisition in the realm of national security. We heard from panel members Terri Randall, Deputy Director of Talent Acquisition at CIA; Erin G. Reitkopp, Human Capital Program Manager of the Right Trusted Agile Workforce Initiative at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI); John Kroger, Chief Learning Office of the Navy; and Tish Tucker, Director at Office of Defense at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

       Director Tucker relayed how NGA is striving to elevate diverse representation across its workforce, no matter one’s gender, sexuality, age, etc.

     For those who are unfamiliar with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, NGA is an intelligence and DoD combat support organization. The agency’s number one goal is focused on its people, specifically, to “Inspire and Grow its World-Class Workforce.”

      Some of my colleagues also attended the event: Jennifer Bailey, Talent Sourcer from NGA’s Talent Acquisition Center; NGA Ambassador Kimberly Kersey, Human Resource Officer from NGA’s Data and Visualization Career Service; and Tracy Jones from NGA’s DataCorps team.

Caption: (Left to Right) I stand with Kimberly Kersey and Jennifer Bailey at the NatSecGirlSquad Conference 

     As I conversed with fellow attendees, we primarily discussed NGA’s Student Programs, opportunities for Persons with Disabilities and Wounded Warriors, its Special Emphasis Programs (Black Advisory Council, Persons with Disabilities Council, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Council, etc.) and its reasonable accommodations services. I also helped my colleagues explain NGA’s work roles across various functional areas—also known as Career Services.

     The objective was to highlight how NGA is proactively ensuring that its workplace environment is all-inclusive for employees of varying backgrounds, skillsets, and work experiences.  

     Within NGA, the Talent Acquisition Center seeks to recruit diverse, agile, and quality candidates that range from entry-level to experienced applicants for NGA's wide-ranging Career Services. My friend, Kim Kersey, is employed with NGA's Data and Visualization Career Service. She even debuted their newly produced work role cards at the event. The cards show the diversified skillsets of those who typically work in that Career Service.

Caption: (Left to Right) Kimberly Kersey and Tracy Jones show off NGA’s new Data and Visualization work role cards.

     I asked Kim about the inspiration behind the Data and Visualization Career Service making the cards.

     “The cards were created to define NGA’s Data and Visualization work roles in a fun and relatable way,” said Kersey. She explained that the designs were even created by a visualization specialist that currently works with the agency.

     The cards were so popular that Kim’s team is looking to create more for the promotion of additional Data & Visualization job positions.

     I came away from this event with a strong sense of unity and camaraderie with those who attended the #NatSecGirlSquad conference.

     Members of the NGA workforce often travel to events like these; it gives them an opportunity to learn about current issues, build their professional network, and to educate others about how NGA is driving our future forward.

     So if you look hard enough, you just might catch me or my colleagues at your next event! We'd love to meet you!

     To learn more about efforts to strengthen diversity and inclusion within NGA, or to search for potential job opportunities, visit www.intelligencecareers.gov/nga.