PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.—More than 300 military and civilian Equal Opportunity professionals attended the Navy’s 2009 Equal Opportunity Advisor (EOA) and Command Managed Equal Opportunity (CMEO) Symposium May 19-22 at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) here.

The theme of the symposium this year was “Equal Opportunity: Accountability Driven–Compliance Based,” and according to Commander George Bradshaw, Director of Navy Equal Opportunity, promoted the idea that “EO compliance is the vehicle for our highest ideals regarding teamwork and productivity which benefits retention.” He added that “Leadership and individual accountability are critical in ensuring this is being achieved. If we’re going to be a Top 50 Employer, recruitment and outreach will be fruitless if we aren’t creating a climate to retain our talent at every Navy command. Our EOAs and CMEOs are critical personnel to our commanders in assisting them with this mission. This symposium was designed to provide all in attendance with tools to help them achieve this.”

Rear Admiral Daniel P. Holloway, Director, Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education (N13) addressed a packed auditorium of EOA and CMEO professionals on the first day of the symposium at DEOMI–the Defense Department’s Center of Excellence for Equal Opportunity, Equal Employment Opportunity training, and Cross-Cultural Competency research.

The Navy is a world-class organization. You have stepped up into a very important role,” said Admiral Holloway. “My experience at sea and very close quarters—through stress away from families, whether peacetime or time of war, whether it’s a high jobless rate or not over the last 31 years, requires this type of oversight and this type of leadership that you bring to the Navy,” the admiral said.

The primary goal of the symposium was to conduct professional development training addressing equal opportunity and diversity issues for command-level EOAs, Command Managed Equal Opportunity (CMEO) managers and other leadership.

The symposium included briefs from senior leadership, diversity and equal opportunity subject matter experts and experienced training professionals. The training focused on effective interpersonal communications, current diversity strategies, equal opportunity policies and the Navy’s diversity campaign plans.

There’s a lot of value added to having our fleet CMEOs attend the symposium at DEOMI—the heartbeat of our EO program,” said Command Master Chief David Carter of the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center located at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Norfolk, Va. “Our CMEOs and EOAs provide important advice on how to run an inclusive command where everyone feels value added,” he said.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Carl Phillips, an Equal Opportunity Advisor with Naval Air Systems Command, shared his sentiments about the symposium stating “Communication is the most important part of my job—whether it’s in written or spoken form and you can pick up a lot of tips at events like this.” “I also enjoyed the Navy Pride and Professionalism portion of instruction.”

Chief Petty Officer Antonio Taylor, a CMEO for Maritime Expeditionary Security Group 2 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. said he enjoyed being able to share helpful tips about his job with others in attendance. “I’ve been a CMEO for about a year,” said the 19-year Navy veteran and “hearing what works and doesn’t work from those with more experience is a great way to improve our programs,” he said. “I want to do all I can to be the best CMEO possible.”

CAPT Cynthia Macri, Special Assistant to the CNO for Diversity said “the symposium was a huge eye opener and I enjoyed hearing about how EO plays such a huge part in the Navy,” adding “If we have a climate in every command that everyone feels comfortable being a part of, then every Sailor can easily be a recruiter. People will know when someone honestly feels good about the organization they belong to.”

Admiral Holloway complimented those in attendance saying, “Creating a fair and equitable culture is critical. You’re doing a great job and making the Navy even better.”

The Navy strives to demonstrate its commitment to equal opportunity and diversity through continued training extended to its Sailors and civilians. The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute was established to address the education and training of military and civilian personnel in the areas of diversity, equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity.

Those in attendance at the symposium were also the first public audience to view DEOMI’s latest video production titled “Who’s On Your Team,” a video that addresses the core issues of human dignity and worth for all individuals, and demonstrates that equal opportunity for all individuals is a fundamental aspect of readiness. It can be used for training events or as a motivator in other forums addressing equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity. To view this video, visit Click here.

For more on this story and to see Admiral Holloway discuss the symposium and the importance of DEOMI and how the institute directly affects mission readiness, select Admiral Holloway discusses symposium and Admiral Holloway discusses DEOMI.