Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Tekea Norwood, COO, and Equal Opportunity Officer for CAMW! Their discussion covers her role at the Capital Area Michigan Works specifically as Equal Opportunity Officer.

To hear Tekea and Jeffrey’s full conversation please click on the embedded SoundCloud PodCast shared below!

Their discussion covers:

QUESTION: What is the role of an Equal Opportunity Officer?
ANSWER: Formally, as included on the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic
Opportunity website, each Michigan Works! has identified an Equal Opportunity (EO) Officer
who works with the state-level EO Officer to ensure we are administering workforce programs
in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with applicable federal and state laws governing
non-discrimination. So, an EO Officer makes sure that an organization does not discriminate on
the basis of race, color, sex (which includes pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual
orientation), age, physical or mental disability, national origin or religion.

QUESTION: What responsibilities does the role of EO Officer include?
ANSWER: Some of the roles and responsibilities include handling complaints about
discrimination and investigating the claims. If the claims are found to be valid, then my role is to
remedy the situation by creating a plan and carrying it out. The EO Officer may also develop and direct training programs targeted at preventing harassment and discrimination.

QUESTION: What does equal opportunity mean for CAMW!?
ANSWER: Equal opportunity means we get to play a key role in protecting the human rights of
the individuals who come into contact with our organization, be it our staff, sub-recipients,
program participants or community partners. Here at CAMW!, there is a strong emphasis on
diversity and inclusion across all facets of our organization. Our CEO is committed to fostering a
diverse environment and embodies the view that all are created equal and should be treated as
such! Also, in this role, it is important to understand applicable laws, achieving diversity in the
workplace, programs and acknowledging that everyone is entitled to an equal chance for a
fulfilling job or career. Our agency actively complies with all federal and state nondiscrimination
laws in the administration of its programs and for hiring and retention purposes as an employer.
An example of being an equal opportunity employer/program is that auxiliary aids and services
are available upon further request to individuals with disabilities.

QUESTION: Does the CAMW! definition or protection differ from other legal definitions?
ANSWER: CAMW!’s definition of being an equal opportunity employer/program aligns with
federal and state legal definitions and we also ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion best
practices are in place for implementation of the services we provide so that all individuals
visiting or working in our American Job Centers are welcome.

QUESTION: Why is the EO Officer role important?
ANSWER: The role of the EO Officer is important to ensure checks and balances. In this role, I’m
able to monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices, policies, and contracting arrangements give equal
opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. We
provide our staff and sub-recipients equal access to diversity and inclusion training designed to
develop their skills and enhance their job performance – overall, ensuring that all programs,
activities and services are made available, without discrimination, to individuals who are
seeking our services.

QUESTION: What impact does the EO Officer have?
ANSWER: CAMW! has consistently passed State level Equal Opportunity formal reviews with no
findings due to the practices that have been put into place and these best practices have been
highlighted during the review process by the state-level EO Officer. The EO Officer role in the
system really goes beyond just the formal compliance components and serves as the system
leader in ensuring that DEI practices are ingrained into the system itself and that staff
understands the “why” behind the reasons that equal opportunity exists for those we serve as
employers and from within our communities. In the end, the impact is creating a more diverse workforce.