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  1. Equal Employment at FDA

Diversity Policy Statement

January 8, 2010
 

Food and Drug Administration
Silver Spring, MD 20993
 

MEMORANDUM
 

FROM: Commissioner of Food and Drugs
SUBJECT: Diversity Policy Statement
TO: All FDA Employees
 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is committed to further developing and establishing an inclusive work environment that values human diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to race, gender, and ethnicity. To become and remain a high performing agency in the 21st century, we must tap into the rich resources available to us by recruiting diverse and talented individuals, while also retaining and developing an inclusive workforce that reflects the multi-cultural society we serve. I am convinced that the unique attributes of each employee offers incalculable benefits to our organization. As such, I vigorously support creating an environment within the FDA that is free of barriers to full participation, values diversity, and empowers every individual to contribute to the mission of the agency.
 

To this end, the FDA's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Management (OEEODM) has established a Diversity Council, which is currently in its fifth year and serves as an advisory body to senior management on matters of diversity as they offer and pertain to our employees. I am proud that our Diversity Council is leading the way in finding new and innovative approaches to make the agency an employer of choice for everyone. Whether we realize it or not, diversity improves upon an organization's problem solving and decision making effectiveness by increasing the variety of viewpoints and perspectives available to meet new challenges. This is critical to ensuring that all employees feel that they are a vital part of the organization. By supporting and encouraging the contributions of our employees to the mission of the agency, we are fostering a sense of belonging and fulfillment that will yield significant dividends now and in the future.
 

We must always look to the FDA's long term effectiveness, both as a regulatory agency and as an organization that embodies what is best about our nation's generous and inclusive spirit. It is our employees who hold the answers to questions of increased organizational effectiveness and positive change. By empowering them, we leverage our diversity to build an even stronger agency. FDA remains committed to these principles as it pursues its central mission of protecting and promoting America's health.
 

/s/

Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.

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