“GETTING INTO GOOD TROUBLE”

Letter to the FDA Commissioner

BIG Parklawn Chapter will issue a letter to FDA Commissioner regarding concerns about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at FDA: We want to hear from you if you have suggestions

on this topic.

Agency Level Diversity Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC)

BIG Parklawn Chapter does have a seat on the agency level Diversity Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC), as it stands the BIG President is the representative and the BIG VP is the back-up, all of the ERGs are represented on the DIAC as well. However, the DIAC has not met for over 6 months, FDA’s permanent EEO Director retired in 2019 and the agency has not yet found a permanent replacement, it is BIG’s hope that once an EEO director is named the DIAC will resume its important work.  

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Mandatory Review of Employee training under E.O. 13950

BIG has responds to the Executive Order regarding race and sex stereotyping and specifically "Critical Race Theory" in the following manner:

Click Here!

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The State of FDA and HRSA

Every year federal agencies are required to review and revise where appropriate an agencies EEO profile including what barriers stand in the way to achieving a model EEO program that addresses issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal workplace. The attached 2019 plans provide an overview of the State of EEO programs at the Food and Drug Administration and the Health Resources Services Administration, two of the largest agencies where BIG Parklawn members work: FDA MD 715 and HRSA MD 715.  

Agency Crucial Conversations

At FDA at least ORA (Office of Regulatory Affairs) and CFSAN (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) have had organization wide meetings with employees to address issues brought up as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement.  HRSA employees have not heard of any similar conversations occurring.

BIG National Delegates Assembly

The BIG National Assembly will be held this Sunday, August 23, 2020 @ 10AM—6PM. A public viewing webpage was available for all members to attend this virtual meeting where our National President and other BIG officers were elected and where organizing resolutions and amendments were voted upon. BIG Parklawn Chapter elected six delegates and four alternates to represent our chapter at the BIG NDA.

More information about the BIG National Delegates Assembly can be found here: http://bignet.org/regional/delegates/home.html 

Personal and Professional Growth Seminars

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BIG is dedicated to ensuring that our members grow both personally and professionally. Parklawn chapter will have guest speakers seminars on a quarterly basis that cover such topics as retirement planning, career advancement, understanding your EEO rights in the workplace and personal growth (financial awareness and investment, health awareness, etc.).

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