OFFICE OF MINORITY AND WOMEN INCLUSION 

ANNUAL REPORT

As Required by Section 342(e) of the 

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010

This is a report prepared by the Staff of the Office of Minority and Women 

Inclusion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Commission 

has expressed no view regarding the analysis, findings, or conclusions 

contained herein. 

_________________________________ 

April 24, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ............................................................................. 4 

The Office of Minority and Women Inclusion ............................................................................... 4 

I. Contracting with Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses ................................... 6 

A. Major Contract Award Categories ................................................................................... 6 

B. Good Faith Contract Language ........................................................................................ 7 

C. Technical Assistance and Outreach .................................................................................. 8 

D. Challenges and Next Steps ............................................................................................... 9 

II. Employment of Minorities and Women in the SEC Workforce ........................................ 10 

A. Minority and Women Representation ............................................................................ 10 

B. Representation of Minority and Women in Supervisory and Management Roles ......... 11 

C. Senior Officers ............................................................................................................... 12 

D. New Hires ....................................................................................................................... 13 

E. Federal Workforce and Civilian Labor Force Comparison ............................................ 13 

F. Mission Critical Occupations ......................................................................................... 14 

G. Outreach and Partnerships .............................................................................................. 15 

H. Challenges and Next Steps ............................................................................................. 17 

III. Regulated Entities .......................................................................................................... 18 

IV. Other Information, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations .............................. 19 

A. The JOBS Act ................................................................................................................. 19 

B. Expanded Speaking Opportunities and Conference Participation ................................. 19 

C. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................... 19 

For Further Information ................................................................................................................ 21 
1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (“OMWI”), created pursuant to Section 

342 of the Dodd-Frank Act, was formally established at the SEC in July 2011. OMWI is 

responsible for all matters relating to diversity in management, employment, and business 

activities at the SEC. Since its establishment, OMWI has grown from two full-time employees 

and an acting director, to nine full-time employees and two contractors as of March 2013. The 

permanent OMWI Director joined the office in January 2012. 

The OMWI Director is required to develop standards: 

 for the equal employment opportunity and the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the 

workforce and senior management of the SEC; 

 for the increased participation of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the 

SEC’s programs and contracts; and, 

 to assess the diversity policies and practices of entities regulated by the SEC. 

Under Section 342(e) of the Dodd-Frank Act, OMWI is required to submit this annual 

report to Congress on specific actions taken by the agency and OMWI related to minority and 

women contracting awards, outreach programs, and employee and contractor hiring challenges. 

Highlights of OMWI’s FY 2012 actions and successes are summarized below, and are 

discussed further in this report. 

Contracting with Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses 

 Total agency contracting awards to women-owned businesses increased by $21.7 

million, from $7.8 million in FY 2011 to $29.5 million in FY 2012. 

 Of the total $302.4 million awarded to contractors in FY 2012, $64.1 million (21.2%) 

was awarded to minority-owned and women-owned businesses. 

 OMWI worked with key agency divisions and offices to expand the breadth of 

contracting opportunities available to minority-owned and women-owned businesses. 

 

 OMWI worked with the Office of Acquisitions and Office of General Counsel to 

develop contract language for the written statement on the fair inclusion of women and 

minorities in contracting activities as required by Section 342(c)(2). 

 OMWI provided technical assistance to over 150 small, minority-owned, and womenowned vendors. 

 OMWI sponsored and/or attended more than twenty contracting outreach events held 

by professional associations. 
2

Employment of Minorities and Women in the SEC Workforce 

 OMWI created an internal OMWI Steering Committee, comprised of senior-level staff 

from across the agency, to provide guidance, suggestions, and solutions regarding 

workforce diversity policies and programs. 

 

 OMWI, with active input from the OMWI Steering Committee, collaborated with the 

Office of Human Resources to further integrate diversity and inclusion measures in the 

performance standards for all managers and senior officers. 

 The SEC saw an increase in the percentages of new hires in FY 2012 over FY 2011 for 

the following demographic groups: 

o African-American/Black: +2.7% (10.1% -- 12.8%); 

o Asian-American: +3.6% (9.2% -- 12.8%); and 

o American Indian/Alaskan Native: +0.3% (0% -- 0.3%). 

 OMWI partnered with the Diverse Partners Network, the Workforce Recruitment 

Program, and Howard University Law School to develop programs and strategies to 

recruit diverse candidates to the agency. 

 In collaboration with other SEC divisions and offices, OMWI sponsored and/or 

attended events held by professional associations, and participated in outreach and 

career fairs. 
3

Regulated Entities

 The OMWI Director and staff participated in roundtables with financial industry 

groups and trade organizations to foster an informed dialogue on the development of 

standards for assessing the diversity policies and practices of regulated entities. 

 The OMWI Director and staff are drafting proposed standards to assess the diversity 

policies and practices of entities regulated by the agency. 
4

THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission1

 is charged with a vital mission – to 

protect investors, maintain fair, orderly and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. 

The Commission – comprised of five presidentially-appointed Commissioners, one of whom is 

designated as Chairman – is responsible for: 

 interpreting and enforcing federal securities laws; 

 issuing new rules and amending existing rules; 

 overseeing the inspection of securities firms, brokers, investment advisers, and ratings 

agencies; 

 overseeing private regulatory organizations in the securities, accounting, and auditing 

fields; and 

 coordinating U.S. securities regulation with federal, state, and foreign authorities. 

The agency’s functional responsibilities are organized into various divisions and offices 

that, along with the Commission, are headquartered in Washington, DC. The 3,942 employees2

of the agency are located in the Washington, DC headquarters and in regional offices in Atlanta, 

Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake 

City, and San Francisco. 

The SEC has responsibility for approximately 35,000 entities, including direct oversight 

of about 12,600 investment advisers, 9,900 mutual funds and exchange traded funds, and over 

4,500 broker-dealers with more than 160,000 branch offices. The agency also has responsibility 

for reviewing the disclosures and financial statements of more than 9,100 reporting companies 

and also oversees approximately 450 transfer agents, 15 national securities exchanges, eight 

active clearing agencies, and nine nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, as well as 

the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, 

Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. 

THE OFFICE OF MINORITY AND WOMEN INCLUSION

As required by Section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer 

Protection Act of 20103

, the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) is responsible for 

                                                            

1

 For purposes of this report, references to the “U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,” “SEC,” or the “agency” 

denote the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an agency. 

2

 The SEC employee count data presented in this report was retrieved from the Federal Personnel/Payroll System 

(FPPS) and includes all permanent, temporary, and term employees. 

3

 Pub. L. No. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1376, July 11, 2010, codified as 12 USC § 5452. 
5

all matters related to diversity in management, employment and business activities at the SEC. 

The SEC established its OMWI office in July 20114 and began the hiring process for a 

permanent OMWI Director soon thereafter. The permanent OMWI Director, selected in 

December 2011, officially joined the agency in January 2012. 

The OMWI Director is responsible for developing standards for equal employment 

opportunity and diversity of the workforce and senior management of the SEC, the increased 

participation of minority-owned and women-owned businesses (MWOBs)5 in the SEC’s 

programs and contracts, and assessing the diversity policies and practices of entities regulated by 

the SEC.6 The OMWI Director is also required to advise the Commission on the impact of the 

SEC’s policies and regulations on MWOBs.7

 

As required by Section 342(e), OMWI must submit an annual report to Congress that 

includes the following: 

 a statement of the total amounts paid to contractors during the reporting period; 

 the percentage of the amounts paid to contractors that were paid to minority-owned and 

women-owned businesses; 

 the successes achieved and challenges faced by the agency in operating minority and 

women outreach programs; 

 the challenges the agency may face in hiring qualified minority and women employees 

and contracting with qualified minority-owned and women-owned businesses; and, 

 any other information, findings, conclusions, and recommendations for legislative or 

agency action, as the OMWI Director determines appropriate.8 

Unless otherwise noted, this annual report covers Section 342-related activities at the 

SEC for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012. 

 

                                                            

4

 The SEC’s OMWI was formally established in July 2011 when the House and Senate Appropriations Committees 

approved the SEC’s reprogramming request to create the office. 5

 Throughout this report, MWOBs refers to minority-owned and women-owned businesses. To eliminate doublecounting, data for minority-owned businesses (MOBs) does not include businesses owned by women, data for 

women-owned businesses (WOBs) does not include businesses owned by minorities, and data for minority womenowned business (MW-OBs) includes only businesses owned by minority women. 

6

 Section 342(b)(2)(A)-(C). 

7

 Section 342(b)(3). 

8

 Section 342(e). 
6

I. Contracting with Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses 

 The SEC is committed to the fair utilization of minority-owned and women-owned 

businesses, regardless of size, in all of the agency’s business activities. The SEC, through the 

efforts of OMWI, is actively involved in the agency’s acquisition review process to expand the 

breadth of contracting opportunities available to minority-owned and women-owned businesses, 

and to advocate for their inclusion in the competitive contract award process. 

 In FY 2012, the SEC awarded $302.4 million to contractors. Of the $302.4 million, 

$64.1 million (21.2%) was awarded to minority-owned and women-owned businesses 

(MWOBs). Of that $64.1 million, the agency awarded $27.2 million (9.0%) to minority-owned 

businesses (MOBs); $29.5 million (9.8%) to women-owned businesses (WOBs); and $7.3 

million (2.4%) to minority women-owned businesses (MW-OBs). Compared to FY 2011, total 

contract dollars awarded to MWOBs increased by $18.5 million, contract dollars awarded to 

MOBs decreased by $2.6 million, contract dollars awarded to WOBs increased by $21.7 million, 

and contract dollars awarded to MW-OBs decreased by $0.7 million. 

MWOB Contract Awards, FY 2011 – FY 2012

Fiscal

Year

Total SEC

Contracts

MOB

Contracts

WOB  

Contracts

MW‐OB

Contracts

Total MWOB

Contracts

MWOB %

of Total

SEC

Contracts

2012 $302,433,155 $27,210,970 $29,543,009 $7,337,447 $64,091,426 21.2%

2011 $235,613,882 $29,750,314 $7,826,414 $8,003,087 $45,579,815 19.3%

Source: Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) data extracted March 4, 2013.  

A. Major Contract Award Categories 

During FY 2012, the majority of the SEC’s total contract awards were for goods and 

services related to computer systems design and management, scientific and technical consulting 

services. The five major categories that accounted for 86% of the SEC’s $302.4 million contract 

awards were as follows: 

 Computer Systems Design and Related Services (53%); 

 Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (13%); 

 Administrative and Support Services (8%); 

 Information (includes publishing, data processing and hosting, etc.) (6%); and 

 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (6%). 
7

The remaining 14% of contracts awarded in other categories (including legal services, 

accounting, finance, and insurance) accounted for $42.3 million of the agency’s total contract 

awards. 

From FY 2011 to FY 2012, contract awards to MWOBs increased in the SEC’s five 

major contracting categories: Computer Systems Design and Related Services (from $13.5 

million to $26.2 million); Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (from $9.4 

million to $10.0 million); Administrative and Support Services (from $5.3 million to $6.7 

million); Information (from $2.6 million to $3.6 million); and Computer and Electronic Product 

Manufacturing (from $1.2 million to $8.9 million). Both minority-owned and women-owned 

businesses experienced the largest gains in the Computer Systems Design and Related Services 

category, with $3.3 million and $9.9 million increases respectively. 

MWOB Contract Awards in

SEC Major Contract Award Categories (FY 2011 and FY 2012)

Major Categories

FY 2011 MWOB

Contract Awards

FY 2011 Total

Contract Awards

FY 2012 MWOB

Contract Awards

FY 2012 Total

Contract Awards

Computer Systems Design and

Related Services $13,492,489 $102,575,149 $26,196,015 $160,395,900

Management, Scientific, and

Technical Consulting Services $9,465,214 $30,818,220 $10,009,048 $38,822,474

Administrative and Support

Services $5,256,075 $33,544,327 $6,661,949 $22,948,367

Information (includes publishing,

data processing and hosting, etc.) $2,567,017 $18,376,557 $3,596,417 $19,190,899

Computer and Electronic Product

Manufacturing $1,206,909 $3,650,937 $8,938,264 $18,822,425

Source: Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) data extracted March 4, 2013.  

OMWI also supports the agency’s efforts to increase contracting opportunities for small 

businesses, including minority-owned and women-owned businesses. With the exception of the 

goal for historically underutilized business zone small businesses, the SEC exceeded its Small 

Business Association goals in FY 2012.9

B. Good Faith Contract Language 

Section 342(c)(1) requires the OMWI Director to develop and implement standards and 

procedures for the fair inclusion and utilization of minorities, women, minority-owned and 

women-owned businesses in all business activities of the Commission at all levels, including 

procurement and all types of contracts. Under Section 342(c)(2), the procedures established for 

the review and evaluation of contract proposals and for hiring service providers shall include, to 

                                                            

9

  As an agency subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) when purchasing goods and services, the SEC 

is required to award a certain percentage of its total contracting dollars to meet specified small business contract 

award goals. Refer to FAR Part 19.201(d)(4) for more information. 
8

the extent consistent with applicable law, a component that gives consideration to the diversity of 

the applicant. These procedures must include a written statement (referred to as “good faith 

contract language”) in a form and with such content as the OMWI Director shall prescribe, that 

“a contractor shall ensure, to the maximum extent possible, the fair inclusion of women and 

minorities in the workforce of the contractor and, as applicable, subcontractors.” Pursuant to 

Section 342(d), this good faith contract language and the procedures established under Section 

342(c) shall apply to all agency contracts for services of any kind. 

As required by Part 1.404 of the FAR, the SEC has consulted, through her staff, with the 

chairperson of the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC). CAAC advised that in their 

view a FAR deviation is not required because issuance of the regulation is required by statute, 

rather than being discretionary. CAAC staff agreed with SEC plans to consult with the Small 

Business Administration (SBA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the 

regulation prior to posting the regulation to the Federal Register for public comment. After 

consulting with both SBA and OMB, SEC will publish the draft regulation in the Federal 

Register for comment. Following receipt and analysis of any comments, the SEC will move 

forward to implement the regulation. OMWI anticipates that this good faith contract language 

will be finalized and incorporated in all SEC contracts for services that exceed the FAR 

simplified acquisition threshold amount (currently $150,000) before the end of FY 2013. 

C. Technical Assistance and Outreach 

 OMWI provides technical assistance and outreach to MWOBs and small businesses to 

increase their participation in the business activities of the agency. This technical assistance and 

outreach includes:

 Hosting a monthly “Vendor Outreach Day” in partnership with SEC’s Office of 

Acquisitions at SEC headquarters. This provides small businesses and MWOBs with an 

individualized opportunity to learn about the SEC’s contracting needs and to present their 

capabilities to OMWI’s Supplier Diversity Officer and other key SEC personnel. 

 Creating customized brochures and print materials, and enhancing OMWI’s external 

website to facilitate improved technical assistance and outreach to small businesses and 

MWOBs. 

 Maintaining a dedicated email address and telephone line for contracting inquiries and 

outreach. During FY 2012, more than forty MWOBs contacted OMWI directly to learn 

more about the SEC’s contracting process and needs. 

 Posting contracting opportunities to the Federal Business Opportunities webpage 

(www.FBO.gov). 
9

 Sponsoring and attending conferences and participating in business matchmaking 

sessions to increase the interaction between small businesses, MWOBs and the SEC. 

During FY 2012, OMWI’s outreach included participating in the national conferences 

and business matchmaking sessions for the National Association of Minority and 

Women-Owned Law Firms, the Minority Business Development Agency, the National 

Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National 

Council, among others. 

D. Challenges and Next Steps 

While women-owned businesses experienced an increase in contract awards in FY 2012, 

minority-owned businesses experienced a slight decrease. The decrease for minority-owned 

businesses was largely due to reductions in contract awards in the Wholesale Trade (computer 

and peripheral equipment, etc.) category (a decrease of $3.27 million, from $3.73 million 

awarded in FY 2011 to $461,000 awarded in FY 2012) and the Other Professional, Scientific, 

and Technical Services category (a decrease of $2.87 million, from $4.33 million awarded in FY 

2011 to $1.46 million awarded in FY 2012). The SEC’s contract awards have been trending 

towards technology-oriented services and OMWI will focus on advising MWOBs in this industry 

and encouraging them to compete for the SEC’s contract awards, particularly in the agency’s 

major contract award categories. The agency will continue to outreach to minority-owned and 

women-owned businesses to increase their opportunities for participation in the SEC’s business 

operations. 

 
10

II. Employment of Minorities and Women in the SEC Workforce 

During FY 2012, OMWI began developing and implementing new strategies to improve 

the diversity of the SEC’s workforce. Of note, in May 2012, the OMWI Director created an 

internal OMWI Steering Committee, comprised of supervisors and managers from the SEC’s 

divisions and offices to provide guidance, suggestions, and solutions relating to the requirements 

of Section 342. During FY 2012, the OMWI Steering Committee focused primarily on the 

agency’s workforce diversity efforts and provided beneficial feedback to OMWI on current and 

proposed strategies and initiatives. In addition, the OMWI Director, with active input from the 

OMWI Steering Committee, collaborated with the Office of Human Resources to further 

integrate diversity and inclusion measures in the performance standards for all managers and 

senior officers to reflect more consideration of diversity in the agency’s hiring and contracting 

practices. The Steering Committee also assisted OMWI in developing an agency-wide diversity 

and inclusion strategic plan to comply with the August 2011 White House Diversity and 

Inclusion Executive Order and the Government-wide Diversity and Strategic Plan initiative.

OMWI is committed to taking steps to make sure that minorities and women are 

represented at all levels of the agency’s workforce, including in supervisory and management 

positions. A demographic overview of the 3,942 employees in the SEC’s FY 2012 workforce 

(which includes permanent, temporary, and term employees) is below. 

A. Minority and Women Representation 

As of the end of FY 2012, 1,246 employees (31.6% of the SEC workforce) were 

minorities and 1,861 employees (47.2% of the SEC workforce) were women. Of the minority 

employees: 

 651 (16.5% of the SEC workforce) are Black or African-American; 

 384 (9.7% of the SEC workforce) are Asian; 

 181 (4.6% of the SEC workforce) are Hispanic or Latino; 

 10 (.3% of the SEC workforce) are American Indian or Alaska Native; 

 4 (.1% of the SEC workforce) are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 

 16 (.4% of the SEC workforce) are of Two or More Races. 

Of the 1,246 minority employees, 646 (51.8%) were employed in the agency’s mission 

critical occupations of attorneys, accountants, compliance examiners, and economists. By 

comparison, 2,224 (82.5%) non-minority employees were employed in the agency’s mission 

critical occupations. Of the 1,861 women employees, 1,195 (64.2%) were employed in the 

mission critical occupations of attorneys, accountants, compliance examiners, and economists. 

By comparison, 1,675 (80.5%) men were employed in the agency’s mission critical occupations.
11

Source: Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for Fiscal Year 2012.  For this chart, “All Other Categories”

includes the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Two or More Races

race/ethnicity categories, which combined comprised less than 1% of the SEC workforce.  

Source: Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for Fiscal Year 2012.

B. Representation of Minority and Women in Supervisory and Management Roles 

OMWI is responsible for matters relating to diversity in management at all levels of the 

SEC. At the SEC, staff at levels SK-15 (e.g., branch chiefs), SK-17 (e.g., assistant directors), 

and Senior Officers (SOs) (e.g., associate directors, deputy directors, and directors) serve in 

supervisory and management roles. Senior Officers, the SEC equivalent to federal Senior 

Executive Service positions, are the highest ranking staff at the agency. 

2,696 (68.4%)

651 (16.5%)

384 (9.7%)

181 (4.6%)

30 (0.8%)

1,246 (31.6%)

SEC Workforce FY 2012

Race and Ethnicity Representation

White (Non‐Minority) Minority

African American Asian

Hispanic or Latino All Other Categories

1,861

(47.2%)

Women

2,081

(52.8%)

Men

SEC Workforce FY 2012

Gender Representation
12

During FY 2012, there were a total of 780 supervisory and management positions (SK15s, SK-17s, and Senior Officers) at the SEC. 141 (18.1%) of those supervisory and 

management positions were held by minorities and 276 (35.4%) were held by women. During 

FY 2012, the total number of African-Americans, Asians and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific 

Islanders in supervisory and management positions at the SEC increased, while the remaining 

minority groups experienced small decreases in representation. When compared to FY 2011 on 

a percentage basis, the total percentage of African-Americans and Asians in supervisory and 

management positions remained the same. The number of women in supervisory and 

management positions at the SEC increased by three in FY 2012, although the overall percentage 

of women supervisors and managers decreased slightly from 36.5% to 35.4%. 

SEC Supervisory and Management Demographics (FY 2011 and FY 2012)

Fiscal

Year

Total

SK‐15,

SK‐17,

and

SOs Men Women

White

Non‐

Minority

Hispanic

or

Latino

African

American Asian

Native

Hawaiian

or Other

Pacific

Islander

American

Indian or

Alaska

Native

Two

or

More

Races

2011 747 474 273 607 30 55 47 1 2 5

2011 %

of total 100% 63.5% 36.5% 81.3% 4.0% 7.4% 6.3% 0.1% 0.3% 0.7%

2012 780 504 276 639 28 58 49 2 2 2

2012 %

of total 100% 64.6% 35.4% 81.9% 3.6% 7.4% 6.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%

Source: Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012.

C. Senior Officers 

From FY 2011 to FY 2012, minority and women representation at the senior officer level 

experienced a slight increase in two minority groups. The number of African-American senior 

officers increased from three to seven and the number of Asian senior officers increased from 

three to four individuals. During the same time frame, women senior officers also increased 

slightly, from thirty-eight to forty. 
13

SEC Senior Officer Demographics (FY 2011 and FY 2012)

Fiscal

Year

Total

SOs Men Women

White

Non‐

Minority

Hispanic

or

Latino

African

American Asian

Native

Hawaiian

or Other

Pacific

Islander

American

Indian or

Alaska

Native

Two or

More

Races

2011 123 85 38 109 6 3 3 0 1 1

2011 %

of total   100% 69.1% 30.9% 88.6% 4.9% 2.4% 2.4% 0.0% 0.8% 0.8%

2012 128 88 40 111 5 7 4 0 1 0

2012 %

of total   100% 68.8% 31.3% 86.7% 3.9% 5.5% 3.1% 0.0% 0.8% 0.0%

Source: Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012.

D. New Hires 

In FY 2012, the SEC hired 375 new employees – a significant increase over the 217 new 

employees hired in FY 2011. Minorities and women comprised 30% of the agency’s new hires 

in FY 2012, compared to 26% in FY 2011. 

SEC New Hire Demographics (FY 2011 and FY 2012)

Fiscal

Year

Total

New

Hires Men Women

White

Non‐

Minority

Hispanic

or

Latino

African

American Asian

Native

Hawaiian

or Other

Pacific

Islander

American

Indian or

Alaska

Native

Two

or

More

Races

2011 217 124 93 160 11 22 20 1 0 3

2011 %

of total

100

% 57.1% 42.9% 73.7% 5.1% 10.1% 9.2% 0.5% 0.0% 1.4%

2012 375 240 135 264 9 48 48 1 1 4

2012 %

of total

100

% 64.0% 36.0% 70.4% 2.4% 12.8% 12.8% 0.3% 0.3% 1.1%

Source: Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012.

E. Federal Workforce and Civilian Labor Force Comparison 

Overall, workforce diversity at the SEC is comparable to the federal workforce and 

Civilian Labor Force (CLF), though there are differences in representation among certain groups. 

The SEC has more representation of Asians and women than the federal workforce and the CLF, 

but lags behind in Hispanic or Latino representation. The number of African-American and 

Asian employees increased at the SEC in FY 2012, with representation at rates at or above the 

CLF percentages. For African-Americans, the SEC’s 16.5% representation was higher than the 
14

CLF representation of 11.1%, but lower than the federal workforce average of 18.0%. For 

Asians, the SEC’s 9.8% representation was higher than the federal workforce average of 5.9%. 

Hispanic or Latino representation comprised 4.6% of the SEC workforce, compared to the 7.9% 

representation in the federal workforce and 14.8% representation in the CLF. Although the 

percentage of women at the SEC decreased slightly over the past fiscal year, from 48.1% in FY 

2011 to 47.2% in FY 2012, the SEC employs a higher percentage of women than the federal 

workforce, and a percentage equal to the CLF. 

SEC FY 2012 Workforce –  

Federal Workforce and Civilian Labor Force Comparison

Demographic Groups*

SEC FY 2012

Workforce

2010 Federal  

Workforce

2010 Civilian  

Labor Force

Men 52.8% 56.0% 53.3%

Women 47.2% 44.0% 46.7%

White Men 40.6% 39.0% 35.8%

White Women 27.8% 26.5% 31.7%

African American Men 5.1% 7.7% 5.2%

African American Women 11.4% 10.3% 5.9%

Hispanic or Latino Men 2.3% 4.7% 8.8%

Hispanic or Latino Women 2.3% 3.2% 6.0%

Asian Men 4.6% 3.3% 2.5%

Asian Women 5.2% 2.6% 2.1%

Sources: SEC Workforce ‐ Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for FY 2012; Federal Workforce ‐ EEOC FY 2010

Annual Report (the most recent published report); and 2010 Civilian Labor Force ‐ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

*Reported data for the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and American Indian or Alaska Native

demographic groups is not displayed for comparison, as each group represented less than 1% of the population for

each source.  

F. Mission Critical Occupations 

The SEC’s mission critical occupations – attorneys, accountants, economists and 

compliance examiners – comprised approximately 73% of the agency’s workforce in FY 2012. 

Of the 1,696 attorneys at the SEC, 713 were women, representing 42.0% of all SEC attorneys 

and falling below the 47.1% representation in the federal workforce. Women accountants, 

economists, and compliance examiners were represented below the federal workforce 

representation. Hispanic or Latino representation at the agency exceeded the federal workforce 

representation for accountants, and fell slightly below the federal workforce for attorneys, 

economists and compliance examiners. For African-Americans, representation at the SEC fell 

below the federal workforce for attorneys, accountants, and compliance examiners, and exceeded 

the federal workforce for economists. Asian representation at the SEC was higher than the 

federal workforce for all the mission critical occupations. 
15

SEC Mission Critical Occupations – FY 2012 Federal Workforce Comparison

Mission

Critical

Occupations Men Women

White

Non‐

Minority

Hispanic

or Latino

Black or

African

American Asian

Native

Hawaiian

or Other

Pacific

Islander

American

Indian or

Alaska

Native

Two or

More

Races

FY 2012 SEC

Attorneys

58.0

% 42.0% 80.4% 3.2% 6.8% 9.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.5%

FY 2012 FW

Attorneys 52.9% 47.1% 80.4% 4.2% 8.6% 5.6% 0.1% 0.4% 0.7%

FY 2012 SEC

Accountants

56.6

% 43.4% 73.5% 6.1% 8.4% 11.7% 0.0% 0.3% 0.1%

FY 2012 FW

Accountants 41.5% 58.5% 62.7% 4.5% 22.0% 8.4% 0.2% 1.4% 0.9%

FY 2012 SEC

Economists

70.0

% 30.0% 68.3% 1.7% 8.3% 20.0% 0.0% 1.7% 0.0%

FY 2012 FW

Economists 66.9% 33.1% 79.9% 3.3% 6.8% 9.2% 0.0% 0.2% 0.5%

FY 2012 SEC

Compliance

Examiners

69.2

% 30.8% 74.4% 2.6% 9.0% 13.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.6%

FY 2012 FW

Compliance

Examiners 62.7% 37.3% 78.3% 4.6% 10.9% 4.5% 0.0% 0.6% 0.9%

Sources: SEC Workforce ‐ Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) for FY 2012.  Federal Workforce data retrieved

from www.fedscope.opm.gov on March 20, 2013.  For the Federal Workforce data, the following occupation series

codes were used for comparable benchmarking: Attorneys (0905), Accountants (0510), Economists (0110), and

Compliance Examiners (1831 and 0570).

G. Outreach and Partnerships 

OMWI maintains strategic partnerships with professional organizations focused on 

developing opportunities for minorities and women in the securities and financial services 

industry, including: Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, Pan-Asian 

Leaders in Finance and Accounting, Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia, 

Hispanic National Bar Association, National Association of Asian MBAs, National Association 

of Black Accountants, National Bar Association, National Black MBA Association, South Asian 

Bar Association of Washington, DC, Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, and 

the Diverse Partners Network. In addition, OMWI shares job openings and internship 

opportunities with these organizations and their affiliates. 

During FY 2012, OMWI sponsored and/or participated in numerous outreach events 

targeted to minorities and women, including the events listed below: 
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OMWI FY 2012 Outreach and Events

Events Sponsored by OMWI

Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention

National Bar Association National Convention

Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Annual Convention

Minority Corporate Counsel Association Mid‐Atlantic Regional Networking Forum

North American South Asian Bar Association Annual Convention

Native American Finance Officers Association Annual Conference

National Association of Asian MBAs Annual Conference

National Association of Securities Professionals Annual Conference

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Annual Convention

Federal Bar Association – Indian Law Section Annual Conference

Minority Corporate Counsel Association Annual Diversity Conference

Corporate Counsel Women of Color Annual Conference

Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago National Summit

Spelman College ‐ LEADS Leadership and Women of Color Conference

Events Attended by OMWI

Congressman’s Charles Rangel’s New York City Career Fair

National Bar Association’s Crump Law Camp at Howard University Law School

Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference

Robert Toigo Foundation – Groundbreakers Women in Leadership Forum  

National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Annual Business

Meeting

During FY 2012, OMWI led the SEC’s participation in the Howard University Law 

School “Chat and Chew” Speaker Series and provided guest lecturers for its Securities Law 

course. OMWI was also a lead organizer of the SEC’s “Student Shadowing Program,” which 

gives minority and women high school students the opportunity to shadow an SEC employee for 

the day, interact with our Commissioners and other agency leaders, and learn more about the 

career paths represented in our workforce. This program occurs each spring and fall at SEC 

headquarters and regional offices. During FY 2012, over 250 high school students participated 

in the program nationwide. 

In FY 2013, with additional staff and increased employee engagement, OMWI plans to 

expand its participation at a number of recruitment and outreach events that target minorities and 

women students and experienced professionals. OMWI has reached out to more than forty 

minority educational institutions to improve student and alumni access to SEC job postings and 

agency information. In addition, OMWI continues to broaden its outreach to minority 

professional and community advocacy organizations. 
17

H. Challenges and Next Steps 

Despite some progress during FY 2012, the percentage of minority representation at the 

SEC in the mission critical occupations of accountants, attorneys, economists, and compliance 

examiners lagged the federal workforce in a majority of the demographic categories. In FY 

2013, OMWI plans to continue to engage SEC hiring officials, minority and women professional 

organizations representing securities and financial services industry participants, and educational 

institutions to develop tailored recruitment strategies for these occupations. OMWI also 

anticipates developing better metrics to enhance the agency’s ability to identify potential barriers 

in the hiring process and in attracting women and minorities to the SEC. 

In FY 2013, the SEC will work to implement the Pathways Programs10, which were 

developed to increase opportunities for student interns and recent graduates to work at the 

agency. OMWI will also develop a targeted outreach strategy to ensure that students attending 

historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, women’s colleges, and 

other minority colleges and institutions are made aware of agency’s Pathways Programs and 

encouraged to participate. OMWI will also participate in career fairs and related events at these 

colleges and institutions to generate interest in SEC job opportunities and career paths. 

   

                                                            

10 The Pathways Programs were created to streamline and standardize recruiting, application and hiring for interns, 

recent graduates and presidential management fellows, and to increase employment opportunities for Pathways 

participants in the federal workforce. For additional information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/policy-dataoversight/hiring-authorities/students-recent-graduates/. 
18

III. Regulated Entities 

During FY 2012, the OMWI Director and staff participated in roundtable discussions 

with regulated entities, representative trade associations, community groups, and other interested 

parties to obtain information about existing diversity policies and leading practices, and to hear 

their perspectives and suggestions. In FY 2013, OMWI is working with key agency staff to 

develop proposed standards by which the diversity policies and practices of the regulated entities 

may be assessed. Additionally, during FY 2013, OMWI plans to host and participate in SECfocused roundtable discussions with securities and financial services industry groups and trade 

organizations to solicit additional in-depth feedback on the impact of the proposed standards on 

the entities regulated by the agency. 

   
19

IV. Other Information, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations 

Section 342(e)(5) requires the SEC to report any other information, findings, conclusions, 

and recommendations for legislative or agency action, as the OMWI Director determines 

appropriate. Outlined below is additional information regarding OMWI’s efforts. 

A. The JOBS Act 

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act11, was designed to encourage small 

business growth and startup funding by increasing the ability of small businesses to raise capital 

and by lessening certain regulatory requirements for individual investments in new businesses. 

Under Title VII of the JOBS Act, the SEC is required to conduct outreach to inform several 

business communities, including minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses, of 

the changes made by the Act. As the minority-owned and women-owned business communities 

are already included in OMWI’s existing supplier diversity outreach efforts, OMWI is 

collaborating with other SEC divisions and offices to develop the agency’s JOBS Act outreach 

strategy. This collaboration includes ensuring that the outreach required by the JOBS Act 

complements and augments the SEC’s existing supplier diversity outreach and initiatives 

required under Section 342. 

B. Expanded Speaking Opportunities and Conference Participation 

Under a broad outreach strategy developed by OMWI, the OMWI Director facilitates 

participation and speaking opportunities for SEC staff from across the agency at local and 

national conferences and events to market the SEC to diverse suppliers and jobseekers. In FY 

2012, these events included the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council National 

Conference and Career Fair, the National Association of Securities Professionals Legislative 

Conference, and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Diversity 

Conference, among others. OMWI hopes to expand its outreach efforts in FY 2013. 

C. Conclusions and Recommendations 

During FY 2012, OMWI made progress in the development of standards and procedures 

to enhance the diversity of the agency’s workforce and senior management ranks, to increase the 

participation of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in agency contracts, and to assess 

the diversity policies and practices of the entities regulated by the agency. Recognizing that 

there is still more progress to be made to enhance diversity and inclusion throughout the agency 

and its operations, the continued support of the Commission, supervisors and managers, and 

workforce will facilitate improvement in the following areas: 

                                                            

11 Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, April 5, 2012. 
20

 Increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in our workforce, including 

minority and women supervisors and managers. The value of, and the commitment to, 

diversity and inclusion should be evident at every level of our workforce. Attracting 

more minorities and women to the SEC and expanding pathways to supervisory and 

management positions will require agency leaders to support more robust hiring, 

retention, and succession planning strategies. These strategies should result in an 

increase over time of the representation of minorities and women at all levels of the 

workforce. 

 Including more minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the agency’s programs 

and contracts, to the maximum extent possible. The increased utilization of contractors 

that reflect the diversity of the investing public we serve may help identify additional 

suppliers, new products, and innovative services responsive to the agency’s evolving 

needs. Agency leaders should continue to support and facilitate the participation of 

minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the agency’s competitive contract 

award process. 

 Utilizing diversity and inclusion to advance the agency’s mission to protect investors, 

maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. Agency 

leaders should ensure that the diverse experiences, thoughts, and backgrounds of the 

workforce at all levels of the agency are fully utilized to achieve the SEC’s mission. A 

workforce that exemplifies the diversity of the investors the SEC is charged with 

protecting may enhance the agency’s ability to develop additional leading-edge solutions 

to regulate the markets, enforce securities laws, and detect and deter fraud. 
21

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Should you require any further information regarding this report, please contact Pamela 

Gibbs, Director, Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, at (202) 551-6046 or Julie Davis, 

Deputy Director, Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, at (202) 551-2233.