As a federal agency, we have an obligation to be a model employer, but we cannot be a model employer without improving our work force diversity. We shall take that obligation seriously. Diversity in the work place values employees in all occupations and at all levels and provides them with opportunities for working at their full potential. Diversity encompasses more than differences in race, ethnic national origin, disabilities, age, gender, religion or sexual orientation. It includes the different values, cultures, and perspectives possessed by the ever-changing mix of groups that comprise America.
Diversity is a catalyst for developing and maintaining a more competitive and effective work force.
We must understand and respect the viewpoints and ideas that are unfamiliar in our personal experience and our personal heritage. What we've done must always be seen as milestones, not as the finish line. Ultimate success in our field is something none of us will ever live to see. And neither will generations upon generations of our successors. That is the situation today with our three goals.