The Foreign Service Journal, October 2020

42 OCTOBER 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL reach their full potential in the service of the United States of America—at home and abroad. To see our agenda and member- ship structure, please contact us at thursdayluncheongroup.org. Irvin “Irv” Hicks Jr. recently joined the Bureau of International Nar- cotics and Law Enforcement Affairs after serving as the senior negoti- ator for the Political-Military Bureau’s Office of Security Negotiations, and foreign policy adviser (POLAD) for the Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa based in Djibouti and as deputy chief of mission in Nouakchott. He has also served in Guinea, Nigeria, Brazil, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Mauritius and Burundi, in addition to Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the State Department, he worked for the African American Institute, Entrepreneurs International and the U.S.–South African Leadership Exchange Program, and was a corporate execu- tive for General Motors’ Africa and Middle East Operations. HECFAA: Emphasizing Recruitment Resources and Career Advancement By Greg Pardo, Sandy Perez-Rousseau, Annika Betancourt, Camelia Valldejuly and Rosalina Wackford T he Hispanic Employee Council of Foreign Affairs Agen- cies (HECFAA) has worked since 1982 to promote a foreign affairs workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the United States, including through strengthening the recruit- ment, retention and advancement of Hispanics and Latinx at the Department of State. Despite such long-standing efforts, the Government Accountability Office’s January report found that Hispanic representation only grew from 5 percent to 7 percent in 16 years. The GAO also noted the continued lower rates of representation by all racial and ethnic minorities in the senior ranks. To remedy this, HECFAA has four recommendations: (1) increase resources for recruitment and pipeline programs; (2) ensure the retention and advancement of midlevel officers by expanding career advancement programs; (3) increase men- torship and sponsorship for Hispanic employees to increase the pipeline of employees eligible for senior positions; and (4) ensure transparency and accountability in hiring decisions. In March the HECFAA Executive Board sent these proposals directly to regional and functional bureau senior leaders inter- ested in recruiting and retaining diverse candidates, including several who admitted they had a long way to go. The board has also served as a resource to some bureaus and posts that previously lacked a diversity council or any diversity or inclu- sion initiatives. Numerous members working domestically and overseas serve on these councils, in addition to their day jobs, to improve their workplaces for all employees. Mindful of the power of collaboration, we continue to part- ner with the department’s other employee affinity groups, the Bureau of Global Talent Management and State’s Office of Civil Rights to collaborate, share best practices and amplify existing efforts to increase inclusion and recruit and retain diverse staff. On March 11, HECFAA and other EAGs met with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and presented several key areas for Congress to assist the department in these efforts. A strong sense of community is what makes the HECFAA family special. During the chiefs of mission conference in February, we welcomed five Latinx ambassadors for a breakfast with members; and we will host our annual Hispanic Heritage Month event in October, highlighting the important contribu- tions by Hispanics to U.S. diplomacy. HECFAA has also held numerous career advancement sessions, some in partner- ship with other EAGs, on bidding, professional development opportunities outside the department, and management and supervisory skills in the virtual environment. To secure the next generation of diverse leaders, we are directly engaging with Latinx youth and pressing the depart- ment on increasing institutional outreach to Hispanic-Serving Institutions and communities with majority Hispanic popula- tions. Our members conducted numerous speaking engage- ments with Latinx high school and college students interested in careers in foreign affairs. To ease the financial burden for one unpaid State Department intern, we secured a stipend, in collaboration with the American Foreign Service Association, and are working to continue and expand this initiative. Though Hispanics constitute 17 percent of the U.S. labor force and counting, we only represent 7 percent of the State Department. Retention and advancement of current diverse officers provide a visible and attractive example for the new talent the department seeks to recruit. HECFAA remains hard at work in each of these areas. The authors compose the executive board of HECFAA. President Greg Pardo is a Foreign Service political officer serving in the Office for Israel and Palestinian Affairs. Vice President for Civil Service Sandy Perez-Rousseau is a foreign affairs officer in the Office to Moni-