HEO Receives National Image Inc. Equity and Excellence Leadership Award

For Immediate Release: Sept. 20, 2013
Media Inquiries: Guillermo J. Avilés-Mendoza, President, Guillermo.Aviles-Mendoza@hhs.gov

HHS Hispanic Employee Organization (HEO): Receives National Image Inc.
Equity and Excellence Leadership Award

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Hispanic Employee Organization (HEO) received the National Image Leadership Award by National Image, Inc. on September 11, 2013 for its exceptional leadership in promoting diversity, inclusion, hiring, retention and career development opportunities for Hispanics.

“At only 3.4 percent of the workforce, the gross underrepresentation of Hispanics at HHS is unacceptable, especially for an agency in-charge of protecting and promoting the health of all Americans,” HEO President, Guillermo Aviles-Mendoza said. “HEO stands ready to continue to partner with HHS leadership, federal agencies, Hispanic Serving Institutions, National Image and other local and national stakeholders to address the urgency of recruitment and retention of Hispanics at HHS.”

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recent Annual Report to the President on Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government (Sept. 18, 2013), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service ranks at the bottom of all federal agencies when it comes to Hispanic employee representation.

This week HEO raised its voice and concerns of underrepresentation of Hispanics at HHS at OPM’s Hispanic Council on Federal Employment.  “We are meeting regularly with HHS leadership to change a system that is not working on favor of Hispanics and producing tangible results,” said Aviles-Mendoza.  “We thank HHS leadership for working with HEO to find solutions and develop best practices aimed at closing the Latino hiring and retention gap.  We hope this collaboration will bring positive changes in an immediate future.”

The National Image Inc is a nonprofit, advocacy organization established in 1971. Its mission is to empower Hispanics through leadership development by advocating for Employment, Education and Civil Rights.

HHS-HEO was established in 1981 and it is sanctioned by the HHS Secretary as an employee organization with all of the entitlements and responsibilities of such organizations.  For more information please visit: www.HHSHEO.org.

The new HEO Board of Directors was elected in April 2013 and is composed of Guillermo Aviles-Mendoza, J.D., LLM. (LCDR , U.S. Public Health Service Officer and Public Health Advisor to the National Vaccine Program Office) HEO President; Gina Rodriguez, MBA (HHS-Office of External Affairs), President-Elect; Richard Fariña, M. Sc. (National Institutes of Health) Treasurer, Jose Luis Velasco (Executive Director of the US-Mexico Border Health Commission) Secretary and three Members at Large: Teresa Chapa, Ph.D., MPA (Office of Minority Health), Ledia Martinez, MD, MPH (Office of Woman Health) and Gloria Sanchez-Contreras, MA (Food and Drug Administration).