REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

July 31, 2012

Hello Region XI! Let's pretend that I'm Oprah and you actually care about what I'm reading. Well, I recently purchased "Empowering Yourself: The Organizational Game Revealed" by Harvey J. Coleman, a former IBM Executive who subsequently formed Coleman Management Consultants, Inc. and went on to become Atlanta's first Small Businessman of the Year. Since I highly recommend his book to young emerging leaders and actually anyone else interested in career advancement regardless of current position, I thought I'd give you a few insights into it here. Coleman's book caught my attention in the first few pages as he discussed his experience at IBM. He noted that although he topped every objective measurement for his job title, his peers were being

promoted ahead of him. When he asked why he was passed over he was told, "Just keep working hard." And, since I know that many government employees find themselves at some point in their careers in that very same position getting that same meaningless advice, I kept reading. I became more intrigued when he said that careers are played out on a game board shaped like a pyramid. The shape means anyone entering at the bottom in a company of 1,000 employees must outdistance 999 others if the goal is to be the CEO. And, when everyone knows the secret of reaching that peak, i.e. when the rules of the game are common knowledge, that's the rare situation where there's an equitable playing field. And, that's when he mentioned those rules that I always harp on -those unwritten rules that you have to successfully navigate in any workplace. Chapter 2 is where he starts to get to the heart of the game. Coleman says there are three important elements for players who want to move up in their profession. They must: 1. Perform exceptionally well; 2. Cultivate the proper image; and 3. Manage their exposure so the right people will know them. He then tells the reader that each of the three elements are essential to promotion but because of their different roles, each carries a different weight towards upward mobility relative to their impact on long-term success. Here's the breakdown: Performance = 10% Image = 30% Exposure = 60% Surprised? You can find out more on the rationale in future remarks or I’m sure Mr. Coleman would love for you to purchase the book and read it for yourself.

Shirley A. Jones, Esq. RXIC PRESIDENT Outstanding Chapter of the Week!

NGA BIG

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

IMPORTANT DATES AND REMINDERS

Delegates Assembly is fast approaching! Chapter Presidents must submit the names of your delegates and alternates by Tuesday, July 31, 2012, or this information must be submitted onsite at the Assembly and your

delegates will not be seated until it has been.

Hospitality payments of $75 per chapter to help defray the food and beverage costs for the Region XI hospitality suite at the NTC (Sunday evening through Tuesday evening) are due by August 4, 2012. Payments can be mailed to

our P.O. Box 2931, Washington, D.C. 20013, or hand delivered at the July 28th training or the Motown Review Fundraiser on Saturday, August, 4, 2012.

There's still time to purchase tickets for our Motown Review Fundraiser on Saturday, August 4, 2012, at the Elks

Lodge in Temple Hills, MD. Fundraisers like these allow us to deliver mission-related services like our Region Training Conference and community service projects like our annual Youth Oratorical and Information

Superhighway Contest.

If possible, chapter delegates should plan to arrive in Detroit on Saturday to participate in the Region XI Caucus meeting where we will elect our Delegates Assembly officials e.g. tellers, Sergeant-At-Arms, On-Site

Parliamentarian, etc. To allow time for arrival, attendance at national meetings, and dinner, the Caucus meeting is tentatively scheduled for 9:00 p.m. in a room to be designated by the National Delegates Assembly Team.

Unfortunately, the room location and time availability will likely not be confirmed until that day so let's keep our eyes and ears open for additional information upon arrival. Last year because of the size of our Region, our

Caucus meetings were held in the Delegates Assembly hall and that might also be the case this year. Urgent Request- If you have a room at one of the host hotels in Detroit and just found out you will not be attending; please do not release it back to the hotel. Please email Region XI Council President Shirley Jones for contact information for others still looking for rooms.

This information is sent on behalf of Ms. Larraine Brown.

The Homegoing Service for her husband (Mr. Morris D. Brown) will be held at

Joseph H. Brown, Jr. Funeral Home, Baltimore, MD.

Public Viewing: Thursday, Aug 2, 2012

Time: 3 – 8 pm

Wake/Service: Friday, Aug 3, 2012 Wake: 10:00 am

Service: 10:30 am

For information regarding the repast please contact Ms. Lennie Elliott, 443 925-1274.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Mrs. Larraine Brown,

5418 Frankford Est. Drive, Baltimore, MD 21206

Location:

Joseph H. Brown, Jr. Funeral Home

2140 N. Fulton Ave

Baltimore, MD 21217

(410) 383-2700

Note: Please call the funeral home for directions.

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

NTC WORKSHOPS UPDATES

Hello RXI,

Now is the time to begin planning for your attendance to the 2012 National Training Conference (NTC) in Detroit

Michigan during August 13-16, 2012. The NTC Workshops and Training Committee are diligently reviewing all workshop

applications. We have been working really hard to bring an extraordinary training program to this year’s NTC. We have

reduced our planned number of workshops from the previous years by 50% of which 50% of that, will increase the number

approved CPE workshops. Our primary goal this is to increase the number of approved CPE workshops. As one of our

process improvements, we are looking into a tracking system that will track each workshop attendee throughout the

conference. This system will provide “real-time” attendances for each workshop especially those approved for CPEs. If and

when this system is activated, we will need the appropriate number of facilitators assigned to each workshop throughout the

conference. Your help to serve as a facilitator will be greatly appreciated. The primary responsibility for a “Facilitator” is to

volunteer for a workshop(s) of your choice, Assist with controlling the attendance in the workshops, and Assist the

Presenter. Of course training is required for the tracking system. The benefit is that you will get credit for attending the

“assigned” workshop. This is a great way to build those training hours needed to meet your agency’s training requirement.

Please contact April Powers-Matthews, Workshop Facilitators Coordinator at WkShpFacilitators@aol.com or call (202)

231-0224 or Jacque Ballard, Chair at workshops@bignet.org or call 301-706-9724 for additional information. Go the

www.bignet.org and download the Facilitator Volunteer Forms. Confirmation will be made via email upon final approval of

the workshop schedule.

Hon. Jacque Ballard Direct Cell: 301-706-9724 Email: workshops@bignet.org

Please send inputs for the weekly announcements to giftedregion@gmail.com. If it is not sent to this address, it will not be posted! Please share this with others in your chapter! Thank you for all you do in Blacks In Government!

Billy Hill RXI Membership Chair

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

NATIONAL DELEGATES ASSEMBLY NEWS

The 2012 National Delegates Assembly (NDA) will be held August 12 – 13, 2012 in Detroit, MI. Please note that

the National Delegates Assembly for 2012 will be held at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Detroit,

MI. The National Credentials Committee is requesting your assistance and support in obtaining Delegates and

Alternate information from each Chapter within your Region.

The attached Call for Delegates and Alternates Letter has been signed by Mr. J. David Reeves, our National BIG President. Please

review the letter along with the necessary attachments and forward to your Chapter Presidents. If anyone has questions or if you need

additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know. Certainly we look forward to serving you at the 2012 NDA.

Call for Delegates MEMO Call for Delegates and Alternative Info

Your 2012 National Credentials Team Ms. Pinkie Mason, Chair 816-510-3632 (cell) or 817-557-2620 (home)

Ms. Trekeshelia Britton, Co-Chair 512-918-6138 (days) or 512-560-0391(evenings)

Ms. B. J. Parker, Co-Chair 540-855-5048 (days) or 910-308-7168 (evenings)

Ms. Mary Thomas, Co-Chair 703-614-7793 (days) or 571-230-0173 (evenings)

Complimentary One-Year AARP Membership

Blacks In Government is pleased to offer our BIG “Federal

Employee” members a special gift – a one-year AARP membership.

Already a Member? Add a full year to your existing term.

Not 50 years old yet? AARP’s sign-up page allows you to give

the gift of membership to someone you know aged 50+. AARP has designed its membership to help people age 50+ live

their best life. Your membership will give you access to a wealth of

valuable benefits that you can enjoy including:

Please ACT NOW to receive your membership – this program is

only available until August 31st, 2012 Please print and disseminate the AARP Flyer

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

In Support of National Training

Conference

Envelope Stuffing of Certificates will take place in Washington, DC.

The Mass Registration Envelope stuffing will be held August 3-4, 2012 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Tenth

Street Baptist Church in Washington, DC.

Metro: Shaw/Howard University

(greenline). Conference Bag Assembling will take place in Detroit, MI. The Conference Bag assembling will be held from 10:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. at the

COBO Center (Exhibit Hall) in Detroit on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

For more information, please contact: Faye M. Wilkes, Benjamin Banneker GSA Chapter

faye.wilkes@gsa.gov

The U.S. Department of Education Chapter of Blacks in Government (BIG) continued its financial literacy series with a free “Estate Planning” workshop on July 26, 2012 offered through the Foundation for Financial Education. Sixty-five people registered and ten more were turned away because of space limits. This is the second workshop in the series. On June 28, 2012, over fifty people registered and attended the session on “Mid-Career Financial Planning”. Click (Estate Planning and Mid-Career Financial Planning) to view event flyers. Submitted by: Dr. Wanda E. Gill, Ed.D. President ED Chapter, Blacks In Government

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Blacks In Government

National Training Conference (NTC) Detroit, MI

2012 Back-to-School Supply Drive REGION XI WILL LEAVE A BIG FOOT PRINT IN DETROIT Blacks In Government is collecting school supplies and donations for children in the Detroit area. The goal is to send hundreds of students to back-to-school with the supplies they need to succeed. We need your help. Look what a small amount can do for a child:

For $5, you can provide a child with pencils, an eraser, a notebook, a ruler, a package of paper and scissors.

For $10, you can provide a child with all the school supplies on the suggested list below.

For $25, you can provide more than 35 children with crayons.

1. You can make a donation or drop your

supplies off at the Region XI Delegates Training July 28, 2012.

2. You can also make a monetary donation on

line at www.bignet.org through August 11, 2012. Moreover, school supply donations will be accepted at the 2012 BIG NTC (Registration site).

3. August 1, 2012 is the last day you can drop

your supplies off at the National office

Let’s leave a BIG footprint in the City of Detroit. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact, Rochelle Bryant National Communication and Public Relations Chair, Rochelle.bryant@bignet.org Please make checks payable to: Blacks In Government – School Supply BIG National Office - Supply Drive 3005 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20001-3807

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Leadership that will make a big difference!

Greetings BIG Members:

I seek your vote for National 1st Vice-President.

Each of us have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, throughout our careers. It is imperative that we strive collectively to strengthen our efforts to continue the legacy of this great organization. I believe in BIG and all that it stands for. I support its efforts as an advocate to promote Equity, Excellence, and Opportunity for all. “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Change is inevitable.

FOR NATIONAL

Dr. Theresa Bannister-Scott

INTEGRITY: Progressive Leadership abilities, renowned Inspirational Speaker and Facilitator

DEDICATION: Received highest Doctoral honor (summa cum laude) and Graduate of Young Leadership

Academy (YLA) CREATIVITY: Awarded BIG National Certificate for Meritorious Service, Received Chapter

Involvement Award and Distinguished Service Award VISION: Co-Chair for the BIG National Memorial Wall

Program LOYALTY: Regional Representative for the Region XI Council and Delegate for the BIG National

Delegates Assembly HUMILITY: Received EEO Affirmative Action Award for promoting and creating

diversity in the workplace CAMARADERIE: TEAM: Together Each Achieves More.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2012

On Wednesday, during his remarks at the National Urban League conference in New Orleans, LA, President Obama announced he would sign an Executive Order today to improve outcomes and advance educational opportunities for African Americans. The President has made providing a complete and competitive education for all Americans – from cradle to career – a top priority. The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans will work across Federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African American students. The Initiative aims to ensure that all African American students receive an education that fully prepares them for high school graduation, college completion, and productive careers. Read complete press release here.

Submitted by: Wanda E. Gill, Ed.D.

President

ED Chapter, Blacks In Government

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

BIG IRS NC Chapter presents... A Charity Brunch Cruise for Breast Cancer

Sunday, September 9, 2012

An Elegant Escape on the Water

A Sunday Brunch Getaway! Savor creative appetizers and entrees, mouthwatering desserts, dance to live music or

relax as unmatched monumental views drift past your table.

A Giveaway: $500 or Redskin Tickets or an Apple IPAD.

Two easy payments of $42.50 Proceeds will go towards Breast Cancer.

Purchase tickets at http://bigcruise.eventbrite.com/

If you are unable to attend your payment will go towards the charity. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

Contact:

Nikki Ashe, Event Chair BIG IRS NC Chapter

202-283-6564 or 202-251-6291

Doretha Harrision, Event Co-Chair BIG IRS NC Chapter

202-622-4268

REGION XI WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

“Ask the Lawyer”

Neil A.G. McPhie, Esq. Q. I’m 47 years old. I’ve been with my agency for 15 years, and I just got passed over for a promotion by someone far younger than me and with much less experience. What can I do? A. According to the Office of Personnel Management, 72 percent of full-time, permanent federal employees were at least 40 years of age in 2010. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) shields these employees 40 years of age and older from employers’ refusal to hire or promote them because of their age. As baby boomers get older, age discrimination is becoming more prevalent in the federal workplace. In the 2010 fiscal year, federal employees filed 1,125 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) age discrimination complaints over promotion or non-selection, according to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) report. Your situation sounds similar to that of many other older federal employees. For example, the EEOC case of Klein v. Dep’t of Agriculture (2009) involved a 63-year-old Department of Agriculture risk management specialist, William L. Klein, who was not selected for a promotion as a supervisory risk management specialist. Instead of promoting Klein, who had 12 years of relevant supervisory experience, the agency selected a younger candidate with less than two years of relevant supervisory experience. Klein filed an EEO complaint with his agency, which gave a nondiscriminatory reason for its action. On appeal, however, the EEOC found Klein succeeded in raising an apparent case of age discrimination and the agency “failed to set forth, with sufficient clarity, reasons for complainants’ nonselection.” After Klein established that he was protected by the ADEA, that he was one of 10 people in the running for the position and that someone under 40 was chosen over him, the EEOC explained that the burden shifted to the agency to further support its nondiscriminatory explanation. The agency’s selecting official explained that the younger person was the “best candidate” and “very impressive,” but the EEOC found Klein to be the better qualified candidate. Further, it said the selecting officer’s use of broad terms to describe the younger candidate did not satisfy its burden of providing a legitimate, nondiscriminatory explanation for the personnel action. Consequently, the EEOC ordered the agency to promote Klein to the supervisory risk management specialist position. Federal employees subjected to age discrimination should immediately consult with a federal employment law attorney. Neil McPhie is the Virginia Managing Partner for Tully Rinckey PLLC and the former chairman of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. He concentrates his practice in federal sector employment and labor law and can be reached at nmcphie@fedattorney.com. To schedule a meeting with an attorney call 202-787-1900.

Randy Simons DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS

rsimons@1888law4life.com