October 15 marks the end of celebration of Hispanic Heritage month but there are still many upcoming events celebrating this month. This year the Rock Island Arsenal Army Equal Opportunity Office invites everyone to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special guest speaker Ms. Veronica Villalobos, Director of office of Diversity and Inclusion with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This event will be on Thursday, October 23 of 2014 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Heritage Hall Building 60 in Rock Island Arsenal.Â
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Ms. Veronica Villalobos was born and raised in El Paso, TX. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sciences and Psychology from St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana. After graduation from college she received Telecommunications Fellowship with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Later Ms. Villalobos assisted American University’s Washington College of Law in Washington D.C. She graduated with a law degree. She is a member of Maryland and Michigan Bars.Â
Ms. Villalobos also was employed by U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission as one of the agency’s first Honor program Attorneys. From 2000 to 2008 she was assigned to Office of Federal Operations where she issued decisions in cases that cover wide range of legal bases of alleged discrimination, including race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion and reprisal. She also served as supervisory attorney from 2006 to 2008.
In 2010 Ms. Villalobos was appointed to the Senior Executive Service. Currently she is a Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, with U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). As part of her job with this Office she manages OPM’s government-wide diversity effort to develop, drive and monitor strategies and initiative designed to create a more diverse and Federal workforce. Ms Villalobos advocates for diversity and inclusion in Hispanic community.Â
There is no better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month then listening to an interesting talk given by well educated and strong Hispanic woman who has very extensive experience as someone who advocates for diversity she is willing to share with everyone.Â
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