Civil Rights

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NRCS Civil Rights Program in Iowa

In Iowa, the Natural Resources Conservation Service staff works closely with USDA Service Center partners, Farm Service Agency and Rural Development, to provide equitable service to all customers and potential customers, and to provide equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.

Roberta Moltzen, State Administrative Officer (SAO), is our Civil Rights/EEO Liaison Officer. She can be reached at (515) 284-4525.

Civil Rights Advisory Committee (CRAC)

CRAC members and the Special Emphasis Program Managers (SEPMs) help ensure that Federal agencies institute, plan, and take affirmative steps to provide equal opportunity to women and minority applicants and employees in all areas of employment (recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, and awards); and provide a means for women and minorities to communicate their concerns to management.

• 2008 Civil Rights Policy Statement
• Iowa Bulletin - Civil Rights Compliance Review Guide
• Civil Rights Compliance Review Guide

Special Emphasis Program Managers

• Asian Pacific Islander Program - Linda Wells, Manager, (515) 284-4525
• Black Emphasis Program - Shaffer Ridgeway, Manager, (319) 296-3262
• Disability Emphasis Program - Teresa Breuer-Lauterbach, Manager, (515) 323-2616
• Federal Women's Program - Christine Taliga, Manager, (319) 668-8110
• Hispanic Employment Program - Roberto Mier, Manager, (319) 824-3634
• Native American/Alaskan Native Emphasis Program - Tanya Meyer-Dideriksen, Manager, (319) 668-8110
• Outreach Program - Tanya Meyer-Dideriksen, Coordinator, (319) 668-8110

Special Emphasis Months  

• February - Afro-American History Month
• March - Womens History Month
• May - Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
• September - Hispanic Heritage Month
• October - National Disability Month
  • Poster Contest Winner
• November - National American Indian Month Special Emphasis Programs

Special Emphasis Program Upcoming Events

• 14th Annual NOPHNRCSE Training Conference, August 6-10, 2007, in Bloomington, MN
• Annual Meskwaki Pow Wow, Tama, Iowa - August 9-12, 2007
• American Indian/Alaska Native Employees Association for NRCS Annual Training Conference, Omni Hotel, Corpus Christi, TX, August 27-31, 2007 (aianea.com)

Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meetings

The next Iowa NRCS CRAC Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 7, 2008, at 9 a.m. in the Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Room 693, Des Moines, IA.

Meeting Minutes
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Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 10, 2007 (137 KB)
Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Feb. 2, 2007 (121 KB)
Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Nov. 9, 2006 (83 KB)
Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Aug. 10, 2005 (89 KB)
Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Nov. 29-30, 2004 (246 KB)
Iowa Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Oct. 5, 2004 (189 KB)
 

2005 National Civil Rights Awards

Angela Biggs, center, with NRCS Chief Bruce Knight, left, and Civil Rights Division Director Andrew Johnson in Reno, NV May 2005.

NRCS soil conservationist Angela Biggs received a national Outstanding Special Emphasis Program Manager award from Chief Bruce Knight and Civil Rights Division Director, Andrew Johnson, Jr. at a civil rights meeting in Reno, Nevada in May 2005. Biggs, who serves as Iowa’s NRCS Asian American/Pacific Islander Program Manager, was recognized for her outreach work with the Hmong community and projects that encourage the participation of Asian Pacific Islanders in NRCS-sponsored programs and activities.

As a Special Emphasis Program Manager, Biggs devotes 80 percent of her time working with Buchanan County farmers and land owners on conservation measures that protect the environment and improve farm productivity while the remaining 20 percent of her time is spent on outreach efforts and Asian American/Pacific Islander programs.

2005 Civil Rights Award

Bruce Trautman received the 2005 Super Supervisor Award from the Association for Persons with Disabilities in Agriculture (APDA). Trautman is an Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations and serves as chair of the Iowa NRCS Civil Rights Advisory Committee (CRAC).

Civil Rights PowerPoint Presentations

The following files require Microsoft PowerPoint. For best results, we recommend downloading the file to your desktop or hard drive. To download, right click on the link, click Save Target As..., name the presentation and save it to a desired location.

Federal Women's Program (124 KB)
Who Wants To Be...Women's History (285 KB)
Sexual Harassment Presentation (190 KB)
Unconscious Discrimination (415 KB)
Civil Rights and You... (9.9 MB)

PowerPoint presentations from the National Civil Rights Advisory Committee Meeting, August 2005, Wichita, Kansas:

Civil Rights (216 KB)
Outreach- What is it? And what is it not? (1 MB)
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime (247 KB)
NRCS Tribal Relations - Working Effectively with Tribal Governments (4 MB)

Other Civil Rights Information

• Air Travel for Persons with Disabilities
• Applicants for USDA Service
• Authorities Relevant to Federal EEO Responsibilities
• Civil Rights Policy Statement
• General Manual 230 - Equal Opportunity (NRCS policy and program delivery)
• Employee Assistance Program/Employee Counseling - Sand Creek Group Ltd.
• Posters
• Sexual Harassment - What is it?
• National NRCS Civil Rights Division
• Non-Discrimination Statement
• Environmental Justice
• Employees
• Special Emphasis Groups

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