Two Defense Logistics Agency employees were recognized during a Department of Defense Workforce Recruitment Program Awards Ceremony at the Pentagon Conference Center in Arlington, Virginia, July 26.
Cristina Rivera, an Equal Employment Opportunity assistant with DLA Distribution at San Joaquin’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office in Stockton, California, earned an Outstanding WRP Participant of the Year award and Alyssa Schreiner, management and program analyst, DLA Finance, Fort Belvoir, Virginia received an Outstanding WRP Recruiter of the Year award. Rivera was unable to attend the ceremony.
“I was honored to be recognized for my work with the WRP and to represent DLA in receiving this award,” Schreiner said. “My success would not have been possible without the support of my supervisors and leadership within DLA. They always encouraged my involvement.”
The WRP is a federal recruitment and referral program that connects federal employers nationwide and around the globe with college students and recent graduates with disabilities for summer internships and permanent jobs. The Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity manages the DoD’s participation in the WRP.
“We are proud of Ms. Schreiner and Ms. Rivera, who serve as WRP ambassadors,” said Janice Samuel, director of the DLA EEO, Diversity and Inclusion Office. “They serve as role models for others and their contributions are key to our efforts of diversity and inclusion making DLA a model equal opportunity employer of choice.”
Rivera was nominated for her work planning an outreach event for the San Joaquin installation. She compiled a list of nearly 60 community organizations providing services to minorities, women, veterans, students and state agencies serving people with disabilities and provided them at the conference.
The Community Summit event helped the Distribution EEO and Diversity Office and the HQ EEO Office to establish long-term business relationships with agencies and community organizations. This cooperation led to the direct hiring of veterans and Schedule A hiring authorities.
The Schedule A Hiring Authority is an exception to the traditional hiring process for people with disabilities. Schedule A streamlines the process and, in some instances, hiring officials may select solely from a list of qualified Schedule A applicants.
Schreiner, a participant in the WRP program, began her career with DLA in 2011 as a management assistant. Later that year she became a permanent employee through Schedule A. Then she became an interviewer for the program as a way to give back.
“Because of my success with the WRP and the invaluable experience I received with the internship program, I wanted to give other students/graduates the same opportunities,” Schreiner said.
Most of the time the interviewers do not know the outcomes of the students they interview or whether they’ve entered into federal service. However, during the awards ceremony Schreiner met several of the students now employees or interns within the government.
“It was rewarding to see the people I interviewed and evaluated succeed knowing I helped play a role in it,” she said.
Rivera’s category honored four individuals and Schreiner’s recognized two. Kristin French, DLA chief of staff, Catherine Callendar, DLA WRP coordinator, Nancy Anthony, DLA Disability and Workforce Recruitment Program manager and Samuel attended the ceremony.