Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) Elevates AAPI Leadership to Serve the Nation with SES Development Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
District of Columbia, District of Columbia, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) December 11, 2011 -- Washington, DC: Responding to President Obama‘s Executive Order 13583, signed in August 2011, to establish a coordinated government-wide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce, the Asian American Government Executive Network (AAGEN), with participation by the WHIAAPI, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has launched the Senior Executive Service (SES) Development Program.

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Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) Elevates AAPI Leadership to Serve the Nation with SES Development Program

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Proudly accepting the responsibility as the lead managing organization, AAGEN Chair Tommy Hwang joined the Center for American Progress on October 28 with Representative Judy Chu, (D- CA); Assembly member Mike Eng, (D-CA); Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in presenting the program under the theme: How to Better Serve Growing US Asian American Communities . Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, and Chris Lu, Assistant to the President; White House Cabinet Secretary also addressed the diversity and inclusion goals at this benchmark event.

The pilot program will run for a year and will give up to 20 selected candidates training, one-on-one mentoring, networking and placement assistance to help them apply for SES positions. AAGEN is also conducting an online survey to identify obstacles, including cultural barriers that Asian candidates face when applying for SES jobs. Being offered at no tuition to selected candidates and their respective agencies, the program does require commitment in time, travel, and related costs to the training venues if the candidates are based outside of the Washington, DC area.

On November 30, at the AAGEN Members Appreciation Dinner Event, Christina Lagdaneo, Deputy Director, WHIAAPI, and Veronica E. Villabobos, Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, OPM, encouraged eligible candidates to apply. A selection panel consisting of members of AAGEN, WHIAAPI, and OPM will review all qualified applications and select up to 20 highly motivated candidates for the class commencing in March 2012, ending in February 2013.

The SES Development Program is accepting exceptional government candidates at the GS-15 equivalent level or higher for the pilot 2012 class. The training will be conducted in the Washington, D.C metro area. Unique one-on-one mentoring sessions with a SES mentor will be scheduled by the candidate and their assigned mentor. The deadline to apply is December 16, 2012. For more information, please go to AAGEN SES Development Program.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are underrepresented in the Federal government’s Senior Executive Service (SES). Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders represent only 3 percent of the SES, even though six percent of the federal workplace is Asian,” AAGEN chairman Tommy Hwang said. “The SES Development Program will identify potential SES candidates and help AAPI employees develop the skills they need to advance their careers.”

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AAGEN is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports AAPI leadership in the Federal government. More information about AAGEN can be found at: www.aagen.org and www.facebook.com/aagen.org.

More information can be found online at http://www.aagen.org

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