DAYTON INTERGOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL (DIEEOC)

Many people have inquired about the Dayton Intergovernmental Equal Employment Opportunity Council (DIEEOC). They have asked such questions as: "What is the Council" "Who are the members?" "How did the Council get started?" "Are there similar Councils in this country?"

In reply to these questions, and many more, we have compiled a brief history of our Council for you. The Council first met as an informal group of civilian personnel representatives and a small group of EEO officials in the late 1960s.

The civilian personnel officials and EEO officials met for the purpose of assisting each other in the development and implementation of affirmative action projects and programs.

One of the earliest projects materialized at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in September 1967. That project was a conference on equal employment opportunity in Federal Employment and was attended by 100 high school and elementary school student counselors.

Brigadier General Jowell C. Wise, Commander, WPAFB, welcomed the counselors to the Conference. Marion A. Carter, Assistant to the 2750 Air Base Wing Deputy; Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, J.D. Scrivens, chaired the meeting. Federal Agency speakers were Jack Cartwright, 2750 ABW Civilian Personnel Office; William Irvin, Dayton U.S. Civil Service Interagency Board; William O. Hagger, Veterans Administration; Robert Freeman, U.S. Post Office; James W. Cisco, Defense Electronics Supply Center; John Moore, Aeronautical Systems Division, WPAFB; and Charles M. Spisak, 2750 ABW Civilian Personnel Office.

The conference theme was "Youth-With a Capital Y" -- and aimed toward better guidance for then. Items discussed included how to keep youth in school, how to subsidize those with financial problems through summer and part-time Federal employment, and how to attract youth to government service.

Representatives of the civilian personnel offices and EEO offices continued to meet informally approximately once each month. Probably the largest project that they participated in was the development of Project Commitment in 1968.

In September 1968, Project Commitment was presented to more than 1,200 military and civilian supervisors from the Greater Dayton area who were employed by agencies who were members of the Federal Executive Association and a host of smaller Federal employers in the Dayton area.

The objective of Project Commitment was to gain a firm personal commitment, after becoming informed, recognizing the problem, communicating and becoming involved. Project Commitment was so successful that two additional offerings were made in subsequent years to more than 1,250 additional military and civilian supervisors.

It wasn't until around January 1969, that a formal organization was formed under the name of "Equal Employment Opportunity Officers Committee." The founding chairman was James W. Cisco, Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer at the Defense Electronics Supply Center. The only other officer for the organization was Secretary, Glenn W. Kolleda, Interagency Board for Southern Ohio.

At this time, the membership of the committee had expanded and included Charles Brydia, 2750 ABW Information Office, WPAFB; Paul L. Robinson, DCASR, DESC; Philip A. Varnak, Veterans Administration Center; Walker R. Williams, 2750 ABW Civilian Personnel Office, WPAFB; William L. Bowman, 2750 ABW EEO Office, WPAFB; John A. Penix, Dayton Post Office and Delmer Jones, U.S. Civil Service Commission.

With a formal organization and operating under the auspices of the Federal Executive Association, the EEO Officers Committee became more active. They participated in the College Federal Relation Council, Summer Employment for Youth, Project Con-Commitment, Federal Recruiting, Project Value, and Loan an Executive to the National Alliance of Businessmen for soliciting jobs for the economically disadvantaged, youth and veterans. They participated in broadcasts from local radio stations and appeared on the TV Program, Job Line.

The name of the organization changed to "Dayton Area Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Officers Committee (DAFEEO)" in June 1969. The committee continued to meet and function with more Federal agencies participating, as well as representatives from state, city government and the Dayton Board of Education.

Familiar faces attending the meetings in late 1969 and 1970 included Harriette Hyde, Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, James L. Francis, and Shelia H. Thompson of the Dayton Human Relations Council; Gene M. Ames and Robert D. Lewis of the City of Dayton; John Nealon of the Dayton Board of Education, and William Kellerman, Wright State University.

During the year 1971, other familiar faces appeared on the scene. Among them were Paul A. Schooler, DESC; Mary Jackson, U.S. Civil Service Commission; James G. Miller, DESC; and Merle Hempel, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. Civil Rights Activists were also meeting with the Council at that time and included Sidney O. Davis, President, Greene County NAACP; Jesse O. Gooding, Chairman, Dayton Chapter, Non-Violent Coordinating Committee; and Snyder Garland, Legal Redress Committee, Greene County NAACP.

In July 1971, the members of DAFEEO drafted a proposed constitution for a new organization to be known as the "Dayton Intergovernmental Equal Employment Opportunity Council." Charles Crawford, Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, hosted the meeting where the final draft of the constitution was approved by the Council and presented to the Executive Committee of the Federal Executive Association (FEA) for their approval. The FEA approved the constitution and DIEEOC was an official organization, reporting to the FEA.

Subsequent activities of DIEEOC included seminars for supervisors, training sessions for EEO counselors, training sessions for EEO investigators, Loan an Executive to the National Alliance of Business, radio and TV appearances, stay-in-school programs for junior high and high school students, job fairs for seniors and career orientation programs were just a few of the many projects accomplished by the Council.

The founding Chairman of the FEEOC was James W. Cisco, DESC; and the founding Chairman of DIEEOC was James G. Miller (deceased), DESC. Others who have served as chairman include John E. Moore, ASD; Marion A. Carter (deceased), 2750 ABW; Walker R. Williams, Jr., 2750 ABW; June R. Moss, DESC; Samuel D. Cooper, DCASMA; Woodrow Hudson, ASD; Barbara Weaver, 2750 ABW; Gerald Steed, Dayton HRC; Sharmon Thornton, 2750 ABW; Jim C. Smith, ASD; Susan B. Certo, Dayton HRC; Leonard T. Stone, NAIC; Pamela Sotherland-Clark WPAFB, 88th ABW, Mission Support Squadron; and Betty Murphy-Green, Dayton Veterans Affairs. The current Chairperson is Jim Smith, WPAFB (Retired).

For many years the Dayton Intergovernmental EEO Council was the only one of its kind in the United States. Approximately ten years ago, a similar Council was organized in Columbus, Ohio, under the auspices of the FEA. To our knowledge, that is the only other Council of this kind in the United States.

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