FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 12, 2016) -- The U.S. Army Installation Management Command's highest-ranking civilian employee recently met with young women from San Antonio's Gateway to Pearls Debutante Program and Ball to teach them about what it means to serve as a Department of the Army Civilian.
"The federal government is a great place to launch a career," Executive Director Mr. Joe Capps told the young women. "Because of the wide range of jobs, you will have opportunities to test your skills and find a place where you can succeed."
The meeting was part of the debutante program's mission to empower young women by exposing them to different career opportunities in the local area.
"The event was a great experience and I really enjoyed myself. I look forward to many more events and activities like this to gain knowledge about growing career fields," said Dalisa Kelly-Bacon, a debutante in the program.
The program was created and is directed by Kimberly Williams, a family advocacy program specialist at IMCOM headquarters. Williams partners with local businesses to make the program affordable and available to any young woman who wishes to join.
"It is my heart's desire to not leave anyone out due to financial challenges of the family so I seek sponsors and partners to support those Debs and their families," said Williams.
The debutante program is young and has already partnered with Holiday Inn hotels and Windcrest Cosmetic Dentistry and Imagine Planning, all businesses local to the San Antonio area.
These partnerships introduce a new concept to the traditional program. Williams wants her debutantes, or "debs", to experience professional career opportunities that might not have crossed their mind. The idea is to empower these young women with knowledge and direction of what they might choose to do after graduating college.
"The IMCOM tour met my expectations in providing my Debutantes with an opportunity to learn and become knowledgeable of the federal civilian workforce and the daily functions of the IMCOM operations center," said Williams. "These are the kinds of opportunities I want to expose the debutantes to."
After the tour Mr. Capps expressed how employee and command participation in programs like this one are part of IMCOM's commitment to maintaining a culture of service. He also expressed events like this one help bring in new talent to the federal workforce.
"We need to do more to capture the imagination of the next generation to ensure the long-term health of the federal workforce," said Capps.
The debutante program is something Williams' family has participated in for generations. Her Aunt started the tradition, which led to her sister becoming a debutante then herself. Now she is passing it down to her daughter India Williams who was also in attendance during Mr. Capps' presentation.
"With our partnerships we share in building up our debutantes' self-confidence and exposing them to career opportunities," said Williams. "We seek to lift our debutantes from one platform to another, setting higher goals with each platform, and with each step inspiring them to take someone else by the hand and lift them up as well."
"I desire to keep the tradition going because it was such a life changing experience for me and one I would like for my daughter and granddaughters and so on to continue," said Williams.
Williams' program maintains some of the tradition that comes with a classically defined debutante program, including a formal, but aims more at empowering women with knowledge and helping them focus on a career choice they might want to pursue.
"My goals are to instill the idea in my debs that there are no limits to whom they can become and what they can achieve if they set their hearts and minds to be it and do it," said Williams. "My program is designed to encourage, motivate, build up the true you and help the Debs see and know that they are heroes."
For more information on the Gateway to Pearls Debutante Program and Ball visit http://www.gatewaytopearlsdebutanteball.com/.
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