JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH: Since April 2012, Thomas Hoffer has served as the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) manager for Regional Health Command-Pacific (RHC-P). As the principal advisor to the commanding general, senior management and civilian personnel on EEO program requirements, Hoffer is committed to increasing awareness about the program and its broad mission.
"EEO deals with the employment lifecycle -- encompassing everything from the application process, to benefits, pay, awards, and retirement," Hoffer explained. "The primary goal of any EEO program is to pursue the active prevention of employment discrimination, and ensure fair employment opportunities exist for all applicants and current employees."
With more than two decades of experience under his belt, Hoffer has served in a variety of positions ranging from management analyst to labor relations specialists, personnel operations manager, and instructor, to human resources specialist. He has also served on the Washington State Governor's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) implementation team, and has taught classes on ADA law and Civil Rights law.
"I love my job, and I believe that every job I've had has provided me with the skill sets for this position," Hoffer said.
The U.S. Army Medical Command's (MEDCOM) EEO Office is responsible for establishing EEO guidance and policy for the entire MEDCOM. According to Hoffer, those policies are then operationalized by the EEO manager within each of the four RHCs.
"I work through our regional commanders, their chiefs of staff, and the installations' EEO offices to execute our EEO mission," Hoffer said. "This typically involves conducting monthly phone calls or face-to-face meetings with the local EEO officers, facility commanders, or their representatives to discuss their organization's EEO program, training compliance, reasonable accommodations, command climate surveys, and other important areas of the program."
One topic that Hoffer is always sure to touch on with the regional commanders is their organization's EEO training statistics, and the importance of compliance.
"There is a lot of emphasis on this training, because it's very important," Hoffer said. "It is designed to inform and provide individuals with a basic knowledge of EEO principles and concepts, to include general information about merit promotion protection boards, and the Whistleblower and No Fear acts," he said.
Although his office is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Tacoma, Wash., Hoffer maintains regular contact with all of the region's facilities, and makes himself accessible to anyone who has questions about the EEO program and its processes. However, with the region's medical, dental and public health facilities spread across five time zones, Hoffer pointed out that the on-the-ground, day-to-day EEO support to the facilities comes from their installation EEO Office.
"The local EEO offices are the on-the-spot, immediate advisor to the facilities' commanders," Hoffer explained. "My role in that relationship is to serve as a facilitator between the installation EEO office and our subordinate commands."
Anyone who believes they have been discriminated against, should first bring it to the attention of their chain of command.
"If a person chooses, they may also contact their installation EEO office," Hoffer said. "If they are not sure who their local contact is, they can contact me. It's important to note that there is a time limit of 45 days for individuals to make contact with their installation EEO. If in doubt, it is better to contact the EEO office rather than wait," Hoffer explained.
Ensuring RHC-P leadership and management are equipped with the information and tools they need to educate others about the EEO program, and respond appropriately to complaints, is integral to the program's success. Equally important to that success is the EEO's enduring emphasis on creating and maintaining diversity in the workforce.
Not surprisingly, Army Medicine is one of the most diverse organizations in the nation, with over 80,000 military, civilian, and contract personnel. That success, in part, has to do with the work being performed by the entire MEDCOM EEO team.
"When I began working for the region, one of my goals was to increase awareness of the overall benefits of workforce diversity, and how having people with different backgrounds can contribute to the organization's overall success," Hoffer said.
Hoffer, who was born without arms and one of his legs, has a personal passion for ensuring workplace diversity and equality for all individuals, persons with severe disabilities, and other minority groups, that might be underrepresented.
"I have an idea of what it is like to belong to an underrepresented population," he said. "Being part of a minority group, I think I'm able to pick up some of the subtleties that other people might not pick up."
The Schedule A hiring program allows an employer to noncompetitively hire an individual with targeted disabilities, such as deafness, blindness, loss of limbs, paralysis, and others disabilities.
"Some targeted disabilities have been chronically underrepresented in the workforce," Hoffer said. "Although, historically, the federal government has been a model employer with regard to Schedule A hiring."
Over the past five years, through an internship program for students with targeted disabilities, about half a dozen college students across the region have been hired during the summer months to work in our facilities. Hoffer encourages commanders to contact him for details on how to participate in this program.
"The goal is that when the students graduate, we can bring them onboard as permanent employees through the Schedule A program," Hoffer said.
Additionally, there are still areas of the program that Hoffer said he would like revitalize.
"My goal at the end of this year is to assist the local EEO office at JBLM, and the EEO offices at other installations in the region, in establishing a Select Employment Program Committee (SEPC) that will hopefully include representation from MEDCOM assets," he said.
Some examples of SEPC are Blacks in Government, Hispanic Employment Program, and Women's Equality. These programs, according to Hoffer, are an integral part of the EEO program, and help to ensure equal opportunities for minorities, women, and people with disabilities in all areas of employment.
Although Hoffer still has goals for further broadening the region's EEO program, he was quick to say that he is proud of the current program.
"We are moving in the right direction," he said. "Overall, commanders, managers and employees are aware of what EEO is, and their responsibilities, as well as the Army's stance on discrimination in the workforce."
For questions about RHC-P's EEO Program, please contact Mr. Thomas Hoffer, EEO manager, (253) 966-5507.
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