Everything You Always Wanted to Know About FEW

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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About FEW

• Presented by DFC Chapter Committee Chairs
• Lynne Price
• Programming Planning
• Patt Franc
• Policy Legislation
• September 17, 2008

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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

• FEWS Purpose
• FEWS History
• FEW FWP
• FEWS Structure
• FEWS Goals
• FEWS Special Emphasis Areas
• Compliance, Diversity, Legislation Training
• FEW Agencies
• Sponsors Partners
• Membership Benefits

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PURPOSE OF FEW

• FEW is a membership organization committed to
  work toward ending sex discrimination and
  advancing career opportunities for women in
  Federal Government service by
• encouraging diversity and equity in the workplace
  
• enhancing career opportunities for women
• establishing and maintaining relationships with
  organizations to advocate the fair application of
  EEO and personnel laws, policies, procedures, and
  practices
• improving the quality of life for women by
  influencing Congressional and Administration
  actions
• committing to achieve and maintain a unified and
  diverse membership, and
• providing opportunities for professional growth
  through leadership development, education,
  mentoring, and networking.

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FEWS HISTORY

• Nucleus group met in Washington, D.C.
• Organized in 1968 to ensure FWP implementation
• Chapters spread throughout the U.S. Overseas
• Organized into 10 regions
• 40 years of providing a consistent National
  Training Program

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FEW AND FWP DIFFERENCES

• FWP
• Official Federal Program
• Cannot Lobby Congress
• Cannot Raise Funds
• Manager May Be Full-Time or Collateral Duty

• FEW
• Private Non-Profit Non-Partisan Organization
• Can Lobby on Non-Partisan Issues
• Can Raise Funds
• Leadership Elected by the Membership

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FEW FWP SIMILARITIES

• Share same goals for the advancement of women in
  Government
• Both seek opportunities for the hiring, training,
  and advancement of women in federal service
• Share same goals for diversity and EEO programs
• Partner for special events

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FEWS STRUCTURE

• Three-Tiered Organization
• National Board of Directors (Governing Body)
• Regional Executive Committee
• Chapter Executive Committee
• Nationally contracted services provide
  administrative, Legislative, conference
  planning/registration and financial support

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• 10 Regions with over 100 Chapters

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NATIONAL GOALS

• Provide training and career counseling at the
  National, Regional, and Chapter Levels
• Maintain current and develop new relationships
  with the administration, Federal Departments,
  independent agencies, Unions, and the private
  sector
• Communicate the purpose expand the visibility
  and credibility of FEW

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NATIONAL GOALS (continued)

• Assist Federal Departments and independent
  agencies in the development and application of
  EEO laws
• Represent Federally Employed Womens interests
  before Legislative and Congressional bodies

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NATIONAL GOALS (continued)

• Develop well trained diverse individuals
  capable of providing leadership at all levels of
  the organization and in Government Careers
• Make FEW the organization of choice for
  leadership, equity and the advancement for women.
  

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FEWS FOUR FOCUS AREASSPECIAL EMPHASIS

• Compliance with EEO laws
• Diversity cultural awareness
• Legislative process and participation
• Training national, regional, chapter

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COMPLIANCE PROGRAM

• Monitor Policies and practices of agencies and
  activities for conformance with requirements of
  statutes, executive orders, and regulations.
• Take action to assist agencies and activities in
  correcting identified deficiencies.
• Provide guidance on compliance issues to FEW
  members who request assistance.

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DIVERSITY PROGRAM

• FEW recognizes that minority women have
  historically suffered the double discrimination
  of sex and racial/national origin. FEW embraced
  diversity as a way for promoting better
  understanding and positive change that would
  make FEW more responsive to the needs of minority
  members.
• FEW is an organization for all women and men in
  the federal government
• FEW has a structured approach to help us be more
  responsive to the concerns of minority women as
  well as a mechanism for implementing the plan,
  evaluating progress, and recommending change,
  when appropriate
• FEWs National Vice President for Diversity
  promulgates this concern with the issues through
  appropriate activities and
• FEW policies and practices bring av awareness of
  the need to work together to use increased
  diversity cognizance in our organization, our
  members, our Chapters, and our Regions.

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LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

• Members actively participate in the Legislative
  process
• Legislative staff conducts Lobby Day activities
  on Capital Hill in conjunction with National
  Board meetings and other events
• Chapters conduct voter registration projects
• FEW Washington Representative and Legislative
  Network sends out Action Alerts on all issues
  bills identified in FEWs Legislative Agenda

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LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

• Three Tiers
• I. Issues directly impacting Federally Employed
  Women
• II. Issues affecting all Federal Employees,
  regardless of gender
• Issues affecting all women as a class
• Published for each new Congressional session to
  give prioritized focus to our issues

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TRAINING PROGRAMS

• National Training (NTP) held every year in July
• 2009 Orlando, FL
• 2010 New Orleans, LA
• 2011 Philadelphia, PA
• 2012 Detroit, MI
• Regional Training Programs
• Chapter Training

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TRAINING OBJECTIVES

1. To increase employees knowledge of federal
   systems, rules, and regulations under which they
   work
2. To help members acquire knowledge of career
   development and planning techniques (basic and
   advanced)
3. To enhance personal effectiveness and awareness
   of broader issues impacting women in the workplace

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FEW AGENCIES

• Partnering to Bring Quality Programs
• Shared Resources
• Networking Opportunities
• Professional Development for both Agency
  Employees and FEW Members

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PARTNERS and SPONSORS

• National Coalition for Equity in Public Service
  (NCEPS)
• Blacks in Government (BIG)
• Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)
• Image - Hispanic Government Employees
• Society of American Indian Government Employees
  (SAIGE)

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PARTNERS and SPONSORS

• SPONSORS
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Federal Long Term Care Insurance
• GEICO
• USDA
• American Management Association
• AVUE Technologies
• First Command Financial Services
• SAIC Crane Operations
• Grantham University
• PARTNERS
• DCG Technology Learning Center
• ACECAR Network
• FEW Foundation for Education and Training
• National Womens History Museum
• For info and links http//www.few.org/partners.asp
  

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MEMBERSHIP

• Open to all who support FEWs mission and purpose
  
• Types of Membership Two types of membership
• Chapter Member A member can join several
  chapters and pay dues at each, but can only be a
  primary member of one Chapter
• Lifetime Member offered at the National Level
  to those who have been members for at least 5
  consecutive years. One time national fee, but
  annual Regional Chapter dues may apply.

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BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

• Put the power of FEW to work for you! Membership
  does have its benefits
• An opportunity to actively support an
  organization that represents the interests of
  over 1 million women in civilian and military
  federal service
• Being a part of a national network of women who
  support and believe in a womens role in
  government leadership
• Being a part of an organization working to change
  government for the better
• Two free 30-minute telephone consultations with
  the law firm of Shaw, Bransford, Veilleux
  Roth, PC who provide representation in a wide
  range of Federal employment law and personnel law
  issues.
• Access to lower member tuition rates for FEWs
  National Regional Training Programs
• News Views FEWs Electronic National Bi-Monthly
  Newsletter
• Leadership and Mentoring Opportunities through
  FEWs member network
• The opportunity to build your KSAs by taking an
  active part in Chapter operations

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DENVER FEDERAL CENTERCHAPTER

• Chartered in 2006
• Meets monthly, generally on the 3rd Wednesday of
  each Month during the lunch hour
• Moves meetings around to different federal
  offices on/near the FedCenter
• Plans programs and events to respond to both the
  mission of FEW and member interests
• Offers many leadership and volunteer
  opportunities
• Hopes to raise enough income this year to send
  our officers to Regional and National Training
  Programs
• Would like to double its membership this year and
  ROCK THE REGION!

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SUMMARY

• FEW Offers
• Training
• Networking
• Progressive Legislative Action
• Compliance Assistance
• Leadership Development
• The Opportunity to Make a Difference

FEW a Membership Organization Working for the
Elimination of Sex Discrimination and the
Advancement of Women in Government
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JOINUSTODAY!
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
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FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN

• TOGETHER
• WE CAN WILL
• MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

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CONTACT INFORMATION

• Cheryl Howley, DFC Chapter President
• cheryl.howley_at_fhwa.dot.gov
• [phone]
• Jackie Martinez Wells, Membership Chair
• jwells_at_do.usbr.gov
• [phone]
• FEW National Office [phone]
• WEB SITE www.few.org
• NTP WEBSITE www.fewntp.org