The Utah Civil Rights Advisory Committee is a group of very dedicated employees who strive to make NRCS a fair and equitable place to work and do business. Our vision: A quality workforce providing natural resource stewardship through quality customer service.
The Utah Civil Rights Committee serves the following functions:
- Serves as an advisory body to the Deputy Equal Opportunity Officer (DEOO) to promote and assist in meaningful and effective affirmative employment consistent with the goals and objectives set forth by leadership;
- Provides feedback on the performance of the civil rights outreach program, identifies areas of weakness, and makes recommendations for improvements to the DEOO;
- Identifies emerging areas needing special attention by the DEOO and Utah NRCS leadership; and
- Make recommendations to the DEOO regarding policies, practices, and procedures as they affect civil rights within Utah.
Additionally, this Committee shall strive to present and promote dignity and respect for all individuals and groups. This effort will exemplify the essence of civil rights equality for human beings, in the understanding that this pursuit embraces the positive associated human values to which all are entitled.
Civil Rights include:
- Employing and empowering a competent and highly skilled workforce representative of the Nation’s labor force.
- Creating a working environment that is free of discrimination and harassment and is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
- Recognizing, appreciating, and valuing diversity, thereby demonstrating trust, respect, and concern for the welfare of all individuals.
- Ensuring that all policies, processes, and procedures provide all individuals the opportunity to develop, participate, and compete fairly and equitably.
- Promoting equal opportunity in employment and program delivery.
- Developing agency-wide policies and procedures for major programs and services as related to civil rights.
- Ensuring delivery of the Department's Annual required training to all personnel to increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation of equal opportunity.
Utah Civil Rights Committee Members and Program Emphasis Contacts
- Deputy Civil Rights Officer: Emily Fife, State Conservationist
- Civil Rights Liaison NRCS (Ex-Officio): Brandon Todd, Assistant State Conservationist
- Civil Rights Committee Advisor: Jolene Lau, Outreach Coordinator
- Civil Rights Committee Chair: Kristi Westwood, District Conservationist
- Civil Rights Committee Vice Chair: Adam Turkula, Resource Conservationist
- American Indian Alaska Native: Lourdes Bobadilla, Soil Conservationist
- Federal Women: Andrew Wallace, Soil Conservationist
- Black: Wade Ingram, Soil Conservationist
- Hispanic: Kert Young, Resource Conservationist
- Disability: Adam Turkula, Resource Conservationist
- Veterans: Kristi Westwood, District Conservationist
- Asian American Pacific Islander: Ecko Barnson, Soil Conservation Technician
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) Jenny Jo Cox, District Conservationist
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, Large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, lender, and employer.