Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) promotes, expands, and supports Asian American and Pacific Islander leadership in government by holding leadership workshops, senior executive service (SES) development programs, and one-on-one mentoring and coaching sessions. Learn more about us - Link. CFC #45979

AAGEN

Asian American Government Executive Network

June 1, 2024

An Interview with our Chair

Dr. Jiashen You joined the government after he had earned his PhD degree in Statistics at UCLA, California. He worked for a few government agencies over the past few years. Now he serves as the Chief Data Officer and Director of Enterprise Data and Analytics at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He often characterizes his office as the “data brain” of the EEOC, as it is responsible for nearly all evidence-building and reporting activities to support an agency of about 2,300 FTEs dedicated to protecting Americans’ employment rights.

How long have you been a member of AAGEN?

I joined AAGEN in October 2016, shortly after starting as a GS-14 statistician at the Department of Homeland Security. At the 2019 AAGEN Leadership Workshop, I met several Board members, including the charismatic Ellen and AAGEN’s co-founder, Bel. They convinced me that it was never too early or late to get involved and contribute to AAGEN's growth and continued success.

Dr. Jaishen You

Dr. Jiashen You

Why did you join AAGEN?

AAGEN’s mission resonates deeply with me. It is exceedingly heartening to know that over 30 years ago, a small group of Asian American government executives, despite their diverse cultural, educational, and occupational backgrounds, recognized the critical need for a unified voice for all Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander senior leaders in the highest echelons of the federal government. Fun fact: AAGEN has the longest history among its peer affinity groups.

Fast forward to today, we have graduated 13 cohorts of the AAGEN Senior Executive Service Development Program, and hundreds of AAGEN champions and SES DP alumni amplify the message of diversity, equity, and inclusion, making the federal government a little bit better everyday. To me, the best way to honor our founding members’ legacy is to continue building on and expanding AAGEN’s success, adapting to the evolving leadership needs of a mid-21st century modern federal workforce.

What is your leadership focus as AAGEN Chair?

I value the leadership opportunity and strive to support as many committees as possible. For the past five months, I have focused on the Program and SES Development Program Committees. We successfully completed the annual leadership workshop with a theme of “Identity, Integrity, and Influence - How to Lead in Uncertain Times”, and graduated 2023-2024 SES DP cohort in May. In the next 5-6 months, I plan to shift my attention to the Membership, Outreach, and Communication Committees. We just finished the one-day strategic retreat discussingAAGEN missions and strategic goals. Stay tuned for a series of coming membership events.

If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose and why?

If I could choose anyone as a mentor, I would choose Norman Mineta. He was the first person of Asian descent to achieve the title of Secretary, serving as both the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Commerce. Remarkably, he served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, showcasing his ability to transcend partisan divides. Mineta's distinguished career in public service, resilience, and visionary thinking are incredibly inspiring. His pioneering efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion, along with his profound impact on policy and community, make him an ideal mentor. I would particularly value his tips on bringing people together and fostering bipartisan collaboration, as these skills are essential for making a meaningful and lasting impact in one’s career and society.


What advice would you give to someone if you were their mentor?

This has always been a reliable piece of advice: regardless of your grade level, I advocate for having a personal Board of Directors.

  1. Mentor: A person one grade level above you who can advise on navigating the agency's culture and career advancement in general.
  2. Sponsor: Someone 2-3 levels above who knows about your professional achievements and is willing to use their influence to advocate for you.
  3. Coach: A peer, family member, or friend who is a good reflexive listener, willing to spend time with you and help identify solutions to career and life issues.
  4. Advocates: Peers and champions who speak highly of you in places outside your immediate office.
  5. Lastly, I believe it's valuable to include a therapist in the mix. Leading people at work (while balancing everything else in life) can be challenging, especially when facing resistance to change. An outside voice can help you filter out the noise and focus on what truly matters to you.

We wish AAGEN success in achieving its mission under Dr. You’s leadership, and are looking forward to another great new year!


Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity

DIRECTOR


The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a major research component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is seeking exceptional candidates for the position of Director, Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD). Information about TWD is available at https://www.nigms.nih.gov/research-areas/areas-of-research/training-workforce-development-and-diversity.

The Division Director provides direction, advice, and guidance to program administrators on NIGMS policies, plans for support of training, career development, and research grants, and the NIGMS commitment to an inclusive and diverse biomedical and behavioral research workforce. This includes assessing the division’s programs and collecting data to guide their future direction to include, where needed, the development of new programs. The TWD Division Director also provides advice to the NIGMS Director on enhancing and expanding a robust biomedical research workforce across the nation. They also oversee preparation of TWD documents for the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council, read summary statements for the Division, identify potential problems and suggest courses of action, and review correspondence and provide advice on policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must possess an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree in a field relevant to the position. The ideal candidate will have considerable research and/or research administration experience and knowledge related to the NIGMS mission. In addition, candidates should have professional experience in the training of research scientists as well as programs aimed at developing a diverse biomedical and behavioral research workforce. Candidates should also possess recognized research management and leadership abilities. The position will be filled under a Title 42 (f) excepted service appointment.

SALARY/BENEFITS: Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with the experience of the candidate. A recruitment or relocation bonus may be available, and relocation expenses may be paid. A full package of Federal Civil Service benefits is available, including retirement, health and life insurance, long term care insurance, leave, and a Thrift Savings Plan (401K equivalent). The successful candidate is subject to a background investigation and financial disclosure requirements.

HOW TO APPLY: Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae to include bibliography section, copy of academic terminal degree(s), and full contact details for three references. In addition, applicants are asked to prepare two statements: a vision statement and a statement that addresses the specific qualification requirements (please limit the statements to two pages each). NIGMS will be accepting applications from June 18, 2024, and plans to have the position open for at least 45 days, but the application process will not close until a candidate has been selected.

Please send your application package or nominations to: NIGMSTWDDirSearch2024@nigms.nih.gov.

If you have any questions about this position or the application process, please contact Ayanna Vest at the above email address.

The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.

DHHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers

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Disclaimer: As a tax-exempt nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, AAGEN dutifully complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Moreover, It is, and has been, AAGEN’s practice to remind its members, officers and members of the Board of Directors, to abide by all laws and regulations that apply to government employees’ participation in outside activities, including but not limited to, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, Final Regulation Issued by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Codified in 5 C.F.R. Part 2635, As amended at 81 FR 81641 (effective January 1, 2017). Where appropriate and/or necessary (for example, where a rule or regulation is unclear or ambiguous as to its applicability to a given set of facts), AAGEN encourages its members, officers and directors to seek advice from their agency’s Ethics Adviser/Counsel, especially in cases of first impression.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the officers and members of the Board of Directors of AAGEN serve in their personal, unofficial capacity. The inclusion of their official title and position within their respective government agencies on AAGEN’s website and in AAGEN’s digital and print materials (including but not limited to, informational materials, promotional materials, press releases, media advisories, programs, and agendas,) is strictly for identification purposes only, and should not, in any manner, be construed to imply that the relevant agency or the government sanctions or endorses their personal activities related to AAGEN.



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