Washington, D.C. - U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles James announced she is sending agency officers out on the road to recruit the "best and brightest" for employment with the federal government.  As part of its "Working for America" initiative, OPM officials will travel the country conducting recruitment fairs in a number of U.S. cities and major metropolitan areas, connecting participating federal agencies with high-quality, diverse candidates "where they live."

"President George W. Bush has given OPM the opportunity to go out and recruit the next generation of federal civil servants, men and women of exceptional talent from all heritages and from all walks of life," said James.  "The President has issued a call to service, and we are looking for those who are willing to serve their country through initiatives such as usajobs.gov and nationwide recruitment fairs.  OPM is working hard to recruit new talent so federal agencies can fulfill their requirements to quickly hire the right people with the right skills.  I am committed to making sure that the President's vision becomes a reality."

The recruitment fairs will highlight the federal government's many career opportunities and the varied fields of interest available to applicants.  In addition, the fairs will showcase the U.S. government as an employer of first choice and an equal opportunity employer.

"President Bush's administration is committed to increasing the employment numbers for those groups who are underrepresented in the federal workforce, and I am working very hard every day to achieve that goal," said James during an Interagency Task Force on Hispanic Employment meeting at the White House earlier this year.

Speaking about the Administration's overall human capital recruitment plan, Marta Brito Perez, Associate Director for OPM's Division for Human Capital Leadership and Merit System Accountability, said, "The President has demanded results and measurable outcomes in each agency's human capital practices and that includes 'diversity in the entire work force, especially at the highest level occupations.  We are working closely with agencies to assure that they meet this commitment.'"

"We are changing our old hiring practices and looking toward non-traditional, creative ways to market our federal opportunities," said Eduardo Ribas, OPM Assistant Director for Human Capital Management Services Group.  "This includes using automation, specifically the internet and the new usajobs.gov to shorten the hiring process.  The 14 recent OPM SES hires were completed within 49 days and included not only a diverse candidate pool, but resulted in executives from all sectors of the employment world."

Expressing his support of OPM's initiatives to increase diversity, Manuel Oliverez, President and Chief Executive of the National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives (NAHFE) said, "NAHFE fully supports OPM's 'Working for America' initiative, and its clear goal of increasing diverse representation in the federal civilian workforce.  We look forward to working with OPM to accomplish this common objective."

James indicated that OPM will kick-off this initiative in Los Angeles in late September, with other fairs following throughout the months of October and April.  OPM will work closely with federal agencies, colleges and universities, and other organizations, including NAHFE, Veterans' Service organizations and Congressional offices. 

Recruitment fair stops will include:  Los Angeles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; San Antonio, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Detroit, Michigan; Denver, Colorado; Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; San Diego, California; Miami, Florida; New York, New York.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.