Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity is one of FHFA's four values. We promote diversity in our employment and business practices and those of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace, within a board of directors and among an institution's suppliers is a relative concept, periodically measured against availability of talent in the market place.  As a strategic goal, achieving measures of diversity and inclusion are imperative to success in all businesses and institutions in the private and public sectors.  At FHFA, diversity among its workforce and among its vendors is also a compliance requirement under new federal statutes.  Furthermore, accomplishing diverse and inclusive conditions within FHFA is also a key engineering strategy that produces effective, fair and sound policies guiding housing finance for the American people. 

In recent years, FHFA has demonstrated steady progress in building a workforce and a community of vendors from among diverse contributors and leaders.  The demographics of its workforce compares favorably with the federal workforce and with the private sector in financial services and related fields.

Strategic Plan for FY 2019 - FY 2021

Read our latest (2018) OMWI Strategic Plan (added on October 22, 2018)

Annual Report

Read our latest (2019) Annual Congressional Office of Minority, Women and Inclusion report.

All OMWI Reports to Congress

Recognizing the Need

FHFA's Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) was established in accordance with section 342 of The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act), to promote diversity and ensure inclusion of minorities and women in all business and activities of the Agency. The Dodd-Frank Act requires the Director of the Agency to appoint a Director, OMWI who is responsible for developing standards for:

• Equal employment opportunity (EEO) and the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the Agency’s workforce and its senior management;
• Increased participation of minority- and women-owned businesses in Agency programs and contracts; and
• Assessing the diversity policies and practices of entities regulated by the Agency.

Section 1116 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) requires each entity that FHFA regulates to establish an OMWI, or its functional equivalent, to promote diversity in all activities at every level of their respective organizations, including employment, management and contracting. FHFA must also comply with Section 1116(f) of HERA that, among other things, charges the Agency with seeking diversity in its workforce. An identical provision was adopted in section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Act which applies to the federal agencies listed in section 342(g)(1), including FHFA..

Altogether, FHFA's OMWI is responsible for carrying out the obligations of: Section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Act; section 1116(f) of HERA; the rules and regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Office of Federal Programs; Executive Order 13583; and other applicable executive orders governing federal agencies' diversity and inclusion programs. OMWI also offers to its employees and contractors Alternate Dispute Resolution services for conflicts internal to the Agency. These conflicts may or may not be related to EEO concerns and complaints.

To learn more about FHFA's EEO Services, please visit the EEO page.

Working to Make Diversity & Inclusion a Reality

Pursuant to section 1116, FHFA has an office specifically dedicated to regulatory supervision of the diversity and inclusion programs of its regulated entities including board of directors' diversity as well as workforce and supplier diversity.  The Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) reports to the Director of the FHFA and provides advice and counsel to the Director related to EEO compliance, a division of the OMWI.  The OMWI also serves as an advisor to the Director on FHFA's workforce and procurement programs. OMWI develops policies, processes and strategies in all of the work it performs on behalf of the American public and pursuant to the laws that created it.  It also executes the polices and rules of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to bring  FHFA into compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and protects against work place discrimination on behalf of FHFA colleagues who work in Washington, D.C. and in other towns and cities across the U.S.

In both of these domains, the OMWI team collaborates with FHFA colleagues, and taps research with academic institutions, and among corporate research data bases. OMWI benchmarks and studies models of diversity programming among state, local and federal regulators and Congress and considers the views of community groups and stakeholders devoted to advancing efficient and effective diversity and inclusion strategies. 

Ensuring All Are Included

FHFA specifically aims to include minorities, women, service-disabled veterans, and individuals with disabilities in job and business opportunities created as a part of the federal government's efforts to reform and strengthen the banking system and the financial services industry.

If you are interested providing goods or services visit our Doing Business with FHFA page.

If you are interested in working with us visit our Careers page. 

How We Do This

FHFA achieves its purpose by establishing and implementing policies, procedures, incentives and programs to increase hiring, promotion, and procurement opportunities within the agency and within the financial institutions that it regulates:  Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. 

FHFA Diversity & Inclusion Staff

Sharron P. A. Levine, Director

Donald McLellan, Supervisory Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, Workforce and Supplier Diversity

Kenneth Hunter, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Specialist

Gwendolyn Jones, Program Analyst, Special Emphasis Programs

Deola Cole, Program Assistant

Paul Priest, Associate Director, OMWI Supervision

Felicia Bland, Supervisory Examination Specialist

Donovan Benjamin, Senior Examination Specialist

Sonja Wilson, Senior Examination Specialist

Doncella Young, Senior Examination Specialist

Catherine Chiang, Senior Data Analytics Specialist

Amanda Tucker, Management Analyst

Taylor Brooks, Data Analyst

Contact Information

OMWI: (202) 649-3806, OMWIinfo@fhfa.gov

EEO: (202) 649-3816, EEOServices@fhfa.gov

EEO Counseling: (202) 338-1468, office@susangrimes.com

Read more about FHFA's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program and No FEAR Act.