 As a federal agency, we serve as a model employer in recruiting and retaining employees from all segments of society, and by involving employees as agents of diversity, mutual respect, and inclusion in the workplace. The NRC is proud to carry out the new Executive Order 13583 on diversity and inclusion in the federal workplace. The Executive Order says, we are at our best when we draw on the talents of all parts of our society, and our greatest accomplishments are achieved when diverse perspectives are brought to bear to overcome our greatest challenges. By harnessing the knowledge of a workforce that reflects the population we serve, we are better able to understand and meet the needs of our customers, the American people. The federal government has made great advances developing a workforce that emulates our nation's diversity, and the NRC continues to pursue the goal of achieving a more diverse and inclusive workforce. I think our EEO advisory committees are an excellent resource for employees and managers alike, and represent the diversity of the NRC. They are committees on ageism, for Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans of Pacific Islanders, women, and disabled employees. We also have two excellent chapters of affinity groups here at the NRC, Globe and Big. All of these resources should be appreciated and utilized. Well, I have a daughter with intellectual disabilities, and so her arrival in our family gave us all a heart for and interest in disability issues. I chose to volunteer for Globe because I understand that it's important that we foster an inclusive environment for everyone. Equal employment opportunity and inclusion in the workforce are an integral part of successful organization and federal government agency. It's very important to have the skill sets and the differences in cultural upbringing to come to defensible and solid decisions in the workplace. And it's not typically race, creed, or color, which may be the initial thought. It really is diversity of thoughts we can make the best decisions possible. I feel that diversity and inclusion are best described by the quote, diversity isn't about the differences between us, but about the uniqueness we all share. Diversity and inclusion in the workforce to me means a workforce that doesn't all look the same, doesn't all have the same backgrounds, and allows for diverse thinking. Diverse thinking yields innovation, and innovation allows us to better accomplish our safety mission. At the NRC, I've seen a lot of progress in the areas of diversity and inclusion. I've seen a lot more participation from management and all the events that promote diversity and inclusion. I've even seen a lot of more people trying to solicit other views from other maybe technical areas or even offices and try to branch outside themselves. Here at the NRC in reference to diversity, the progress I've seen is being able to have the opportunity to speak at commission briefings, at the EEO briefing, being able to brief the commissioners one by one about what the various diversity groups do, and of course the yearly celebration of diversity day. I've seen a lot more women being promoted at the SES level and given progressively more responsibility. I can also, I can't also help but stress the fact that our chairman is female, as well as our chief human capital officer and my division director, all female. I'm a normal engineer and I work with various people from various races, and we always have to take time to listen to one another to come to a bona fide solution. In considering diversity, we must always consider our veterans. Veterans possess a kind of leadership, courage, strength, commitment that we would want in all of our employees. The NRC serves as a model for EEO diversity and inclusion by having a yearly commission meeting. That's atypical based on the benchmarking that we've done with the outside agencies, but it shows the level of importance that the NRC puts on this topic. The NRC mission is supported by contracts with a diverse pool of businesses and organizations that assist the agency in meeting its operational goals and objectives. Small businesses include businesses owned by the disadvantaged, women, service disabled veterans, and businesses located in historically underutilized business zones. Well, the NRC has been ranked among the top best places to work in the past years in the federal government, and I think it's because of its commitment to our foster, diverse, and inclusive work environment. I feel that each time management listens to the EEO advisory committees and what our constituents have to say, that they not only show that they support us, but also by actionable steps that they've taken, they're able to demonstrate their support for us. Everything that we do must be oriented to getting the best ideas from whatever source we have regardless of their background, and that is what diversity is really all about. The NRC recognizes and appreciates the many employees who volunteer to serve on diversity committees and as EEO counselors. Together, we can make a difference.