ECBC Disability Committee Representative Completes SEPM Course

Patricia Reeves, a U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) technical writer and editor, recently completed the Special Emphasis Program Manager (SEPM) course at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. The course will allow Reeves to serve more effectively as ECBC’s representative on the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) Disability Committee. 

This training focused on inter- and intrapersonal and organizational aspects of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), the causes and effects of discrimination, EEO programs for federal employees, civilian personnel management and the value of diversity. The training concentrated on the roles and responsibilities of SEPMs, communication skills, staff coordination, briefing skills, analyzing EEO data, and planning and managing effective Special Emphasis Programs.

“The course was very intense,” Reeves said. “One of our activities included briefing a make-believe general (an instructor) about what the SEPM would do for an organization.”

To help our customers and the APG workforce, Reeves volunteered to be a member of the APG Disability Committee to improve the work environment for people who are disabled and other challenged employees, educate people about disabilities and open opportunities for people with disabilities. 

In addition to serving on the Disability Committee, Reeves co-teaches free beginner American Sign Language classes in the fall and spring at APG, and she has provided interpreter services for government personnel. To advance her interest in this area, Reeves has applied for the Disability Program Management course in July 2011. Through her participation in these activities, Reeves hopes to help those with disabilities and increase awareness. “I’m a very strong advocate for people who are deaf or disabled,” she said. 

In the photo, Patricia Reeves, third from the rear on the far left, poses with her SEPM classmates at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.