(September 13, 2024) This month, we are thrilled to honor and celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month by shining a spotlight on Jessica Lehmann, ASA WFO Elko, NV.
NWSEO knows our NWS mission could not be met without the help of our Administrative Support Assistants (ASAs)! Why did you join NWSEO?
During my entire professional life, I have not had the opportunity to join a union. The idea of belonging to an organization that advocates for the interests of its employees in the workplace intrigued me, so I went to the NWSEO home page to look at what has been done in the past. What I saw blew me away! Over the past twenty years, there has been a lot of activity concerning protecting employees' rights and their jobs. Finally, NWSEO provides an opportunity to help provide impactful, felt programs that make a difference within the NWS. I feel a great sense of pride knowing that I am part of the solution and the ideas put forth today can influence change in the future. These are the three main reasons why I chose to join NWSEO.
September 15th to October 15th is Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month. In your time at NWS, do you feel the culture has expanded for this and other diverse groups?
While I see strides in the right direction, I feel more work must be done. For example, back in the early 2000s, there were limited opportunities in the NWS for minorities and people of color, especially at the higher levels of leadership. Over the past five years, I’ve seen enhancements in hiring practices where training was provided to hiring officials on unconscious bias, which has resulted in onboarding qualified, hard-working people across all ethnicities and genders into more senior roles. Furthermore, I do feel we have a stronger voice in the Western Region (WR) for dialog on BIDE topics like LGBTQIA+ or disabilities that may not have been brought up in the past. In addition, inroads to a more family-friendly work/life balance are being addressed, and I feel this will help a lot as well. However, more work can be done in these arenas, and I am grateful that NWSEO has our backs when discussions are held with management to ensure the rights and voices of all are valued. Being part of a diverse, collaborative team allows me to help further cultural awareness and highlight program opportunities. Additional opportunities that I would like to see include broadening career engagement/development for our electronic technicians (ETs) and ASAs. What are the possibilities we can actively partake in to help our people further their careers by providing access to better-paying jobs?
What has NWSEO done that has impacted you the most?
Several initiatives make joining NWSEO worthwhile, but one of the most impactful is their regular meetings with members of Congress. As federal employees, we're limited in our ability to discuss budgetary matters directly with Congress. However, because NWSEO frequently advocates for us on the Hill, Congress better understands the critical work we do to protect the lives and property of taxpayers in the communities we serve. Additionally, NWSEO prioritizes the well-being of its members by ensuring our rights are respected. Most importantly, NWSEO has allowed my voice to be heard, leading to genuine feelings of inclusion.
Is there anything else you want to share with NWSEO members and leaders?
We have a solid and diverse organization that is member-centric and results-driven. NWSEO continues to keep its members first by looking out for unfair labor practices, regardless of job classification. I know I benefited from this when ASAs were upgraded to a GS-8 due to the hard work, dedication, and leadership of NWSEO to make this possible. Our strength is derived from our diverse workforce, from ETs to ASAs and ITOs to the forecaster on the floor. The synergy that we all bring to NWSEO is how we are able to get so much done, but in order for this to work, we can’t give up! The future is in our hands, and we want everyone to keep fighting.
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