WASHINGTON (Army News Service) –
Stephanie C. Rainey, human resources program director, Civilian Human
Resources Policy and Programs, U.S. Forces Korea, was named recipient of
the 2015 Department of the Army's NAACP Roy Wilkins Renowned Service
Award.
The award, presented during the NAACP's annual national convention in
Philadelphia, July 14, is given for "outstanding contributions in
military equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion policies and
promoting civil rights for Department of Defense military and civilian
personnel."
The heart of her work, Rainey said, is about helping others. That
assistance is particularly important today, as the U.S. Army is
re-stationing its forces in South Korea.
The re-stationing involves moving some 3,000 Army civilians and 16,000
Korean nationals from Army installations in the Seoul area to other
installations further south, on Camp Humphreys and Osan. A parallel
effort is occurring on the uniformed side.
In her leadership role in human resources, Rainey is uniquely
positioned to smooth the effort to re-station the civilian workforce.
One of her first steps in doing that was to form the Civilian Human Capital Joint Working Group, which she chairs.
The group, she said, has human resources representatives from all of
the military services as well as other Department of Defense activities,
including the Army Air Force Exchange Services, DOD Education Activity,
Defense Commissary Activity, and Defense Intelligence Agency.
The group collaborates transformation and re-stationing efforts to
ensure planning and execution are well coordinated, efficient, effective
and consistent, she said.
The group is developing communication strategies to ensure those who
are affected are kept apprised of developments that may impact them
throughout all phases of the move, which is currently in the initial
stages. Leaders will be kept in the loop so they can better lead and
manage throughout the transition.
Another human resources effort Rainey leads, as part of the group, is
to improve the management of overseas tours in an effort to rotate
employees within the DOD five-year requirement and enrich the employees'
experience stateside by serving overseas.
Recognizing that not all of the personnel will want to transfer to a
new installation, some may opt for the Priority Placement Program, or
PPP, she said.
Rainey is involved in the DOD-level Enterprise Working Group, which is
looking to overhaul the PPP. Too many people in that program are not
getting placed, she said.
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Regarding the recognition from the NAACP, Rainey said she's still
"pinching herself" to make sure it really happened. She said she's
overwhelmed at the honor of receiving an award at the NAACP convention.
"It was a complete surprise," she said. "I'm still in shock."
Rainey's husband, Sylvester, along with children Chianti and Brandon,
attended the event to watch their mother receive the award. The biggest
moment, she said, came when President Barack Obama spoke.
He "spoke to the inequities of the criminal justice system and also
announced that he will be the first sitting president to visit a
prison," she said. And, following the convention, "he did just that."
Rainey said she also enjoyed the presentation given by NAACP Chairman
Roslyn Brock and "many up-and-coming youths," who also shared the
platform.
She said that the NAACP has for generations fought hard "to eliminate
segregation and gain equal rights for so many" and today, she and others
are beneficiaries of those who have helped to make it happen, including
people like civil rights activist Roy Wilkins, for whom her award is
named.
Rainey said this was the first time she attended an NAACP convention.Philadelphia, PA on July 14, 2015.