East Hudson Valley News

Dutchess County issued the following announcement on Oct. 30.

Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro has announced Josayne Anderson-Tejera will serve as the County’s new Equal Employment Opportunity and Inclusion Officer (EEOIO). As EEOIO, Ms. Anderson-Tejera will be responsible for increasing the diversity of Dutchess County Government’s workforce, as well as the 73 municipal workforces the County oversees.

County Executive Molinaro said, “Dutchess County boasts a diverse tapestry of residents with varying cultures and beliefs that greatly benefits our community and makes us unique, and Dutchess County Government continuously endeavors to attain a workforce that mirrors that valuable mix of abilities, experiences and ideas. I’m confident that as Dutchess County’s new Equal Employment Opportunity and Inclusion Officer, Josayne Anderson-Tejera will help diversify our workforce even more, having the background and understanding necessary to help us more fully obtain that objective. I look forward to Josayne’s efforts to expand the County’s diverse labor pool even further, and ensure our workforce is representative of the residents we serve.”

Dutchess County conducted an extensive recruitment for the Equal Employment Opportunity and Inclusion Officer and received an impressive applicant response.    Ms. Anderson-Tejera was selected from a pool of nearly 80 applicants.

Ms. Anderson-Tejera joins Dutchess County Government following over seven years of service with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS). She began as Correction Officer, serving at Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, then the Fishkill Correctional Facility. She was promoted to Investigator in the Internal Affairs unit, where she conducted investigations to prevent and deter improper behavior, including allegations of discrimination, staff misconduct or serious assaults in the workplace. She most recently served as the acting Equal Opportunity Specialist 1 in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, where she participated in the implementation of diversity and equal opportunity initiatives.

Ms. Anderson-Tejera earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Excelsior College. She is a certified Diversity and the Workplace Instructor. She has specialized training in hate crime investigations and stereotype threats. During her time at NYSDOCCS, she served as a member of the Commissioner’s Diversity Management Advisory Council for Equal Employment Opportunity as well as the Central Office Diversity and Inclusion Committee.   She serves as the Statewide Financial Secretary and Region 4 Board Member for NYS Minorities in Criminal Justice (NYSMICJ). She was also a member of the Hudson Valley Women in Corrections and Community Supervision (HVWICCS).

The Equal Employment Opportunity and Inclusion Officer is a senior level administrative position responsible for development, coordination and implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives to further the County’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through research, education and outreach. This position is responsible for investigating complaints of alleged job discrimination and will provide recommendations for addressing issues. The individual will lead the County Diversity Committee and will coordinate the County’s 55-a program as well as coordinate requests for accommodations related to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ms. Anderson-Tejera is also very engaged in the community, serving in various capacities with multiple non-profit organizations including:

• Executive Director for the Love Quest Foundation, a non-profit organization in the Hudson Valley  that deals with teen dating, sexual assault and domestic violence.
• Financial Secretary and recruitment presenter for the New York State Minorities in Criminal Justice, a membership organization dedicated to improvements in the Criminal Justice System for minorities.
• Board Member for Life Flows Through Every Body, a non-profit foundation that provides service for the caregivers of loved ones that suffer from Sickle Cell Amenia.
• Fellow for CEO Action for Racial Equity, whose mission is to identify, develop and promote scalable and sustainable public policies and corporate engagement strategies that will address systemic racism, social injustice and improve societal well-being.

“I am passionate about educating and collaborating to implement best practices relating to equity, belonging, diversity and inclusion. I am very excited to take on this new challenge in Dutchess County Government and help the County achieve its goals for a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the community we serve,” said Ms. Anderson-Tejera. As an undergraduate student at the University of Hartford, she served on the President’s Committee for Minority Retention alongside mentor and Director of Multi-Cultural Programs, Dr. DeLois Lindsey, a role that has helped her in ongoing recruitment efforts for underrepresented groups.

Dutchess County’s Equal Employment Officer (EEO) role has been most recently served by Jody Miller, who held the combined roles of EEO and Chair of Dutchess County’s Human Rights Commission. As County Executive Molinaro announced in his 2020 State of the County Address, Ms. Miller now solely focuses on the Commission for Human Rights, serving as Executive Director, enabling the Commission to take on new tasks and contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen community resiliency and improve cultural competencies.

Ms. Anderson-Tejera will officially begin serving as Equal Employment Opportunity Inclusion Officer on November 2, 2020.

Original source can be found here.