UTSA hosts federal career information fair March 2 at Main Campus

Christine Griffin

By Kris Rodriguez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Feb. 28, 2011)--The UTSA University Career Center and the Heroes & Heritage nonprofit group will host a Federal Career Summit on Wednesday, March 2 in the University Center Ballroom (1.104) on the Main Campus. The event is open to college students in the San Antonio area.

The event offers area college students from various majors the opportunity to meet professionals from more than a dozen federal government agencies and participate in a day of learning and networking. Students should dress in business attire and bring resume copies.

Participants can learn about job openings and internships that could lead to employment. The summit also will offer training sessions and workshops.

Guest speakers will include Christine Griffin, deputy director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, who assists in the recruiting, hiring and setting of benefits policies for 1.9 million federal civilian employees; Ronald Joe, acting director of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity and commandant of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute;ff and Eddie Pate, founder of Pate Consulting and Associates and former director of the global diversity and inclusion teams for both Microsoft and Starbucks.

"The federal government is always looking for qualified and diverse candidates among its employees, and San Antonio has a lot to offer these potential employers," said Lisa Firmin, UTSA associate provost for faculty and student diversity and recruitment. "We are thrilled that these agencies are coming to UTSA and South Texas to share their expertise and also to find the best qualified candidates for employment."

UTSA faculty and staff members are welcome to attend the presentations and workshops. The 8:30 a.m. opening session will include remarks from Griffin and Joe as well as UTSA President Ricardo Romo. The event will conclude with a Q&A and leadership panel from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. featuring directors from the attending agencies.

Griffin also will speak with College of Public Policy students about the new Pathways Programs at 6 p.m. in the Durango Building Southwest Room (1.124) at the UTSA Downtown Campus. The programs, created by executive order under President Obama, provides internship and job opportunities throughout federal government for current and recent students.

Scheduled exhibitors include the Office of Personnel Management, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Postal Service, National Security Agency, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, Defense Commissary Agency, Army Medical Command, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines.

For more information and the workshop schedule, visit the University Career Center website.