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DADT/DI Sonya Holt Speaks to the National Coalition of 100 Black Women

October 14, 2021

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The Power of Diversity and Inclusion

At CIA, we are committed to fostering a community that is diverse, fair, and accessible, and we are always seeking new relationships that will assist us in achieving our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals.

Recently, we partnered with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) to sponsor their “NCBW Power Up! Excellence Leads to Change” 20th Biennial Conference in Orlando, FL. NCBW is a 40-year-old advocacy organization built to empower African American women through greater access to education, political strength, business opportunities, and civic responsibility.

NCBW hosted leaders from across the public and private sectors to speak on a variety of topics including mentorship, economic empowerment, and public policy. Our Deputy Associate Director of CIA for Talent for Diversity and Inclusion (DADT/DI) Sonya Holt served as the keynote speaker for “The Power of Diversity and Inclusion” luncheon at the conference. She shared innovative ways the Agency is shaping diversity and inclusion programs that are particularly rewarding for underrepresented segments of our population, specifically women of color.  Through self-diagnostics, the Agency has identified internal and external barriers to minorities succeeding at CIA and increased partnerships with minority-led non-profit organizations such as NCBW and HBCUs to create a better path forward.

“CIA has been in existence for several decades, and over these years we have implemented several initiatives to enhance the diversity amongst our workforce. In full transparency, this has not been easy, but we are constantly seeking ways to better connect with communities of interest, and our relationship with your organization will help us in this effort,” said DADT/DI Holt. “We realize that hiring more women of color at CIA will bring new and creative ways of solving some of the most complex problems.”

CIA’s national security mission demands input from a broad range of perspectives, ethnicities, backgrounds, and experiences. We’ve seen how an inclusive culture fosters new ideas, inspires innovation, and leads to success. Our mission depends on it.

Learn more about the Agency’s DEI initiatives, in our Diversity and Inclusion section.

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