Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has urged intelligence agencies to promote diversity and a culture of inclusion in their workplaces during his speech at the IC Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Leadership Summit held Wednesday in Bethesda, Maryland.
Clapper said in his written remarks he believes the community has made a substantial progress in efforts to build a diverse and inclusive workforce, empower staff and increase minority representation at senior levels.
“People in our intelligence community who belong to a minority group… need to feel welcome in our community, and they need to know they shouldn’t hide what makes them unique,” he noted.
“They need to feel they are valued, and to know that we can’t meet our mission without the unique qualities they bring to our intelligence community.”
He said IC plans to release an unclassified demographics report online within the next two weeks and encourage the public to provide feedback on the matter.