- Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Maryann Merigan
617-626-4247
meriganm@dor.state.ma.us
(Boston, MA) - Massachusetts Revenue Commissioner Amy Pitter recently convened the first meeting of the Department of Revenue’s (DOR) Diversity Council. The goal of the Diversity Council is to assist DOR in attracting and retaining a wide-ranging, professional workforce, a mission that is particularly timely and vital given the considerable attrition rate anticipated over the next five years due to retirement.
“We need to ensure that we are utilizing the right resources to reach the best and brightest talent in the marketplace,” said Commissioner Pitter. “The Diversity Council will help us reach out to potential employees who are reflective of the increasingly diverse population in Massachusetts.”
Diversity Council members were selected based on their leadership roles representing individuals DOR would like to attract to their ranks, or advance within the organization, including women, veterans, people with disabilities and minorities. DOR will ask Council members to engage their networks to generate interest in open positions and provide insight on best practices for retention of a diverse workforce.
“I applaud Commissioner Pitter’s leadership in seeking to employ new strategies to enhance the diversity within applicant pools and among the ranks of DOR employees. The diversity of our resident population is an inherent strength of our Commonwealth; we should see it as a strength of our administrative agencies,” said Ron Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity, Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
In addition to broadening DOR’s reach into a more diverse applicant group, Council members will advise the Department on achieving a better balance in the management ranks. For example, while women make up more than half the workforce at DOR, 31 percent hold management positions. Further, minorities make up a little over 11 percent of DOR management and the Department would like to see that number doubled. Advancing a diverse group to the management ranks brings new ideas from a wider range of perspectives and experiences when exploring complex solutions. DOR will collaborate with the Diversity Council to achieve this balancing goal by looking at hiring practices, mentoring opportunities and advancement plans.
“I am impressed with the diverse composition of the Council. I believe we have a prime opportunity to leverage best practices for attracting a diverse workforce,” said Council member Sandra Borders, Director, Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.
"The Commonwealth is the birthplace of freedom as we know it in the United States, so it is no surprise to me that Massachusetts leads the nation in services to its veterans and families, or that the Department of Revenue has formed a Diversity Council to assist in the fair and just treatment of all people. As a council member and veteran of the armed forces, I plan to bring my unique perspective to the table regarding the barriers to employment and services that many veterans, disabled people and minority groups face on a daily basis," said Michael Johns, Vice President, Massachusetts Veterans' Service Officers Association.
Council members will conduct an extensive review of DOR’s efforts and serve as an active diversity recruitment network throughout the year. The Council will assist DOR in broadening and strengthening its workforce, particularly in middle- and upper-management positions, while creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace.
Diversity Council Members:
- Myra Berloff, Director of the Massachusetts Office on Disability
- George Best, Vice President of Operations of the Boston Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants
- Sandra Borders, Director of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity
- Kajal Chattopadhyay, Chair of the Asian American Commission of Massachusetts
- Carol Fulp, President and CEO of The Partnership, Inc.
- Aileen Gorman, Executive Director of The Commonwealth Institute
- Michael C. Johns, Vice President of the Massachusetts Veterans' Services Association
- Ronald Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance
- Oswald Mondejar, Vice President of Human Resources for Spaulding Rehabilitation
- Radhames Nova, Executive Director of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting
- Jesus Rosa, Chairman of the Board of the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce
- Alberto Vasallo, III, Vice President/Editor –in-chief of El Mundo Newspaper
For more information on DOR’s Diversity Council visit http://www.mass.gov/dor/dor-diversity-council.
