GSA Blog

DEIA Strengthens the Public Buildings Service’s Mission

GSA supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). We were able to discuss DEIA with PBS’s Deputy Commissioner Allison Azevedo. 

Q: Why is DEIA important? 

A: I think the best ideas are generated from a diverse thought base. Gathering ideas from different genders, ages, backgrounds, and experiences creates a more dynamic workforce. That helps give me better insight on the decisions we make to keep PBS at the forefront of the real estate industry.

Q: During your time in the federal government, have you seen improvements to DEIA?

A: I have seen a lot more awareness of how important it is that we become an organization that represents the pillars of DEIA. Every day we continue to make progress. It all starts from where we recruit from, having a diverse candidate pool and diverse interviewing team as we go through the selection process, and having diverse candidate pools at the top level of the organization as well.  My goal is to have a leadership organization that represents the workforce’s diversity. Making a more diverse organization allows for us to continue to create innovations in the way we design architecture and have accessible designs be at the forefront of the planning process.

Q: How is PBS fostering an inclusive work environment to make sure everyone has a voice?

A: We are doing a lot more group-based thinking activities. We have teams set up within each region and in the central office business lines, looking at how they can bring in speakers, collaborate and offer various training. I participated in an unconscious bias training. It helped me realize that, although we all grow up in different families and situations, it’s important to respect and appreciate those different ideals and the value that they add to the organization.

Q:How is PBS helping to combat bias and prejudice in the workplace?

A: The more groups and projects and speakers we’re promoting, the better. We want to ensure opportunities are available for every employee. We want to make sure that PBS as a whole understands that DEIA is something we value. As leaders, we have a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect. We will continue to embrace the new Administration’s goals and figure out ways to be a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Q: How is PBS supporting the Administration’s DEIA initiative? 

A: Our fabulous new Senior Advisor Andrea M. O’Neal has been putting teams together that can start working on these issues and highlighting opportunities for promoting DEIA across PBS. We have been highlighting employee-generated ideas and initiatives, while supporting interagency efforts on environmental justice goals. We are launching an environmental justice working group with the support of Sonal Larsen, GSA’s Senior Advisor on Climate. And we’re working to get more participation and interest from underserved communities and small businesses. As the executive sponsor for the Women’s Special Emphasis Program, I’m really passionate about this. This isn’t just a monthly initiative, but something we have incorporated into our daily culture at all levels of PBS.  

Q: How does PBS plan on promoting DEIA with industry partners?

A: We have already been hosting a series of roundtable events with the real estate industry, led by the Office of Acquisition Management and the Office of the Chief Architect. We also partner with the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) to plan industry days. Our goal is to help small businesses and other underutilized real estate partners through the bidding process so they’ll know all the requirements and collaborate with us. These efforts to incorporate diversity in our real estate supply chain and vendor selection lead to better outcomes for everyone.

Overall, I am really pleased this is a priority of the new Administration. It helps us as a leadership team take time to think about what this means to us. We need to think about how we can build it into our current business practices and become a more inclusive organization. These equitable approaches lead to better outcomes for everyone, including the customers we serve as we continue working with state, local, and industry stakeholders to increase economic opportunities in underserved communities.