About
The Office of Minority and Women Inclusion is an office within the Division of Inclusivity, Culture and Equity (DICE). DICE was established in 2024 and is led by Debra Chew.
FHFA’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, established under section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act), leads FHFA’s efforts to advance DEI and is responsible for all Agency matters relating to DEI in management, employment, and business activities. This includes overseeing and directing examinations of the regulated entities’ DEI programs and related activities by assessing the diversity policies and practices, as well as monitoring and assessing the entities’ compliance with DEI laws and regulations.
OMWI also develops and implements standards (DEI Standards) for:
- Equal employment opportunity and the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the Agency’s workforce and senior management.
- Participation of minority- and women-owned businesses in Agency programs and contracts and coordinating technical assistance to such businesses.
- Evaluating the good faith efforts of FHFA contractors and subcontractors to promote diversity in their workforce.
Our DICE/OMWI Team includes:
- Debra C. Chew – Director, Division of Inclusivity, Culture and Equity
- Takisha Koonce – Director Office of Minority and Women Inclusion
- Catherine Chiang, Director Data Analytics Specialist
- Gwen Jones – Diversity Specialist
- Yvette Delgado – Diversity Specialist
- Vacant - OMWI Operations
For general questions about OMWI’s work, please email OMWIinfo@fhfa.gov or call (202) 649-3806.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) form the foundation on which FHFA's core values (Fairness, Accountability, Integrity, and Respect) rest. We promote DEI in our Agency’s employment and business practices and those of the 15 financial institutions we regulate: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Common Securitization Solutions, the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks, and the Banks’ Office of Finance. DEI is an essential component of our work to enhance and implement fair, equitable, sound, and effective housing finance policies for the American people.
At FHFA, we also work to increase hiring, promotion, and procurement opportunities for women, minorities, and people with disabilities. If you’re interested in doing business with us, please visit our “Doing Business” page. If you’re interested in working with us, please visit our “Careers” page.
How We See DEI—Theory and Practice
At FHFA, we think of DEI as three connected elements:
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Diversity is the “presence” — the mix of demographics and viewpoints across our workforce, management, and contracting partners.
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Equity is the “access”— the initiatives that help provide equitable opportunities and knock down barriers to participation.
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Inclusion is the “performance”— the behaviors that encourage a values-based culture of belonging and actions taken to build an integrated, dynamic, and sustainable FHFA DEI Program designed to achieve the Agency’s strategic goals and objectives with specific outcomes that demonstrate Inclusion.
More than just a moral imperative, DEI drives important cultural and business advantages:
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Diversity allows for a wider range of views and fosters innovation. It enables organizations to solve problems more creatively and effectively, which increases the likelihood of and succeeding in their mission.
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Equity expands access to products, services, and opportunities across organizations and communities.
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A culture of inclusion contributes to the ease of hiring, greater satisfaction at work, and reduced turnover.
Steady Progress
In recent years, FHFA has made steady progress in building a more diverse workforce and community of vendors. In 2023, for the first year in FHFA history, the majority of the workforce comprised racial and ethnic minorities. From 2019 to 2023, the racial and ethnic minority representation increased by 30.4 percent.
FHFA’s commitment to DEI at all levels of the Agency extends to its procurement efforts. The Minority- and Women-Owned Business obligation amount of $36,439,719 was the largest in FHFA’s history and exceeded 2022’s previously historical obligation amount by $6,582,821, or 22 percent.
For more information, please refer to the 2023 Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) Annual Report to Congress issued by Agency’s OMWI. Additionally, OMWI launched a set of dashboards that provide some of the tables and figures included the 2023 OMWI Annual Report to Congress. These user-friendly dashboards enable stakeholders to easily view FHFA highlights.
Page last updated: September 3, 2024