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Being a federal employee, I was able to attend the 7th annual Asian Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit. It was held at a swanky hotel in Washington D.C. (Marriott Renaissance) and lasted from 7:30 am to 5 pm (unfortunately, my supervisor only gave me 4 hours to go to this). This event is hosted by the Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, and Director Linda Springer of the Office of Personnel Management.

So, what is this whole thing all about? The summit started back in 2002 to address the issue of the shortage of Asian Pacific Americans in the senior executive or management positions within the federal government. Through the day, there were various workshops that one could attend, which provided management insight and skills training to help Asian Pacific Americans advance in their federal careers. Various governmental agencies were also on site with tables promoting their agency and giving away some free stuff. Here was this years agenda (taken form the apasummit.gov website):

I was unfortunately only able to attend one workshop (Emotional Intelligence) due to the limited time I had,to but I thought it was a good experience and definitely worth the trip. The presenter for the workshop I went  was very good. Elaine Chao also did a speech in the morning and that was excellent also (I even think she was winging some of it)! She touched on subjects of Asian culture, how America used to be, and how America is changing for the better. She peppered her speech with personal stories which gave it a nice touch, and made her come off as someone you could really relate to.

Overall, I thought this was well-organized. Plus, we even got free lunch and lots of Star Bucks! Mmmmm, steak.

Since Elaine Chao is approaching the end of her tenure, I wonder if this summit will still continue after she is gone (Maybe not? Seems like they went all out. I was sensing a “going out with a bang” feeling). It would be a shame if it did disappear however, because I think this event helps/empowers the Asian Pacific American in many ways.

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