Colclough Named as EEOC’s New Director of Field Management Programs

WASHINGTON – Thomas Colclough has been named the new director of field management programs for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

“I am proud and pleased to continue my service at the EEOC in this new position,” Colclough said. “We are the guardians of justice for all employers and all employees in this nation. Working to prevent employment discrimination is not just our mission but also our privilege to serve – to ensure that all workers have an equal opportunity to excel in the workplace.”

Colclough’s new position is facilitator of the EEOC’s field programs, providing guidance and support to all of the EEOC's 53 field offices across the country in matters of investigation, charge processing, education, outreach and other areas.

EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows said, “Tom Colclough is the perfect person for this crucial position. We could not ask for a richer or more varied leadership background than Tom’s, and his dedication to public service and EEOC’s civil rights mission is unwavering. I am delighted to be working with Tom and have full confidence that the agency’s field management and the public we serve are in capable hands with his addition to the leadership team in the Office of Field Programs at EEOC headquarters.”

Colclough is a true EEOC veteran, having begun his career at the agency in 1988 through the agency’s Stay-in-School internship program. In this program, now called the Pathways program, Colclough worked full-time for the EEOC one semester and then went back to school full-time for the next semester for a two-year period. 

Over the years, Colclough held progressively higher positions, moving steadily through the investigator, supervisory and managerial ranks, achieving an appointment as area director for the Raleigh Area Office, deputy district director in Charlotte, and, most recently, district director. During his tenure with the EEOC, Colclough has been the recipient of numerous agency awards.

An active participant in the agency's outreach and education programs, Colclough regularly presents to employer groups, special emphasis groups, non-profits and student organizations. He also has steered the development of many important enforcement cases.

Colclough is also now serving as the EEOC representative on the U.S. Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, a 19-member bipartisan body. Six members are members of Congress, and the rest are appointed by congressional leaders, cabinet depart­ments, federal agencies and other leaders. That commission examines factors that impact on black men and boys such as incarceration rates, income, financial literacy, fatherhood – and employment discrimination. Each year the commission makes policy recommendations to Congress and the White House.

Colclough, a retired North Carolina National Guard lieutenant colonel, is a graduate of Saint Augustine’s College, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in business administration. He also holds a master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.