EEOC CHAIRWOMAN LAUDS REGINALD E. JONES, AS HE BIDS FAREWELL TO COMMISSION

WASHINGTON - Ida L. Castro, Chairwoman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today acknowledged and praised the outstanding work of former Commissioner Reginald E. Jones as he prepares to depart from the agency. Mr. Jones, who served as a Commissioner from July 1996 until his term expired in July 2000, recently requested that his name be withdrawn from consideration for an additional term and resigned from his current post effective October 13.

On October 2, President Clinton announced his intent to nominate Mr. Jones to a second fiveyear term as a Commissioner. Mr. Jones, who had been working as a special advisor to the Chairwoman in a limited term appointment, declined the renomination to return to private employment.

"I commend Reginald Jones for the outstanding job he did as a member of the Commission," said Chairwoman Castro. "His spirit of bi-partisanship and commitment to equal opportunity will be sorely missed by me, my fellow Commissioners, and all EEOC staff."

She added: "Reg Jones played an integral part in crafting and implementing groundbreaking reforms at the EEOC, leading the effort to bring greater voluntary compliance with federal equal employment opportunity laws in the private sector through the compilation of best practices. His experience in civil rights and employment law and expertise in the legislative process were critical in helping the Commission to meet its goals. We are sad to see Reg leave and wish him well in his new capacity."

In announcing his resignation, Mr. Jones said: "I have always been touched by the many fine Commission employees at agency headquarters and around the country, whose collective dedication to the mission of EEOC is our strength. I am departing with both fond memories and a degree of sadness. Although I am leaving the Commission, I intend to continue to promote workforce diversity and best practices in support of workers' civil rights. In doing so, I will emphasize voluntary compliance with the EEO laws, encourage stakeholders in the active use of alternative dispute resolution techniques, and promote the voluntary technical assistance, education, and outreach services of EEOC which are fundamental to ensuring America's promise of equal employment opportunity for all."

Mr. Jones duties as a Commissioner included making Commission policy, issuing Commissioner charges, and approving litigation of employment discrimination charges. He was a frequent speaker at public events on equal employment opportunity, civil rights, and related topics at forums throughout the country. His tenure at EEOC was highlighted by the issuance of an extensive report on best EEO practices for private sector companies, which resulted from an internal task force he chaired to examine the issue.

The report, entitled Best Equal Employment Opportunity Policies, Programs, and Practices in the Private Sector, presents a broad overview of the practices through which corporate America is addressing its obligations to equal employment opportunity and workplace diversity. The report was first published in December 1997 with a second printing in February 1998 due to high public demand. The full text of the 327 page report is available on the agency's web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/task_reports/best_practice.html.

In September 1998, Commissioner Jones was designated an American Delegate to the Second World Conference on Remedies to Racial and Ethnic Economic Inequality held in Australia. The conference examined topics related to inequity, discrimination, affirmative action, and reconciliation in different national context. Delegates explored the use of such terms in a comprehensive approach toward developing new strategies for increasing social and economic equality.

Mr. Jones was first nominated to the Commission by President Clinton on June 5, 1996, unanimously confirmed by the Senate on July 17, and sworn in on July 22, 1996. At the time of his nomination, Mr. Jones had served as Senior Legislative Counsel in the office of Senator James M. Jeffords (R-VT) since January of 1993. From 1989 to 1993, he had been the Minority Counsel and Staff Director of the Labor Subcommittee on the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. Among the duties of this Committee is providing congressional oversight of the activities of the EEOC. Mr. Jones also worked on a wide variety of legislative issues during his years in the Senate, including successful enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

For more than a decade before his years in the Senate, Mr. Jones practiced labor and employment law in New York City. As first an associate and then a partner at the national firm of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson, he specialized in employment discrimination counseling and litigation.

Mr. Jones received an undergraduate (B.A.) degree from Yale University, and degrees in law (J.D.) and business administration (MBA) from New York University.

EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; prohibitions against discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in the federal government; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Further information about the Commission is available on its web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/.