Derek Love is a Equal Employment Specialist for NASA Ames Research Center.  Derek was born in Richmond Virginia. Shortly after graduating high school Derek enlisted in the United States Army. Derek’s military assignments include Babenhausen Germany, Vicenza Italy, Frankfurt Germany, Okinawa Japan, Fort Bragg North Carolina, Fort Hood Texas, Fort Drum New York and The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), Patrick Air Force Base Florida.  After 21 years of military service, Derek retired from the United States Army and pursued employment with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando Florida as the Region Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Workforce Manager and later worked as Equal Employment Opportunity Director for Patrick Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral in Cocoa Beach Florida.

As an EEO Specialist my duties are to provide guidance in discrimination complaints, conduct counseling, prepare case analysis in response to highly controversial and contentious grievances and complaints, and counsel employees and applicants who believe they have been discriminated against. Also as a Special Emphasis Program Manager for the Federal Women Program and the Hispanic Employment Program my duties are to develop and recommend policies, and establish internal operating procedures to address complex EO issues, processes, and systems. In addition, I develop and monitor action plans related to the implementation of program requirements and recommends changes in program emphasis.  Other duties also include participating in female and minority recruitment planning to develop ways of eliminating underrepresentation of these employees in professional, supervisory and managerial positions; monitoring the organization’s progress on Management Directive 715 objectives by gathering and analyzing data from a variety of sources.

Music is my life.  I have been performing and singing in the school choir since I was 8 years old.  I also played the Cornet in intermediate band for two years in middle school.  After joining the military while stationed overseas I became a DJ and performed during parties and military functions. I also organized and sang with several groups and later managed a military singing group that toured in Okinawa Japan.  How can it be used?  Music can be used as a educational tool as well as different forms of entertainment.

I am very pleased to have this opportunity to fellowship with colleges and NASA managers at this level.  I am also pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with such great  musicians and artist from around the world.  It’s really a treat to see how the love for the arts brings people from all walks of life together.  This project is truly a great demonstration of “Diversity and Inclusion”.  I am looking forward to sharing my experience and the music with the world.

By Derek Love