In the news: AISES names BPA among top 50 workplaces for Indigenous STEM professionals

What three building blocks foster a workplace where staff experience belonging, fair treatment and respect? That would be diversity, equity and inclusion. As the Winds of Change magazine produced by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society states, “It is more than a trend or a hashtag, it’s a reality: The active presence of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is essential for workplace success.”

In the magazine’s spring 2023 issue, AISES names BPA among its top 50 workplaces for Indigenous professionals in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – fields. The list, in alphabetical order, names organizations that practice diverse and transparent hiring, equitable employee development and a culture of inclusivity.

“Building and strengthening our relationships with tribes and other underrepresented communities supports our aims to recruit and retain a diverse and talented workforce,” said Alisa Yannello, BPA’s chief culture officer. “Our agency wants to be a model for diversity and inclusion, not because we have to, but because we understand the inherent value of including different perspectives, experiences and STEM expertise to more ably fulfill our public service responsibilities.”

BPA, among several other federal agencies, was selected based on criteria established by the Winds of Change editorial staff. Those conditions include that “selected companies completed surveys designed to demonstrate their overall diversity recruitment efforts,” employers must be recruiting for STEM positions as well as within Indigenous audiences, and/or “demonstrated sustained support for the AISES mission.”

Siena Lopez-Johnston, BPA culture and outreach specialist and member of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, initially came to BPA through a BPA/AISES fish and wildlife summer internship. She shared that her time as a student learning the ins and outs of the Cle Elum Hatchery run by the Yakama Nation was an unforgettable experience that shifted her career path to focus on fisheries. Lopez-Johnston would go on to work as a BPA fish and wildlife administrator for several years before taking on her current role.

“BPA has a long history of partnership with AISES, sponsoring internships that provide practice-based, hands-on experience that allow college students to gain meaningful skills and insights into federal employment,” said Lopez-Johnston. “With Native students facing many obstacles to education and in pursuing specialized degrees and careers, BPA’s partnership with AISES seeks to help break those barriers. BPA has brought on several AISES interns to federal positions thanks to this partnership.”

Lopez-Johnston also shared why she believes BPA’s ranking in the top 50 list of workplaces for Indigenous STEM professionals is a significant accomplishment.

“Advancing Natives in STEM gives us a voice in policy decisions that directly impact our lives and allows us to incorporate traditional knowledge with science, while improving understanding and communication between tribes, agencies and other government organizations,” she said. “And it could all start with an internship. It is my hope that our designation as a top 50 employer will spark interest and lead AISES members to BPA’s door.”

See the Top 50 STEM Workplaces list in the latest edition of the Winds of Change magazine.