It’s a wrap – the 2024 National ILG Conference has officially come to an end! The final morning of the conference brought remarks from EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows, a panel discussion with OFCCP Regional Directors and final thoughts from the NILG Advisory Council – all interspersed with inspiring videos from conference sponsors CVS and Pepsi.

Chair Burrows’ comments started with the history and foundation for EEOC’s work. She noted this is a “good time to reflect on the bold step the nation took” in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which she believes has made a “stronger, better and fairer America.”

She highlighted the Agency’s work this year to release guidance on harassment and protections for pregnant workers and shared EEOC’s perspective on the continued importance of (and place for) DEIA in the workplace.

Chair Burrows’ remarks culminated with a look into the future work of the agency in the area of artificial intelligence which she deemed a “new civil rights frontier.”

As always, Chair Burrows was gracious and appreciative of NILG’s continued partneship.

Following the EEOC update, attendees heard from all five OFCCP Regional Directors in what has become a conference favorite closing session.

Regional Directors Carmen Navarro (Midwest), Jane Suhn (Pacific), Ronnie Sullivan (SWARM), Diana Sen (Northeast and Southeast) and Sam Maiden (MidAtlantic) shared their thoughts on questions from moderators about contractor challenges, successful or promising practices and approaches to Agency review of Artificial Intelligence.

Several themes emerged in their responses:

1. OFCCP, and the Regional Directors personally, appreciate the collaboration and partnership the conference fosters and encourage contractors to continue that once the conference ends.
2. Recordkeeping continues to be a challenge for contractors.
3. Early resolution is beneficial for both sides.
4. Leadership and contractor engagement is important for successful compliance.

To close out the conference, the NILG Advisory Council provided their insights into the discussions and learnings of the week in the areas of pay groupings, audit best practices, Supreme Court cases impacting DEI and agency deference and artificial intelligence, among others.