NORFOLK, Va. - The Navy is turning to an outside expert in its quest to promote diversity and inclusion within the fleet.
Dr. Charles Barber, an Army veteran, specializes in organizational change and has been tasked with implementing a culture model within the Navy to link mission readiness with inclusion and diversity.
"That's where I come into play, trying to help link all of those things with a barrier analysis and linking all those things to talent management into a very comprehensive or culture model," Dr. Barber explained in an interview with News 3 anchor Todd Corillo.
Dr. Barber will serve as a senior adviser to Vice Admiral John Nowell, Jr. who is both the Chief of Naval Personnel and the Chief Diversity Officer for the Navy.
"This is not something [that will be] just a current fad for the Navy, but this is this is going to be the way ahead for the Navy and making the Navy stronger," Dr. Barber told Corillo.
Over the summer, the Navy established Task Force One Navy to focus on issues of racism, sexism and bias that impact Sailors and operations as a whole.
The first in-person listening session for the Task Force was held at Naval Station Norfolk in July.