The Team | Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Immediate Office of the Director

Shelma Middleton Little, Ph.D.

Acting Director

Dr. Little serves as the Acting Director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). In this role, she provides executive leadership and strategic direction on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility matters. She also serves as the NIH EEO Officer.

Prior to her appointment as the Acting EDI Director, Dr. Little served on a detail as the Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of Health and Human Services. She provided oversight for the Equal Opportunity Services Center, Complaints Adjudication Division, Enterprise Data Analytics Division, and the Conflict-of-Interest Program.

Prior to her detail with HHS, Dr. Little served as EDI’s inaugural Director for the Division of Data Analytics and Customer Outreach (DACO). As the Director for EDI’s DACO division, she provided leadership and oversight for analytics used to inform NIH’s diversity and inclusion strategies, and oversight for EDI’s collaboration with NIH institutes, centers, and offices.

A member of the NIH community for more than 25 years, Dr. Little has served in various capacities throughout her career including: leading NIH’s Management Directive 715 initiatives, overseeing the evaluation of all EEO events and training, and serving as a Clinical Social Worker in the NIH Clinical Center.

Dr. Little received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of Charleston, and an MSW and Ph.D. from Howard University. She is a graduate of the NIH Management Intern Program and the Federal Executive Institute. Dr. Little also holds certificates in Promoting Racial Equity in the Workplace from the Harvard Kennedy School and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida.

She has more than 20 years of diversity and inclusion experience and a wealth of insight, academic expertise, and leadership skills.

Kendrick T. Gibbs

Acting Deputy Director

Kendrick is the Acting Deputy Director. In this role, he is responsible for providing managers and employees the tools necessary to guide them through the complexities of EEO. He is also responsible for ensuring accessibility requirements are met for the NIH . He works diligently to ensure the communication of the EDI mission and vision is conveyed to all NIH employees.

Mr. Gibbs began his government career with HHS in 1999 as a secretary with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While at the FDA, Kendrick also served as an administrative officer, an employee resource specialist, an information technology specialist, an investigations program manager, and an equal employment specialist. Mr. Gibbs also served as the Director of Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Secretary and was responsible for developing, implementing, evaluating, and directing a comprehensive program in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 29 CFR 1614, and other applicable laws, regulations, policies, Executive Orders, and White House initiatives related to EEO. He has also served as the Director of the HHS, Office of Human Resources (OHR), Rockville Field Office.

Prior to joining the NIH in 2012, Mr. Gibbs was the Director of the HHS, OHR, Diversity Opportunities, Outreach, and Recruitment Division where he ensured enhancements to the HHS compositional diversity profile and inclusion of all populations within the workforce. He helped to develop, direct, and evaluate an enterprise-wide effort that achieved the goals for diversity identified in the Departmental Strategic Plan and Departmental Diversity and Inclusion

Plan. Mr. Gibbs also provided policy guidance, program direction, and staff leadership in the area of workforce analysis, barrier analysis, outreach, retention, and training for HHS. A strong advocate for employee development and mentoring, Mr. Gibbs continues to coach and mentor employees as well as youth through his affiliation with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. in his spare time.

Originally from Hyattsville, Maryland, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Operations from South Carolina State University with a dual concentration in Marketing and Management.

Resolutions & Equity Division

Stephon L. Scott

Acting Division Director, Resolutions and Equity

Stephon has over 20 years of federal government service (military & civilian). He currently serves as Acting Director of the Resolutions and Equity Division, where he provides managerial oversight of the EEO Compliance Team. Recently, he served as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Director of EDI; there, he assisted in the development of comprehensive and strategic approaches to diversity management and identifying and addressing racial and other workplace inequities at the NIH.

Additionally, Stephon has served as Acting Director of the Guidance, Education, and Marketing Division in EDI, where he provided leadership on effective EEO and D&I marketing and communication strategies, as well as equitable access for the NIH community. He has also served as Branch Director of EDI’s Access & Equity Branch. There, he led the EDI Accessibility Consultancy, whose portfolio of services included Language Access, Reasonable Accommodation, and EEO Guidance. He has also served as the Team Leader and Subject Matter Expert for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Reasonable Accommodation Program, Office of Equal Opportunity & Civil Rights.

Prior to CMS, Stephon served the State of New Mexico, the University of New Mexico, and Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) as an educator, community outreach coordinator, project coordinator, diversity trainer, language access facilitator and collaborator, and higher education academic advisor.

While at APS, he served as the organization’s content expert on Social Cultural Studies and applied that expertise toward developing data-driven Cultural Proficiency trainings and equitable policies and curriculum.

Stephon's Master of Public Administration (MPA) professional paper, entitled “‘WHITES ONLY’ Racially Restrictive Real Estate Covenants: Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1940-1948,” earned him the Ferrel Heady Award for Most Outstanding Professional Paper, 2007-2008. That research has led to two investigative news reports and New Mexico (NM) county commissioners collaborating to remove racist language from NM property deeds (Dec.2020). As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar—and throughout his studies—Stephon has conducted extensive [unpublished] research on the construction of race and how it has been weaponized to control and oppress groups of people.

As a law student, Stephon served as a legal intern with the Office of General Counsel, Office of the Governor, Chief Counsel, State of New Mexico. He also worked as a law clerk with The Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Courts, Office of the Prosecutor, and with the Bernalillo County Attorney’s Office, Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

Presently, Stephon is pursuing his Ed.D. (ABD) in Educational Leadership, with an emphasis on Educational Design.

Mr. Scott’s watch-phrase is “where there is will and opportunity, advancement is sure to follow!”

Mr. Scott is also a United States Army combat veteran. He is married to his “North Star” and is the father of three children and three stepchildren, all of whom are blessings.

Kenrick Small

Branch Director, Formal Complaints

Kenrick worked at the Food and Drug Administration since 2014 as a Formal Complaints Specialists and served as the Acting Director for Compliance and the Team Lead of the Compliance Team. He directed the coordination of assignments for all duties of the Compliance team including the preparation of accept/dismissal letters, issuance of reports of investigation, and transmittal of EEO complaint files, the processing of and the coordination of all appeals and remanded cases. From 2009-2013 Kenrick worked at the Department of Health and Human Services, as a Senior EEO Specialist. There he perform the full range of EEO services including, but not limited to complaint processing and adjudication functions, administering diversity management initiatives and administering affirmative employment and special emphasis programs. Kenrick’s EEO experience continues back to include Civil Rights Specialist, Attorney at Law, Probation Officer, Correctional Counselor, etc.

Kenrick earned his J.D., at Western New England College School of Law, Springfield, MA, and his Bachelors in Sociology at Springfield College in Springfield MA.

Eric Hebron

Branch Director, Informal Complaints

Eric joined EDI as the Branch Director for the Informal Complaints Branch in March 2014. He brings a variety of talents to this position with a keen eye towards alternative dispute resolution (ADR). In 1999, Eric was offered a job as the Internal Ombudsman for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority providing confidential resolution of internal disputes between employees and management. He also provided training to managers and employees on various topics ranging from Conflict Coaching, 360-degree feedback surveys, and Interpersonal Skill Development.

In 2008, Eric was offered a position at the U.S. Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) as an ADR specialist. At PFPA, he served as an EEO liaison to the Director, the EAP Coordinator, and an employee relations specialist. In 2010, Eric began working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a Conflict Prevention and Resolution Specialist. Certified as an EEO Counselor, he has extensive experience with EEO informal complaints and has tirelessly worked to resolve complaints of discrimination before they become formal complaints.

Born in Annapolis, Maryland, Eric earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Morgan State University in 1988. Interested in continuing his education in the field of Counseling, he enrolled at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work specializing in Employee Assistance Program Counseling (EAP). Eric obtained a Master of Social Work in 1992, and has also received certifications in Organizational Development from Georgetown University and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). In 2007, Eric also obtained a 40-hour certification in Mediation from the Center for Conflict Resolution.

Guidance, Education, & Marketing Division

Kimberly Kirkpatrick

Acting Director, Guidance, Education, and Marketing

Kimberly Kirkpatrick is the Acting Director of the Guidance, Education, and Marketing Division. Since her arrival in March 2011, she has invigorated internal and external partnerships that support and provide reasonable accommodations to the disability community. Prior to joining NIH, Kimberly served as the Senior Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to monitoring EEO complaints and processing reasonable accommodations, she executed the Management Directive 715 for the Office of the Director and the Administration for Children and Families.

An alumnus of the University of Maryland, University College, Kimberly started her federal career in 1992 at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Since then, she has served as an EEO Counselor and Investigative Contracts Manager, and Co-Chaired a highly successful Special Emphasis Program. She has over 20 years of government service, including 15 years in the PBGC, Office of the General Counsel, Appeals Division. There, she was influential in implementing the use of the Workforce Recruitment Program for Students with Disabilities and directed the Organization’s first Job Shadowing Day and Diversity Day Observance. She also served as the Disability Program Manager and the Federal Women’s Program Manager. Kimberly is known for her ability to quickly assess issues, her strength in creative resolutions, and her forte in adapting to challenges.

Jessica Center

Branch Director, Access & Equity

Jessica Center is an enthusiastic professional with a personal mission to help others. Ms. Center has been a federal contractor for over 4 years, providing Personal Assistance and Program Support to the Reasonable Accommodation Program under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In this work she has served a diverse, nation-wide, federal population by coordinating requests for accommodation and the provision of direct service accommodations.

Ms. Center is a graduate of West Virginia University where she worked with different groups to identify barriers for women, people with disabilities, and LGBT individuals. In this work she helped to raise community awareness and supported planning and implementing inclusion projects in the community and with the state government of West Virginia.

Ms. Center is a Maryland resident and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Jenn Pumphrey

Branch Director, Technology, Marketing, & Communications

Born and raised in Gaithersburg, MD, Jenn has 14 years of integrated marketing experience. She is passionate about helping others find their voice and amplifying it over the clutter in today’s marketplace.

She began her career in Bethesda, MD, working with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) as a communications specialist, helping lead initiatives to raise the social footprint for the Association and its members. She returned to the area after an 11 year stay in Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA. While in Chicago, she worked in the nonprofit sector with the Alzheimer’s Association and in entertainment and media with Viacom’s Black Entertainment Television (BET) Networks. As a marketing strategist for BET Networks, Jenn played an integral role in broadcast and digital media sales enablement as well as brand solutions for major tentpoles including award shows and live events.

Upon the completion of master’s coursework in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies at Loyola University Chicago, Jenn relocated to San Diego, CA where she led business development and brand marketing in digital media, fintech, and the mortgage industry. Throughout her career, Jenn has positioned herself as a diversity specialist helping to establish brand marketing strategies that represent multicultural perspectives and elevate the voices of cultural minorities in vital national industries.

Jenn has served on several committees throughout her career, being selected by the Alzheimer’s Association, BET Networks, and Guild Mortgage Company to represent her department in corporate employee satisfaction efforts, which led to the restructuring of internal practices and procedures, limited turnover, and in the case of Guild Mortgage Company, recognition for “San Diego’s Best Place to Work” in the San Diego Tribune, two consecutive years.

Jenn attended Towson University where she studied Mass Communications and holds several certifications for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Web Development, and Training.

Data Analytics & Customer Outreach Division

Dawn Wayman

Acting Director, Data Analytics and Customer Outreach

Dawn M. Wayman is a graduate of Morgan State University and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and her Master of Health Science degree in Epidemiology, respectively. Ms. Wayman began her federal career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a research coordinator in the Social and Behavioral Research Branch at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). There she worked with a team who researched physicians and nurses use of genomics and race in clinical decision making. In 2013, Ms. Wayman was selected to participate in the NIH Management Intern Program, a highly competitive program that offers a few outstanding NIH employees the two-year opportunity to rotate through different administrative career fields, gain invaluable insight into the NIH, and develop a vital network of administrative professionals across NIH. Upon completing the program, she served as a management analyst and HR Liaison at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). In 2017, Ms. Wayman joined the NIH Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) as a Diversity and Inclusion Strategist. In this role, Ms. Wayman serves as a consultant to multiple Institutes and Centers providing assistance to them in developing and executing their representational diversity and inclusion strategies.

Outside of work, Ms. Wayman enjoys spending time with family, listening to live music, writing, and baking.

Edward Dorsey

Acting Branch Director, Customer Outreach & Employee Development

Ed joined EDI as the Training Manager in November 2019. He is a native Washingtonian and has over six years of federal service experience. Ed previously served as a reasonable accommodation specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Prior to FEMA he started his federal career in 2015 working for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). While at CMS Ed was a special emphasis program manager and managed the Hispanic, Veterans, and Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, and Intersex programs. Ed also lead the training cadre, where he was responsible for conducting New Employee Orientations and is a certified ELI - Civil Treatment for Leaders and Employees trainer. Prior to CMS Ed worked in the private sector, with over 18 years of experience in Property and Causality and Auto Insurance where in his last position he served as the supervisor for the liability determination team. Ed has extensive experience in program management, negotiation processes, data-driven analysis, training, and customer satisfaction measurement. Ed holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, University College.

Martha E. Hennen, Ph.D.

Branch Director, Data Analytics

Dr. Martha E. Hennen joins us from the US Securities and Exchange Commission where she served as a Personnel Psychologist in the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity. In that role, Martha led and supported research projects to understand differences in the employee experience among and between groups that may facilitate or impede equal opportunity. In doing so, she gathered, analyzed, and reported on a variety of talent and human resource data for the agency following an Agile project management approach. Dr. Hennen’s research interests cover the gamut of employee measurement areas including recruitment and selection, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement, leadership assessment, performance management, and talent analytics.

She is a licensed Applied Psychologist and member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association. She previously held positions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she led the talent analytics function, and at the USPS, where she was responsible for assessment and measurement programs at all levels of the organization. She holds a Master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. Her work has been recognized by her colleagues and presented at numerous professional conferences. Martha has held leadership positions in professional societies of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, serving on the boards and as President of the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington and the International Personnel Assessment Council (IPAC).

Diversity & Inclusion Division

Danny Dickerson

Director, Diversity and Inclusion

Mr. Danny Dickerson is the Director, Division of Inclusion and Diversity, for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is primarily responsible for overseeing the administration of the Affirmative Employment Programs and managing a robust Diversity and Inclusion Portfolio. Mr. Dickerson has also served as the EDI Senior Policy Advisor, as well as a Reasonable Accommodations consultant.

Mr. Dickerson is also a member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training cadre, where he is responsible for conducting training in the areas of Anti-Bullying, Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance, Civil Treatment, and LGBTI training (Safezone).

Previously Mr. Dickerson was a Senior Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist (EEO) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Mr. Dickerson retired from the United States Air Force after twenty years of service. He is married to his high school sweetheart and the father of two wonderful children.

Jennifer Gioffre

Branch Director, Strategic Diversity and Inclusion

Ms. Jennifer Croft Gioffre is a Branch Director within the Diversity and Inclusion Division at the National Institutes of Health (NIH’s), Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Jennifer has been in this role since April of 2013, leading a team of strategists who consult with the NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers on how to advance diversity and inclusion within their respective organizations and across the agency. We provide practical tools, training, and problem solving; synthesizing all available data to analyze and evaluate agency policies, procedures, and practices, taking into full consideration complex legislative, programmatic, and management issues and problems.

In collaboration with NIH and HHS stakeholders, we are implementing EEOC’s updated instructions to create "Model EEO Programs" as required by Management Directive 715 (MD-715), the policy guidance which the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides to Federal agencies for their use in establishing and maintaining effective programs of equal employment opportunity (EEO) under Section 717 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Through these activities and initiatives, we have been impactful in moving the needle toward weaving equity, diversity, and inclusion into the fabric of the work we do every day at the NIH—building on the framework of the "EDI 365" vision and the EEOC’s vision of a "Model EEO Program".

Prior to joining NIH, Jennifer has held a myriad of key leadership roles in the Civil Rights, EEO, and D&I federal space, and especially in the disability employment arena. In 1995, Ms. Gioffre began her government service with the EEO Office at the Food and Drug Administration, and she has also worked for the Department of Commerce, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Jennifer’s original background is American Sign Language interpreting. She achieved top certifications from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf in 1991 and 1994.

Jennifer recently completed a Masters’ Degree from The George Washington University, majoring in Public Leadership in a Multi-Sector Environment. Coursework focused on how to work across the public, private, and social sectors of society to resolve organizational issues and problems. It included an in-depth study of various management systems that are used to achieve high performance in organizations, especially Lean Six Sigma. (Green Belt Lean Six Sigma certification achieved in 2016.) Her undergraduate degree in Psychology was attained from the University of Maryland, College Park.

David Rice

Acting Branch Director, Special Emphasis Programs

David Rice graduated in 2009 from the Catholic University of America with a degree in Psychology, with a focus on social stigmas of people with Intellectual Disabilities. He has been at National Institutes of Health (NIH) since October 2009, as a Management Analyst for the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD). Being Deaf since the age of 3, he has a strong interest in the Disability Community. His work within the disability community started as a sophomore in high school, where he worked in summer camps for children with intellectual and physical disabilities. While in college David was part of the first American Sign Language (ASL) residential program, where students live a dorm in which hearing and Deaf students shared their desire to teach/learn ASL. He was also active in outreach for people with disabilities at Catholic University.

David is part of DIG (Deaf in Government), where he served as a policy chairperson and as the president of the organization. DIG empowers Deaf and Hard of Hearing Federal Employees to overcome communication barriers, resolve accessibility issues, and promotes a fully inclusive work environment through networking and fostering professional growth. Some of David’s accomplishments are initiating a workforce complaint program, developing a training program that fosters promotion in the federal government, establishing partnerships with different organizations, and creating networking and mentoring opportunities.

David has also changed the cultural stigma placed on people with disabilities have by changing the NIH mission statement. He led the Deaf NIH Employee Resource Group at NIH for those who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, by working closely with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). David was also a part of Section 508 Advisory group whose mission is to make the internet a fully accessible environment; with his focus being on closed captions. In his spare time, David enjoys Baseball and all things Pittsburgh.