(Madison) The Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office (SPD) will receive a Diversity Award in recognition of its “innovative efforts to improve service delivery to Spanish-speaking clients, and for providing cultural competency training to its staff”. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. on October 20, 2005 in the State Capitol’s Senate Parlor.

The Honorable Louis B. Butler of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton will take part in the ceremony. Jennifer Bias, the SPD’s Affirmative Action Officer, will accept the award on behalf of the entire agency.

The award, sponsored by the State Council on Affirmative Action and the Office of State Employment Relations, recognizes achievement in all phases of affirmative action/equal employment opportunity programs, disability services, retention, and upward mobility. In addition to the SPD, three other state agencies and two University of Wisconsin System campuses will also be recogonized.

State Public Defender Nicholas L. Chiarkas noted, “The SPD has taken a leadership role in the hiring, promotion and retention of a diverse work force. As this honor marks the second Diversity Award for the SPD, this award represents the agency’s continuous commitment to excellence in the public sector.”

The SPD’s Jennifer Bias added, “There are a number of things that can be done to promote diversity in the public sector, and the SPD has continued to do one thing: hire and retain women and minorities. We have goal that keeps us on track: don’t just do our best, do better!”

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