Spotlight on Commerce: Llauryn D. Iglehart, Director, Decennial Investigations and Adjudication Office of Civil Rights

I grew up in Columbia, Maryland. The family motto passed down from my parents is, “To whom much is given, much is expected and required.” During segregation, my mother and father were trailblazers. My mother was a pediatrician, and hospital medical director, and my father was a criminal attorney. They were devoted to the principle that all of us are created equal, and one of the greatest equalizers is education. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” I am a proud alumna of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and The University of Baltimore Law School. 

My passion, life’s work, and entire 20-year federal career has been devoted to ensuring equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion. I chose to work in the federal government to expand my impact from the state to the national level.  I believe all individuals should have an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the workplace.  Equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion are integral to each Federal government agency’s mission and success.  I believe an organization’s success is based on a culture and work environment where the best and the brightest minds, employees with varying perspectives, educational levels, skills, life experiences, and backgrounds work together to achieve excellence and realize an individual’s and organization’s potential.  I presently have the privilege of serving in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Civil Rights as the Director of Decennial Investigations and Adjudication. In this capacity, I am primarily responsible for processing all formal equal employment opportunity complaints by Decennial Census applicants and employees in accordance with EEOC regulations.

When I reflect on Black History Month, I remember that my success and our Nation's success have been driven by countless kind-hearted bold individuals, such as my parents, who were willing to speak out, step up, sacrifice, and change the status quo. I strive to follow in my parents’ footsteps of service to others through community service as a member of the Patapsco River (MD) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.  It is one of the Nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring African Americans' culture and economic survival and other persons of African ancestry. I also work with the Rho Xi Omega (MD) Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Incorporated., the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's core values are friendship, integrity, honesty, service, commitment, family relationships, courage, respect for self and others, legacy, confidentiality, responsibility, and accountability. I am proud to be a part of these groups of extraordinary women and trailblazers dedicated to civic change and ensuring equality for all African Americans.

Ed. note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce series highlighting the contributions of Department of Commerce African Americans during Black History Month.