Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
My name is Todd Arnold. I'm the deputy director of Public Affairs at John F. Kennedy Space Center.
I hired into NASA in 1989 as part of an accelerated training program for recent college graduates.
As a member of the Kennedy senior management team, I'm responsible to ensure we have a
highly skilled contractor and civil service workplace on board to effectively communicate
the NASA story -- our past, our present and our exciting future. I also assist in the
effort to oversee operations, on a daily basis, for an active Press Site news room. In addition,
I provide strategic leadership and vision to a team of individuals who are responsible
for an array of public relations tools and techniques, including NASA Television broadcasting,
also news and photojournalism, Web and social media presence, display management initiatives,
as well as internal communications to the KSC workforce to help them remain informed
so that they can be wonderful ambassadors for NASA.
Here at NASA, I believe diversity is more than just a word. In fact it is part of our
core value system. Which, to me, means it's not just a few people who are concerned about
diversity, but every individual makes a difference and actively seeks out an opportunity to value
the input of others.
At an individual level, whenever I join a team for the first time, I first seek to learn
a little about the background and experiences and education of the individuals I will be
working with. As a leader, I make it a priority to initiate efforts that will encourage individuals
to partner and work together and leverage the strengths and background of others that
are perhaps different from them. I really believe that at the bottom line, in order
to get the best product, that we must have every idea on the table.
My lineage is that of Creoles of color. Categorically, it falls within African-American here within
the agency. But, in reality, my ancestors are a mixed-race -- African, American Indian,
also European, primarily French, and Spanish. Coming from Louisiana, I have full appreciation
for multiple cultures and, here at NASA, I think I have a slight advantage, coming out
of the lineage. Because, at any moment, I can look internally and see multi-facets of
contributions of cultures that are all going on inside of me. So it is very easy for me,
when I look across a table and across the agency, to appreciate that at the bottom line,
its really the contributions of the individuals that enhance the effectiveness of the whole.