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BIO About Dennis A. Tafoya ________________________________________ Dennis A. Tafoya was appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as Director of the County Office of Affirmative Action Compliance in December of 1998. He is responsible for ensuring equal employment opportunity/affirmative action compliance for over 40 County departments, special districts, and the Superior and Municipal Courts, which employ over 100,000 employees. He is also responsible for Countywide compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; managing the Community Business Enterprise Program, which strives to ensure equal access to minority and women-owned business enterprises in the County's $3 billion contracting program; coordinating Countywide Diversity Program initiatives; monitoring contractor compliance with the County's Living Wage Ordinance; and ensuring that all employment discrimination complaints filed with state and federal enforcement agencies, and County departments are effectively investigated. Mr. Tafoya recently received the National Association of Counties?, and the County Quality & Productivity Commission?s recognition for implementing a ?best? practice Employment Discrimination Mediation Program. Prior to being appointed Director, Mr. Tafoya worked for the Office of Affirmative Action Compliance for 14 years, serving as a Senior Deputy for nine years. Mr. Tafoya began his 32 years of County service first as an Eligibility Worker and then as a Community Relations Consultant with the Department of Public Social Services. Prior to working for the County, Mr. Tafoya performed as an American Indian dancer at the Disneyland Indian Village and traveled throughout Europe with his family serving as "goodwill ambassadors" under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Commerce, sharing their American Indian dances, songs, and culture. Born on the Santa Clara Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico, Dennis and family arrived in Los Angeles in 1955, under the Bureau of Indian Affairs Relocation Program. Dennis grew up in Hermosa Beach and graduated from Redondo Union High School. He holds B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration, graduating with honors from California State University Long Beach. He has extensive involvement in American Indian and minority community affairs, and has served as consultant to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California State Personnel Board, and various governmental agencies. He has served as past Chairperson of the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission, appointed by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. During the course of Dennis' professional career, he has served on numerous committees, boards, and commissions concerning civil rights, affirmative action and diversity issues. Dennis currently serves on the Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee, Executive Board of the County Management Council, Executive Board Member of Walking Shield, Inc., and is First Vice President of the California Association of Equal Rights Professionals.

As of: Nov 5, 2007