Chief Diversity Officer

Ovnelle Millwood

Ovnelle O. Millwood was appointed as NARA's Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) in May 2023. Ms. Millwood most recently worked as the Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Before joining USCIS, Ovnelle served as NARA’s Chief Diversity Officer and the Director of the Strategy and Analysis Division in the Office of Human Capital. 

As the CDO, she will lead a data-driven approach to assess and ensure NARA employment practices are equitable—especially in the areas of recruitment, hiring, promotion, retention, professional development, performance evaluations, pay and compensation policies, and training policies and practices. 

Ms. Millwood is a strategic business partner, with expertise in organizational development, specializing in working with individuals, teams, and organizations in strengthening workplace performance, engagement, and satisfaction. With a background in data analytics and experience in workforce planning, she makes use of data to help identify areas of strength as well as potential risks to the mission, goals, and objectives. Her experience allows her to quickly identify issues and help organizations develop appropriate and effective strategies for addressing issues.

Ms. Millwood holds an Executive Certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from Georgetown University. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resources from the University of Maryland University College. She is a certified Internal Federal Coach and Conflict Mediator, allowing her to support the growth of leadership competencies by helping them bring their full potential to their role and increasing their capacity to become inclusive leaders.