Agencies
Services
Office of Business and Workforce Diversity
Brandy Phillips - Director
Brandy Phillips was named director in 2023. She has 20 years of experience in the workforce and economic development sector, including eight focused on supplier diversity at the municipality level. Before joining IDOT, Phillips served as manager and senior project manager of Diversity Programs – Workforce Initiatives at the Chicago Transit Authority. She also worked for the Chicago Housing Authority’s Section 3 department. Phillips has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Robert Morris College.
Office of Business and Workforce Diversity
The Office of Business and Workforce Diversity is responsible for overseeing the implementation of directives, policies and strategies for departmental business diversity efforts designed to support efficient operations and ultimately aimed toward achieving departmental goals and objectives. The Office directs the periodic reviews of departmental efforts for compliance with tenets of quality and underlying laws, regulations and policies governing these projects and programs resulting in policy changes. The Office promotes a climate of compliance with prevailing civil rights laws and minimizes departmental exposure to forfeiture of federal funds, litigation or administrative intervention.
- The Bureau of Small Business Enterprises provides overall direction of the Department’s various programs for small business utilization. These programs include the federally mandated highway construction program for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE); and similar programs arising out of the state’s Business Enterprises Program for minorities, females and persons with disabilities. The Bureau also directs departmentwide efforts to ensure contractor compliance with the work force utilization goals and labor wage laws and regulations.
- The Bureau of Civil Rights provides for the development, implementation and monitoring the departmental programs for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Affirmative Action (AA), federal contract compliance (Title VI) and for the handicapped (Section 504). The Bureau assists with the Department's Disadvantaged and Small Business Enterprises (DBE) Program and participates in its annual planning and review process. The Bureau also provides counseling and informational services to employees, investigates allegations of discrimination in employment and assists the Office of Chief Counsel in preparing departmental responses to the allegations.