Cari M. Dominguez

Twelfth Chair of the EEOC, August 6, 2001 - August 31, 2006

Cari M. Dominguez was sworn in as the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on August 6, 2001. Ms. Dominguez was nominated by President George W. Bush and served as Chair until August 31, 2006. During her tenure, Ms. Dominguez launched the "Freedom to Compete" Initiative, a national outreach, education and coalition-building campaign to provide free and unfettered access to employment opportunities for all individuals. Under Ms. Dominguez’s leadership, the EEOC settled a $54 million sex discrimination lawsuit against Wall Street investment firm Morgan Stanley. The lawsuit alleged that Morgan Stanley discriminated against women in its Institutional Equity Division (IED) with respect to promotion, compensation and the terms, conditions and privileges of employment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  

Ms. Dominguez brought to the Commission a well-established commitment to equal opportunity and diversity, and a track record in effective, innovative leadership that frequently involved finding common ground on complex employment issues. Prior to her time at the Commission, she served as a principal of Dominguez & Associates, a consulting firm focused on senior management recruitment, diversity evaluations, employment-related matters, and workforce preparedness assessments.

During the George H. W. Bush Administration, Ms. Dominguez served in the U.S. Department of Labor as Assistant Secretary for Employment Standards and as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. In the latter capacity, she launched and led the labor department's "Glass Ceiling Initiative," designed to remove workplace barriers affecting the advancement of individuals on the basis of race or gender.

Ms. Dominguez served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Leadership Foundation of the International Women's Forum and the Hispanic Business Roundtable. Ms. Dominguez received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from The American University's School of International Service.