Felicita Sola-Carter

Meeting of October 23, 2008 – Issues Facing Hispanics in the Federal Workplace

Felicita Sola-Carter was named Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in January 2002. As the alter ego to the Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources and Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO), she shares responsibility for executive leadership of the Agency's human resources programs in support of its 60,000 employees. This responsibility includes management of the Office of Training, Office of Personnel, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity, Office of Labor, Management and Employee Relations, Human Capital Planning Staff, and the Executive Services Support Staff.

Ms. Solá-Carter is also the Deputy CHCO for SSA. As Deputy CHCO, she serves concurrently with the CHCO to oversee human resources policies, strategies and workforce issues for SSA's employees.

Prior to becoming Assistant Deputy Commissioner, she served as the Associate Commissioner for Training for over four years. While leading the Agency's Office of Training, she inaugurated rigorous management and executive development programs, championed innovative training delivery methods, and committed to alternative training strategies for employees with disabilities.

Upon graduation from the College of Mount St. Vincent, Ms. Solá-Carter joined SSA as a Claims Representative in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. She rapidly progressed into supervisory and managerial positions in locations throughout the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas. In 1991, she was selected to serve as Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Commissioner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of the SSA Commissioner, becoming the first Hispanic to have that key role. She also enjoys the distinction of becoming the first Puerto Rican woman to be appointed to the Senior Executive Service at SSA.

Ms. Solá-Carter is the recipient of a 2004 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and a 2005 Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive, the highest national award a civilian executive can receive. In addition, she received three Commissioner's Citations, the highest honor the Agency bestows to employees who have made a superior contribution to SSA. She is also the 2006 recipient of the Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources' Leadership Award.

Ms. Solá-Carter's professional affiliations include service as Chair of the Baltimore Federal Executive Board, Senior Advisor to the Federal Training Institute of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and sponsorship of the Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium. In the community, she is President of Conexiones, a non-profit organization supporting Hispanic student achievement. She also serves on the Equity Council, the District Planning Team, and the Education Foundation of the Howard County, Maryland Public School System. She was named one of 2008 Maryland's Top 100 Women for her professional, mentoring and community service.