Her Story
About Jasmine
Jasmine Viera is an Equity and Inclusion Analyst at the Oregon Employment Department, where she focuses on creating more human-centered, accessible, and inclusive workplace systems. With a professional background rooted in mental and behavioral health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and community support, Jasmine brings firsthand experience navigating complex systems and identifying opportunities to better serve diverse communities. Her lived experiences and commitment to equity guide her approach to building trust, fostering belonging, and ensuring that people feel seen, heard, and valued.
Throughout her career, Jasmine has specialized in equity and inclusion strategy, training development, policy review, employee engagement, and facilitating collaborative work groups. Before transitioning into her current role, she supported children and adults with disabilities and worked as a behavioral health specialist, experiences that shaped her trauma-informed and people-centered approach. At the Oregon Employment Department, she has led initiatives that strengthen employee connection and belonging, including the development of empowerment groups that expanded from three groups into nine, providing ongoing support and community for employees, including parents, caregivers, and neurodivergent staff.
Jasmine is passionate about approaching challenges with curiosity, collaboration, and intentionality. She believes that achieving equity is not only about the outcome but also about practicing equity throughout the process through thoughtful decision-making, plain language communication, and respect for individual experiences. She is involved with organizations such as Partners in Diversity, the Association for Talent Development, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, and the SEIU503 union equity committee, while also volunteering with the City of Albany, Oregon. Outside of her professional work, Jasmine enjoys drawing, knitting, and hiking, reflecting her creativity and connection to community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jasmine
01What do you attribute your success to?
Listening to people and letting them take the lead in decision-making. There have been many times in meetings where instead of hypothesizing, I suggest going to ask the people directly what they need, and then making that happen.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Everything you want is on the other side of the fear. A mentor asked if I would achieve my goals if decisions were driven by fear, and realizing the answer was no led me to take risks despite nervousness.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Say yes to everything you can possibly get involved with, because you never know what you will learn or how it will connect to future opportunities.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is advocating for small groups who might experience serious harm from decisions that benefit the majority, even when numbers are small. The greatest opportunity is making huge change when everyone aligns and collaborates, as collective action leads to substantial impact.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being intentional, using plain language, focusing on human-centered and trauma-informed approaches, and preserving dignity so people feel respected, safe, and welcome.
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