Applied Development Hires New Disability Program Specialist

Premier diversability service provider Applied Development hires Krista Flores for the Diversity Management Operations Center (DMOC) contract.

Applied Development is excited to announce the hiring of Krista Flores as a Disability Program Specialist for the Diversity Program Directorate (DPD) at the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Diversity Management Operations Center (DMOC).

Krista Flores comes with over twenty years of experience working in the disability management and veteran community for the government, private companies and non-profit organizations. She most recently worked at global aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman, where she worked on an employment program for veterans transitioning out of service with significant disabilities sustained in combat.

Previously, she worked for the Smithsonian Institution in the Accessibility Program. This represents an internationally-recognized model for both physical access and programming for people with diverse abilities. In addition to creating accessible programming, Ms. Flores also created employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She focused on increasing employment opportunities and managed an internship program for people with diverse abilities.

The Department of Defense DMOC’s mission is to create “success through an environment where all are valued and can reach their highest potential based on individual capabilities and desires.” This includes training and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint investigations, as well as consultation, research, and outreach to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is valued, ready to serve, and can actively contribute to Total Force readiness.

“We are thrilled to have someone with so much experience join our team,” says CEO Kimberly Citizen. As part of the DPD/ DMOC team working at the Department of Defense, Ms. Flores will help create and sustain diversity management of equal opportunity policies and programs within the department, which includes 1.3 million active duty military personnel and over 700,000 civilians. She will bring her expertise in creating, conducting, and evaluating innovative and interactive training programs for all levels of management and staff.

Ms. Flores earned a Masters of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Psychology and Communications from the University of California, San Diego. She brings expertise on disability civil rights, access laws, universal design, assistive technology, diversity, post traumatic stress, and reasonable accommodations. She is fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL).