From equipment to people: EEO manager shifts careers

After eight years in the Army as a logistics officer, Haven Tillar wanted to do something to impact the broader workforce and help others focus on their chosen professions in a fair and equitable environment. To that end, he became an Equal Employment Opportunity intern and never looked back – joining the Installation Management Command-Europe team in July as the region’s EEO Complaints and Compliance Manager.
““I feel this work is important because it protects people’s rights and helps ensure everyone is treated with dignity and fairness,” Tillar explained. “When employees know the workplace is safe, respectful, and accountable, they can focus on doing their best work. I also take pride in helping resolve conflicts and discrimination concerns, because those decisions impact not only the individuals involved but the integrity of the organization.”
In his role, he oversees, manages, and tracks all EEO complaints within IMCOM-Europe, ensuring compliance with federal laws, Army regulations, and IMCOM policy. Those duties entail serving as the subject-matter expert for EEO complaint processing, providing guidance and support to EEO staff, management officials, and employees throughout the region. In addition, he coordinates and monitors the timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of informal and formal complaint actions, including counseling, investigations, ROI reviews, and final agency decisions.
It’s a lot for a staff of one covering Europe from in theater, but Tillar doesn’t mind and he gets reachback support from Rex Thomas, the region EEO Chief in the United States.
“Ultimately, strong EEO compliance isn’t just about meeting regulatory requirements, it directly supports mission readiness, morale, and the effectiveness of our entire organization,” said Tillar. “I really enjoy the human side of this work. Helping people navigate difficult situations and seeing real, positive change come from my guidance is incredibly rewarding. It means a lot to know that what I do helps create a fair, respectful environment for civilian employees.”
It helps that Tillar has been working in the military environment since 2008 when he joined the Army after graduating from Colorado State University with a business degree. While he considers Colorado as “home,” he was born in Langley, VA., as a military brat and said “Pittsburgh is where my heart is.”
As the child of a servicemember, this is not his first time in Germany or the Wiesbaden area and the different culture is something he wants his own children to experience.
“My dad was stationed at Mainz when I was child,” he said. “I want my children to experience something that I experienced as a child and get exposed to different parts of the world – the culture, the food, the travelling.”
While he’s only been here a few months, Tillar said the most interesting part of his job is that “it’s always changing and something different.”
“I appreciate the complexity of the role, no two cases are ever the same,” he said. “I enjoy digging into the details, thinking critically, and applying policy and law in a way that truly makes a difference. On a broader level, I take pride in knowing that the work helps prevent discrimination, protects employees’ rights, and supports the Army’s commitment to equal opportunity.”

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