EDITORIAL BREAKOUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
Talent & Hiring // Who Wants to Be in the SES? // 11:40 - 12:25
With increasing demands, shrinking resources and increasing attacks on government’s executive corps, many employees working their way up the ranks are reconsidering whether they even want to join the Senior Executive Service. A diverse panel of both experienced and rising executives who have navigated those challenges will share words of wisdom for the next generation of leaders.
Speakers: Jamesa Moone, Director, Human Resources, FirstNet; Elaine Ho, Deputy Chief of Staff, Internal Revenue Service
Moderator: Mika Cross, Director of Work/Life and Flexible Workplace Strategy, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Culture & Training // Building a High Performing Culture and Team // 11:40 - 12:25
Morale in the federal government is at a low point at a time when expectations of the workforce continue to increase. To address this challenge, federal leaders must articulate a clear, consistent set of priorities and values that all employees relate to and support. This session will show them how to do that, demonstrating the role and importance of building trust to shape the culture of government organizations.
Speakers: Alan Pentz, Director, Corner Alliance, Inc.; Gleason Rowe, Consultant, Corner Alliance, Inc.
Management & Performance // Leading from Where You Are // 11:40 - 12:25
The biggest myth in leadership is that it only involves those at the top of the organizational chart. Those who excel in government and have a lasting impact on federal operations have learned to lead from whatever level or position they occupy. Attendees at this session will learn how to lead up, across and down -- before and after they are in formal leadership positions.
Speakers: Aisha Hasan, Policy Professional U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Russell Maltempo, Project Manager, Delivery Management Branch, Division of Information Technology, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Emily Dougherty, Special Assistant, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Moderator: Virginia Hill, President, Young Government Leaders and Manager, Center for Government Leadership, Partnership for Public Service
Talent & Hiring // Hiring: A Mythbusting Session // 2:35 – 3:05
An inside look at some of the misconceptions and challenges associated with federal hiring, including the use of special hiring authorities, posting job openings and recruiting a diverse and talented workforce from within and outside government.
Speakers: Liz Joyce, Senior Director, CEB; Towanda Brooks, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Anne Marie Habershaw, Chief of Staff, Office of Personnel Management
Moderator: Kellie Lunney, Senior Correspondent, Government Executive
Culture & Training // Keeping the Customer Satisfied // 2:35 – 3:05
The Obama administration has made improving the government customer experience a high priority, and early efforts are highlighting the technological and cultural challenges of adopting a customer-centric approach. This session will showcase examples of agencies that have made customer focus an integral part of their strategies with striking results.
Speakers: Jennifer Douglas, Deputy Chief Customer Experience Officer, Department of Education – Federal Student Aid; Dennis Alvord, Executive Director, MyUSA, Department of Commerce; Rick Parrish, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research
Moderator: Martha Dorris, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Innovative Technologies, Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies/18F, General Services Administration
Management & Performance // The New Federal Organization // 2:35 – 3:05
Operations such as the U.S. Digital Service, the General Services Administration's 18F unit and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are paving the way for a new kind of federal entity: nimble, tech-forward and results-focused. Will the new approaches to organization and management they embody last beyond the Obama administration?
Speakers: Gene Koo, Assistant Director of Consumer Engagement, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Leah Bannon, Product Manager, 18F, General Services Administration
Moderator: Frank Konkel, Events Editor and Tech Reporter, Government Executive Media Group
SPOTLIGHT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
Graduate School USA // Challenge, Change and Context: Approaches and Strategies that are Transforming the Workplace // 10:45 – 11:30
Graduate School USA is proud to present a session on the major forces shaping the workplace learning environment. From engaging and developing all levels of the workforce to balancing employer / employee needs, this session explores the tactics and strategies that can truly transform organizational culture. Industry-leading panelists will provide real, proven, and actionable experience and advice to make an immediate impact on your organization.
Speakers: Dr. David A. (Dave) Rude, Chief Learning Officer, United States Department of Defense; Miguel Joey Aviles, Chief Learning Officer, Young Government Leaders; Dr. Cheryl Seminara, Director - Employee Development Division, FEMA
Moderator: Francis Rose, Host, “In Depth with Francis Rose”
Accenture Federal Services // Driving Efficiencies through the Workforce // 10:45 – 11:30
Effective workforce management can be challenging in today’s budget-constrained environment. This panel will explore best practices in generating and maintaining a successful productive workforce. Hear from current and former innovative government leaders as they share insights surrounding workforce management, particularly as it relates to achieving and maintaining efficiencies within federal agencies. Highlights will include their achievements in driving programs and initiatives that have resulted in: improving recruiting and hiring processes; promoting human capital strategies making agencies more adaptable when faced with changing initiatives or government mandates; adopting and implementing workforce-enabling technologies; developing agency accountability measurements that effectively and efficiently assess deliver outcomes.
Speakers: John Gill, Chief Human Capital Officer and Deputy Assistant Sescretary for the Office of Human Resources, Department of Health and Human Services; Scott Quehl, Strategy Principal Director, Accenture Federal Services and former Assistant Secretary for Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Department of Commerce; Max Stier, President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service
Moderator: Kate Abrey, Senior Client Executive, Management Consulting Talent & Organization, Accenture Federal Services
Monster Government Solutions // Evolving Perceptions about Diversity and Inclusion // 10:45 - 11:30
The federal workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, but attitudes and opinions still vary widely on the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion (D&I) programs. In a recent Government Business Council research survey underwritten by Monster Government Solutions of 750 federal leaders, nearly three fourths report having felt misunderstood in the workplace due to differences in identity, while fewer than a third say their organization is effective at leveraging diversity. What can agencies do to foster inclusive workplaces and build high performing organizations? This session will cover trends and issues explored in the study, including:
- Why broadening the scope of D&I programs can help overcome skepticism and build stronger working relationships
- How to improve the effectiveness of D&I resources available to supervisors and their teams
- Why agencies should leverage the diversity of their workforce to achieve mission success
Speakers: Mark Lee, Senior Research Analyst, Government Business Council; Alice Muellerweiss, Corporate Learning and Development Expert and former Dean of the Department of Veterans Affairs Learning University; Bruce Stewart, Deputy Director, Strategic Initiatives, Training and Compliance, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Personnel Management; Mark Williams, Diversity Expert, Author of The 10 Lenses, and Founder of WIN Insights
Moderator: Dr. Tim Lagan, Director, Professional Services, Monster Government Solutions
Iron Mountain // Information Economics: Extracting More Value from Your Agency’s Information to Drive Mission Success // 1:40 - 2:25
Information security. Information governance. Information access. Information value. Checking these boxes may seem straightforward for the proper management and use of your agency’s records and information, yet few agencies can confidently execute this checklist. Complying with applicable federal records management laws and regulations is critical to not only safeguarding your information, but also enabling/ensuring access to the right information at the right time. However, a recent industry study revealed that only 15% of government respondents strongly agreeing that their records management policy is meeting the needs of their agency. Do you know why the economics of your agency’s information is critical to mission success?
In this session you will:
- See where lines of business managers and records professionals disagree on the state of information management and why it is important to address
- Learn how to build a comprehensive strategy for securing information assets
- Leave with how you can achieve better information management and extract information value for stronger outcomes
Speakers: April Chen, Product Manager, Iron Mountain Government Services; Tyler Morris, Product Director, Iron Mountain Government Services
Grant Thornton // Innovation Through Evidence: Approaches to Leveraging What Works in the Obama Administration // 1:40 - 2:25
At the heart of the Obama Administration’s Evidence Agenda is the quest for evidence of programs that work. Leading this effort from the White House Domestic Policy Council is David Wilkinson, Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. Through the use of tools such as evidence-based policy, philanthropy, and impact finance, David is helping identify programs that work better through use of data and evidence as well as scaling what works through smarter use of federal resources and public-private partnerships. Hear David discuss new ways the Federal Government is learning and sharing what works.
Takeaways:
- What makes up the Obama Administration’s Evidence Agenda
- Where can agencies / program managers go to find what works?
- What innovative approaches (e.g., rigorous evaluation, social impact bonds, etc) are being used to finance and find what works?
Speakers: David Wilkinson, Director, White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation; Robert Shea, Principal, Public Sector Practice, Grant Thornton