Director of Curriculum and Staff Development
U.S. Department of State's Foreign Service Institute

Dani M. Abrams, CPTD, focuses on inspiring experiential, meaningful, and inclusive cultural change. She brings over 20 years of experience as a facilitator, trainer, coach, and manager, and is devoted to influencing increased and strengthened equity and inclusivity. She currently serves as the Director of Curriculum and Staff Development at the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Service Institute.

Senior Training Specialist, FAA
Ms. Carter currently serves as a Senior Instructional Designer for the Learning Solutions Team (LST) within the Office of Career and Leadership Development (AHD) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In this capacity, she leads the design and delivery of several competency-based workshops, teambuilding activities, and professional development events purposed to enhance employee on-the-job performance and potential.

Tiffany holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State University and a graduate certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. She has also earned the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accreditation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Prior to this position, Ms. Carter served as a Program Manager at the Department of Defense where she led the work of equipping the next generation of entry-level and emerging civilian leaders from GS grades 7-12 with the “power skills” needed to thrive in today’s government, helped enterprise Talent Development programs use data to tell compelling stories of success, served as a leadership coach to both current and up-and-coming Federal leaders, and partnered with coaching subject matter experts in the federal enterprise to build the infrastructure needed to establish a sustainable culture of coaching. Her work was recognized with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Group Achievement Award and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service.

A proud Veteran of the United States Army, Tiffany’s work is dedicated to the memory and legacy of her dearly departed parents, JoAnn, a former federal employee, and LaRoi, a distinguished FAA Air Traffic Controller, Tower Manager, and Quality Assurance Specialist.

DEIA Training & Outreach Advisor, Office of the Chief DEIA Officer
Ms. Greene is the Training and Outreach Advisor and Chief of the Training Division in the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer within the Office of the Administrator at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She is also the Program Manager for USAID’s Respectful, Inclusive, and Safe Environments learning and engagement platform (also known as RISE).

Bobbie has worked for USAID for six years as a PSC and ISC in the areas of training; instructional design; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). She previously also worked for the State Department in the Political Section for the U.S. Embassy in Jordan as VIP Visits Coordinator and in the Public Affairs section for the U.S. Embassy in Liberia as Education Outreach Coordinator. Additionally, she is a trail(blaz)ing spouse to a USAID Foreign Service Officer.

Before joining USAID, Bobbie was a high school language arts educator for 12 years who specialized in teaching English to Language Learners, Special Education, and Project-Based Learning. The last five years of her teaching career were spent standing up a STEM Academy.

She has earned a Master's Degree in Global Issues in Education from University of Illinois, a Master's Degree in Literature and Philosophy from Georgia Southern University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Writing and Publication from North Georgia University.

A child of the U.S. Air Force, Bobbie enjoys traveling and new experiences, but currently calls Arlington, VA home. In her free time she enjoys laughing with family, dog training, reading, watching movies, and spending as much time as possible outdoors.

Director of Credentialing, ATD
As director of credentialing for the Association of Talent Development (ATD), Morgean Hirt has more than 25 years of experience in personnel certification and accreditation across a variety of professions. She provides strategic leadership and technical expertise in developing and implementing credentialing programs, focusing on test development, policy and standards development, program audits, strategic planning, and ANSI/ISO 17024 and NCCA accreditation. Believing that standards and certification enhance professionalism and credibility, Hirt has led a number of organizations through establishing industry standards for emerging professions, including clinical research, massage therapy, and mortgage brokering.

Prior to joining ATD, she served as an account executive at MetaCred, a boutique association management firm specializing in managing credentialing programs, and spent 12 years as president and CEO of Certified Fund Raising Executives International Credentialing Board, where she was responsible for establishing international support across six continents for a unified standard of fundraising practice. Hirt is also active with the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) and recently earned theInstitute for Credentialing ExcellenceCertified Credentialing Professional (ICE-CCP) designation.

Deputy Director, Talent Services Division, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ms. Leah Hollander is the deputy director of the Talent Services Division in NASA’s Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer. In this role, she serves as a strategic advisor to human resources leaders on all matters related to talent development and talent management and leads a team to create and manage leadership development programs in alignment with NASA's missions, priorities, and goals. Ms. Hollander partners with leaders across the agency to identify and deliver talent solutions for NASA employees.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Hollander was the senior advisor for human capital strategy, providing expertise and guidance to human capital leaders for enhancing the delivery of human resources services to NASA’s workforce. She was instrumental in guiding efforts to streamline human capital operations historically provided at ten field centers toward a consolidated and consistent enterprise model.

In 2015, Ms. Hollander began serving as the senior advisor for NASA’s Mission Support Directorate and was responsible for developing, leading, and implementing of a comprehensive change management program to align mission support administrative functions across the agency. She also led studies and coordinated activities across mission support organizations resulting in greater efficiency, lower costs, and improved service equity for all NASA employees.

From 2005 to 2015, Ms. Hollander served as the director of the NASA Headquarters Human Resources Office, advising senior management officials on human resources programs, including hiring, performance management, labor relations, learning and development, and awards.

Ms. Hollander has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and a Master of Science in human resources management, both from the University of Maryland. She has been awarded two Agency Honor Awards, the Spaceflight Awareness Team Award, the NASA Headquarters Creative Management Award, and the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award.

Training & Development Specialist, Georgia Tech Authority
Kyle Jones, a seasoned Training & Development Leader with a 17-year tenure in Learning & Development, has made a significant impact working with Fortune 500 companies and international leaders to drive growth and create sustainable economies. Coupling his expertise in leadership development with strategic analysis, his initiatives have enhanced productivity and engagement.

As a mentor to c-suite executives and entrepreneurs, as well as a regular contributor to industry publications, Jones' insights have wide-ranging influence. Known for his profound knowledge, he often shares his expertise globally.

Instructional Systems Specialist, Homeland Security Acquisition Institute (HSAI), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Robert Jordan has worked in the learning and development field for over 25 years. He currently works as an instructional systems specialist and curriculum manager in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Acquisition Institute which provides training to the DHS acquisition workforce. Previously he worked at the U.S. Department of Labor for several years. He holds a master’s degree in Instructional Systems Development from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Ph.D. in Learning, Design, and Technology from Penn State University.

Chief People Officer, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Dr. Elizabeth Kolmstetter is the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) first Chief People Officer. She is responsible for overall workforce strategy, career development, and driving a people-first culture. She is leading CISA’s “Thriving in a Hybrid Environment” which includes ‘presence with purpose’ to meet federal mandates. Prior to CISA, Kolmstetter was the Director of Talent Strategy and Engagement at NASA. She was responsible for the “Future of Work” initiative including defining new Agency guidance including more flexible work options post-pandemic.

Elizabeth has over 30 years of public service and pioneered innovative talent programs across agencies including CISA, NASA, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

She is a 2022 recipient of the prestigious Presidential Rank Award and is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She received her Ph.D. and M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Virginia Tech and her B.A. in Psychology and Computer Science from Hollins University.

Leadership Development Specialist, Leadership & Management School, Foreign Service Institute, Department of State
In his current role, Chad supports the design and delivery for Mid-Level Leadership courses, provides coaching services, and assists with OD interventions. Chad has over 20 years of experience in Talent Development having worked as faculty at the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia; served in the Performance, Development, & Engagement Branch at NASA Headquarters Human Resources Office overseeing senior and mid­ level leadership development programming and the HQ Modern Mentoring Program. Additionally, he served in similar roles as an Associate Director in the Employee Education System with the Veterans Health Administration; and Chief of Career Management Division at Passport Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the Department of State. Chad holds a Doctorate in Social Work from The Catholic University with his dissertation focused on mentoring relationships, titled Inhibiting Emerging Leaders: A Secondary Analysis of Federal Workplace Culture and Barriers to Knowledge Sharing. Chad is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach with The Co-Active Training Institute, and an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation.

Chief Learning Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Matisha Montgomery is the Chief Learning Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In this role she oversees general training for employees across the Department, leadership development, learning technology and solutions, workforce and succession planning, organizational development, and HR analytics. Matisha has been a career Federal servant since 2005 with prior roles at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Matisha holds a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and certificates from American University’s Key Executive Leadership program and George Mason University’s Chief Learning Officer program.

Deputy Human Resources Director, City of Alexandria
Amanda Smith is a seasoned talent development executive who specializes in learning innovation, instructional design and career development. During her 25-year tenure in the learning & development space, primarily for the private and non-profit sectors, she now serves as the Deputy Human Resources Director for the City of Alexandria, where she drives the work needed to implement City Council priorities for talent development, employee engagement, total compensation and a thriving organization. Smith approaches HR through a learning and development lens to build high functioning teams and cultivate effective leaders across a workforce of over 3500 employees. Smith is also a career coach, author, podcaster, and speaks frequently on career development and HR topics. Her latest publication was a TD at Work, entitled Self-Directed Learning Made Simple, published by the Association for Talent Development. The motivation for her work is inspired by the belief that the work we do on ourselves is our gift to others.

Deputy Director, Digital Service, Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Hello Everyone - my name is Fátima Terry and I’m a passionate leader specializing on the intersections of human capital and workforce development. I’m proud to be the “first” on many levels, including being the first woman in my family to receive an advanced degree. I was born in Lima, Peru and migrated with my family to the state of New Jersey, which enabled me to earn my B.A. in Psychology. I came to Washington, DC and completed my M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which opened up the doors to the federal sector. Since then I’ve had the honor of working with multiple federal agencies and leadership, including being appointed in 2018 as the Department of Defense’s workforce development expert and co-author to a White House directed 4-year bi-partisan Congressional Report on the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing National Strategy. I currently reside in DC with my family and beloved Frenchie, Zeus. When I’m not being a mom to a rumbustious 1-year old, I volunteer my time outside of work to empower different minority communities through social and educative efforts. I also serve as an executive board member to the Latinos in I-O Psychology (LIOP) organization. I love connecting with others, so please reach out!