Director of Curriculum and Staff Development
US 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.

Sean Baker is a designer, civil servant, and operations manager. His work focuses on improving the operating conditions for design within the Federal Government. Sean is currently the Director of Design Strategy and Operations at The Lab at OPM (The Lab), where he serves a team of designers and government leaders working to address pressing public challenges. The Lab is a trusted advisor and partner for building capacity for design in government. Sean’s operations practice fosters an environment where design, public administration and policy experts learn from one another. During his tenure, The Lab has developed design capabilities across the executive branch, supported the transition of designers and government leaders into civic design, and established itself as a connector and catalyst in a growing public sector innovation community. Sean holds a master’s degree in Transdisciplinary Design from Parsons School of Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Hunter College.

Bonnie Barnish is the Manager over OPM’s Talent, Learning and Development Group. The group’s mission is to promote a culture of continuous learning throughout the federal government. The group ensures learning and development efforts governmentwide support efficient and effective strategic human capital investments in leadership and talent management. Bonnie serves as the primary OPM contact for the Chief Learning Officer’s Council. Prior to joining OPM in March 2024, Bonnie served for 8 years as the Director of Training for the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

Director, Corporate Learning Solutions, American Management Association (AMA)
Jeff has over 20 years’ experience in leadership development, coaching, and corporate education. He has worked alongside many of you in HR, training and operations where he consulted and developed executive to mid-level management and frontline associates. Jeff is also an accomplished public speaker, and is most animated when he’s sharing insights to influence behaviors and drive performance.

Executive Director, Senior Executives Association (SEA)

Jason Briefel is the executive director of the Senior Executives Association (SEA), overseeing day-to-day operations of the association and leading execution of the priorities and policies of the board of directors. He also leads strategic engagement efforts with members of SEA’s corporate advisory council and other organizations. Briefel serves as SEA’s legislative director, representing the association and its members on Capitol Hill and with the administration. He represents SEA with the Federal-Postal Coalition and the Government Managers Coalition, and he is a member of the American Society of Association Executives public policy committee. Briefel is a partner at Shaw Bransford & Roth (SB&R), where he works in the firm’s government affairs department, providing legislative and organizational representation. Prior to joining SB&R, Briefel worked in Congress for a member of the North Carolina delegation and interned with a DC-based think tank. Briefel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and a master’s degree from North Carolina State University. He’s also a regular host of FEDtalk on Federal News Network and editor of the FEDmanager and FEDagent e-report newsletters.

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.

Kathy Cooperman is a Faculty member for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Center for Leadership Development, Federal Executive Institute. Kathy specializes in Leadership Development, executive coaching and facilitation. Her passion is helping organizations accelerate excellence in their leaders—engaging everyone to work together to achieve the business strategy while applying the core principals of Positive Psychology.
Kathy has over 30 years in the field of Leadership Development and Organization Development.
She has coached executives in a variety of industries across the U.S. and internationally. Her coaching includes developing, emerging, and primarily strategic leaders, with a distinct focus on helping align individual, team, and organizational goals. She works closely with individuals to help them take ownership for their success. She helps leaders identify their greatest strengths and their blind spots— behaviors that they don’t see but are known to others.
By focusing on the competencies required for the leadership role, team and organizational strategy, Kathy helps the individual create a customized development plan to drive the coaching engagement.
Kathy has an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Southern Illinois University. She completed the Advanced Program in Organization Development and Human Resource Management through Columbia University and the University of Michigan.
Kathy was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation— National Speakers Association’s highest measure of professional platform skill. Kathy is a certified executive coach: CPC (Certified Professional Coach), ELI-MP, graduate of iPEC Coaching Institute.

Human Capital Officer, IRS
In her role leading the Office of Human Resources Management, Traci leads HR support activities for the agency’s 12,000 employees. She is responsible for GSA-wide policy and oversight of all aspects of Human Capital Management including: talent acquisition, development and sustainment, labor and employee relations, performance management, compensation, strategic workforce and succession planning, executive resources, diversity management, and data analytics.

Traci has extensive experience in federal human capital programs. She previously served as the Chief Human Capital Officer for the Peace Corps, where she oversaw all human capital services for Peace Corps employees including staffing, classification, benefits, payroll, employee and labor relations, data analytics, workforce planning, and employee engagement initiatives.

Prior to that, she served as Chief Human Capital Officer for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Director for Human Resources Enterprise Management Systems at the Department of Agriculture; and as the first-ever career Deputy Director for the Chief Human Capital Officers Council at the Office of Personnel Management.

Traci is a member of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council representing more than 100 small agencies. Additionally, she chairs the Small Agency Human Resources’ Committee. Traci graduated from American University’s Key Executive Program in 2013 as part of USDA’s Senior Executive Candidate Development Program.

Traci holds a Master’s degree in Labor Policy and Workforce Development from Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Public Policy and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Communications from Miami University of Ohio.

Director of Business Management Services, FDA/OFBAP
Ms. Ellerbe brings over 28 years of expertise in financial and program management across the federal government and private sector. She serves as the Director of Business Management Services (BMS) within the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Finance, Budget, Acquisitions, and Planning (OFBAP) and is currently detailed as the Senior Advisor to the FDA's Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Ellerbe leads large teams that provide innovative services in financial management, leadership development, employee engagement, communications, and process improvement to both OFBAP and the FDA at large. She is a PhD Candidate in Leadership Studies at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, and holds advanced degrees in business administration, as well as a graduate certificate in Project Management.

Supervisory Branch Chief, Leadership Training Programs, Department of State
Dr. Ethridge has led leadership training programs for over a year at the Foreign Service Institute Leadership and Management School. In this role, she is responsible for the Department’s mandatory leadership courses, digital training initiatives, and other general leadership training courses. She oversees a team of professional education program specialists who design and deliver leadership training to Department employees from entry to executive level leadership.

Karen has been a career federal employee since 2018 with prior roles at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a talent development manager. Prior to her federal career, she served as an Assistant Professor of Psychology and the Assistant Director of Online Learning at Alabama A&M University. Karen holds a doctoral degree in Educational Psychology, a master’s degree in industrial/Organizational Psychology, with a concentration in Personnel Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology/Sociology.

Karen enjoys family, reading, and any outdoor time! She’s been married for 28 years with a sixteen-year-old son. Her learning philosophy is to contribute to strengthening a growth mindset and investing in creating a culture of learning.

Government Market Director, TiER1 Performance
Teresa Evans has a PhD in Neuroscience from UT Health San Antonio and is a leader in bioscience and healthcare innovation. She serves as Government Market Director at TiER1 Performance, where she steers and expands projects within the government sector by aligning the firm’s capabilities to government needs and harnessing the collective strengths of TiER1’s diverse expertise.

Digital Capabilities Directorate - Solution Adoption Lead, Air Force Research Lab
Karen Fray bridges the gap between people and tech with finesse. She has been called a talent whisperer, having recruited, led, and mentored countless talent of all levels to success. On the tech front, Karen's been in the industry and government start-up world since Netscape was a browser and AOL was everything. Now, she's channeling her love for developing talent into the tech world, combining her people-centric approach with her technological acumen to drive impactful change in organizations.
Prior to joining the At the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Karen was the National Service Portfolio Director with the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) where her role was creating pathways of service of non-traditional talent. She later held the role of Chief of Staff for NSIN and later supported the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) by standing up the Defense Innovation Community of Entities (DICE) to promote harmony and collaboration amongst the DoD Innovation offices. Currently, Karen serves as the Solution and Services Lead, leading the transition of technologies from test environments to full-scale deployment. Karen will lend her expertise towards ensuring that test and experimental technologies move efficiently and at scale from sandbox to operational, maximizing their impact and value to AFRL and broader DoD community.
Karen considers it an honor to be an AF Civilian and work with an amazing team who are passionate about empowering leaders to embrace artificial intelligence, envision a future where leaders build a stronger relationship with knowledge and leverage tools like Machine Learning and AI to enhance their impact.
Karen holds a grad and undergrad in Public Administration and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). An avid traveler and food enthusiast, Karen has recently forgone the idea of working towards a PhD and instead is taking up scuba diving.

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.

Deputy Director of Talent Management, USDS- Executive Office of the President
Shavonne Holman is an accomplished Industrial-Organizational (IO) psychologist who has dedicated the majority of her career to enhancing selection processes and the employee experience within organizations particularly for people of color (POCs). Today, she holds the esteemed position of Deputy Director of Talent Management at the United States Digital Service (USDS) within the White House.
Before her current position, Shavonne held the role of Recruitment & Assessment Manager at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in leading strategic initiatives aimed to improve hiring, selection, and onboarding practices within the agency.
Shavonne was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but currently resides in the DC metro area. Her educational journey began at Howard University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Later, she pursued her advanced degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Shavonne is the co-founder of Blacks in I/O Psychology, a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to fostering professional networking and learning opportunities for Black industrial-organizational psychologists, practitioners, students, and allies.

Training & Development Manager, Georgia Technology 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.

HUD Synergy Innovation Lab Founder, HUD
A'ndrea Jones is the 2024 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary's Award recipient for "Innovator of the Year." She serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and is the Government Lead for the ACT-IAC CX-Employee Experience Working Group. Additionally, A’ndrea is a dedicated member of the Partnership for Public Service Federal Innovation Council and an Innovation Coach for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

With over two decades of public service experience, starting in local government and advancing to key federal roles, she currently serves as the founder of the HUD Synergy Innovation Lab (iLab) where she launched the Innovation Fellows Program, iLab Prototype Week, and the Federal Innovation Lab Community of Practice. Since 2021, these initiatives have graduated 26 Innovation Fellows and piloted seven prototypes, earning recognition as a government best practice for advancing cross-agency human-centered design and innovation.

Ms. Jones received HUD’s 2023 Coin of Excellence for her commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility (IDEA), and customer experience innovation. She is also a 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholar finalist. Certified Prosci Change Management Trainer and a sought-after speaker at government and university conferences.

Instructional Systems Specialist, Homeland Security Acquisition Institute (HSAI), US 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.

Faculty, Federal Executive Institute
Chelesea Lewellen joined the OPM Center for Leadership Development in 2022. She facilitates courses on Inclusive Leadership, Culture Shift, Psychological Safety, Leadership Communication Skills and Women in Leadership, among others. She has extensive experience in social justice, social injustice, with an emphasis on the unique experiences of African American Women in organizations.
She explores the intersections of marginalization, gender discrimination, and systemic racism using critical race theory, black feminist theory, and the glass ceiling, concrete ceiling, and iron ceiling frameworks. Chelesea has a passion for teaching, social justice, highlighting social injustices, and a deep belief in the value of leadership development, mentoring, and coaching.
She has authored articles and book chapter sthat focus on antiracism and inclusion as well as served as guest speaker on panels, forums, and as a presenter at a variety of national and international conferences. She continues the necessary and essential antiracism work in her endeavors.
Chelesea participates in a multitude of projects and initiatives that seek to diversify and amplify diversity, inclusion, engagement, equity, and belonging in organizations. She has served as a member of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Antiracism Taskforce, CoChair of the AHRD Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Special Interest Group (SIG), and Steering Committee Member for the Critical HRD and Social Justice Perspectives Special Interest Group (SIG). She is a former steering committee member of the Qualitative Special Interest Group (SIG) and former committee member of the Program Excellence Network (PEN) Committee. She currently serves as co-chair of the AHRD Nominating and Elections Committee. Chelesea has also served as a teaching assistant for SIUC and adjunct instructor for Buffalo State University in New York.
Chelesea has received numerous awards and is a recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award for the SIU School of Education and the 2020 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) Commission for Graduate Students Leadership Award. She is a multiyear fellow for the highly competitive Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) Fellowship. She recently earned the SIU Graduate School and School of Education 2022 Dissertation Research Award and the 2022 Graduate Professional Student Council’s (GPSC) Outstanding Teacher Award.

Principal of Leadership Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Evans Consulting

Shashuana Littlejohn is a Principal of Leadership Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Evans Consulting. Shashuana has over 20 years of experience designing solutions that enhance leadership capabilities, boost staff engagement, and position organizations for growth. She is a collaborative leader who can effectively navigate fast-paced, matrixed environments with multiple senior-level stakeholders to achieve shared goals; skilled in combining creativity, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills to increase organizational effectiveness.

VP, Public Sector, Totara
Michael Maurath currently serves as the Vice President of the Public Sector for Totara Learning Inc. With 18 years of experience in the Learning & Development industry, he has held a number of positions servicing dozens of Federal agencies. In his current position, Michael is responsible for the growth and strategic direction of TotaraGov, Totara’s FedRAMP Authorized Learning Management System tailored to the Public Sector.

Mr. McNamara has over 20 years of diverse experience in professional development, talent management, training, facilitation, coaching, organizational development, change management, process improvement, and strategic planning and operations at the Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, NASA, Texas Tech University, George Washington University, Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City, and the YMCA. He currently serves as a Faculty Chair and Executive Coach for FEI and is the former Chief Learning Officer for the International Trade Administration, where his coaching team was awarded the ICF Global Prism Award for coaching excellence in 2020.
He is passionate about leadership development and coaching leaders at all levels to support them in realizing their full potential. He is committed to inspiring, growing, and developing world class leaders. He believes that every person has what he/she needs to live a full life, it’s just a matter of unlocking and unleashing that potential. He believes that from the time we are born, our lives and who we are ripples out into the world, impacting everyone and everything around us, every moment of every day. How we live our lives, who we are, how we show up, how we impact others, matters.
He is a certified professional coach, instructor, training designer, and facilitator. He is certified in the Center for Creative Leadership's (CCL) 360 assessments, the Leadership Circle Profile, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Hogan, the WorkPlace Big 5 assessment, DiSC, FIRO-B and FIRO-Business. He has experience with various other assessments.
He holds a dual MBA in International Business from both Texas Tech University and Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City and Bachelor's degrees in both International Business and Spanish from Texas Tech University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's Senior Leadership Principles Program and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Executive Leadership Development Program. He has published articles and blogs for TD Magazine and spoken at several Association for Talent Development. (ATD) and International Coach Federation (ICF) conferences and webcasts on leadership development, coaching, talent management and employee engagement.

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.

Emily is a Design Researcher and Strategist at The Lab at OPM (The Lab) where she partners with federal agencies to develop sustainable programs and services that effectively address public needs. Emily employs a multidisciplinary design approach utilizing participatory and speculative methods, complemented by iterative processes, to catalyze transformation within government. Her approach aims to empower agency partners to envision the future evolution of products and services, and pinpoint the critical factors that can enable the change. Prior to The Lab, Emily focused on co-designing in-clinic services and tools with adolescents and healthcare providers that advanced adolescent sexual and reproductive models of care. She is former chair of AIGA Chicago’s Community Engagement Committee and holds a bachelors in Visual Communication from Loyola University Chicago.

Rob Porter is the Director of eLearning Programs for CoSo Cloud, LLC, where he is a trusted advisor in designing and executing innovative eLearning strategies for large government agencies and corporate enterprises. Leveraging his expertise, Rob consults with customers on implementing and growing their training programs through immersive learning, gamification, and effective learner journeys. With a distinguished 28-year track record in instructional design and eLearning, Rob is a recognized authority in the field. He has authored and presented on various corporate topics and advanced learning techniques. Throughout his career, he has created hundreds of hours of eLearning content, workshop curricula, webinars, presentations, and custom learning platforms, consistently delivering impactful solutions. Rob has partnered with global enterprises to provide tailored learning solutions that reach millions of learners. His state-of-the-art programs have benefitted organizations such as the Marines, FAA, NIH, Johns Hopkins, State of Oregon, Microsoft, NVIDIA, BMW, Nike, Dassault, and Domino’s, solidifying his reputation as a leader in the eLearning industry.

Chief of Staff/Acting Director, Innovation Directorate, US Army Recruiting Command
Colonel Kris Saling is a recognized leader in the US Army Human Capital Enterprise who has been introducing analytics, automation, and transformational business processes into Army human resources for the past eight years.

She and her hand-picked teams of technologists and human resource subject matter experts have coordinated with the best across government, industry, and academia to pilot innovation programs at scale, including three talent management programs of record and an Army-wide data literacy program that has trained hundreds of Soldiers over the last year.

She is an Army operations research and systems analyst with experience not just in Army human resources and people analytics, but in government acquisition and contracting, data governance, personnel policy, law, and statute, and the business process of innovation. She has led significant analytic and modernization efforts at US Indo-Pacific Command, Headquarters Department of the Army, Army Human Resources Command, and now, her most challenging effort, US Army Recruiting Command, where she serves as their Innovation Director.

Colonel Saling is also publishing her first book, Data-Driven Talent Management, compiling practical and actionable insights from her years transforming Army personnel business processes. It is available this August.

The Ellison Distinguished Professor of Operations, Senior Associate Dean for Strategy and Academics and Faculty Director of the Center for the Business of Health, UNC Executive Development
Dr. Staats leads the Center for the Business of Health, a cross-disciplinary initiative targeting some of the biggest healthcare challenges of our time. UNC Kenan-Flagler is leading efforts to grow this initiative, which is by design a pan-university effort that draws upon the wide health sciences strengths across campus, including our top-ranked schools of pharmacy, public health, nursing, dentistry, arts and sciences, medicine and business. By building on this collaborative powerhouse of resources and talent through the Center for the Business of Health, UNC Kenan-Flagler seeks to distinguish both itself and the University as leading national voices in education, research and thought leadership in the business of healthcare.

Deputy Director, Digital Service, Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Fátima Terry is a passionate leader specializing in the intersections of human capital and workforce development. Fátima is proud to be the “first” on many levels, including being the first woman in her family to receive an advanced degree. Born in Lima, Peru, she migrated with her family to the state of New Jersey, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology. She later moved to Washington, DC, and completed an M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which opened doors to the federal sector. Since then, she has 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-authoring a White House-directed 4-year bi-partisan Congressional Report on the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing National Strategy.

She currently resides in DC with her family and beloved Frenchie, Zeus. Outside of her professional role, she volunteers her time to empower different minority communities through social and educational efforts and serves as an executive board member of the Latinos in I-O Psychology (LIOP) organization. She loves connecting with others, so please reach out!

VP, Leadership Development, Udemy Business, Udemy, Inc.
Alan Todd is Udemy’s Vice President for the Leadership Development business. Formerly, Alan was founder and CEO of CorpU, an online leadership development platform which was acquired by Udemy in 2021. Prior to that, he was the founder and CEO of KnowledgePlanet, a company that helped launch the Online Learning revolution and grew to serve millions of people in over 150 countries. As a champion for learning transformation for over 3 decades, Alan served Pennsylvania’s Governor on the Higher Education Commission, was a Board of Trustees member at Dickinson College and Harrisburg University, and served as Wharton’s Entrepreneur-In-Residence to help nurture new startups to improve education outcomes.

President & CEO, Clay Strategic Designs
Dr. J.J. Walcutt is a scientist, innovator, and learning engineer that specializes in talent development and strategic reform across education, military, and government. She served in the U.S. Government as the Director of Innovation at the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative under the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as a Human Innovation Fellow under the Office of Personnel Management. During her tenure in the government, she helped define the interoperable digital backbone required for training, education, and talent development across the military, intelligence, and greater security sector. She also designed an open innovation model for re-imagining the executive branch to promote talent development and retention. In her role at the Pentagon, Dr. Walcutt focused on promoting the science of learning through her service as a U.S. Delegate to NATO, Partnership for Peace, and as a national and international keynote speaker. In her role as a Human Innovation Fellow, she used the science of human centered design to recommend improved governmental communication structures with the American people to promote innovative problem solving. In this role, she provided keynote speeches nationally regarding innovation across, and transformation of, the federal government. Dr. Walcutt has over 20 years of experience in research and development for training and education with specific interests in improving educational systems to promote talent development, knowledge management, and decision making under stress.

Supervisory Support and Development Branch Chief, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
B.J. is a Training Manager at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), an agency of the US Department of Agriculture. He has over 16 years of experience in training and organizational development, specializing in supervisory training, leadership development, meeting facilitation, and team building. B.J. is currently the program manager for the APHIS Experienced Supervisor Applied Workshop. Before joining APHIS in 2017, he served in the Peace Corps, both as a volunteer and on staff. He led Peace Corps’ Office of Staging and Staff Development, providing over 100 training events for over 3,500 Peace Corps Volunteers each year. He also developed and delivered training for the 200 staff of the Office of Volunteer Recruitment and Selection. B.J. served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in China from 2006 to 2008, training English teachers at Bijie University as well as leading youth engagement and HIV/AIDS awareness efforts. Prior to his Peace Corps service, B.J. worked as a trainer for Army Reserve and National Guard units being deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and as an actor performing in touring educational theater troupes.

B.J. holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wabash College and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame.

B.J. currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and 3 young sons.

Partner, Educe
Lauren Wittstadt is a Partner at Educe with more than 15 years of experience in Talent Management Technology managing talent management system implementation projects for Fortune 500 and government organizations. She delivers strategic consulting to customers in the areas of business process alignment and documentation, governance and change management, and serves as a subject matter expert on Cornerstone cloud-based talent management software. Lauren has extensive expertise gathering and analyzing business requirements, defining business processes, developing standard operating procedures, planning and execution of testing phases for systems, and developing and delivering training.