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Speaker Biographies

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MARK ALLEN is the Federal Wage System (FWS) Team Leader in the Salary and Wage Systems Division, Office of Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is responsible for maintaining, developing, and implementing governmentwide policies and programs on basic and premium pay administration for the FWS. Mr. Allen provides staff support to the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC) and is OPM’s primary alternate representative on the Committee. FPRAC is the national labor-management committee that advises OPM on all policies for determining prevailing rates for the Federal Government’s 250,000 blue-collar employees.

Mr. Allen has worked in the Office of Compensation Administration since 1993, with prior service in the Wage and Salary Division of the Department of Defense. He holds a B.A. degree from Ohio University.

SHIRLEY K. AMMON works in the Classification Programs Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Since coming to OPM in January 1997, she has conducted numerous studies, including the Aircraft Mechanic WG-8852, the newly released Physical Science GS-1300T JFS, the pending Investigative, Enforcement, Inspection, and Compliance GS-1800A JFS, and is involved in the modification of the Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention Standard, GS-0081.

Ms. Ammon gained her knowledge of human resources management while working for the Virginia National Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Ammon is an active member of the Virginia Army National Guard, where she is the personnel officer (G-1) for the 29th Infantry Division, responsible for approximately 11,000 full and part-time soldiers, and recently completed a 6-month deployment to Bosnia as part of the peacekeeping mission. She received her BA degree from Georgetown University.

RITA A. BAJURA is the Director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), a multi-purpose science, technology, and energy laboratory owned and operated by the Department of Energy (DOE). One of DOE’s national laboratories, NETL conducts research spanning DOE’s science, energy, national security, and environmental quality missions.

As NETL Director, Ms. Bajura oversees the implementation of major science and technology development programs in fossil energy and environmental technologies. About 550 Federal and 500 contractor employees work at NETL’s sites in Morgantown, West Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Research and development activities are conducted both onsite and through partnerships and contractual arrangements with industry, universities, and other research organizations. The 1,100 ­projects in NETL’s portfolio are conducted at facilities in all 50 states and in several foreign countries.

Ms. Bajura has been Director since 1996, and has been with the Department of Energy since 1980. She has a M.S. degree in engineering from West Virginia University and a B.S. degree in chemistry from Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 2000, she was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at West Virginia University. In 2001, the Governor of West Virginia appointed her to the State’s Energy Policy Task Force.

BRYCE BAKER is the Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Director for Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is the primary reviewer of legislative proposals related to compensation. He is also one of the primary drafters of OPM compensation-related regulations.

Mr. Baker has worked in the Office of Compensation Administration since 1991. During that time, he played a key role on such special projects as the implementation of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA); the 1991-1993 OPM task force studying the pay and classification of Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters; the sunset of the Federal Personnel Manual; the development of regulations pertaining to law enforcement availability pay and the Federal Firefighters Overtime Pay Reform Act of 1998; the development of broadbanding demonstration projects; and the drafting of proposed legislation included in President Bush’s Managerial Flexibility Act (2001).

Mr. Baker’s Federal career began in 1983 when he was hired as a Presidential Management Intern with OPM’s Retirement and Insurance Service. He then served as a Special Assistant to the Associate Director for Retirement and Insurance and as the Chief of the Retirement Policy Branch. Mr. Baker has an M.A. degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University.

ELLEN HARRIS BALIKER is a Human Resources Specialist in the Human Resources Division, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Department of Energy, Morgantown, West Virginia. Ms. Harris Baliker has worked in the area of human resources management for over 35 years in the Federal Government and has conducted many workshops and training sessions. She now serves as a Senior Specialist and is responsible for implementing sound human resources management practices at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. After many years of experience developing policy and guidance in the area of employee relations with the Department of Agriculture, she started her career with the Department of Energy in 1984 as an Employee Relations Specialist.

During her tenure in federal human resources management, Ms. Harris Baliker has been instrumental in the design of a variety of human resources initiatives in areas including human capital management, pay administration, classification, employee and labor relations, training, career development, incentive awards and performance management. Ms. Harris Baliker has recently served as the team leader of the Performance Management and Awards Committee which designed the existing performance management policy at the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

KENNETH BATES is the Chief of the Employee Relations Division in the Office of Labor and Employee Relations, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Mr. Bates has worked in the employee relations function since 1988 and has directed the work of the Employee Relations Unit since 1991. This unit is responsible for governmentwide employee relations policy and guidance and coordinates OPM's authority to intervene before various third party adjudicators, including the Merit Systems Protection Board and arbitrators, in cases involving the interpretation of civil service law and regulation.

Mr. Bates began his career with OPM's predecessor organization, the Civil Service Commission (CSC), as a management intern in 1973. He has worked in a variety of staff and operating positions with CSC and, since 1979, with the Office of Personnel Management. Among the positions he held are: Personnel Management Specialist with the agency's internal personnel office, Program Analyst with the Office of the Inspector General, Special Assistant to the Philadelphia Regional Director, Chief of the Washington Federal Job Information Center, Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel, and Chief of the governmentwide Presidential Management Intern Program. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1973, has completed graduate work in public administration at the George Washington University, and received a law degree from Georgetown University in 1978.

DAN G. BLAIR is the Deputy Director of the US Office of Personnel Management. Mr. Blair was confirmed unanimously by the Senate on February 12, 2002. Prior to his confirmation, Mr. Blair served as Senior Policy Advisor to OPM Director Kay Coles James since October 2001. Mr. Blair brings to OPM extensive experience in the civil service sector, having served for almost 17 years on the staffs of both House and Senate committees charged with Federal civil service.

Prior to joining the staff at OPM, Mr. Blair served as Senior Counsel to Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) on the United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. Mr. Blair was appointed to this position in January 1998 and was responsible for review of legislation and policy affecting the Federal civil service, the US Postal Service, Federal budget process, Government ethics, and Federal lobbying reform. He served as the principal Governmental Affairs Committee staffer on the House and Senate conference committee charged with developing a new personnel system for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as part of the overall IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. He also advised Senator Thompson on the comprehensive review the Committee on Governmental Affairs undertook to reform the process by which Presidential nominees undergo appointment and Senate confirmation. Further, Mr. Blair was responsible for Committee work establishing a long-term care insurance program for Federal employees and the uniformed services and reforms for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and life insurance programs.

Prior to joining the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Mr. Blair served as Staff Director for the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Postal Service. He was appointed to this position by Subcommittee Chairman John McHugh (R-NY) in January 1995. Mr. Blair was responsible for directing the Subcommittee’s oversight of the US Postal Service and directed the development of comprehensive postal reform legislation. He also coordinated enactment of legislation establishing an independent Office of Inspector General for the Postal Service.

Mr. Blair also served as Minority General Counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Post Office and Civil Service from January 1985 until December 1994. Mr. Blair was named to the position by the Ranking Member Gene Taylor (R-MO) and served under successive Ranking Members Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) and John Myers (R-IN). While in that position, Mr. Blair was responsible for helping design the Federal Employees Retirement System and for developing legislative initiatives reforming the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. He also developed legislation establishing a living benefits program for employees and retirees covered by the Federal Government life insurance program.

Mr. Blair was born and raised in Joplin, Missouri. He received a BA degree in Journalism from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1981and his J. D. degree from the School of Law at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1984. He and his wife, Michele, reside in Washington, D. C.

ABBY L. BLOCK is the Assistant Director for Insurance Programs at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Office administers the health and life insurance programs for Federal employees and retirees. The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program is a $24 billion a year program that provides coverage for almost 9 million employees and retirees and their families. The Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI) is a $2. 1 billion a year program that provides coverage for 4 million employees and retirees and their families. In addition to negotiating and administering contracts with 180 insurance carriers, the Office also provides extensive information to participants so they can make informed decisions about their benefits.

Before becoming Assistant Director, Ms. Block was Chief of the Insurance Policy and Information Division in the Office of Insurance Programs. The division develops policy and provides guidance on all matters relating to insurance benefits for Federal employees and retirees. It participates in the agency’s work with the Congress on legislative issues, publishes regulations to implement legislative and administrative policy, and provides information to a broad range of customers. While she headed the Division, Ms. Block played a major role in the effort that led to enactment of the Long-Term Care Security Act.

Since coming to OPM as a Presidential Management Intern in 1979, she has been involved in every functional area of the Retirement and Insurance Service. Her knowledge of the laws and regulations governing the insurance programs, along with her operational experience, have made her a recognized expert on employer-provided insurance benefits. She has taken the lead in developing ways to enhance performance and quality in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Before coming to Washington, D. C. , Ms. Block worked for 10 years in Substance Abuse Prevention Programs in Nassau County and New York City. She has an MA , an MS W. , and M. BA degrees from Columbia University.

BONNIE BRANDON is the Classification Appeals Officer for the Dallas Oversight Division with the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She manages the classification appeals program for a 10-state area and is responsible for reviewing all of the appeal decisions issued by the division. Her work also involves providing comments on OPM draft classification standards and policy issuances and writing articles for the Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions.

Ms. Brandon began her Federal career with the US Civil Service Commission, moving to OPM as a result of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. She worked in the recruiting and examining program and the personnel management evaluation function with the Commission and OPM before transferring to the Environmental Protection Agency as a position classification specialist in 1984. Since returning to OPM in 1987, Ms. Brandon has worked as a personnel management/human resources specialist in the evaluation and oversight program.

Ms. Brandon received her BA degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1987. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the OPM Director’s Award for Excellence.

MALLIE T. BURRUSS is a Work/Life Program Specialist in the US Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Work/Life Programs. In this position, she provides governmentwide leadership and technical assistance to agencies in the use of comprehensive work/life and wellness programs.

Ms. Burruss’ professional affiliations include memberships in the International Telework Association & Council (ITAC), the Mid-Atlantic Telework Advisory Council (MATAC), and the Metropolitan Washington Work/Life Coalition (MWWLC). Ms. Burruss has received numerous awards for her professional contributions, including the 2001 OPM Director’s Citation for Exemplary Public Service.

JOSEPH E. CAMPBELL serves as a senior Financial Systems Specialist with the Department of Defense, Defense Finance and Accounting Service. He has over 25 years of civilian payroll policy and system experience and is responsible for the formulation of standard civilian payroll policy for the Department of Defense. Since his employment with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, he has been actively involved in the consolidation of civilian payroll servicing within the Department of Defense from over 350 decentralized payroll offices to three consolidated sites. He has also been instrumental in the formulation and publication of the Department’s standard civilian payroll policy that replaced individual policy publications within the Military departments and Defense agencies. Prior to joining the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Mr. Campbell was employed with the Department of the Army where he acted as the functional proponent for the standard civilian payroll system. He was the deputy project manager for the development of the Army’s redesigned civilian payroll system. Mr. Campbell also served as the Army’s representative to the Department of Defense’s corporate information management initiative. He is the co-lead of the Standardization Action Team that has been formed by the Office of Personnel Management’s E-Payroll initiative. Mr. Campbell has a BS degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University.

BARBARA W. COLCHAO is a Human Resources Specialist (Performance Management) with the Performance Management and Incentive Awards Division, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She leads the Program and Policy Development team, where she is responsible for policy development in the performance management and incentive awards program areas. Ms. Colchao has been involved in several initiatives to reform performance management legislation and regulation. She served previously as a senior staff member and provided technical assistance on various performance management issues to several Federal agencies. Ms. Colchao has worked in the performance management area for over 20 years. She helped implement and evaluate governmentwide pay-for-performance programs. She also served as a consultant to the International Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in San Jose, Costa Rica, in the redesign of its performance appraisal system. She has received OPM's Director's Awards for Meritorious Service, Distinguished Service, and Group Achievement, as well as the Director's Award for Excellence. Ms. Colchao has a BS degree from Lock Haven State College and an MA degree from the University of the Americas.

ALISON DAVIDOW is the Director of the Human Resources Policy and Programs Division, Office of Human Resources Policy and Planning, Department of Energy. Under her direction, the policy implementing Human Capital Management initiatives — including policy on acquiring and retaining high quality employees, on managing performance, and on maintaining a supportive workplace — and the program for assessing the success of those initiatives, are developed and disseminated.

Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. Davidow joined the Department of Energy in 1984, first working in labor relations policy and then as chief of headquarters labor/employee relations for 12 years. During that time, she implemented alternative work schedules, new performance management programs and "flexi-place" for headquarters employees. She has spoken many times about human resources topics, giving talks at the Symposium on Employee and Labor Relations and before Public Administration Forum symposia. Ms. Davidow was nominated by Texas Tech for one of the first classes of the Presidential Management Intern (PMI) program. As a PMI, she joined the Department of Health and Human Services in the personnel policy office and later worked on labor relations with the Social Security Administration.

Ms. Davidow has a BS degree from Auburn University in Alabama and an MA degree in public administration from Texas Tech University.

JUDITH A. DAVIS is the Chief of the Classification Programs Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She manages the classification modernization initiatives that support a total compensation system strategy. She is also responsible for managing and maintaining the Government’s existing job evaluation systems and for coordinating the classification implications of related human resources management systems and policies, such as broadbanding and qualifications requirements.

Ms. Davis came to OPM from the Department of Defense (DoD), where she worked for the Director of Compensation and Requirements, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy. As the Classification, Retirement, and Insurance Program Manager, she provided broad policy and technical expertise to the Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary. She also provided policy interpretation and implementation guidance to elements of the Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service on issues ranging from classification appeals, automation initiatives, and demonstration project initiatives, to FERS Open Season. Ms. Davis represented DOD on several OPM working groups and task forces, including the OPM Federal Personnel Manual Sunset Team, the OPM Classification Series Consolidation Task Force, and the OPM Classification and Automation Interagency Advisory Group Networks. She was also a member of the DOD Human Resources Management Design Team, and participated in various DOD reengineering, reinvention, and streamlining efforts.

Ms. Davis' 35 years of Federal service include 13 years in operating field offices, 4 years at the Department of the Air Force Headquarters, 5 years at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and 5 years at the Office of Personnel Management. Ms. Davis was educated at Eastern Illinois University at Charleston, Illinois, and Wright State University at Dayton, Ohio. She has received numerous outstanding and sustained superior performance awards.

ROSEMARY DOWNING is the Deputy Assistant Director for Diversity at the US Office of Personnel Management. The Office monitors and reports on the state of diversity in the Federal Government and helps agencies obtain and maintain a diverse workforce that includes women, minorities, disabled veterans and other persons with disabilities.

Ms. Downing is currently spearheading the Federal Government’s drive to hire people with disabilities.

Ms. Downing has been a Federal worker since 1974. She was a Personnel Officer at the Department of Treasury and was responsible for management of the overall personnel operations for the Office of the Secretary, to include recruitment, equal employment opportunity, performance management, classification, and employee relations. She also started the diversity program at the Department of Treasury.

In her Federal career, Ms. Downing has received numerous Federal awards and honors, including the OPM’s Director Award for Excellence, and the Secretary of Treasury’s Merit Award. Ms. Downing has a BA degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

VICKI DRAPER is the Premium Pay Team Leader in the Pay and Leave Administration Division, Office of Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She is responsible for the development of policy and guidance in the areas of premium pay administration and hours of work for General Schedule employees. Ms. Draper came to OPM from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Civilian Personnel Management Service (CPMS), where she worked for 8 years in the areas of Federal compensation administration, hours of work, and foreign allowances. Prior to her assignment with CPMS, her employment with the Department of the Army spanned over 17 years. During Ms. Draper’s tenure with the Department of the Army, she served as Chief, Technical Services Division in the Civilian Personnel Office, Bad Kreuznach, Germany, where she administered the technical support programs. She also served as a senior staffing specialist to Headquarters, Department of the Army, in Alexandria, Virginia. Ms. Draper has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the Department of Defense Superior Civilian Service Award in 1999.

MELISSA DRUMMOND is Director of Classification Appeals and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Programs in the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Ms. Drummond began her professional career with the Federal Government at the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of the Census. She worked there as a position classification specialist from January 1989 to March 1997. In April 1997, she moved to the Department of State where she worked as a position classification specialist, evaluating both Civil Service and Foreign Service positions. While a State Department employee, she received the State Department's Benjamin Franklin Award.

Ms. Drummond is a recipient of the OPM Director’s Award for Excellence and a 1999 graduate of the USDA Graduate School’s Executive Potential Program. She lives in Lexington Park, Maryland with her husband, 8-year-old daughter, and 2-year old twins.

JANET DUBBERT was recently appointed as US Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Project Manager for E-Payroll. Ms. Dubbert will be responsible for modernizing the Federal Payroll System, standardizing payroll processes, and reducing the costs of routine operations, such as servicing employees who transfer from one agency to another. Ms. Dubbert has 30 years of Federal service, primarily within the Department of Defense, with an extensive human resources background. Prior to coming to OPM, she was the Director of Management, Administrative, and Payroll Support for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In that capacity, Ms. Dubbert developed a strategic plan for corporate oversight utilizing integrated software throughout the office of the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer. She led a team that implemented integrated human resources, payroll, time and labor, financial, and purchasing systems that improved operations and reduced costs by more than $5 million annually.

Ms. Dubbert resides in Howard County, Maryland where she volunteers her services as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with the Howard County Voices for Children Program.

BETTY A. DUFFIELD is the Director of Strategic Workforce Planning and Human Resources Office for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington, D. C. As Director of Strategic Workforce Planning, Ms. Duffield is responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of the policies, programs, system processes, and new initiatives for organizational and workforce effectiveness and manpower management. These program responsibilities include serving as the Project Manager for the NRL Personnel Management Demonstration Project. As the Human Resources Office Director, Ms. Duffield oversees full civilian personnel (CIVPERS) and equal employment opportunity (EEO) services to NRL. Ms. Duffield has over 30 years experience in the human resources management field spending most of her career with the Naval Research Laboratory. While under her direction, the NRL Human Resources Office received three highly prestigious awards: the Department of the Navy Human Resources Management Award for Excellence in Quality of Worklife Programs; the Navy’s Nathaniel Stinson EEO Award for its minority and female recruiting successes and its sponsorship of the Rio Grande High Technology Minority and Women’s Job Fair; and the 1999 Department of the Navy Human Resources Management Award for Excellence in recognition of the NRL Personnel Management Demonstration Project Team’s tireless efforts in designing, obtaining approval, and implementing the Laboratory’s personnel demonstration project. The NRL Personnel Management Demonstration Project Design Team was also awarded The Hammer Award in November 2000 for their efforts in assisting to reinvent Government processes and programs. Ms. Duffield received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (the second highest award for civilians within the Department of the Navy) in October 2000 for her leadership on the NRL Personnel Management Demonstration Project.

NORMAN ENGER is the US Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) E-Government Program Director leading the effort on the five E-Government initiatives. OMB has designated OPM as the managing partner. These five initiatives support the selection and development of human capital across Government, as well as Homeland Security. These five inter-related initiatives support a Government worker’s life cycle, including retirement and re-entry into the Federal workforce. When complete, the five initiatives will create economies-of-scale to get E-Training services to Federal employees at reduced cost; automate the agency-to-agency exchange of employee personnel records; improve and enhance the Government recruitment process; automate the security clearance process; and consolidate and standardize the Government’s HR and payroll policies.

Mr. Enger has extensive experience in the information systems industry and managed organizations responsible for delivering quality information technology services and solutions to commercial and Government clients. Most recently, he was Vice President of Computer Associates International, the world’s fourth largest software firm, where he was responsible for developing business strategies and managing the delivery of professional services to major commercial and Federal E-business clients. Prior to this, he was President of Applied Management Systems, Inc. , a professional services and business systems integration firm that provided commercial and Federal clients a full range of E-business services. He is a graduate of Columbia University and is the author of several books on information technology.

DAN FOLEY is the Chief of Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Strategic HR Initiatives Team, Department of Transportation (DOT). During his 30+ year human resources career, Mr. Foley has been involved in virtually every phase of Federal human resources management, from recruitment and position classification, to HR policy development, personnel management evaluation, performance management and recognition, and automated HR systems design. He earned his BS degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, with a minor in Industrial Psychology, at New York University, and after service in the Navy during the Viet Nam War he completed a year of Graduate studies in Human Resources Administration at the City University of New York. Prior to transferring to FHWA within DOT as a Regional Personnel Officer in Albany, New York, Mr. Foley had worked for both the Treasury Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Department of Commerce. In recent years, Mr. Foley has managed FHWA’s nationwide Personnel Management Evaluation (PME) program and served as Deputy Chief for HR Policy and Systems Development.

JEANNE FRIEDRICH is a Position Classification Specialist with the US Office of Personnel Management, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, Classification Programs Division. Her work involves developing position classification job family standards and writing advisory classification opinions. Her knowledge of human resources management comes from her work with private industry and several Federal organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services, and various commands and offices within Department of the Army.

THOMAS GELONECK is the Human Resources Management Officer at the Veterans Administration (VA) Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mr. Geloneck has been in this position since January 1987. This Healthcare System includes a tertiary care medical center in Ann Arbor and satellite outpatient clinics in Toledo, Ohio and Jackson and Flint, Michigan. The major teaching affiliation is with the University of Michigan Medical School. Mr. Geloneck began his Federal career in 1976 as a Personnel Intern at the Allen Park, Michigan VA Medical Center. Mr. Geloneck has a BA degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University.

SANDRA A. GIBBS is the Project Director for the Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) Project. EHRI is included among the 24 E-Government initiatives designed to support the President’s Management Agenda to simplify and unify services across Government. Prior to her appointment to the Senior Executive Service within the Office of Personnel Management, Dr. Gibbs was with IBM for 17 years. At IBM, Dr. Gibbs was a certified Executive Consultant in IBM’s E-Business Government Consulting Practice. She served as the Business Transformation Competency Lead for IBM Federal Consulting. She specialized in guiding clients through business transformation and business process reengineering, with specialty in technology-supported transformations. Dr. Gibbs is a Cognitive/Engineering Psychologist with more than 18 years experience in software and hardware interface design; gathering/analysis of user focused requirements; workflow analysis; surveys of customer satisfaction; assessment of user productivity; competitive analyses, and E-business strategy. Dr. Gibbs has BS , MA , and PhD degrees from Wayne State University.

SHAWNA GODBOLT leads the Standardization Action Team. The team reviews and analyzes opportunities to improve payroll service as identified in the JFMIP Interagency Study and to identify other areas where standardization is necessary. The team consists of members from cross-servicing and independent payroll providers who possess both Payroll and HR policy knowledge, as well as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) compensation specialists. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has charged OPM with the E-Payroll Initiative to transform the current Federal payroll service delivery environment. Specifically, the E-Payroll Initiative will consolidate payroll service providers and standardize governmentwide payroll policies and processes.

Ms. Godbolt is a Financial Analyst currently working for the Office of Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Business Modernization and Systems Integration, Financial Management Modernization Program Management Office.

Ms. Godbolt has enjoyed a 21-year career in the Federal Government, spending the majority of her time working Finance and Accounting for the Department of Defense. Ms. Godbolt has a B. S. degree from the College of New Jersey.

MADELINE GONZALEZ is a Human Resources Specialist (Compensation) in the Salary and Wage Systems Division, Office of Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management. Ms. Gonzalez develops, interprets, and evaluates governmentwide policies and projects pertaining to the Federal Wage System pay system for appropriated fund and nonappropriated fund trade, craft, and laboring positions. In the pay administration area, she deals with such topics as basic pay setting, within-grade increases, highest previous rate, promotions, and grade and pay retention.

Ms. Gonzalez is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with a degree in Humanities. She currently resides in Northern Virginia and has three daughters.

LAURALINE GREGORY is the Director of the Office of Business Management within the Office of the Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisitions (ARA) at the Federal Aviation Administration. The Office of Business Management provides leadership and support to ARA management in defining business plans and practices; human capital management, including the development of human resource management guidance and processes and partnership management for current and future strategic business goals and change management activities. Ms. Gregory brings over 15 years of Federal Aviation Administration experience to her current position. She has held positions as Manager, Resource Management Branch in the agency's Contracts Division and Director, Logistics Division in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ms. Gregory also led the Personnel Reform effort for ARA and has served as the Manager, Human Capital Management Division in the Office of Business Management prior to assuming her current position. She holds a BA degree from the University of Maryland and has completed Executive Leadership Programs at Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University.

GARY HACKER is a Project Manager/Human Resources Specialist with the Center for Human Resources Innovation, Office of Merit Systems Oversight & Effectiveness, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). His current responsibilities include working with personnel demonstration projects, identifying and analyzing human resources innovations in both private and public sectors, and studying the use and effectiveness of human resources metrics. He has over 15 years of compensation experience at both OPM and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition, Mr. Hacker has had experience in classification, staffing, and operating personnel work at the headquarters and field levels at VA.

Mr. Hacker has a BS degree in Business-Economics from Marion College. He is a member of WorldatWork (formerly the American Compensation Association), the International Personnel Management Association, the Classification and Compensation Society, and the Washington Area Compensation and Benefits Association. Recently, Mr. Hacker earned the Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification from WorldatWork.

DORIS HAUSSER is an Assistant Director of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) within the Workforce Compensation and Performance Service. As head of the Office of Performance and Compensation Systems Design, she leads OPM’s effort to propose legislative changes to achieve a modernized performance-oriented system of compensation that can adapt to a variety of missions, structures, labor markets, and work technologies, ensuring that the system includes components to establish the value of jobs and performance; setting and adjusting basic pay; and designing and delivering variable pay. Currently that effort involves developing stakeholder discussions of the OPM White Paper, A Fresh Start for Federal Pay:The Case for Modernization. Recently, she has also been involved in supporting the Administration’s initiatives to improve the strategic management of human capital and to establish the Department of Homeland Security. Ms. Hausser also directs OPM’s position classification, performance management, and incentive awards programs. She has also served as a special advisor to the OPM Director for strategic initiatives.

Ms. Hausser received her BA degree from Albion College and MA and Ph. D. degrees in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan. She is a Certified Compensation Professional, having completed the professional certification program conducted by WorldatWork (formerly the American Compensation Association) in the area of compensation theory and practice. Ms. Hausser has co-authored books and articles in the areas of survey research, organizational development, and public sector compensation and management; served on the WorldatWork faculty; and been a consultant to the Executive Education Center of the University of Michigan's Graduate School of Business Administration. She is a member of WorldatWork, the American Psychological Association, and the International Personnel Management Association, where she has served as a member of the Federal Section’s Board of Directors.

SHARON HERZBERG is a Human Resources Specialist (Compensation) at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She is the leave team leader in the Pay and Leave Administration Division of the Office of Compensation Administration. She was instrumental in the development and administration of family-friendly leave initiatives in the Federal Government and gave many presentations to agency representatives on the family-friendly leave programs. In addition to Federal leave policies, Ms. Herzberg’s team is responsible for administration of the recruitment bonus, relocation bonus, retention allowance, and severance pay programs. She also worked on the annual Internet and hard-copy publication of governmentwide locality pay tables and on the development of Federal firefighter pay reform. Before joining OPM, Ms. Herzberg worked with learning-disabled students in the Fairfax County Public School system. She is a graduate of Duke University with a degree in English. Ms. Herzberg has two children and lives in northern Virginia.

WINFORD HOOKER currently leads a team of Human Resources Specialists (Classification) in the Classification Programs Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He and his team share responsibility for developing position classification job family and job grading standards. The standards are used by agencies throughout the Federal Government to classify positions. Mr. Hooker graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, with a BA degree in English and a minor in psychology. He is a 1970 graduate of the Department of the Navy’s Civilian Personnel Management Intern Program.

Prior to Mr. Hooker's current position, he held personnel positions with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he provided full position classification services to designated components of the bureau, and served as a Position Classification Specialist at OPM. There, his work as a standards writer brought him in contact with a variety of people throughout the Federal Government.

Prior to his first stint at OPM, Mr. Hooker held the position of Supervisory Personnel Staffing and Classification Specialist at the Naval Ordnance Station, Indian Head, Maryland. His other positions include Position Classification Specialist, Personnel Management Specialist, Supervisory Position Classification Specialist, and Supervisory Personnel Management Specialist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia, and White Oak, Maryland, where he served two tours of duty. He also served two tours of duty at Navy Headquarters, Office of Civilian Personnel Management in wage administration and position classification. He has served as facilitator for the Navy's Functional Managers' Course and as Cluster Group Advisor for OPM's Women’s Executive Leadership Program.

JENNIFER D. HOPKINS is a Human Resources Specialist in the Pay and Leave Administration Division of the Workforce Compensation Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She previously worked in the Civilian Personnel Management Services, Wage and Salary Division, at the Department of Defense. In this division, she conducted local annual Federal Wage System (FWS) wage surveys to develop FWS pay lines. Ms. Hopkins transferred to OPM in 1998 and began working in the Salary and Wage Systems Division. She has over 5 years of experience with Federal Wage System (FWS) pay administration. In 2000, Ms. Hopkins transferred to the Pay and Leave Administration Division. She currently works in the General Schedule pay administration area dealing with special salary rates, basic pay setting, highest previous rate, within grade increases, promotions, quality step increases, equivalent increases, recruitment bonuses, retention allowances, relocation bonuses, and grade and pay regulations.

JEANNE JACOBSON is a team leader for the pay team in the Pay and Leave Administration Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She is primarily responsible for governmentwide regulations and compensation policies relating to basic pay administration; recruitment and relocation bonuses, retention allowances (3Rs), special rates, and other compensation flexibilities; demonstration projects; and alternative personnel systems. Ms. Jacobson developed regulatory packages to expand the use of the 3Rs authorities, helped coordinate OPM’s information technology special rate study and implementation, assisted in instructing OPM's basic pay administration workshop, and participated on OPM's team responsible for developing broadbanding criteria for the Internal Revenue Service broadbanding authority. Ms. Jacobson previously worked as a position classification specialist on OPM's classification standards development team. She has been with OPM since 1989. She currently resides in Maryland and has two children.

NAOMI JOHNSON is an Organizational Development Specialist in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She serves as HHS’ Quality of Work Life Coordinator and was the primary staff consultant on the work redesign pilot projects. Ms. Johnson has a MA degree in social service from Bryn Mawr.

ROGER KNADLE is a Human Resources Specialist (Compensation) with the Pay and Leave Policy Administration Division, Office of Personnel Management, where he works on both the leave administration and premium pay teams. He is accredited as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) with the American Compensation Association, and has over 20 years experience in both the Federal and private sectors. Roger is a graduate of Towson State University, and did graduate work at the George Washington University.

His personal interests include his two children and being a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician and Firefighter with the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department, a PADI Certified Divemaster, and Vice President of Calvert County Water Rescue and Recovery Dive Team.

SANDRA C. KOLB is an Organizational Development Specialist and Senior Policy Advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As HHS’ Family-friendly Program Coordinator, she was the team leader for the work redesign pilot projects. Sandy holds a M.P.A. from The George Washington University.

DONALD KRIGBAUM is a Human Resources Consultant, and is currently associated with MRF Consultants in Rockville, Maryland. He recently retired from the Department of Health and Human Services, where he had served for several years as Compensation and Benefits Officer. Previously, he had served with the Office of Personnel Management, Department of the Army, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. His experience includes management of position classification programs, human resources program oversight and evaluation, development and operation of peer review systems for scientific positions, and implementation of the Civil Service Reform Act. Mr. Krigbaum holds a BS degree in business administration from Drury College, Springfield, Missouri, and an MS A degree in government administration from George Washington University.

KAREN LEBING leads the Outreach and Operations Team in the Performance Management and Incentive Awards Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She has been with the division since 1993. Ms. Lebing's areas of expertise include employee performance measurement, team performance management, and the performance management/broadbanding connection. Prior to joining OPM, she was a Personnel Management Specialist at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, where she was heavily involved in the implementation of broadbanding for the nonappropriated fund (NAF) employees on the base. Ms. Lebing was also part of the management negotiating team for the NAF labor/management contract, chaired the local wage survey, and served as the employee and labor relations specialist for NAF employees.

Ms. Lebing earned a BS degree in Sociology and an MS degree in Human Resources from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She worked as an Employee Development Specialist for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management in the Utah State Office before moving to Virginia.

WILLIAM H. LEONARD is currently the Principal Research Engineer at the Research Institute at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). He is currently under contract with the Army’s Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) to support their personnel demonstration project and resolve infrastructure issues. He retired in January 1999 from the AMRDEC after 41 years of civilian service. He had over 31 years of service with the AMRDEC in the dual career tracks of an experimental developer and a supervisor/senior manager. He was a former Executive Secretary to the Department of Defense Laboratory Quality Improvement Program Panel, and led the development of the AMRDEC personnel demonstration prior to Federal retirement. His awards include induction into the UAH Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy, two Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, the Army’s first E. Karl Bastress Award for excellence in management, and he was selected as one of the top 10 employees in the Army Materiel Command.

Dr. Leonard has a pH D. and MS degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management (ISEEM) and a BS degree in Engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

CHARLES A. LEWIS is the Program Manager for Planning and Payroll in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Office of Personnel. Mr. Lewis has directed the payroll operations function since 2000. This unit is responsible for SSA-wide time and attendance policy and guidance. Mr. Lewis also manages the operational systems related to human resources and time and attendance.

Mr. Lewis began his career with SSA’s financial organization in 1974. Throughout Mr. Lewis’ 26 years in the SSA financial community, he worked in a variety of progressively responsible staff and management positions, including the Chief of Central Accounting Operations and the Deputy Director of Finance. Mr. Lewis co-led the SSA conversion to its new payroll provider from 1995-1998 and directed a team that developed SSA’s Payroll Management Information System. He later participated as a key member of SSA’s 2010 Vision Team before pursuing a career change to the human resources field.

ED LIVERANI is the Classification and Pay Program Manager for the Department of Commerce. Prior to the Department of Commerce, he served on the Army Headquarters Staff in the Civilian Personnel Policy and Program Development Division. There he developed policies and procedures to guide position classification under the consolidation of Army human resources. He also developed and managed special projects in classification, such as the Army PD Library. Mr. Liverani has 20 years of human resources experience in various Federal agencies that includes employee relations, performance management, incentive awards administration, and employee development. He holds a MA degree in Social Work from Fordham University and has worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Navy in the fields of drug abuse and domestic violence.

KIMBERLY MABRY is a Human Resources Specialist (Classification) in the Classification Programs Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, in the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Her work involves developing and revising position classification job family standards and writing advisory classification opinions. She has worked as a Position Classification Specialist at the US Customs Service, Department of the Army, and the Internal Revenue Service. She served 6 years in the US Marine Corps before beginning her Federal civilian career.

Ms. Mabry served as the President of the Capital Chapter of Classification and Compensation Society from 1997-2002, and is currently a Member-at-Large of the National Chapter. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, The Women Marines Association, and the Women in the Military Service for America Memorial Foundation. Ms. Mabry holds a BA degree in Business Management from Park College and a M. B. A degree from Strayer University. 

SUELLEN MATTISON is currently a Human Resources Specialist (Classification) in the Classification Programs Division, Workforce Compensation and Performance Service, in the US Office of Personnel Management. She is one of several specialists who develop and revise job family and position classification guidance. Ms. Mattison is presently involved in the modification of the Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention Standard, GS-0081 and preparation of the Job Family Standard for Engineering Technician, GS-0800T.

Prior to her January 2001 move to the Office of Personnel Management, she was senior Position Classification Specialist at the Human Resources Directorate of the National Guard Bureau (NGB). In this capacity, she advised and represented the Human Resource Director and NGB staff on all matters relating to Classification and Position Management. Ms. Mattison has an extensive classification background in both the General Schedule and Federal Wage Systems. She has developed considerable agency-specific classification guidance and training for specialists, supervisors, and managers. While the majority of her experience is in the field of Classification, Ms. Mattison has also completed supervisory and non-supervisory assignments in Staffing and Employee Relations.

GARY MEADOWS is the Chief of the Wage and Salary Division, Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Personnel Management Service. The division serves as the Department’s wage setting authority, and is responsible for determining pay rates for over 450,000 Federal employees, including Federal Wage System, overseas educators, administrative and patron services, printing and lithographic, power plant, and numerous other special schedule employees. Mr. Meadows is an Air Force Veteran. He began his career with the DOD Wage Fixing Authority Technical Staff in 1976, and has been the Chief of the Wage and Salary Division since August 2001.

Mr. Meadows holds a BA degree from Ohio State University and an MA degree from Central Michigan University.

JEROME D. MIKOWICZ is Chief of the Salary and Wage Systems Division in the Workforce Compensation and Performance Service at the US Office of Personnel Management. The division develops and administers Government compensation policies relating to pay adjustments of the General Schedule structure (including locality pay), the Federal Wage System, and the non-foreign area cost-of-living allowance program.

After a stint in high school teaching and the US Air Force, Mr. Mikowicz began his career in compensation at the Civil Service Commission with assignments related to the Federal Wage System, General Schedule pay reform, and the Merit Pay System. He also served twice on detail as a compensation specialist to support the work of the Presidential Quadrennial Commission on Executive, Legislative and Judicial Salaries. Mr. Mikowicz later assumed responsibilities in Foreign Service compensation and served as Chief of the Policy Development and Analysis Branch at the Department of State. Shortly after the enactment of the Federal Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), Mr. Mikowicz worked to implement an excepted compensation program at the newly created Federal Housing Finance Board. He rejoined OPM shortly after the enactment of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 as Chief of the Pay and Leave Administration Division, a position he held until assignment to his current position in January 1999.

Mr. Mikowicz is a Certified Compensation Professional and member of WorldatWork. He holds a BA degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a M.P.A. degree from the George Washington University.

BRUCE MURRAY is a senior advisor and program administrator in the human resources policy staff at the Department of Energy (DOE) where he has worked since the Department was established October 1977. His areas of expertise are compensation (pay, leave, and work schedules), work/life programs (telework/flexiplace, employee assistance program, health and wellness programs, child and dependent care programs, and transportation benefits), and overseas employment. He has developed implementing documents for the student loan repayment program and for payment of expenses for professional credentials, along with a Handbook on Overtime that is detailed for every kind of work schedule situation and a Handbook on Leave and Absence that includes employee options for typical absences.

Prior to working at DOE, Bruce worked in servicing personnel offices at the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, and the Washington Navy Yard and Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Department of Navy.

MANFRED R. ORDELT is Chief of the Salaries and Allowances Division of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). The ICSC coordinates and regulates the conditions of service of the organizations of the United Nations system and has a role similar to that of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in the Federal civil service. Mr. Ordelt has been with the ICSC for more than 20 years. Before joining the ICSC, he was in charge of the total compensation comparability program of OPM in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

GEOF PEJSA is the Chief of the Pay, Processing, and Systems Branch in the Human Resources Division of the US Bureau of the Census. He oversees the personnel, payroll, and time and attendance processing for over 10,000 employees. In addition, his staff prepares HR specific management information reports, operates a small personnel/payroll call center, and programs unique web-based applications for the Census human resources community. Mr. Pejsa is a graduate of Virginia Tech and joined the Census Bureau directly from college in 1985.

MARTA BRITO PEREZ serves as the US Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Project Director for Human Capital Performance. Ms. Perez is responsible for establishing systems to institutionalize OPM's governmentwide leadership and oversight responsibility for the Human Capital component of the President’s Management Agenda. She oversees the development and implementation of policies and programs that promote the Human Capital initiative and ensure their full integration.

"Strategic Management of Human Capital" is the first governmentwide initiative in President Bush's Management Agenda. The ability to create an effective Government depends, in part, on its ability to develop and attract quality employees and to motivate them to perform at high levels. OPM has the lead for developing criteria to measure agency success on the Human Capital Initiative, for providing tools and consultative services to help agencies succeed, and for evaluating agency progress.

Ms. Perez most recently served as the Director of the Office of Human Resources for the Montgomery County (MD) government. In that position, she oversaw all aspects of human resources management for more than 10,000 county employees and 4,000 retired employees and their dependents. She served as the chief negotiator for the County's collective bargaining process, modernized the philosophy and technology of her department, and incorporated data analysis techniques to direct HR into value-added functions. She also developed and supported a diversity program and represented the County Executive on issues relating to the Hispanic community.

Ms. Perez’ achievements include the development of an executive compensation program, the creation of the Management Leadership Service, and partnering with Johns Hopkins University and Montgomery College to establish the first ever Montgomery County Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute model has been adopted by other agencies in the County.

Prior to her appointment in Montgomery County, Ms. Perez was a Manager with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) where she held a variety of assignments dealing with domestic and international law enforcement organizations. Ms. Perez was at the IACP from March 1978 to March 1995.

Ms. Perez has a M.S. degree in Organization Development and Human Resources from Johns Hopkins University along with a BA degree in Criminology from the University of Maryland. She has studied at Harvard University John F. Kennedy School Executive Program of Government for Local and State Officials. In 1998, Ms. Perez received the International Personnel Management Association's Award for Excellence. Ms. Perez belongs to numerous professional groups including WorldatWork and the Society for Human Resources Management. She is currently Vice Chair of United Way, Montgomery County, Maryland.

JO ANN PERRINI is the Chief of the Pay and Leave Administration Division in the Office of Compensation Administration, US Office of Personnel Management. The Pay and Leave Administration Division is at the forefront of governmentwide initiatives to develop and implement pay and leave policies in support of recruiting and retaining a diverse, high-quality, results-oriented workforce. The Division develops governmentwide policy and provides guidance on issues such as pay and leave administration, work scheduling, overtime and other premium pay entitlements, special salary rates, recruitment and retention payments, and much more. Most of Ms. Perrini’s 25 years of Government service has been in the areas of compensation and leave benefits. Ms. Perrinihas received three Director’s Awards for Excellence for her work on developing governmentwide pay and leave policies and programs.

GAIL REDD is currently a Human Resources Management Specialist at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Ms. Redd has been involved with the Demonstration Project program since 1989. She was a Graduate Fellow of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and a former Presidential Management Intern. She was responsible for Federal pay policy as a budget examiner in the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget. Ms. Redd has been recognized with an OPM Director's Award for her significant contribution to the field of human resources management through the use of the focus group technique and continues as one of the Federal Government's leading experts in the field of focus group design, moderation, and evaluation. Ms. Redd was recognized with a second OPM Director’s Award for contributing to the Center’s outstanding achievement and performance. Currently, Ms. Redd has been designated as a Desk Officer on OPM’s Human Capital Initiative Team to help implement the President’s Management Agenda.

SHIRLEY BEEMAN SCOTT is the Director of Human Resources for the Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA )of the Department of Navy. In addition to this position, Ms. Scott serves as the Project Manager, NAVSEA Warfare Centers’ Personnel Demonstration Project. This project, the largest personnel demonstration project in operation, covers more than 11,500 positions located across the Naval Surface Warfare Center and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. As Project Manager, Ms. Scott is responsible for overseeing the project, providing policy advice and guidance to the Warfare Centers, proposing innovations or changes to the existing project components, and evaluating the results. Before becoming the Project Manager in January 2001, Ms. Scott served as the Deputy Project Manager. She held this position from the Project’s inception in 1995 until January 2001 and was involved in the Project’s proposal, development, and implementation across the Warfare Centers.

Ms. Scott has over 25 years of HR experience within the Department of Navy, Defense Logistics Agency, and the General Services Administration with extensive experience in staffing, classification, and pay administration. She has received numerous outstanding and sustained superior performance awards throughout her career and was granted the Department of Navy’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1997 in recognition of the support she provided to the NAVSEA Warfare Centers’ Personnel Demonstration Project.

She holds a BS degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland. She and her husband reside in Dahlgren, Virginia.

DeSHAWN SHEPARD manages the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Work/Life program. She has written Department policy that allows agencies within DOT to offer childcare tuition assistance subsidies to their lower income employees. She is currently revising the DOT telecommuting policy developing an all-employee telecommuting handbook, and writing a leave handbook for all DOT employees.

Ms. Shepard has worked for the Department of Navy at Patuxent River, Maryland as a human resources generalist. In 1997, Ms. Shepard became the coordinator for the Office of Personnel Management’s family friendly programs. These included the Family and Medical Leave Act, policies on Alternative Work Schedules, and Telecommuting. She also established the agency’s formal Nursing Mothers’ Program and served as the policy specialist for absence and leave, incentive awards, performance management, and telecommuting programs.

Ms. Shepard has presented work/life issues at various conferences including the Symposium on Employee and Labor Relations, other OPM conferences, and the FPMI Labor and Employee Relations Conference. She served as a panel member for the OPM Satellite Broadcast on managing telecommuters and has been a guest speaker on Federal News Radio.com (WTOP). Ms. Shepard received a BS degree in Business Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

PATRICK SIMPKINS is the manager of Federal Human Resources IT Systems Integration at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Office of Human Resources and Education. Mr. Simpkins started working for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 1983 as a systems engineer in the Environmental Control and Life Support System section of Shuttle Engineering. Mr. Simpkins performed in various increasing levels of responsibility including technical and organizational leadership as well as lead responsibilities for Space Shuttle Fluid Systems in the Launch Control Center for over 70 Shuttle missions. His last assignment in Shuttle Engineering at KSC was as the Fluid Systems Division Chief.

In January 1998, Mr. Simpkins was tasked by the KSC Center Director to develop a leadership program that engendered the leadership behaviors essential for taking KSC to its future goals. The Leadership Excellence Achievement Program was developed by this team and is currently the backbone of leadership development at the KSC. Very shortly afterwards, a different perspective in the Human Resources organization was desired and he was appointed Chief of Personnel for NASA at KSC.

Past agencywide assignments include a project manager role in change management, learning and assessment associated with developing collaborative design and development environments as well as evaluating options for an alternative pay system for NASA. Most recently, his assignments have included leading agency senior executives through a strategic human capital plan development process, leading the human resources federalization activity for NASA, and leading the agencywide competency management system effort.

Mr. Simpkins has a BS degree in Environmental Engineering, a M.S. degree in Human Resource Management, and is currently pursuing a pH D. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management. He is a graduate of the Harvard Senior Executive Fellows Program and is currently enrolled in NASA’s Senior Executive Development Program. Mr. Simpkins recently relocated from Florida, with his wife and 8-year-old son, to the Washington, DC area to work on agency-wide programs from the NASA headquarters perspective.

GLORIA SNOWDEN is a Management Analyst with the Office of Business Management and serves as the Project Manager for the implementation and management of a results-based performance management program for the Office of the Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisitions (ARA) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ARA Performance Management Program (PMP) covers 1,000 managers and employees and is designed to foster results-based measurements, employee involvement, and share accountability. During her 14 year tenure at FAA, Ms. Snowden has worked on a variety of human resources initiatives, including staffing, classification, incentive awards, career development, and mentoring.

Ms. Snowden is a graduate of the Office of Personnel Management's Women's Executive Leadership Program (WEL). She holds a BS degree from Oberlin College and will receive her MA degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Maryland, University College in December 2002.

JUANITA P. STOKES is the Deputy Director of the Office of Allowances, Department of State. She has been with the Department of State since 1963. She has held several positions within the Department serving the majority of her time in the Office of Allowances. She has held virtually every position in the Office, to include those of Special Projects Officer, Director’s Assistant, Information Systems Manager, and Allowances and Differentials Analyst. She is the Department of State’s expert on the civilian overseas allowances and differentials and foreign per diem rates. She has worked with foreign benefits comparisons study groups at the United Nations. She also serves as a Department of State’s consultant to private industry and foreign governments on allowance issues. She advises USG civilian agencies, the National Foreign Trade Council and foreign governments on allowances under the Department of State Standardized Regulations. Juanita travels worldwide representing the Department on all matters concerning allowances and associated regulations. She routinely makes presentations to USG civilian officials, the armed services and foreign dignitaries. Juanita is a native Washingtonian and holds a BS degree in Management from the National Louis University in McLean, Virginia.

CLAUDIA THORNBURG has 26 years of Federal experience. She has been in the field of human resources at the US Census Bureau for 22 years with experience in the areas of classification, labor relations, and employee relations. For the past 6 years she has been program manager for the Performance and Recognition systems at the Bureau. In her current position, she was responsible for overseeing the Bureau's transition from a 5-level appraisal program to a 2-level program, as well as for an evaluation of performance appraisal and a new award program under the 2-level appraisal program.

FRANK D. TITUS is the US Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Assistant Director for Long Term Care and its Acting Associate Director for Retirement and Insurance. He is a 30-year veteran of the Government’s Retirement and Insurance Programs and is currently directing a small office devoted to implementing OPM’s newest, and largest, benefit program, the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Mr. Titus is no stranger to implementing large programs. He implemented a new retirement program for Federal employees in 1986, including an open season that gave over 2. 5 million employees a choice between old and new systems. More recently, he was responsible for implementing the Patient’s Bill of Rights, and for bringing parity to mental health and substance abuse benefits in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. His accomplishments have produced many awards, including two Presidential Rank Awards for Meritorious Service.

DEBORAH E. THOMPSON is the Acting Assistant Director, Compensation, Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She has program responsibility for pay administration, hours of work, and leave systems for all IRS employees. She also has responsibility for developing the pay administration plans, and guidance and implementation strategy for the new IRS paybanding systems established under the IRS Reform & Restructuring Act of 1998. Prior to moving to the IRS, Ms. Thompson was Chief of the Special Pay Systems Branch of the Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Personnel Management Service, Wage and Salary Division. While there, she had responsibility for the pay determination and administration of DOD special schedule and rate programs, foreign national compensation program oversight, overseas educators salary schedules, and administratively-determined pay systems. Ms. Thompson has a BS degree in Sociology and is a Certified Compensation Professional (WorldatWork).

ANDREW M. WASILISIN is the Chief of the Labor-Management Relations Division for the Office of Labor and Employee Relations within the Office of Workforce Relations at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). At OPM, he coordinates the Interagency Advisory Group Network on Labor-Management Relations and leads efforts in agency outreach and technical assistance. He is also responsible for oversight of the Labor Agreement Information Retrieval System (LAIRS) and those sections of OPM’s Web site dealing with labor relations. Prior to joining OPM, he was a Labor Relations Specialist in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Prior to the IRS, he was with OPM’s Office of Labor Relations and Workforce Performance. Mr. Wasilisin began his Federal service as a Presidential Management Intern (PMI) in 1990. He has also worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Labor and Industry’s, Office of Labor-Management Cooperation.

Mr. Wasilisin has a M.P.A. Degree with a certificate in Public Personnel and Labor Relations from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), University of Pittsburgh.

DELMAR D. WHITE leads a team of Human Resources Specialists (Classification) in the US Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Classification Programs Division. Mr. White is responsible for guiding the development of classification and job grading standards that are used to evaluate positions throughout the General Schedule and Federal Wage System. In addition, he has responsibility for leading the automation initiatives of the division in maintaining and upgrading the CD-ROM and HRCD, used to issue classification and job grading standards and other relevant publications and information. He also provides classification guidance and advisories to agencies regarding the interpretation of classification and job grading standards, pay category determinations, and classification policy. He has been involved in job evaluation and other areas of human resources management for over 30 years.

VICTORIA WILLIAMS is a Human Resources Specialist in the Employee Relations Policy Division of the US Office of Personnel Management. In this position, Ms. Williams is responsible for many policy areas including, actions based on unacceptable performance, leave, and discrimination. Ms. Williams’ experience includes several years of human resources experience in the Federal Government, and the private sector. Ms. Williams has developed and delivered equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, employee relations, and performance management training. She has written equal employment opportunity and employee relations policies, and affirmative action plans as well as performed day-to-day employee relations functions.

Ms. Williams received a BA degree in Business Administration from Trinity College, a M.S. degree in Human Resources Administration from Central Michigan University, and the Professional in Human Resources Certification (PHR) from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Ms. Williams is a volunteer mediator with the Prince George’s County, Maryland Human Relations Commission; and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. , a public service sorority.

DONALD J. WINSTEAD is the US Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Assistant Director for Compensation Administration. He is responsible for administering compensation systems covering about 1. 7 million white-collar and blue-collar civilian Federal employees. Mr. Winstead has been instrumental in helping Federal agencies make strategic use of a variety of pay flexibilities, including recruitment and relocation bonuses, retention allowances, and special salary rates. Under his leadership, OPM established special salary rates in January 2001 to facilitate governmentwide recruitment efforts for Federal information technology workers. Mr. Winstead’s staff also has developed and implemented a number of family-friendly workplace initiatives, including alternative work schedules, leave sharing, family and medical leave, and the use of sick leave for family care purposes. He holds a BA degree from the University of Oklahoma and an MA degree from Indiana University, and he has completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University.

GLENN WOODLEY is a Senior Program Analyst with the US General Services Administration, Office of Governmentwide Policy in Washington, D.C. Mr. Woodley works in the Innovative Workplaces Division with the Federal Telework Team and assists in the continuing development and qualitative improvement of the teleworking program.

Mr. Woodley has over 30 years of military and civilian Government experience in field and headquarters positions with the Department of Army, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Commerce, University of the District of Columbia, Department of Labor, and Housing and Urban Development. Most of his experience has been in human resources management, teleworking, entrepreneurial Government activities, public/private partnerships, interagency and intergovernmental cooperative efforts, streamlining administrative management functions, and cost benefit analysis. Mr. Woodley has prepared reports and articles for Congress and professional journals, and made numerous presentations at conferences, seminars, and business meetings. During this time, he has received many achievement awards and recognition for exemplary Government and community service.

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