Elaine Ho

Elaine Ho serves as the Associate Administrator for NASA’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. She is the Agency’s Chief Diversity Officer, providing executive and transformative leadership over diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policy and programs for the entire NASA workforce. Ho leads the strategy and execution of NASA’s external civil rights programs; NASA’s DEIA Strategic Plan; cross-agency workforce and program data and analytics; Agency-wide anti-harassment, reasonable accommodation, EEO complaints, and conflict resolution programs; and DEIA-related training.

Ho is a long-time public servant who has remained connected to DEIA throughout her career. Most recently at NASA, she served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, responsible for leading and managing a wide-ranging portfolio of projects and initiatives that benefit students, universities and educational institutions across the country. Ho began her federal career in senior roles at Department of Agriculture and the IRS, leading transformative workplace diversity and inclusion strategies, including diversity recruitment through student internships. She then served as IRS’s Deputy Chief of Staff where she helped to shape and execute the strategic priorities of the IRS’s global tax operation and its workforce of 87,000. Ho went on to serve several roles in the White House. In 2015, she held the position of Senior Policy Advisor, working with Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Office to implement the Let Girls Learn initiative, focused on adolescent girls’ education worldwide. In 2017, she remained in the White House as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Digital Service, an office dedicated to recruiting diverse top technical talent and deploying teams across the federal government to deliver better services to the American public. After joining NASA, Ho returned to the White House in 2021 on a year-long detail as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Director of Space STEM Policy in the Office of the Vice President’s National Space Council.

Prior to her federal service career, Ho was a practicing attorney, specializing in employment law and workplace diversity and inclusion. She also served over four years active duty as an Air Force criminal prosecutor. She continues her military service today as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, where she helps the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps with its diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Ho received her degree in civil engineering from Duke University, her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida, and executive certificate in diversity strategy from Georgetown University.

Ho lives in McLean, Virginia, with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children.

Carolina Catalan

Carolina Catalan is the Manager of Integration and Support, for the Chief of Staff to the Chief Commerce and Business Solutions Officer (CCBSO). She is responsible for executing the commercial vision across CCBSO priorities. Builds relationships and connections across the organization and drives successful delivery of programmatic initiatives.

She began her career with the Postal Service 19 years ago as a Professional Specialist Trainee-Industrial Engineer at the New York International Service Center and has held numerous positions in the field and headquarters. In her previous assignments, she joined the Network Operations Industrial Engineering team where she was fundamental as co-lead of the Lean Mail Processing (LMP) initiative which helped streamline, optimize, and improve processing efficiencies across 200 plants nationwide.

Carolina earned an MBA, a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Florida International University. She attained her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Liz Reinert

Liz Reinert was hired as the Executive Director in August of 2019 after several years of sending ladies from her program over to SFC for professional clothing. Liz came over from DC Central Kitchen, where she served for six years as the Director of Business Engagement and Community Development and then two years as the Director of Workforce Development.

Prior to her work at DCCK, she was the Deputy Director for Food for Others, the largest provider of free food directly to families in Northern Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and a Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from George Mason University.

Love Rutledge

Ms. Love Rutledge, currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Readiness. Outside of work hours, she hosts the FedUpward Podcast (fedupwardcoaching.com/podcast) and coaches federal employees.

Previous positions in the Joint Staff focused on global force management, readiness and budgetary issues. Ms. Rutledge also served in a variety of roles in Headquarters Marine Corps, and the Department of Navy’s Office of Budget.

She holds a B.A. in communication from Tulane University, a Master’s in Public Administration from The George Washington University, and a Master’s in Defense Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University.

She is a native of Alabama, a wife and mother of two (Greyson and Parker Lu), and lives in Alexandria with her husband, Josh Drumwright.

Kay Ely

Ms. Kay Ely is a senior acquisition and business leader with over 35 years of public and private sector experience in diverse technical areas at the enterprise level. For close to 20 years of her government career, she was a member of Senior Executive Service (SES) and is a current member of the Senior Executives Association (SEA). Ms. Ely is a superior leader, communicator, and results-oriented change agent, who has led policy, program, and staff through significant growth and change.
Since her retirement from federal service in December 2018, Ms. Ely has continued supporting the federal government serving as a consultant to companies interested in doing business with the government and ensuring the delivery of quality supplies and services. In this role she is the President and Owner of The Ely Group, LLC.
Ms. Ely held multiple SES positions within the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS); these included Assistant Commissioner, Information Technology Category (ITC), Deputy Assistant Commissioner ITC, and Director of IT Schedule Programs.

During her tenure at ITC, she and her team grew the ITC business volume by $2 billon, she led the development and program management of IT acquisition and telecommunication products and services, cyber, and shared services to global federal, state, and local customers. Ms. Ely also managed the complex reorganization of an IT category-specific operational model and led the Federal Marketplace initiative.

At the Office of Personnel Management, as the Human Resources Solutions Associate Director, Ms. Ely set strategic direction and led a $700 million fee-for service, 3,600-person nationwide organization providing human resources products and services through multiple business lines. In 2011, she organized and led a historic, comprehensive OPM reorganization; served as Head of Contracting Activity (HCA)/Senior Procurement Executive (SPE); managed USA Staffing supporting more than 70 federal agencies; transformed USAJOBS to be a recruitment market leader; managed the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, serving 8.5 million people; and managed a federal retiree trust fund account of over $1 trillion.

Earlier, Ms. Ely served as Associate Administrator for Acquisition Implementation in the Executive Office of the President, SES Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She served as a member of the Federal Acquisition Institute Board of Directors and as an Advisor to the President’s Management Council, Performance Based Contracts. She performed in a key government-wide acquisition policy-making role, served as acting OFPP Administrator during the Presidential transition, developed the Acquisition Policy Best Practices Guide, oversaw all Federal procurement organizations, spearheaded federal interagency IT acquisition program initiatives, and acted as VA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition.
Ms. Ely has received the Presidential Rank Award and is a two-time Federal 100 award winner. She is an Acquisition SAGE with the Partnership for Public Service and was a Fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration.

Rhonda C. Shaffer

Rhonda C. Shaffer is currently a Federal Senior Executive. Since January 2021, Rhonda has been serving at the Department of Transportation as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Chief Budget Officer with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) overseeing billions of federal funds in support of our Nation’s infrastructure.

Rhonda has also served in federal leadership roles with the U.S. Department of Army in the areas of Logistics and executive level oversight of quality-of-life programs to over 13,000 military members, Department of Defense Civilians, Retirees, and Contractors assigned to the Pentagon and its annexes. Before her work in the Army, she served as the Regional Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Marine Corps in the Indo-Asia Pacific area. She has also served in senior staff positions with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Coast Guard leading enterprise-level initiatives. Before joining the federal service, Rhonda held executive level positions in the private sector serving as a Chief Audit Executive for a global manufacturing firm, a Chief Financial Officer for a Midwestern plastics manufacturing firm, and a Chief Executive Officer for a multi-national financial management consulting firm.

Rhonda also serves as an Adjunct Professor with George Mason University. She spends her free time with family and friends, riding her bike, being outdoors, and volunteering. She has served in Board Service on the Board of Directors for Kansas Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children and for Executive Women in Government in leadership with some amazing Past Presidents as Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary. During her terms, she was instrumental in bringing together federal executives and agency heads for the memorable 12th Annual Summit with over 350 participants. She led in raising awareness of our prestigious EWG mission and helping solidify EWG as an OPM Infinity Group. She exercised her leadership skills by helping improving EWG’s business processes, strengthening fiscal practices, and rebranding the website to help women leaders better promote, advocate, and network in the federal community. She is a Lifetime Member of EWG.

Patricia Waddell

Patricia is senior leader at the General Services Administration (GSA)
with a long career in acquisition, program management, strategic
planning, and managing major program operations. At present, Patricia
leads the Office of Information Technology Services within GSA’s
Federal Acquisition Service. As the Director, she oversees a major
governmentwide acquisition program, its business operations; develops
strategies to deliver results that align with program goals including
strategic planning, performance management, budget and financial
management, and resource allocation for the organization.

Patricia is a thought leader, with a strong focus on results. She is an
advocate for career development and maintains a strong desire to help
others succeed. Patricia draws from her management and leadership
experience to coach, mentor and champion current and future women
leaders, managers, and supervisors. She is passionate about helping
women learn and grow professionally to achieve desired outcomes.
Patricia enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends. She
holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration (MPA) from Bowie State
University, Bowie MD, and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Adult Education
and Nutrition from Cornell University, Ithaca NY. Patricia is a Certified
Federal Internal Coach and trained at the Treasury Executive Institute.

Raquel Morgan

Raquel is a Director in Guidehouse’s Digital Solutions business, and helps lead the firm’s IT Strategy and Transformation services
She has led technology strategy and modernization projects across federal and commercial sectors, including helping government agencies develop AI strategies, implement governance structures to manage AI adoption, and to meet the requirements of the Federal Executive Order on AI
Her expertise includes AI strategy and adoption with a focus on four key components: Data, Technology, Workforce, and Governance

Pamela Sessoms

Pam is the Chief of Staff for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions Project Management Office. Pam demonstrates her strategic expertise and dedication to transformative projects. Her influence extends to the US Office of Personnel Management, where she is detailed and spearheads the creation of a Federal Enterprise Level Virtual Human Resources Marketplace, championing human-centered design principles.

Pam is an entrepreneurial leader, with a strong focus on start-ups and transitions. She is an advocate for women's representation and advancement. She specializes in leadership coaching, etiquette coaching, training, travel, and is dedicated to empowering women to maximize their capabilities and thrive in both their professional and personal lives. Pam encourages women in setting ambitious career goals and fostering motivation, she helps them become their own advocates, gaining the confidence to voice their ideas effectively within the workplace.

Pam enjoys spending time on the water, listening to music, community volunteerism, and spending time with family and friends. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, Master of Administration in Management from Webster University and is acquiring a Master of Science in Strategic Communications from University of Maryland University of Maryland College. Pam is a leadership and etiquette coach.

Mika J. Cross

Mika Cross is a transformational workplace and award-winning government expert. With more than 20 years in public service and industry, she works with government agencies, leaders, and the workforce to help them adapt to the changing needs and demands of the modern work environment. She is driven by a vision of fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and inclusion to position any workplace for success in the Future of Work.

Mika's background as an Army veteran,human capitalexpert, and workplace innovator gives her a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the workforce today.

She has a national reputation for leading and implementing groundbreaking, human capital policy and workplace initiatives, such as telework, wellness, and remote work policies across the United States Intelligence Community after 9/11. She has also designed and implemented award­ winning remote and flexible work programs across various Executive Departments and Branches of government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S.Department of Labor, and in private industry.

She is a highly respected speaker, trainer, and advisor who offers practical solutions and best practices for improving employee engagement,performance, and well-being.

In March 2023,she was invited by the Government Oversight Committee to provide a Statement for the Record as part of their congressional hearing on the Nation's Largest Employer-OPM and in December 2021, she testified as an expert witness for the Senate Hearing on the Future of Federal Work.