
Washington, DC CHRO Community
Executive Summit
December 6, 2023 | Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel
December 6, 2023
Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Washington, DC's top CHROs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CHROs today:
Developing human-centric leaders for the new world of work
Preparing the organization and HR function for technological innovation
Identifying, growing and retaining employees with the skills your business requires
Washington, DC CHRO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CHROs, For CHROs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs

Ann Addison
Northrop Grumman
Corporate VP & CHRO

Melissa Hurst
American Red Cross
CHRO

Ken Kovach
B. F. Saul Company
CHRO

Shawn Stokes
Prince George's
Director of Human Resources

Jacqueline Welch
New York Times
EVP & CHRO

Loretta Young Walker
MedStar Health
EVP & Chief People Officer
What to Expect
Agenda
7:45am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Creating a Culture Where Employees Thrive

Bob Leavitt
Chief Human Capital Officer
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
In the day-to-day treadmill of cost efficiencies, standard compliance, and advancing major initiatives, we all strive to maintain our focus on people – our colleagues, our customers. Human-centric leadership can boost organizational culture, foster employee wellbeing, and improve retention. It is also our imperative. Join a former conflict resolution specialist turned CHCO of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as he guides this keynote focused on:
- Creating a culture of learning, recognition, and performance, while encouraging diverse perspectives
- Evaluating and adjusting our leadership styles, and welcoming the discomfort at times in doing so
- Aligning your performance management system around the new culture
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Accelerating Leadership Development Programs

Holly Kortright
EVP & CHRO
Navy Federal Credit Union

Keith Vavra
CHRO, NA
ST Engineering
72% of executives tell Gartner they've recently increased spending on leadership development programs. With or without extra funding, there are some practical steps to improve your leadership pipeline and organizations who excel at identifying and developing leaders will be at a competitive advantage.
Join this fireside chat as CHROs discuss:
- Merging leadership development plan into company culture and mission
- Identifying current leadership challenges and making necessary adjustments
- Supporting growth development and performance on a large scale
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Pushing for Equity to Cultivate Employee and Business Success

Loretta Young Walker
EVP & Chief People Officer
MedStar Health

Tia Butler
Chief Human Capital Officer
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Junish Arora
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
U.S. Department of Commerce
According to Gartner’s Board of Directors Survey, 45% of boards have DE&I on the agenda every quarter or at every board meeting. This data supports the tectonic shift in initiatives driving both social and business value following heightened tensions in the past couple of years. With equity programs in place, what can HR leaders do to keep pushing for more and get support from the board?
Join this session to discuss:
How to get widespread support from organization that an equitable and inclusive work environment is a strategic business priority, not just a nice thing to do
What can be done to hold leadership accountable
How to maintain momentum on programs already in place and advocate for more
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Ask Me Anything - HR Alignment for Improved Business Results

Kelly Neiman
CHRO
DLA Piper

Jack Jackson
Vice President of Human Resources
DCS Corporation

Dr. Tina Garrett-Ragland
Chief People and Culture Officer
Save The Children
Creating an optimal structure of the HR function sets up the entire organization for success. So what's the first step if you have a blank piece of paper to openly reimagine HR strategy from the ground up? Kelly Neiman, CHRO of DLA Piper, had that exact opportunity and is here to share her experience.
Join this ask me anything boardroom session to discuss:
- Obtaining a strong baseline of organization needs and future business strategy
- Implementing strategic role placement based on individual strengths
- Aligning the HR team to create accountability and shared responsibility for driving results
10:25am - 11:00am Networking Break
10:30am - 10:55am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:00am - 11:45am Breakout Session
What HR Leaders Need to Know About AI

David Van Deventer
VP, Associate Experience
HD Supply
According to Gartner, 94% of businesses plan to deploy some form of artificial intelligence by 2025. HR leaders are being tasked with not only rolling out new processes, but ensuring the technology being implemented remains fair and unbiased in its recommendations.
This session will focus on:
- Obtaining a high level overview of AI, Generative AI and Machine Learning
- Understanding common applications of AI and its impact on work and talent
- Preparing for and addressing the ethical implications of AI in HR technology
11:00am - 11:45am Executive Boardroom
Recruiting Scarce Talent in 2023

Mary Kay Gribbons
CHRO
Sunrise Senior Living

Kimberly Hough
CHRO
Chesterfield County Public Schools

Angelia Neal
Assistant Administrator for HR Management
Department of Transportation - Federal Aviation Administration
CHROs are continuously looking to revamp the way they recruit and sourcing talent where competitors are not. When developing a strategic recruiting function, what are the untapped ways to find the best talent and improve business from the ground up?
In this session CHROs will address:
- Finding nontraditional candidate sources
- Diversifying your talent pool
- Hiring to meet short and long term needs
11:00am - 11:45am Executive Boardroom
Cultivating a Culture of Belonging From the Top Down

Wonzie Gardner
CHCO
National Science Foundation

Debbie Rosenberg
Chief Administrative Officer
Transurban

Dr. Kristi Murphy Baldwin
CHRO
Prince George's County Public Schools
The balancing of employee expectations amid ongoing labor shortages are a growing concern in every industry. Despite the challenges, the most successful businesses have established a culture of belonging that causes a ripple effect on retention. If internal culture isn't initiated by the CHRO, how can change truly be implemented?
Join this boardroom session to learn how to:
Establish a sense of "we" starting from the top
Align your performance management system around the new culture
Communicate goals and challenges transparently
11:45am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Washington, DC CHRO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Sheraton Pentagon City HotelParking:
Onsite Self Parking:
Event Parking: $5 (Validation provided at Registration)
Overnight: $15
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1-888-236-2427.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $169 USD (plus tax) is November 6, 2023.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.