Fireside Chat: 
The Case for Employment Branding in Talent Acquisition 

Moderator: 
Jennifer Augustine
Director, Office of Strategic Outreach and Talent Acquisition, DISA

Panelists:

Melissa Le Dueñas
Senior Vice President and Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, Leidos, Inc.

Rich Cober
Vice President, Chief HR Officers Practice, Gartner 

Topic: 

Clearance and Security Requirements for DISA Contracts

Moderator: 
Scott Addis
Chief of Safety, Security, and Counterintelligence, DISA

Join our discussion on the value proposition in employment branding, including how to position your company, federal or DOD entity to align with potential employees. We'll cover creating an employer brand, its impact on recruitment and retention, and the significance of showcasing the employee experience to attract new talent. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more!

This discussion provides an overview of the DISA personnel security program, including security clearance requirements, the clearance process, adjudication determinations, contractor clearances, DD254 considerations, and eligibility and access guidelines for classified information.

Topics: 
Reskilling, Upskilling and Flexible Development Opportunities are Top Priorities

Moderator: 
Drew Cawlfield
Division Chief, Workforce Development, DISA

Panelists:

Joseph Kovba
Technical Upskilling Lead and Principal Investigator, Leidos Office of Technology;
Computer Science and Cyber Security Lecturer,
Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering

Rodney Peterson
Director of National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education at NIST/

U.S. Department of Commerce

Dr. Steve Taylor
Senior Fellow on Postsecondary Education, Stand Together;
Founder, ED2WORK®

Dr. Bradford Sims

President, Capitol Technology University

Topic: 

People Analytics and Automation are on the Rise

Moderator: 
Jennifer Augustine

Director, Office of Strategic Outreach and Talent Acquisition, DISA

Panelists:

Sarah Nather
Division Director, Human Capitol Solutions Management,
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Manpower and Reserve Affairs

Linda Jantzen
Assistant Professor, College of Information and Cyberspace,
National Defense University

Henry Sowell

Chief Information Officer, Cloudera Government Solutions, Inc.

Indira Rice Donegan
Senior Strategist for Data-Centric Hybrid Cloud Strategy
and Development, NetApp, Inc.

Staying competitive in a tough labor market demands training, retraining and a commitment to excellence. The panel will address reskilling, upskilling, and professional development opportunities in government, industry and academia. 

Topic: 
Best Practices for Managing Your Technical Workforce -
Viewed through a Diversity & Inclusion Lens

Moderator: 
Dr. Michelle Goddard-Kim
Chief Diversity Officer, DISA

Panelists:

Victoria L. Bowens

Associated Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Management Operations Center,
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and Defense Human Resources Activity

Dr. Juliette Nelson
Personnel Research Psychologist, FEMA;
I-O Psychologist, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®)

Tashí Carper
Director of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Leidos, Inc.

Chris Armstrong
Co-owner, Veritas Culture, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®)

Fireside Topic: 

Organizational Culture Transformation

Moderator: 
Laura Radney
Program Director for Culture and Employee Engagement, DISA

Panelists:
Erin Strausbaugh
Agency Communication Specialist, DISA

Kristi Smith
Strategic Communications Specialist, DISA

Join this panel to explore managing a technical workforce through a diverse and inclusive lens. Expert panelists from government and industry will discuss trends in recruitment and retention, organizational climate, and special themes for managing a Science, Technology, and Engineering Math workforce.

The Office of Personnel Management conducts an annual survey of all federal civilians called the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). DISA has concentrated on forging partnerships within the agency, boosting survey participation and taking action based on the results. DISA has aligned its FEVS processes and communication efforts and established an agency working group to facilitate cultural change. Through internal communication, the use of FEVS ambassadors and points of contact, DISA has considerably increased participation among civilian employees, thereby enhancing confidence in the data. This fireside chat will highlight these achievements, explain how the agency managed to significantly enhance its internal culture and outline future plans.