Oct. 25, 2023 Virtual Summit Agenda
Ready for sixteen different sessions focused on the skills and concepts public servants like you need to advance in their careers? We’ve curated a jam-packed agenda built around the topics that matter most to government employees like you. Now the difficult part: which sessions will you join on Oct. 25?
Review the agenda below to explore the keynotes and sessions planned for the upcoming virtual summit! Please note that session times are listed in EST and the agenda is subject to change. Check back often as we update the agenda with speakers. Have a speaker suggestion? Submit it here.
NextGen Government Training Virtual Summit:
Skill Sets for the Modern Public Servant
Wednesday, Oct. 25 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET/7 a.m.-1 p.m. PT
Attendees Can Earn Up to 5 CPE Credits
Live Captioning Will Be Available
10-11 AM ET/7-8 AM PT – Opening Keynote Session (1 CPE Credit):
Peering Into the Future – What Skills Do You Need to Get Ahead?
Sarah Moffat, Change Catalyst, Leadership Coach and Storyteller
New technologies, policies and strategies pop up every single day, which means keeping your skillsets up to date can feel impossible. Should you invest your time in learning artificial intelligence, network optimization, procurement models or maybe even communication best practices for a hybrid world? In this keynote, you will hear what skillsets should be on the top of your list.
Talk Less, Listen More: How to Have Truly Impactful Connections
Mary Abbajay, Author, “Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss”
Are you listening to me? Are you really listening? Or are you planning what you are going to say next? Often, a conversation becomes dueling monologues instead of a dialogue, which leaves everyone frustrated. In this keynote, you will hear from a communication expert about how to talk less, listen more and have impactful conversations.
11-11:15 AM ET/8-8:15 AM PT – Break
11:15 AM-12:15 PM ET/8:15-9:15 AM PT – Breakout Session Round 1 (1 CPE Credit):
How to Write to Get the Results You Need
Trish Lawton, Founder and President, Iron2Iron4Women
Whether it’s a proposal for a new grant, an inter-office memo, or your own annual performance review, creating clear, concise, and persuasive writing is key to your success. However, putting words together is not easy. And it can be especially difficult in the government world that is saddled with antiquated and bureaucratic language. In this breakout session, our expert will provide the tactics and strategies needed for writing in plain language.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will learn why plain language matters and what you can do to change your writing today for the better.
Relevant Competencies: Leading Change
Get Out the Mic – Effective Public Speaking in Meetings, Virtual and More
Amy Dix, Author, “SEVEN MORE DAYS: Live a Life That’s Bursting with Positivity and Happiness”
Your heart is racing. Your breathing has become shallow and rapid. Your re somehow already only three months away from the new year, or you’re about to do some public speaking. And while public speaking is often terrifying, it is also happening in so many different mediums today the opportunities are seemingly endless. Now you may be giving your pitch over Zoom. Or maybe even from the field over the phone. In this breakout session, our expert will share not only tips for relieving the fear around public speaking but provide practical advice for matching your public speaking approach to the medium.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will learn how to embrace public speaking so that you can be your own advocate in your career.
Relevant Competencies: Results Driven
Mastering Successful Interviews – Secrets to Acing the Conversation
Tanesha J. (TJ) Espey, Portfolio Manager, United States Department of Agriculture, Food Nutrition Service, Office of the Administrator
What if you’re perfect for a job, but you bomb the interview? What if you were a great candidate, but your resume lacked the shine to get past the human resources bots? In modern government hiring, there are key strategies employees need to know to get the job of their dreams. In this breakout session, our HR expert will share insider tips on what makes a successful interview, which questions to ask/not ask and how to present your previous work in the most flattering light.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will learn how to ace the interview process from resume to interview and beyond.
Relevant Competencies: Business Acumen
New Supervisor, Now What? – Fundamentals for New Leaders
Erica Roberts, Founder and President, X Is Possible; Former Federal Gov Leader
Alex Tremble, Executive Leadership Consultant and Founder, GPS Leadership Solutions
Most new managers became supervisors because they excelled at their previous jobs. Which means if you were an all-star procurement professional, you were probably promoted to manage a team of procurement professionals, awesome! But, most likely, you were never given any training in how to manage your new employees. In this breakout session, our expert will share new supervisor fundamentals so you can hit the management ground running.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will know what fundamental skills are needed to supervise employees, you will also learn where you can get additional training to help further develop your skills.
Relevant Competencies: Leading People
Personal Branding: How to Create a Presence
Jay Jay, Magician and Inspirational Speaker
The U.S. government is the single largest employer in the world, which means that standing out amongst millions of colleagues is difficult. The key is to create a personal brand that showcases your best assets. In this breakout session, our expert will share practical advice for cultivating your personal brand so that it is authentically you.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will be able to define your own personal brand and understand how to use that brand to get to the next phase of your career.
Relevant Competencies: Building Coalitions
12:15-12:30 PM ET/9:15-9:30 AM PT – Break
12:30-1:30 PM ET/9:30-10:30 AM PT – Lunch Keynote Session (1 CPE Credit):
Trust Goes Both Ways: Creating a Culture of Trust and Respect
Tiana Sanchez, Author, “Undefeatable” and “The Upside of Failure”
Do you feel like your point of view is valued? Do you have the freedom to suggest new ideas or process improvements? Do you feel like you can voice a concern or address if someone is out of line? If the answer is no, you are probably working in a psychologically unsafe workplace. In this keynote, you will hear from an expert about how to create a culture of trust in your organization.
How to Lead With an Inclusive Mindset
Nathaniel H. Benjamin, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, AmeriCorps
Inclusion is at the heart of all diversity and equity objectives. Inclusion means that not only is your team diverse, but that diversity is fueling a collaborative, all-encompassing and compassionate workplace. True inclusion is not easy to harness. In this keynote, you will hear from a DEI expert about what true inclusion looks like in forward-thinking government agencies.
1:30-1:45 PM ET/10:30-10:45 AM PT – Break
1:45-2:45 PM ET/10:45-11:45 AM PT – Breakout Session Round 2 (1 CPE Credit):
Critical Thinking: New Approaches to Problem Solving
Mellissa Tong, Award-winning Storyteller
“This is the way we’ve always done things,” is a phrase you hear all the time in government. It’s why certain policies and procedures haven’t been updated in 100 years. And in some cases, it’s essential that those things stay the same. But often, we get lulled into a sense of complacency. We forget to ask ourselves why. In this breakout session, our expert will share new approaches to critical thinking and problem solving to help us get out of the neutral zone and start asking why.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will learn two approaches to critical thinking and problem solving to help drive your career forward.
Relevant Competencies: Building Coalitions
Leadership Skills for Non-Supervisors
Dave Nordel, Leadership Coach
Supervisors aren’t the only people who lead a team. Each individual contributor has the power to lead. But what does that actually look like on a practical level? In this breakout session, our expert will break down the leadership skills every employee needs to succeed despite their seniority level.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will know which fundamental leadership skills will be the most impactful for you to develop.
Relevant Competencies: Leading Change
How to Prioritize Your Financial Wellness
Tony Zerante, Chief Strategy Officer, WAEPA
Being financially healthy is a critical piece of your overall wellness. Whether it is having an emergency fund, saving for retirement or having life insurance, it is critical to understand the steps you can take to safeguard you and your family’s future. In this lightening keynote, you’ll hear the key components that make up a sound financial plan and strategies you can take to reach financial security.
Key Takeaway: In this session you will walk away knowing not only how to prioritize your financial goals, but also how to create a more balanced financial picture.
Relevant Competencies: Business Acumen
Foundations of Project Management – What You Need to Know if You Aren’t a PM
Wendie Veloz, Social Impact Strategist, Coach, and Consultant
When you look up the official job description of your role, it might not say project manager. But each of us are project managers in some part of our job. Whether you are advocating for new funding, contracting a new technology or imputing data, you are utilizing project management skills. In this breakout session, our expert will share the foundations of project management so that you can fine tune your skillset.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will be better equipped to use your PM skills to tackle your next program or project confidently.
Relevant Competencies: Results Driven
Communicating With Executives, Supervisors, and Managers: Selling Your Ideas up the Chain of Command
Elaine Ho, Chief DEIA Officer, NASA
Victoria Bowens, Director of Diversity and Inclusion Outreach and Strategic Engagement, Office of Force Resiliency, Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Kevin M. Coleman, Founder of KMC Empowerment, LLC
Since none of us are the head honcho in charge of our entire organization, we all must advocate our ideas to someone above us in the org chart. And that can be incredibly difficult and intimidating. In this breakout session, our expert will share how to sell your ideas up the chain of command.
Key Takeaway: From this session, you will know how to better communicate and pitch your ideas to executives and senior staff.
Relevant Competencies: Leading People
2:45-3 PM ET/11:45 AM-12 PM PT – Break
3-4 PM ET/12-1 PM PT – Closing Keynote Session (1 CPE Credit):
When to Stand Tall, And When to Stand Down
Lance Easley, Author, “Making the Right Call”
Let’s face it, you can’t win every argument. You won’t get every job. Not every single one of your ideas is going to be embraced. And you would drive yourself crazy if you went to the mat for every single initiative. So, the question becomes where do you draw the line and how do you know which efforts are going to have the biggest impact in your career? In this keynote, you will learn about when to go for it and when to back down from a fight.
You Can’t Get Ahead on Your Own – How to Cultivate a Network for Growth
Brian Wilson, Organizational Change Manager, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The lone wolf as a success story is a myth. The biographies of amazing inventors showcase even they had collaborators, mentors and colleagues that supported them. Steve Jobs did. Nicola Telsa did. Marie Curie did. The key for your own career is the same. To get to the next level you must cultivate a team of advocates. In this keynote, you will learn how to create your own network to power your career forward.
