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4th Annual, EWG/TEI Flash MentoringMentor Biographies
View the "Pearls of Wisdom" compiled from our 2010 Mentors. View the "Pearls of Wisdom" compiled by our 2011 Mentors!
Vicki Allums Ms. Allums has more than fifteen years of legal and policy experience as a government and corporate attorney in the areas of domestic and international intellectual property (IP), IP licensing, IP enforcement, technology, cyber law, international trade and information assurance issues. She has extensive experience representing the United States in bilateral and multilateral negotiations. She is currently Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), a DoD agency. Her other public sector experience includes working as a senior attorney in the Office of Legislative and International Affairs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in the Intellectual Property Branch at U.S. Customs. Ms. Allums' private sector experience includes working as Associate General Counsel at The American Institute of Architects ("AIA"), a non-profit membership organization representing architects and design professionals in the United States and abroad, and as Assistant General Counsel at National Public Radio Inc. ("NPR"). She is an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School in Chicago and co-teaches a Master's Class on "Globalization, Intellectual Property and the Internet." Ms. Allums is the co-author of Customs Enforcement: Protecting Intellectual Property Rights Across Borders," published by Thomson West. Vicki has a Masters of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Berea College in Kentucky. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and in Kentucky.
Elizabeth Cotsworth Elizabeth's federal career spanned 37 years, all at the Environmental Protection Agency. A member of the SES since 1994, Elizabeth's most recent executive position at EPA was Director, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, where she directed a set of innovative outreach programs as well as environmental regulatory requirements. She assumed that leadership position as a voluntary participant in the Agency's SES Mobility Program of 2002. She previously served for 5 years as the Director of the Office of Solid Waste, one of the Agency's most complex programs, after holding positions of increasing responsibility within that office. Elizabeth twice received the Presidential Rank Award as Meritorious Executive. As an executive at EPA, Elizabeth was a member of the senior Human Resources Council, a mentor and sponsor for SES candidates in both rounds of the Agency's Candidate Development Program as well as for participants in other career development programs, and an active member of a number of other cross-cutting advisory boards and committees. Elizabeth joined EPA as a Management Intern. She holds BA and MA degrees in History and International Relations, respectively. She continues to provide mentoring and career coaching following her recent retirement, and serves as President of the Executive Women in Government.
Sharon Eller Sharon D. Eller, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director for the Office of Civil Rights, Department of the Interior. She is responsible for policy, guidance, direction and oversight of all programs affecting equal opportunity, equal access, diversity, EO training, and compliance with EEOC and federal judicial opinions, for the more than 72,000 employees, and over 100 thousand volunteers who work in the Department of the Interior. Mrs. Eller began her career at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio as a Master's level co-op student. She acquired experience in staffing, classifications, labor relations, employee relations and equal opportunity before moving to Washington, D.C. She began working with the Air Force National Guard personnel office; then transferred to the Headquarters National Guard Bureau. In 1984, she began working for the U.S Custom Service. Part of her responsibilities was the recruitment, retention and development of Hispanics in to the U.S. Custom Service. Mrs. Eller was designated an Expert Witness for the Department of Treasury on issues associated with Law Enforcement. Mrs. Eller worked as a member of a multi-agency task force, to improve the development and selection of women into supervisory and managerial positions. Mrs. Eller joined the Department of the Interior (DOI) in 1990, when she was selected as the Chief, Staffing and Classification, for Minerals Management Service (MMS). In 1991, she was selected as the MMS Personnel Officer. In 1992, she became the Personnel Officer for the Office of the Secretary, DOI. She then became the Assistant Inspector General/Management and Policy in the Office of the Inspector General, in 1995. Mrs. Eller entered the Senior Executive Service in 2000. Mrs. Eller is a native of Florida. She lives in Manassas, Virginia with her junior high school boyfriend and now husband, Barry.
Claudia Erland Ms. Claudia Erland is currently a Fellow with Areté Associates, a Research and Development company working for both DoD and the Intelligence Community. Prior to this, she spent 26 years with Naval Intelligence. Her career began as an analyst and a manager, becoming the deputy of the Undersea Warfare Department. She moved on to become the Deputy Director of the Collections Directorate, Deputy Director of Corporate Operations, and the Director of Multi-Media Services before spending two years at the CIA's Nonproliferation Center. In 2000 she became a member of the Senior Executive Service, serving first as the Executive Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and finishing up her government career as the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. Ms Erland has received numerous awards and honors, including the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2005 and the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in 2007.
Katherine C. Gugulis A Past President of Executive Women in Government (2008-09), Katherine C. Gugulis has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since 1995. She serves as Deputy Director for Administration and Management for the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, U.S. Department of Justice, in Washington, DC. She directs the information technology, budget and finance, human resources, facilities support, security operations, and procurement activities in support of 94 U.S. Attorneys offices throughout the country. Prior to her current position, she served in a number of leadership positions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, including as Deputy Chief for Management, Deputy Chief for Strategic Planning and Accountability, Director of Operations Management and Oversight, and Director of the Office of Public Affairs. From March 1997 to February 1998, Ms. Gugulis served as USDA's Acting Associate Assistant Secretary for Administration overseeing implementation of the 92 recommendations contained in the Secretary's civil rights action team report. She began her career as public affairs officer at the Maryland State Office of NRCS's predecessor agency, the Soil Conservation Service, from 1974-1986. A native of Maryland, Ms. Gugulis earned a bachelors of science degree in journalism from the University of Maryland with minors in economics and English. Ms. Gugulis received a Presidential Rank Award in 2008 as well national awards for performance management, civil rights leadership, and communications. Besides EWG, she has held various leadership positions in professional associations, and has been recognized throughout her career for outstanding and superior service. She lives in Gaithersburg, Md., with her husband.
Melissa Hartman Melissa Hartman is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Privacy, Transparency, and Records at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Ms. Hartman is also the Senior Agency Official responsible for implementing the open government directive at Treasury. The Office of Privacy, Transparency, and Records serves the American public and the Treasury community by setting the standard for the protection, access, and disclosure of Treasury's information assets, and includes disclosure services and FOIA, records management, privacy and civil liberties, library services, and the Department's orders and directives program. Ms. Hartman served as the Program Director for Privacy and Treasury Records prior to the DAS PTR position. Ms. Hartman has over 30 years of federal service, including working for the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, and the Department of Transportation, with experience in printing, graphics, publications, and program management. She earned a BA degree from the University of Virginia, an MBA from George Mason University, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Government (CIPP/G).
Pam Malam Pam assumed her position as Deputy Assistant Director – Human Capital and Diversity and Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer for Interior in January 2010 after serving as the Associate Director for Human Capital for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a bureau within Interior. Her career shift to Human Capital occurred in 2005 following 25 years of scientific, technical, and managerial experience in mission programs with the USGS. In her new role at Interior, Pam provides leadership and executive oversight for Interior's Human Capital programs including human resources, diversity, civil rights, employee and organizational development, employee engagement, and occupational health and safety. During her time at Interior, Pam has championed several key initiatives including hiring reform, veterans' employment, diversity and workplace inclusion, employee engagement, leadership development and succession planning, and internal communications. Pam's career experiences include 18 years in technical and professional roles at a mapping center, followed by several staff and management roles including Chief of Staff to the Director of USGS, Deputy Regional Director, and Eastern Regional Geographer at USGS. In addition to her experience at the USGS, Pam completed several long-term assignments with other domestic and international government organizations, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the British Ordnance Survey in Southampton, England. Pam is a 1992 graduate of the former Office of Personnel Management's Women's Executive Leadership Program and a 2001 graduate of the Department of the Interior's Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program. She has received numerous awards during her career, including Meritorious and Superior Service Awards and a Secretarial Executive Leadership Award from the Department of the Interior for her contributions to the mission of the USGS. Under her leadership, the USGS received the 2007 Leading Edge Award from the International Public Management Association – Human Resources for the development and delivery of innovative and creative human capital programs to support mission accomplishment.
Lenore Mullin Ms. Mullin holds a BS in Mathematics, MS Solid State Physics, and PhD Computer Science. She has 25+years Industrial, Academic, and Government (International, National, and State), project design, development, and management experience. She is an International consultant and lecturer on high-performance scientific computing, programming language design, and optimal computational algorithms on massively parallel computing architectures. NSF Presidential Faculty Fellow '92 for Research and Education innovations on Intermediate Languages for Enhanced Parallel Performance. Sabbatical at MIT Lincoln Laboratory (2001-2002).Government assignment at the National Science Foundation (01/2007-12/2009):Project Manager in CISE (Computer Information, Science, and Engineering). Mentor and advisor for students pursuing advanced degrees, post docs, and career development. Her personal interests include flying single engine planes, yoga, meditation, indoor and outdoor cycling, cooking, dining, and Baroque music.Lenore is presently on sabbatical from the University at Albany, SUNY. During this time she spends time writing research papers and exploring advanced studies in quantum computing.
Gina Myers Dr. Gina Myers has served in leadership positions from 1994 to the present – more than 15 years of her 30 years of Government service.Her experiences range from Director of Operations at the Treasury Executive Institute (2010 to present), Division Director (2003 to 2009) and Branch Manager (2001-2002) in Debt Management Services, FMS. In her earlier career, she served as a program manager for Quality of Work Life programs at the Department of the Navy, a program auditor at the EEOC, a Senior Organization Consultant for Culture Change in the Federal government, and held the office of Chapter President for the National Treasury Employees' Union (1998-2000) implementing a partnership approach to traditional labor-management activities. She obtained a doctoral degree in executive leadership from the George Washington University in 2005, and was SES certified in 2007. In 2010, she received the FMS Martin Luther King Award for her services to the organization and to the community.She is the author of "A Walk By Faith" which chronicles a woman's life in overcoming domestic violence, and she is a mentor to many.
Lori Santamorena Lori Santamorena has served as the Executive Director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Government Securities Regulations Staff at the Bureau of the Public Debt since 1999. The Staff's mission is to provide balanced regulation that protects investors while maintaining the integrity, liquidity and efficiency of the government securities market. In 2008, Lori received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive, and is also a recipient of the Treasury Secretary's Award. Prior to joining the Treasury, Ms. Santamorena was Director of Compliance at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, responsible for its U.S. capital markets trading and derivatives activities headquartered in New York City. During that time, she held leadership positions on numerous private sector financial industry committees. Previously, she was a Special Investigator for the NASD's New York City District and was involved in several high profile investigations in the financial services industry. Ms. Santamorena also has many interests and is active outside of work: She currently serves on the boards of Women in Housing and Finance Foundation, the Treasury Historical Association, is a past President of Executive Women in Government, and former board member of the Financial Women's Association of New York. She is a member of St Matthews Breakfast Program for the Homeless, and has also participated in numerous other philanthropic activities, including Holy Trinity Catholic Church Social Justice Committee, and the Children's Hope Foundation, a New York City pediatric AIDS organization.
Susan D. Sawtelle Susan Sawtelle is Managing Associate General Counsel at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C. She oversees GAO's legal advice and opinions provided to the Congress and the Comptroller General of the United States on issues including the financial markets, energy, the environment, aviation and transportation, and telecommunications. Prior to joining GAO in 2001, Susan was a Partner at Wiley, Rein & Fielding in Washington, D.C., specializing in regulatory and litigation matters. On leave of absence from 1999 to 2000, she served at the National Science Foundation's research base at the South Pole in Antarctica, as the Station's Environment, Health, and Safety manager. She was previously a Partner at what is now DLA Piper, and was Special Assistant to the Director of EPA's Office of Solid Waste. Susan earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review, and her B.A. in Anthropology and in Asian Studies from Connecticut College.
Pamela Sikowitz Pamela Sikowitz was recently appointed as Director of TEI Program Development & Strategies. Prior to this position, Pam served as Chief, Training & Communications Branch with IRS Chief Counsel where she led the redesign of the management and executive training programs. Having worked as a scribe at a TEI Flash Mentoring Program, Pam introduced this process to counsel executives who designed an exercise which served as the centerpiece of the Continuing Management Education Program for Experienced Managers. She has taught at secondary and postsecondary levels and served as an administrator at local, state, and federal levels of government. Pam has Masters Degrees in Community Counseling and Business Education from the University of Maryland and is very passionate about the development of executive and leadership development programs.
Betsy Smidinger Ms. Betsy Smidinger began her federal career at the US Patent and Trademark Office in 1986.She joined EPA in 1988 and has since held a series of positions with increasing leadership responsibility that rely on a mix of technical and legal skills.She served nearly 20 years in EPA's enforcement and compliance assurance arena in various leadership positions overseeing high visibility information and reporting projects. Since May 2009, Ms. Smidinger has been the Director of the Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division in the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response promoting the reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling of municipal, industrial and extractive wastes and the long term sustainable management of these materials. Ms. Smidinger holds a Bachelors of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland.She is secretary on the Board for Executive Women in Government, an organization that prepares, promotes, supports and mentors women for senior leadership positions in the Federal Government
Margaret (Peg) Weir, Margaret Weir is a results-oriented executive and leader with experience in Business Development, Operations, Finance, Risk Management and Program Management. This broad experience has afforded her the opportunity to address challenges from a strategic and tactical perspective at the international, corporate and field levels.Weir's effective team building skills have cultivated an active network of positive working relationships at all levels within and external to the Postal Service. Weir has received several awards for her leadership and teamwork. Weir, a 2010 TIAW World of Difference 100 award recipient, has been an active member of TIAW through the Executive Women in Government for several years. She is an EWG past-president and has also served on the Board as Treasurer and Membership Committee chair. As EWG president, she was instrumental in establishing a mentorship program and a corporate sponsorship program. She has served on other boards and is an active member in several organizations, including the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), Women in Technology (WIT), and Program Management Institute (PMI). Weir holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor of Arts from Siena College. She is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University (DC campus and distance learning) in the Master of Science Information Management program. Weir's personal goals include the completion of a doctoral degree in management, mentoring future leaders, and writing a management book. Weir resides in Alexandria, Virginia.
Jean Wright Jean Wright is an internal and external coach who serves leaders at all levels. Her internal clients are managers within the Federal financial regulatory government agency where she works. Her other clients are business and government leaders external to her agency. When she is not coaching, she is a human capital program manager at the Office of Thrift Supervision who faces many of the same demands as her coaching clients. Jean graduated from the Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Program and earned International Coach Federation (ICF) certification as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC). She received a BS from University of Maryland University College in Computer and Information Science. She is frequently invited to speak, facilitate, and coach in other organizations. She has served leaders at Federal Election Commission, Federal Home Finance Agency, Commonwealth of Virginia, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Office of Thrift Supervision, U.S. Navy, and several government contractors. Jean's life is filled with learning and inquiry that flows into personal and professional reinventions that open further learning and inquiry. She lives in awe and appreciation of the journey of human development |
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