EWG Conference Draws Record Crowd                 
Sen. Dole Offers Stories & Advice

By Mary Fillmore

Here’s to Good Executive Women in Government . . .

Anyone present for the EWG gathering at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on March 24 won’t forget that room packed with women, every single chair full and the phone still ringing.  Each speaker could have been the highlight of the day – Reta J. Lewis from the Chamber itself, Dr. Doris Hausser representing Kay Coles James from OPM, Anne L. McDaniel from The Washington Post Company, Senator Elizabeth Dole, the Honorable Barbara Blum formerly of EPA and now head of BDB Investment Partnership. In addition to these speakers’ stories and exhortations, the group heard from two exceptional women who provide services to executives and others:  Karen Schaeffer, a leading financial advisor for more than twenty years, and Dr. Jennifer Lee, a chiropractic physician.

Co-chairs Marylouise Uhlig and Jeuli Bartenstein  organized a lively day with outstanding sponsorship from the US Chamber of Commerce Access America Program, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton and eWorthy Solutions. Between speakers, women were urged, or encouraged, or even pushed, to network with other exceptional executives. 

Senator Elizabeth Dole with EWG President Marylouise Uhlig

While only a transcript of each speaker’s comments could fully reflect the day, here are a few highlights:

Reta Lewis stressed the importance of women executives and business owners in the economy as a whole, and the Chamber’s support for their efforts.  She herself is a Vice President and Counselor to the President of the Chamber.

Doris Hausser represented Kay Coles James, Director, Office of Personnel Management, who had a death in her family.  She recalled the days when the want ads were sex-segregated and the Federal government was far from a model employer of women.  Even though one person in three at GS-12 and above is a woman, progress still needs to be made, especially in the SES ranks.  Doris cited efforts to address the issue, including the SES Candidate Development Program, the Executive Readiness Program, and Presidential Management Fellows. Read the full transcript of Doris’ remarks here.

Ann McDaniel, Vice President of The Washington Post Company, took the group on a trip through her eyes as a political reporter for Newsweek, and later as an editor.  Her anecdotes about both Bushes illustrated her own courage in being willing to confront then-Vice President George Bush about freezing her out, and her resolving her conflicts as a good reporter and good daughter in a way that produced good results for both.  Ann’s description of the internal struggles in the media helped the group see how complex the decision to print the story of President Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky actually was – contrary to the picture of a press that is always ready to jump the gun and sensationalize.

Virginia Knauer, a distinguished emerita in the field of consumer protection under Nixon and later Presidents, introduced one of the many women she had mentored, Senator Elizabeth Dole.  You had to be there to hear the story of how Mrs. Knauer contrived the meeting between the Senator and her husband. 

Senator Elizabeth Dole recounted how “Virginia wanted me to have all the opportunities she had had.”  As a mentor, she pointed out pitfalls, showed some shortcuts, and even pushed her out of the nest at a certain point.  Senator Dole also turned to the one woman in the Senate at that time, Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, and asked for her career advice.  The Senator had an open door and spent a full hour with this young woman who was a stranger to her – another lesson in mentoring.  Senator Dole told us a number of stories about her career at different stages, illustrating not only her willingness to take a risk, but also that “communication begins with a simple gesture,” even across wide divides.  She encouraged everyone to keep on reaching out, because “the power of women helping women can never be underestimated.”

Karen Schaeffer, principal in Schaeffer Financial, spewed out such a stream of expert advice and wisecrack humor that it would be impossible to summarize it adequately here.  However, her strong message throughout her talk was to keep short term money (i.e. money you want to use within five years) out of the market, and long term money in the market.  Money which is not growing is losing value, as Karen amply demonstrated by tracing the cost of a cup of coffee at her favorite Dunkin’ Donuts.  She advised that each of us should be able to know instantly, from memory, our total assets and total liabilities and overall cash flow.  As a member of the sandwich generation, Karen spoke of the folly of parents putting houses in their children’s names, and the importance of today’s parents putting college money away early.  She urged us to clarify priorities and to be sure that our financial goals are well stated and pursued.  Among other gems of advice was the injunction to check and see who our beneficiaries are for Federal retirement accounts – often designated many years and several marriages ago.  Her key question overall was:  Are you preparing for what you are trying to accomplish, and if not, why not?

Barbara Blum, President of BDB Investment Partnership, traced career transitions that were almost mind-boggling in scope and involved a lot of risk along the way.  Although her own life illustrates change in women’s opportunities, she also pointed out that we can lose our progress unless women band together and remain active in groups like EWG.  Barbara was discouraged from being a lawyer, had one career in social work, another in restaurants, and then began to address the social issues of the day.  She was involved in three of the great movements of her time, the women’s, environmental, and civil rights movements.  As a volunteer for Jimmy Carter, she worked her way up through the process until she became Deputy Administrator of EPA – then made a leap from there into the presidency of Adams National Bank, and from there to her own business.  Barbara has helped women at every stage of the process.

Dr. Jennifer Lee of Dante Salon and Wellness Spa, described the lengthy training chiropractic physicians receive to provide patients with drug-free, all natural treatment.  She gave several examples of people who had been helped without surgery or other interventions. 

Marylou Uhlig proposed a toast which will go down well even on the page: 

          “Here’s to good women:

           May we know them,

           May we be them,

           May we raise them.”

Mary Fillmore, who served as moderator for EWG’s event, facilitates and livens up fruitful meetings and reflective retreats, as well as creating mentoring programs for civilian agencies, nonprofits and socially responsible businesses.  An author and international consultant since 1981, she can be reached at mfillmor@together.net, or 802-860-1034. 

EWG President Marylouise Uhlig with Virginia Knauer, a founding member.

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May Tea Offers a Chance to Kick-off Your Summer

EWG will host a Tea at the Arts Club on May 26, 2004 from 4-6pm. In addition to providing an opportunity to relax and spend time with other executive women, the Tea will highlight summer reading and travel options.  So, plan to kick-off your summer with EWG. Registration and event details available at www.execwomeningov.org.

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Join the EWG Race for Cure Team

EWG and SEA will once again sponsor a team to participate in the 2004 Race for Cure in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 5. If you’ve never participated in the DC race, then joining our team will make your first venture easier and more friendly. If you’ve never joined us at the race, make this your first!  To walk with the team and banner, meet in front of USDA/Jamie Whitten Building, between 12th & 14th Street on Jefferson Drive, SW at 7:30am. We will go as a team to 14th & Constitution for the 8:15am walking start.

Whether you walk with the banner or run ahead, be sure to register for the EWG Team by marking EWG TEAM on your registration form. To register on-line or get information for registering at a location around town, visit www.nationalraceforthecure.org. If you’d like to distribute a flyer, you can download a copy from our website [www.execwomeningov.org].

Did you know that the National Race is one of the largest drawing more than 618,000 participants? Be a part of it this year and join us in raising money and awareness for the important cause while spending an enjoyable morning with fellow members

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News from OPM:  Watch for “Super Conference”   

By Mercedes Olivieri, Chair, EWG Status of Women, and Director for Special Initiatives in the Center for Human Capital Implementation and Assessment at the Office of Personnel Management

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will sponsor one "Super Conference" with multiple tracks, each focusing on a key human capital dimension. The "Super Conference" will feature changes, new directions, and hands-on training relating to employee and labor relations, Federal benefits, alternative dispute resolution, and personnel security, among others. We are extremely excited about this event, which will combine several stand-alone conferences OPM sponsored in the past, including:

       Symposium on Employee & Labor Relations (SOELR);

       Strategic Compensation Conference;

       Fall Festival of Training;

       Benefits Officers Conference;

       Solutions Conference;

       Security Professionals' Seminar; and

       Federal Executive Board Conference.

Our "Super Conference" will bring together human resource agency leaders, managers, practitioners, and line managers to learn about both policy and operational issues in one forum. The details, including dates, will be posted as soon as they are finalized.  Check www.opm.gov for updates. 

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When Pay Plans Go Wrong, Managing Compliance Issues Before the Audit

by Jude Sotherlund, EWG member

While the diversity movement of the late ‘80s and ‘90s assisted in ensuring women and people of color were considered for higher-level positions in America’s workplaces, in the private sector there was generally no one ensuring equal pay once they got there.  This has been the repeat finding of Department of Labor studies on “glass ceilings” in corporate America.   In “When Pay Plans Go Wrong, Managing Compliance Issues Before the Audit,” I tackle these issues head-on and provide employers step-by-step guidance on how to ensure fairness in base pay and all forms of compensation.  While the publication is written for those who work in human resources and published by the leading nonprofit professional association focused on compensation and total rewards, the issue is timely for members of EWG as well.  

For those who members who are still employed in senior ranks of the Federal sector, it provides advice and guidance on ensuring compensation equity in a broadbanding/pay for performance structure. For example, in the current government salary system a GS-13 is paid between $62,905 and $81,778 depending upon level/step (disregarding locality pay and specialty occupations for the sake of this example).  In this system, one knows hat all others who have the same title with corresponding GS level are paid within this range.  When you move to a “pay for performance” structure with broadbanding, that GS-13 pay range may be compressed with GS-14 and GS-15.  (“May” is the operative word because each agency petitioning for the pilot program may compress the GS-scale differently.)

In addition, there may or may not be guaranteed cost-of-living increases.

·         What is the new pay range for this position?  Is it now $62,905 to  $113,674 (bottom of the GS-13 – top of the GS-15)?  

·         Is there a specific range or zone for each title/position within the broadband? 

·         Can the entire band be used for any one title/position?

·         Is there a cap on how much of an increase one can give? 

·         Is current performance the only justification for pay increases?  

·         Will there be a new “performance assessment” system?  Will it mirror many of those found in the private sector which rank/rate subjective criteria such as “leadership” and “potential”?  

·         Will the new performance assessment system include a forced rating/ranking component?

·         How will team-based organizations or military units be assessed?  What will happen to esprit de corps?

As an EWG member, you know there were key jumps in your career…from the GS-9 to GS-11, or perhaps or the GS-13 to GS-14 in your organization.  With GS-scale compression and broadbands:

What must an employee achieve to make the leap?  While movement within a salary grade might be a “step” and movement between standard salary grades a “jump,” movement from one band to the next appears to be an enormous leap.  Ensuring that such promotions or “leaps” are fair is important to ensuring financial fairness in the broadbanding arena.

                             When Pay Plans Go Wrong, page 80

With all “controls” lifted in this new broadbanding environment, whose responsibility will it be to ensure nondiscrimination in compensation within each agency/department of the Federal government?

Secondly, “When Pay Plans Go Wrong” provides guidance in performance management and oversight that EWG members might be able to use in their current government positions.    Thirdly, for those EWG members contemplating a “life outside of government,” the publication can also serve as a primer on the many additional forms of remuneration for which one might negotiate in the private sector.   Assisting senior executives in their transition and corresponding compensation negotiations has been an area I have found so personally rewarding over the years. 

Jude Sotherlund is a former Department of Labor official who assisted in the development of the “glass ceiling initiative” in the late 80s/early 90s.  She is a consultant and guest speaker on ensuring that “all systems are go” for women and people of color in corporate America.   She can be reached at sotherlundconsulting@msn.com or 703-534-2844.  “When Pay Plans Go Wrong, Managing Compliance Issues Before the Audit” can be found at www.worldatwork.org.

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A Night with Austria

On a rainy Friday evening in Washington DC, an intrepid group of the members of Executive Women in Government (EWG) came to a private reception at the Austrian Embassy with the Ambassador Eva Nowotny.  This delightful gathering served as a pleasant prelude to a concert by Austria's brilliant young pianist, Till Fellner. 

The private reception provided members with an opportunity to meet Ambassador Nowotny who has an impressive background including appointments as director‑general of European integration and economic affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as ambassador to the United Kingdom and France.

Till Fellner’s orchestral engagements have included the Vienna Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, London Philharmonic, and dozens of other equally renowned groups. The following week in the Washington Post, Daniel Ginsberg, captured the performance and its many nuances when he wrote “While some pianists get under your skin, Till Fellner draws you into a completely different dimension.” Read more at www.washingtonpost.com.

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EWG in the news . . . and news about EWG members

Retired U.S. Tax Court Judge Carolyn Miller Parr has joined Judicial ADR’s specialist panel of mediators and arbitrators serving the San Francisco Bay Area.  Carolyn has a special interest in international peacemaking and has worked with the Carter Center of Atlanta.  She received the Justice and Mercy Award from the National Debate for Peace in El Salvador in 1995. Carolyn will continue to be based in Washington, DC and can be reached  at (202) 362-5428, or at carolynparr@beyonddispute.com.  

Lura J. Powell, Ph.D., has a new position as president and CEO of Advanced Imaging Technologies.  AIT, located in Richland, WA, uses the technologies of diffractive ultrasound and holography for high resolution medical imaging.  Lura retired from the federal government in 1999.  She worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where she led research and development programs in biotechnology and chemistry. 

Helen Pannullo, a former vice president and secretary of EWG, is retiring after 31 years with the federal government.  Helen has held management positions in information technology at HUD, GSA, USDA, Department of Justice, and most recently, at the Drug Enforcement Agency.  Helen and her husband, John, are looking forward to an active retirement in Ocean Isle Beach, NC.

Betty James Duke has been named to the National Academy of Public Administration.  Betty, formerly a career senior executive at the U.S. Department of  Health and Human Services, currently serves as Administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration. 

EWG Secretary Lori Santamorena arranged for EWG members to attend a special Treasury Executive Institute session on Getting Your Financial House in Order. Susan Ferris Wyderko, Director of the SEC's Office of Investor Education and Assistance, talked about how to invest wisely and avoid securities fraud. Participants got acquainted with some usable Internet tools to handle investments and learned steps to take to become a more informed investor. The presentation was directed to Treasury and Homeland Security employees but Lori who is Executive Director at TEI  made arrangements for EWG members to attend.

EWG member Janet Steiger died at age 64 on April 3 after a brief illness.  Janet was chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission from 1989-1995.  In various capacities, she served four presidents:  Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton. During her years of government service, Janet served on a commission investigating the cause of the Three Mile Island accident. 

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EWG welcomes our new members

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