Events

These conversational events are produced at cost so that they’re affordable for participants at every stage of life and work. We do not subscribe to the notion that ‘you get what you pay for.’ Rather, we like-minded colleagues see immediate and continuing value in showing up with everything we’ve got whenever events attract us. — Kitty Wooley

05/15/25 Gabriel Petrescu, Using OrgXO to Build Resilient Organizations (video conversation) – Recap and Slides
04/01/25 Discussion with Alex Tremble at ASPA national office over box lunches: “Unlocking the Executive Advantage” (DC – in person and by Zoom)
01/30/25 Patricia L. Eng Explains ISO 30401 – Knowledge Management (video conversation) – Recap and Slides

12/17/24 Resilient, Empowered, and Present: Audrey and George Hall (video conversation) – Invitation and Recap
09/27/24 Drinks & Conversation with Ann Dunkin, CIO, U.S. Department of Energy (DC – in person)
08/27/24 Kira Nurieli on Human Capital Risk Management (video conversation) – Recap and Recording
07/30/24 Dr. Wendy Chen – Crowdfunding: A New Arena of Organizational Fundraising (video conversation)
06/27/24 David Bray on Leadership Responsibility in the GenAI Era (video conversation)
03/28/24 Update from Tambra Raye Stevenson, health and wellness innovator (video conversation)
02/21/24 Public Sector Innovation Opportunities Amidst Chaos and Uncertainty – Dr. Geoff Abbott (video conversation)
01/24/24 “Laugh Kills Lonesome” (video conversation) – with hat tip to Charles M. Russell, 1915

11/09/23 Sue Bohle, Founder, Serious Play Conference (video conversation)
09/05/23 Alex D. Tremble, GPS Leadership Solutions (video conversation)
06/21/23 Dr. Charlice Hurst: How mental models and untaught skills impact our ability to effect systems change (video conversation)
02/21/23 Transform Conflicts Into Trust: Estève Pannetier, Green Elephant, on Metacognitive Communication (video conversation)

12/14/22 Col. Jason “TOGA” Trew, Commandant and Dean, USAF School of Advanced Air and Space Studies: Undisciplined by Design (video conversation)
08/11/22 John Kolm and Amanda Biller, Team Results USA: How To Use Simulation To Align Your Work Team (video conversation)
05/25/22 John Salamone, Chief HR Officer, U.S. House of Representatives (video conversation)
04/07/22 Managing inter-organizational public service networks – lived experience from Finland’s Timo Järvensivu (video conversation)
02/28/22 Dr. Linda Cureton, CEO of Muse Technologies, Inc., formerly NASA CIO (video conversation)
01/25/22 Speakerless Session

12/16/21 Dr. Tracey Tay, CATALYST Directorate, New South Wales Agency for Clinical Innovation (video conversation)
08/17/21 Ollie Cantos: Fostering a Sustainable and Ever-Growing Network of Partners (video conversation)
07/14/21 Damla Kuru – Post-disaster Relocation in the Face of Rising Seas: The Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma (video conversation)
06/16/21 Grace Cummings, Working with Congress (video conversation)
05/13/21 Dave Uejio, Acting Director, CFPB and Federal Innovator (video conversation)
03/23/21, 04/28/21 Thomas S. Bateman on Proactivity (video conversation) Recap and Slides
02/17/21 Chris Sigle: What is the Federal Executive Board? recap CFEB Overview slides (video conversation)
01/13/21 STAR-TIDES and C-RASC: Kathryn B. Laskey & Linton Wells II (video conversation)

12/03/19 Recap of session #2 with Adrian Wolfberg: Boundary Crossing for Leaders (video conversation)
10/24/19 Eric McNulty, National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, Harvard University (video conversation) Pre-reads and Recording
08/30/19 Give-and-Take with Adrian Wolfberg: Boundary Crossing for Leaders (video conversation)
07/15/19 Academic-Practitioner Dialogue: Amanda M. Olejarski interviews Amina Gilyard James about her dissertation, Voices Rising: A Narrative Inquiry into Black Women U.S. Government Senior Service Members’ Professional Identity Construction at the Intersection of Race and Gender (video conversation)
06/06/19 Bill Valdez on the Reinvention of the Senior Executives Association (video conversation)
03/12/19 SFF planning dinner at Athena Pallas (VA)

04/27/18 Conversation between Kevin Kasnick, VA Northern California Health Care System, and participants based in CA, CO, DC Metro Area, PA, TX, RI, and Brighton, UK (video conversation)

10/17/17 SFF dinner conversation at Winslow/Blumenthal residence (MD)
06/28/17 Brian Elms explains how Denver Peak Academy saved the city $20M in 5 years (DC)
03/18/17 Video conversation: Dr. Elena Rapisardi on how scripts help in making videos
(Santa Luce, Italy | N. Virginia | Los Angeles | Colorado Springs)
01/28/17 “Boiling Frog” conversation in Reston that kicked off the boundary spanning ebook projects (VA)

09/15/16 Sparking Gov Innovation and Improvement: Lab@OPM, hosted by Lora Allen (DC)
04/08/16 Breakfast: Asking for Forgiveness, not Permission hosted by John Sporing (DC)
02/09/16 Using the Dinner Salon Format to Advance Talent Development Objectives (CO)

11/09/15 Nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center leaders at Peak Vista – CoP kickoff (CO)
09/16/15 Carol Willett: The Art of Reinvention (DC)

09/09/14 Breakfast with John Sporing, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts – How are you preparing for retirements and mentoring the next generation of civil servants? (DC)

08/12/13 Aloha Celebration & Building the Enterprise
03/11/13 Al Malinchak and Maria Chaloux, Public to Private/Career Transition Lab – and don’t miss the moving tribute by Administrative Law Judge Renita K. Bivins to the late Judge Richard Slippen. Renita first connected with him when he spoke with us in 2010. Her remarks came in as the recap was being written and are appended to it.

12/03/12 Gail Williams, Leadership Innovator at NASA Goddard
09/18/12 Rachel Happe and Ayelet Baron, The Business of Community
06/18/12 Doug Krug, e.l.solutions – The Missing Piece in Leadership
05/21/12 Doug Krug (postponed and replaced by “un-dinner”)
04/20/12 Duva/Diva and Leadership Conversation at Charles Krause Reporting Fine Art Gallery
02/07/12 City Hall Fellows with Bethany Rubin Henderson (rescheduled)

12/12/11 City Hall Fellows with Bethany Rubin Henderson (postponed/replaced by “un-dinner”)
11/14/11 Getting Things Done in Government: Winona Varnon
08/30/11 Finding the Motivation: Kelly and Bill Matthews, Body Shop Fitness by Design
08/10/11 Breakfast with Anne Kelly, Organizational Consultant and Executive coach
05/02/11 Skype Conversation with Don Jacobson, U.S. Embassy New Delhi
03/21/11 Joe and Judy Pauley with Major General (Ret.) Gale S. Pollock
01/24/11 Holly Anderson: Deliberately Happy

11/08/10 Early Career Highlights, Judge Richard Slippen, Department of Education
06/22/10 Susan Parker, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor
04/06/10 Jeff Pon and John Salamone
01/16/10 Transatlantic Webconference with Elena Rapisardi: Civil Protection 2.0

12/07/09 Dinner with Kathryn Parker, National Park Service
09/21/09 Norman B. Cummings, Political Strategist
07/27/09 Dave Lengyel, NASA and Phil Mongan, ARES Corporation: Process 2.0
04/14/09 Michael Lee Stallard, Fired Up or Burned out
01/27/09 Free Play, including readings by Su Jewell, Fish and Wildlife Service

12/08/08 Training Games: Anne Laurent interviews Ralph Chatham
09/20/08 Richard Phillips: Seeing Systems – Saturday overflow session
09/09/08 Richard Phillips: Seeing Systems
07/29/08 Executive Branch Focus Group – MAX Federal Community
06/24/08 Grace Cummings, Working With Congress, and Richard McCaffery
04/08/08 Georgie Bishop, Public Sector Consortium
01/29/08 Jim Trinka, FAA, and Les Wallace book signing party

12/10/07 Senior Fellows and Friends R & R / wrap shoebox gifts for S.O.M.E.
10/30/07 Gary Klingler, Cleveland Federal Executive Board during 9/11
09/11/07 Carol Willett, Chief Learning Officer, GAO
07/24/07 Andy Schoenbach, OMB, and Sandi McCabe, Education: BFELoB Update
06/04/07 Hannah Sistare, National Academy of Public Administration
05/14/07 David Pachter, Library of Congress: the Deep Web
03/26/07 Jon Desenberg, Performance Institute
02/26/07 Midcareer Feds Dialogue
01/17/07 Lee Lambert, Lambert Consulting Group, Dublin, OH

11/13/06 Shelley Metzenbaum, U-MD, on Performance Accountability
10/27/06 Breakfast: Patterson Clark-Washington Post, with Brenna Maloney
09/26/06 Breakfast: Joe and Judy Pauley on Process Communication
09/18/06 The “un-Thompson Dinner” (which happened anyway, despite our speaker’s emergency cancellation)
08/22/06 Breakfast: Just Us
05/23/06 Brian Friel, Government Executive
03/14/06 Chris Mihm, Government Accountability Office

10/24/05 Kirke Harper, USDA Graduate School
07/21/05 Jim Trinka, FBI
05/17/05 Jim Laychak, Pentagon Memorial Fund and Accenture
02/23/05 Roz Kleeman, Coalition for Effective Change

06/29/04 Dave McClure and Roz Docktor, Council for Excellence in Government
03/10/04 Mike Frenz, Ginnie Mae
01/16/04 HUD and ED Senior Fellows at Vie de France

11/20/03 Monika Harrison SBA CHCO
07/29/03 Jim Trinka, IRS