Washington Marriott at Metro Center

March 22, 2016

QUARTERLY CONFERENCE

GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION for the WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA

presents the

Second Annual

WELCOME!

THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER MEETING! The WMA-GFOA Women’s

Forum is an exclusive opportunity to personally interact with more than 200

of your peers in the fields of government and finance. Exposure to new ide-

as and approaches, best practice management of everyday issues and

learning from observing the best and the brightest is an excellent and abun-

dant return on your investment.

Today, you will enjoy a panel of diverse c-suite executives as they discuss

their personal career paths and the critical choices they made that helped

them get where they are. They’ll discuss lateral career moves, “time outs”,

the importance of sponsors and mentors, and “roads not taken”. You’ll hear

the personal stories of these career “innovators” far-from-standard leader-

ship journeys.

I encourage you to take notes, collaborate, and simply enjoy being in the

room!

Kindest Regards,

Mohamed A. Mohamed

President, GFOA-WMA

GIFTS IN KIND DONATED BY:

The GFOA-WMA Board of Directors would like to thank all

the women in government and public service for their ded-

ication and contributions to the communities they serve.

Thank you for your footprint in our history!

2016 PROGRAM AGENDA 10:30 AM Opening Remarks

Mohamed A. Mohamed, GFOA-WMA President

10:45 AM Open Forum I: Economic Empowerment: Diversity + Inclusion

Moderator: Yvette Downs, CFO, WSSC

Panel: Melinda Bolling, Marva Jo Camp, Esq., Marcia J. Griffin,

Ana Recio Harvey, Karen Hawkins, and Lily Qi.

11:30 AM Morning Keynote: Women and the Power of Negotiation

Barbara Lang, President + CEO, Lang Strategies, LLC

12:00 PM Luncheon

1:00 PM Open Forum II: : Flashback, Dream Forward

Moderator: LaKendra McNair, AVP, M&T Bank

Panel: Melinda Bolling, Marva Jo Camp, Esq., Marcia J. Griffin,

Karen Hawkins, Lily Qi, Carla Reid, and Tonia Wellons

2:00 PM Break

2:15 PM Afternoon Keynote: The Journey to Leadership

Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Dir., Smithsonian National Museum of African Art

3:00 PM Open Forum III: Embracing Our Civic Duty

Speaker: The Honorable Rushern L Baker, III,

Prince George’s County Executive

Moderator: LaKendra McNair, AVP, M&T Bank

Panel: Marva Jo Camp, Esq., Karen Hawkins, Lily Qi, LaVonn Reedy Thomas,

and Tonia Wellons

4:00 PM Remarks and Acknowledgements

Mohamed A. Mohamed, GFOA-WMA President

Thank You to Our 2016 Annual Partners The support of our Partners allow the GFOA-WMA to provide our

members and associates with continued quality education and net-

working opportunities.

PLATINUM

DIAMOND

MODERATORS

SPEAKERS

LAKENDRA MCNAIR, Assistant VP, M&T Bank

GFOA-WMA Board Member

YVETTE DOWNS, CFO, Washington Suburban Sanitary Com.

GFOA-WMA Board Member

THE HONORABLE RUSHERN BAKER, III, County Executive

Prince George's County, MD

Rushern L. Baker, III is the seventh County Executive of

Prince George’s County, the highest income African-American

majority county in America and the second largest jurisdiction

by population in the State of Maryland.

Baker has raised the profile of Prince George’s County in the Washington, D.C.

Metropolitan region through the implementation of innovative programs de-

signed to improve the quality of life for residents. Programs such as The Eco-

nomic Development Incentive Fund (EDIF), an unprecedented $50 million fund

designed to stimulate business growth in the County, and his advocacy initia-

tives to address the healthcare disparities throughout the region. He has en-

sured that the schools receive adequate funding and resources, resulting in

rising test scores and a significant reduction in overall crime.

Baker was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 22-

B (1994 – 2003). There, he earned a reputation of being a consensus builder,

an honest professional, and a tough, well-respected leader. He has received

numerous awards and honors to include the National Forum for Black Public

Administrators’ National Leadership Award for Public Service and 2012 Most

Innovative Executive of the Year for Minority Business from the Maryland/

Washington Minority Contractors Association.

Baker earned his Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctorate from Howard University.

He and his wife, Christa, live in Prince George’s County, with their three children.

In honor of National Women's History Month

(March), GFOA WMA's quarterly conference,

Recognizing Women in Government and Public Service,

highlights women in the Washington Metropolitan

Area for their unwavering dedication and commit-

ment to Government and Public Service!

Each year, we anxiously look forward to our partici-

pants sharing their journey, milestones, and accom-

plishments in their respective areas. In an open fo-

rum setting, participants and attendees engage in

discussions on life skills and learnings, leadership,

mentoring, emotional intelligence, and professional

development.

MELINDA M. BOLLING, Director for the DC Department of

Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (“DCRA”)

Ms. Bolling was confirmed as Director for the “DCRA” in July

2015. The agency is charged with protecting the health, safety,

economic interests and quality of life of District of Columbia

residents, businesses and visitors by issuing licenses and per-

mits, conducting inspections, enforcing building, housing and

safety codes, and regulating land use and development.

Previously, Ms. Bolling served as DCRA’s General Counsel where she managed

the agency’s legal staff in both prosecutorial and defensive litigation before ad-

ministrative and judicial forums in the District of Columbia.

Melinda earned her bachelors degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology

and her law degree from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of

Law. She resides in Ward 7 with her husband and two children.

MARVA JO CAMP, Attorney, Marva Jo Camp & Associates

Marca Jo Camp specializes in governmental relations,

real estate transactions and land use, not-for-profit gov-

ernance, small, minority and women-owned business,

governmental agencies and trade associations. Her

work includes serving as counsel for several large mixed

-use developments, counsel for the Citizens Complain

Oversight Panel, Tax and Staff Counsel for the United States Congress,

member of a Presidential Transition team, Consultant to the African Devel-

opment Bank, and Director of Government and Community Outreach for

Bowie State University. Marva Jo has also represented Prince George’s

County Council and served as Of Counsel for a national law firm specializing

in housing.

Marva Jo is the recipient of numerous awards, recognizing her leadership

drive and contributions to her community. She earned her bachelors de-

gree in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and

her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. Marva

Jo’s memberships include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc.,

Jack & Jill of Prince George’s County, the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Associa-

tion, the National Association of Health Services Executives, the Maryland

State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, and the

Supreme Court Bar.

UPCOMING GFOA-WMA CONFERENCES

Quarterly Meeting, June 2016

Date + Location TBD

Quarterly Meeting, September 15, 2016

Washington Marriott at Metro Center

Annual Conference, November 16, 2016

Washington Marriott at Metro Center

www.gfoa -wma.org

DR. JOHNNETTA B. COLE, Director of the Smithsonian

National Museum of African Art

Dr. Johnnetta Cole was appointed the Director of the Smith-

sonian National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) in March,

2009, hosting a collection of over 12,000 objects from near-

ly region and country on the continent of Africa. Before as-

suming her current position Dr. Cole had a long and distin-

guished career as an educator and humanitarian. She served as president of

Spelman College and Bennett College for Women, and is the only person to

have served as president of these two historically Black colleges for women

in the United States. Through her work as a college president, university pro-

fessor, her published works, speeches, community service, consultations with

corporations and not-for-profit organizations, she consistently addresses ra-

cial, gender, and all other forms of inequality.

Dr. Cole has been awarded 68 honorary degrees and she is the recipient of

numerous awards. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College

and her Master’s and Doctorate in anthropology from Northwestern University

with a focus on African Studies. She is married to James D. Staton Dr. and

has three sons, one step-son, three grandchildren, and is a mentor to count-

less young women and men.

MARCIA GRIFFIN, Founder and President HomeFree-USA

Marcia Griffin is on a mission to strengthen people, elevate part-

ners, and enhance communities across America. As founder and

president of HomeFree-USA, Marcia has helped thousands to

achieve and retain the dream of homeownership and greater

wealth. Nationally recognized as a homeownership expert, Mar-

cia serves as an advisor to 300 black faith-based leaders in a

financial empowerment movement designed to improve the financial stature of

50,000 church members across the country.

Marcia is a member of the Freddie Mac Affordable Housing Advisory Committee,

the Ocwen Financial Community Advisory Council, the America’s Home- owner

Alliance Advisory Board, and the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation Steering Com-

mittee.

Marcia is the recipient of numerous awards, recognizing her efforts to increase

homeownership and personal financial stewardship.

2016-17 GFOA-WMA Executive Board Members

PRESIDENT

Mohamed A. Mohamed, District of Columbia Government

VICE PRESIDENT

Jeffrey Barnette, District of Columbia Government

SECRETARY

Paul Lundquist, District of Columbia Government

TREASURER

Wilma Matthias, District of Columbia Government

PAST PRESIDENT

Cyril Byron, District of Columbia Government

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Belete Sitota, District of Columbia Government

AT - LARGE MEMBERS

Ed Bianchi, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Rhonda Cheatham, District of Columbia Government

Yvette Downs, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Paul Geraty, KPMG, LLP

John Henry, District of Columbia Government

Uzma Malik-Dorman, SB & Company, LLC

LaKendra McNair, LSM & Associates, LLC

Heather Ness, KPMG, LLP

Marshelle Richardson, District of Columbia Government

Dave Ryder, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

TONIA WELLONS, Head of Global Partnerships, Peace Corps

As the Head of Global Partnerships for the Peace Corp, Tonia

Wellons is responsible for leading the agency’s partnerships

with government, the private sector, and international NGO’s.

She expertly facilitates strategic opportunities that advance

the Peace Corps’ mission and the role of volunteerism as a

tool for development.

With 18 years of development experience, Wellons has led USAID-funded initi-

atives in the immediate post-apartheid era in South Africa and established

‘south-south’ partnerships in neighboring Zimbabwe, Zambia and Swaziland.

She has sphere headed countless Youth Employment, Leadership, Talent De-

velopment, and Social Entrepreneurship initiatives for a broad range of US

communities and continues to serve as advisor on youth leadership and civic

engagement programs locally in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Wellons earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from North Carolina

A&T State University and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration and

International Development Policy from the University of Delaware.

KAREN HAWKINS, CEO, Dept. of Finance for Montgomery

County, MD

Karen Hawkins lead the development and implementation of

fiscal policy and operations. Prior to holding this position, Ms.

Hawkins was the Controller for Montgomery County for twelve

years.

Prior to joining Montgomery County in 1995, Ms. Hawkins was a senior manager in

KPMG Peat Marwick’s Washington, DC, audit practice, where her client base was

primarily government, not-for-profit, and real estate. She also worked in the area of

performance improvement for not-for-profits. She is a member of the Board of Visi-

tors, Bolte School of Business at Mount Saint Mary’s University, the Association of

Government Accountants, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA),

the Maryland GFOA (MDGFOA), the American Institute of Certified Public Account-

ants (CPA’s), and the Maryland Association of CPA’s.

A speaker and trainer, Ms. Hawkins is the recipient of numerous awards, recogniz-

ing her rich contributions tin public finance. Ms. Hawkins graduated summa cum

laude from Mount Saint Mary’s College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and

a Minor in Business and Finance.

BARBARA B. LANG, President and CEO of Lang Strategies, LLC

As President and CEO of Lang Strategies, LLC, Barbara Lang pro-

vides operational oversight of each of the boutique firm’s prac-

tice areas: Crisis Management, Business Development, Political

Strategy Management, Executive Leadership and Business Tacti-

cal Planning, Assessment and Problem Solving, while managing

the overall brand of the company.

Prior to Lang Strategies, she served as President and CEO of the DC Chamber of

Commerce for 12 years. Advancing the Chamber’s interests through advocacy,

education, information and business development, Ms. Lang transformed the

organization into the most powerful and respected business group in the region.

Ms. Lang was awarded an honorary doctorate and is the recipient of numerous

awards. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Edward Waters Col-

lege, a Juris Doctorate from Trinity University, and graduate studies at Harvard

University. Ms. Lang and her husband, Gerald, live in Washington DC.

To Our Speakers

For sharing your time and career experiences.

∫

LILY QI , Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Economic and

Workforce Development, Montgomery County.

Ms. Qi was appointed to her current post by County Executive

Ike Leggett, and has led priority initiatives to include privatizing

economic development functions, establishing an innovation

partnership to advance biomedical research commercialization,

developing strategic partnerships with China, improving

nighttime economy, and advancing government cultural competency in serving its

increasingly diverse and multilingual populations.

Prior to joining Montgomery County, Lily served as Vice President of Business De-

velopment and Marketing for the Washington, DC Economic Partnership and as

the spokesperson for the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.

An immigrant from Shanghai, China, Lily is also a writer, speaker and trainer on

immigrant integration and Asian American issues. She was featured in the Wash-

ington Business Journal, Bethesda Magazine, China Daily, and Asian Fortune for

her professional accomplishments and community leadership, which includes

serving as immediate past chair of the Maryland Governor’s Commission on

Asian American Affairs.

ANA RECIO HARVEY, Director, Dept. of Small and Local

Business Development , District of Columbia Government

Prior to her appointment to the Department of Small and

Local Business Development, Ana Recio Harvey founded the

HarveyHudson Group, a bank advisory group comprised of

national experts in the areas of financial compliance, com-

munity reinvestment, community engagement and CSR. In 2009, President

Barack Obama appointed her as the Assistant Administrator for Office of Wom-

en’s Business Ownership, under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

There, she managed a $50 million budget and directed the agency’s efforts to

increase access to credit and capital to women business owners. As the Presi-

dent and CEO of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,

(2007), her leadership and direction increased access to capital and federal and

local contracts for its membership.

Among her many accomplishments and civic engagements, Recio Harvey has

served on the White House Business Council, the White House Council on Wom-

en and Girls, and the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy

(PPWE) and APEC Gender Focal Point Network (GFPN).

LAVONN REEDY THOMAS, Community Affairs Manager

Prince George’s County, Md.

LaVonn Reedy Thomas is responsible for producing the an-

nual Women’s History Month Luncheon, the Community

Partnership Grant, and the Transforming Neighborhoods

Initiative on behalf of the County. Additionally, she works

with faith-based, non-profit and philanthropic organizations,

and civic leaders to address concerns and support their initiatives.

LaVonn is passionate about women’s empowerment and advocacy, which is

evident through her participation in the community and her volunteer work

with several church ministries.

In 2013, she was named among “125 Who’s Who in Prince George’s” in Prince

George’s Suite Magazine. LaVonn earned her Bachelors degree in journalism

from the University of Maryland College Park, and is a graduate of Leadership

Prince George’s Class 26.

CARLA REID, General Manager, Chief Executive Officer

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Carla Reid is the 12th General Manager and the first woman

to serve in this capacity in the Commission's 97-year history.

Reid began her 20-year career at WSSC in 1986. Prior to re-

joining the Commission in January 2016, Reid worked for

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett as the Director of the Department

of Permitting Service. In 2011, she served as Dep. Chief Administrative Officer

for Economic Development and Public Infrastructure under newly elected Prince

George's County Executive Rushem L. Baker'. In this position, she led all opera-

tions related to economic development including permitting, transportation,

environmental matters and tourism.

Reid serves on several boards to include DC Water, Melwood, Montgomery Alli-

ance, the Prince George's County Revenue Authority and Arts on the Block. To

honor her stellar seven-year tenure as an adjunct professor, The University of

the District, of Columbia established an award in her name .

Reid earned a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from Howard University and

her master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland,

University College.