Confirmed Sessions |
Assessing the Dark Side: Identifying and Addressing Toxic Work Environments in Government Personnel Assessment Dr. C. Allen Gorman is an Associate Professor of Management in the Collat School of Business at UAB, where he teaches classes in Leadership and Human Resource Management. Dr. Gorman is an Associate Editor at Group & Organization Management, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, and Organization Management Journal, and he is on the editorial boards of Human Performance, Journal of Business and Psychology, and the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. In addition to his academic role, Dr. Gorman provides consulting services within the domains of human resource management and organizational development, particularly in the areas of employee selection, performance management, and leadership development. His expertise and experience make him a sought-after speaker and consultant in the field. |
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Executive Assessment: Assessing for Impact Dr. Elliott Larson is a lecturer at Baruch College, City University of New York and a senior consultant for Siena Consulting. His work is focused on the development of fair, valid, and innovative employee selection systems. Through his research on test design and psychometric properties, he examines the predictive validity and group score differences of assessments, as well as the utility of these measures in high stakes testing situations. In addition, Elliott partners with organizations to implement evidence-based programs for identifying and developing talent and maximizing inclusivity. He has designed and implemented assessment centers for a wide range of purposes, including selecting and developing employees from early talent to C-suite leadership in both public and private sector organizations. |  |
Humanizing the Leadership Experience Jennifer Franks serves as Acting Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Director of the Center for Enhanced Cybersecurity at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). As Acting CTO, she helps shape the agency’s long-term technology roadmap, evaluates emerging technology capabilities, and fosters a culture of experimentation and rapid prototyping to advance GAO’s mission and future technology environment. With more than 20 years of federal leadership experience, Jennifer has led multidisciplinary teams responsible for strengthening cybersecurity, modernizing technology environments, reducing enterprise risk, and advancing mission-focused technology strategies across the federal government. As Director of the Center for Enhanced Cybersecurity, she oversees reviews of emerging cybersecurity challenges and agencies’ ability to protect sensitive data and critical systems. She also provides executive leadership for GAO’s enterprise analytics and cloud-enabled analytical capabilities that support congressional oversight and decision-making. Jennifer holds a Master of Science in Information Security Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Hampton University. |  |
Building Out an Assessment Department from the Ground Up Dr. Halina Ferdynus is a business psychologist with nearly 25 years of experience in personnel selection, assessment, leadership development, and executive coaching. Her career spans the public and private sectors, with particular expertise in designing, implementing, and leading scientifically rigorous assessment programs that support high-stakes employment and promotional decisions. A defining chapter of her career was her tenure as Manager of Testing and Assessment for the City of Chicago, where she built and led a comprehensive testing and assessment operation serving one of the nation's largest municipal workforces. Starting from the ground up, she established the operational infrastructure, recruited and trained assessment professionals, and developed a team with the expertise and capacity to support complex selection and promotional processes across City departments, including the Chicago Police and Fire Departments. She directed the development and validation of employment examinations and oversaw large-scale test administrations, balancing scientific rigor, operational efficiency, and legal defensibility in a highly visible public-sector environment. In addition to overseeing assessment operations, Dr. Ferdynus served as the City's subject matter expert in employment testing and selection-related litigation, including matters that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Her responsibilities included navigating complex legal and regulatory requirements, supporting compliance with federal mandates, and ensuring that selection processes met rigorous standards of validity, reliability, and fairness. Dr. Ferdynus also served as an adjunct professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, teaching graduate-level courses in statistics, selection, job analysis, and performance management. Today, Dr. Ferdynus is Founder and President of EAS, LLC, an organizational psychology consulting firm specializing in executive coaching, talent development, and employment selection. She also serves as a Principal with Stephen A. Laser Associates, conducting assessments for high-stakes public safety positions. Having worked as an internal and external consultant, organizational leader, and business owner, Dr. Ferdynus brings a distinctive combination of technical expertise, strategic perspective, operational leadership, and practical consulting experience. Throughout her career, she has been guided by a central commitment: helping organizations place the right people in the right roles while enabling individuals to develop their capabilities and reach their fullest potential. |
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