The Federal Government: A Model for Workplace Inclusivity
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As the nation's largest employer, the federal government must be a leader in modeling effective employment policies and practices that advance America's ideal of equal opportunity for all. During this session, hear from executives charged with inclusion efforts within the federal government. Panelists will share common challenges, best practices and opportunities to create a better workplace for all.
Dr. Sesha Joi Moon
Dr. Sesha Joi Moon [she/her/hers] is the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion where she serves as the Chief Diversity Officer with the U.S. House of Representatives at the United States Congress. Prior to her appointment by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, she served in positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce within the Office of the Secretary and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – concluding her tenure as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
In addition to completing executive education programs at Harvard University, Dr. Moon holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Old Dominion University, as well as a M.S. from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and B.A. in African American Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University [VCU]. She is also a Senior Research Fellow with The Conference Board’s Engagement Institute and a Senior Fellow of the Excellence in Government Fellowship Program with the Partnership for Public Service.
Dr. Moon, who has appeared in Essence, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call, and Punchbowl News and on C-SPAN, has been recognized by Blacks in Government at the 2023 Annual National Training Institute and CNN at the United Nations as one of "100 Most Influential People of African Descent", is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has held board positions with the African American Federal Executive Association, Commonwealth of Virginia's Criminal Justice Services Board and VCU President's Campaign Cabinet. She is also Executive Director of The JXN Project, which is a grantee of the Mellon Foundation's "Monuments Project" and has been highlighted by PBS NewsHour, TIME, The Boston Globe, and 2021 Pulitzer Prize Winner Richmond Times-Dispatch. Axios named her and her sister, Enjoli Moon, as the second "Most Powerful Richmonders of 2022" and she was named "Top 40 Under 40" by Style Weekly in 2023.
Dr. Moon, who hails from Richmond, Virginia, is the proud daughter of the late Mr. August Moon and Dr. Michon Moon and resides in Northern Virginia with her wife and cockapoo.
Dr. Janice Underwood
Janice Underwood, Ph.D. joins the Biden-Harris administration having most recently served as the inaugural Virginia Chief Diversity Officer in Governor Ralph Northam’s cabinet, leading the DEI agenda and the COVID-19 equity leadership task force. As a national expert in diversity leadership across multiple sectors, Dr. Underwood has worked for 20+ years to make structural inequity visible in government and education as a state official, teacher educator, a nationally certified special education teacher, academic researcher, higher education administrator, and diversity trainer. Most notably, she has been nationally recognized for her contribution to advancing equity initiatives at the intersection of government and politics, including launching the first statewide DEI strategy across 100+ state agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Dr. Underwood has been appointed to the role of Executive Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at OPM, where her primary responsibility will be to lead the government-wide White House initiative on DEIA.
Janice is a graduate of Hampton University and Old Dominion University.
Emily M. Dickens, J.D.
Emily M. Dickens, J.D., serves as SHRM Chief of Staff, Head of Government Affairs & Corporate Secretary. She is the executive responsible for coordinating staff to implement the CEO's vision, serving as corporate secretary for the SHRM Board and subsidiary boards, as well as managing external partnerships and providing oversight for the Government Affairs division.
Dickens is an attorney with significant and progressive experience in government, higher education and the non-profit sector. She has served as a member of the leadership team at the University of North Carolina system, the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Her prior roles include general counsel, chief relationship officer, senior vice president, vice president for public policy and assistant vice president for federal relations. Dickens has also worked at Duke University and Fayetteville State University in administrative and external affairs roles.
Emily is actively engaged in board service. She formerly served on the Fayetteville/Cumberland (NC) Chamber of Commerce (Secretary of the Board), the Cumberland County Workforce Development Board, the North Carolina Partnership for Defense Innovation Board, and the Educational Advancement Foundation. She is currently a member of the Advisory Council of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the Advisory Board of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Carolina Central University, and chairs the International HBCU Task Force for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
She is a graduate of North Carolina Central University and North Carolina Central University School of Law.