As a strategic human capital management and diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging leader with 20+ years of experience working with C-suiteexecutives, senior leaders, and teams, I have the keen understanding of the intersection between human resources, organizational culture, and strategy. I partner with a diverse client base within private, public, and nonprofit sectors, to develop high performing leaders and teams, enable business transformations, and develop equitable and inclusive cultures that honor the identities and experiences of team members and the communities in which they serve.

Having worked within diverse industries, I possess a deep understanding of the unique challenges clients face in aligning HCM and DEIB priorities with overall organizational strategy. I support key stakeholders in creating alignment around people and business priorities, goals, and performance measures to inform strategies that enable mission and business outcomes.

I lead consultant and client teams in implementing systematic assessments, strategic planning, and learning experiences – all designed to establish the building blocks that enable organizations to shape HCMand DEIB strategies that align with their organizational values and mission. Support cultural change efforts through leadership and team coaching and development to enable individual and collective growth and accountability of embodying humanistic principles and practices.

My professional journey includes serving as Director of Client Services with Be Equitable and Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). I have a MS in Human Resource Management from the University of Maryland and a BA in Advertising from Michigan State University. Certifications: Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), EVERYTHING DiSC® Suite, Korn Ferry Voices 360° – Leadership Architect™, and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™

Julie Dobies has an undergraduate degree from University of Minnesota with emphasis in Marketing, Speech Communication and Psychology and worked for large corporations for over 15 years. Later, she earned her State of MD teaching certification in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and her Masters of Arts Degree in Teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore.

Julie has spent more than 7 years teaching in both early childhood and elementary classrooms, including serving in a dual role as a full-time Kindergarten teacher and a full-time Child Care Director at a private school for 2 years. She’s combined her career experiences and has been working at Kaplan Early Learning Company for 9 years as a Territory Manager for Maryland, Delaware and Washington, DC. Julie serves on multiple boards, is a member of NAEYC and various state and local organizations. Julie enjoys making site visits and seeing children and their families and working with staff!

Audrey Pabs-Garnon has a long career as an early childhood educator and is passionate about working with young children. She gained her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education, specializing in guidance and counseling, from the Universities of Nottingham, Bristol and Reading in the United Kingdom respectively. For almost two decades she served as Director of the American Institute of Physics on-site Child Care Center in College Park, Maryland, for which she attained National [NAEYC] & State [MSDE] accreditations.

Currently she is an International Early Childhood Consultant, a Center Director, an MSDE Accreditation Validator and a part-time Reliability Assessor of ITERS & ECERS for Maryland State Department of Education [MSDE] and Maryland Family Network [MFN]. Together with her brother, they continue their mother’s legacy by managing the 55 year old Baana Nursery & Preparatory School in Freetown Sierra Leone.

Audrey travels extensively, conducts workshops, and makes presentations at conferences. She is a member of various philanthropic organizations, and serves on several Advisory & Non-Profit Boards including Maryland State Child Care Association [MSCCA] and Child Resource Connect [CRC] formerly the Prince George’s Child Resource Center. Audrey was named Woman of the Year 2010/2011 by the National Association of Professional Women and in 2017 was elected the first female Chairperson of the National Organization of Sierra Leoneans in North America [NOSLINA]. She is currently the third term President of AWOGA [Annie Walsh Old Girls Association] Washington. Her hobbies include traveling, sewing, cooking and reading.

Marshelle Richardson has more than 27 years of professional work experience in the areas of accounting, audit support, readiness and remediation, risk management, account reconciliation, training and development, process improvement research and analysis, financial accounting and reporting.

Ms. Richardson was appointed Chief Risk Officer (CRO) for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) in March 2014.

She is responsible for the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks across the OCFO and ensuring that the organization is in complete compliance with District of Columbia government regulations and guidelines.

Marshelle holds a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) Certification and is a Certified Internal Controls Auditor (CICA). She also has a Master of Business Administration degree in Financial Management, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

She is an active member of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) (Washington, DC Chapter)), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE), the Institute for Internal Controls (IIC), the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM).

Marshelle is a board member and program chair for the Washington, DC chapter of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). She is also the owner and director of Beyond Perfection Consulting, LLC. This company specializes in event management and offers a creative and unique approach to developing every event.

Dr. Adriana B. Rojas (she/her/ella) is an esteemed leader, TEDx speaker, and advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA), with a rich background spanning public and higher education, non-profit, and corporate sectors. In her capacity as a trusted advisor at her consultancy, Social Justice Works, and as a Senior Consultant at Cook Ross, Dr. Rojas’ notable projects include conducting state assessments and strategic planning for clients like Mazda and The California Water Environmental Association, delivering leadership training and strategic roadmaps at institutions such as Dartmouth College, and developing and facilitating continuing education curriculum for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.

At Eastern Mennonite University, Dr. Rojas served as a tenured faculty, Director of the Spanish and Hispanic Studies Program, and Co-Director of the Global Studies Program. After successfully securing grants from the Department of Education, she crafted an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrated principles of social justice, peacebuilding, and forged connections between the campus and community partners.

Dr. Rojas holds an MA and PhD in Hispanic Studies from the University of Virginia, complemented by professional certificates in Diversity and Inclusion for HR and Human Resources Management. Additionally, she has certificates in race equity, language interpretation for healthcare and social justice contexts, and restorative justice facilitation. Actively engaged in her community, she is a proud member of the Frederick Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Rojas is writing a book titled IDEA Begins at Home, which delves into the significance of inner growth and proactive measures to foster meaningful change within ourselves, our homes, and workplaces.

Jennifer Iverson began her career in the field of early childhood education, with emphasis on early literacy. Before moving to Maryland, Jennifer taught Pre-K for the Santa Barbara School District in California and became a Master Teacher in the school system’s Child Development Program. Additionally, she was a child development teacher trainer, certified by the California Department of Education. Jennifer’s tenure at Prince George’s Child Resource Center began in 2001 and over the last twenty years, she served in a number of positions including program manager for a $1.6 federally-funded literacy project, Development Director and Deputy Director. Jennifer became Executive Director in 2016, leading a variety of programs that impact young children, their families, and child care providers in Prince George’s County. She holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership. Jennifer is Co-Chair of the Prince George’s Early Childhood Advisory Council; member of the National Governor’s Association Early Childhood Education Workforce Sub-Committee for Maryland; and member of the Prince George’s Cabinet for Children and Youth – Chair, Early Childhood Workgroup. She serves on the Board of Directors for Maryland Family Network.

Fun Fact: Nothing makes her happier than a day spent outdoors followed by good food and great company.

FUNDRAISE WITH MARVERLY

A Marylander by choice, Marverly is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She received her Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from The University of Alabama where she played small-forward/shooting guard for the Women’s Basketball team and joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She went on to play professionally for the Women’s Super League in Ireland where her team won the Cup Championship. Upon her return, Marverly earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Troy University.

Since landing in Prince George’s County, Marverly has continued her career in the public and private sectors. She currently serves as the General Assembly Committee Director for the Prince George’s County Council, where she engages with state and local officials to achieve legislative and community goals that benefit all residents.

Previously, Marverly worked as a Risk Management Specialist at Booz Allen Hamilton where she prepared state, local, tribal, and territorial governments for natural and man-made disasters. Prior to joining Booz Allen, Marverly spent over 14 years in the criminal justice and public safety space at the state and federal level. Nettles served as a sworn U.S. Capitol Police Officer, managing mission-critical Command Center Operations including evacuations, shelter-in-place, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive materials responses. Marverly also served as a federal correctional officer for the U.S. DOJ Bureau of Prisons. In 2021, she was appointed to the Governor’s Emergency Management Advisory Council (GEMAC).

An avid gardener, Marverly enjoys spending time with her husband, their son and rescue Doberman, Coco Chanel.