Two Days of Discovery: AGA NLT 2023
Written by: Vera Medici
AGA kicked off the year with another stellar conference, hosting the 2023 National Leadership Training at the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Center in Washington, DC. The event took place February 22-23, 2023 with plenary and breakout sessions, and both an in-person and virtual exhibit hall. With over 600 in-person attendees and 500 online, #NLT23 was alive with networking opportunities and of course the opportunity for up to 14 CPEs.
Exploring Self
Ann Ebberts, CEO of AGA, and Melinda Miguel, national president of AGA and Chief Inspector General for the State of Florida, kicked off the event with a warm welcome, and introduction of the first keynote speaker. Commander Mary Kelly has worn many hats throughout her career, as a former naval intelligence officer, chief of police, professor, HR director, and current motivational speaker, economist and author. Ms. Kelly shared leadership lessons learned in these various roles, with a sense of humor and relatability. Thursday morning’s keynote speaker was Jason Young, former senior executive at Southwest Airlines, and current corporate training and development consultant. Young surprised and amused the audience by relating his leadership experience to the stages of grief, and how to emerge triumphant.
Exploring Issues
The breakout sessions throughout the conference spanned a variety of tracks, from technical subjects such as accounting, auditing, and IT, to personal development, management, and HR. Several sessions addressing hot topics in financial management were standing room-only. One such session, “The Future of Financial Management: Strategies for Data-driven Decision-making” reiterated the importance of not simply gathering data, but true understanding of the data to lead to increased confidence and better outcomes. Several other sessions also dealt with data, including zero trust and data safety.
The Wednesday afternoon plenary session transcended categorization by hopping between reputational risk and recovery, when both professional reputation and organizational reputation is at stake. This panel discussion included speakers Shelia Conley, deputy assistant secretary and deputy CFO at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Lee Lofthus, former deputy assistant attorney general/controller, Justice Management Division at the US Department of Justice, and Gerard Badorrek, former CFO at the US General Services Administration.
Exploring the Expo
Over 30 exhibitors filled the Solutions Hall, but by far the most popular exhibit was the Headshot Lounge sponsored by LinkedIn. Many attendees took advantage of the free headshots, along with advice on how to maximize their professional presence online. Management Concepts staff spoke to many attendees, handing out the latest information on our many new and updated courses in financial management, and information on instructor and SME opportunities at Management Concepts.
Until Next Time at Professional Development Training 2023
For more information on how Management Concepts supports AGA, including upcoming events and webinars, visit our AGA supporter page. We look forward to exhibiting at AGA PDT in Orlando this July. Until then, enjoy event photos from NLT 23 on our Facebook page.
