SLGE - Key Persons

Anil Comelo has more than 25 years of public sector management experience including roles as Administrative Services Officer, Director of Human Resources, Deputy City Manager, and City Manager. Mr. Comelo currently is the City Manager for the City of St. Helena, California. He serves on the Cal-ICMA Talent Development Team and on the Board of the ICMA affiliate International Network of Asian Public Administrators. He is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2011 Award of Excellence by the Government Finance Officers Association for his work on implementing an innovative OPEB solution for the City of Beverly Hills. Mr. Comelo holds a Master's in Public Administration in Organizational Change and Public Policy from California State University, East Bay, where he also earned his B.A. in Economics.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director of the Public Sector HR Association

Cara Woodson Welch is the Executive Director of the Public Sector HR Association (formerly IPMA-HR). She joined PSHRA with nearly 30 years of experience in association management and leadership. Previously, Ms. Welch was general counsel for WorldatWork, a total rewards human resources association. She was also vice president for external affairs and practice leadership at WorldatWork. Ms. Welch also has extensive public sector experience. Early in her career, she worked as a legislative analyst at the National League of Cities. She also completed a fellowship with the human resources division of the federal government in the Social Security Administration. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C., and is a member of the D.C. Bar. She earned her B.A. in international studies and French with a minor in political science from Macalester College, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Job Titles:

• Director of the Department of Research and Collective Bargaining Services at the American Federation of State

Dalia Thornton is the Director of the Department of Research and Collective Bargaining Services at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). At AFSCME, Ms. Thornton's core job function is assisting affiliates in all aspects of collective bargaining. She has led public sector negotiations for the union at the state level, in homecare, higher education, childcare, transportation and K-12 schools as well as emergency medical responders and the American Red Cross in the private sector. She also conducts collective bargaining and contract campaign trainings for affiliates nationwide. Ms. Thornton earned her B.A. in Economics with a focus on Labor Economics from the University of Colorado. She earned her Master's in Political Science with an emphasis in American and International Politics from Colorado State University.

Job Titles:

• Fellow
• Senior Fellow
• Director of Public Policy for the International City / County Management Association
• Senior Fellow With MissionSquare Research Institute

Ms. Kellar is Senior Fellow with MissionSquare Research Institute, having served as President/CEO from its inception in 2006 through 2016. Currently she conducts research and writing for the Institute about the future state and local government workforce. Ms. Kellar is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration and has served as chair for NAPA's Standing Panel on the Federal System. She also served on the American University School of Public Affairs Advisory Council from 2001-2014. Ms. Kellar is Director of Public Policy for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) where she also has served as Deputy Executive Director and Ethics Advisor. She led the expansion of ICMA's funded programs to strengthen management in local governments throughout the world. She also launched a monthly ethics column, was editor of Ethical Insight, Ethical Action, and developed ethics training programs. She served two terms on the Montgomery County Maryland Ethics Commission and was chair of the commission for three years. Prior to joining ICMA, Ms. Kellar was responsible for community relations for the city of Sunnyvale, California. She has a master's degree in journalism and political science from The Ohio State University.

Job Titles:

• Senior Research Analyst
• Senior Research Analyst at MissionSquare Research Institute

Mr. Young serves as Senior Research Analyst at MissionSquare Research Institute. In this role, he conducts quantitative and case study research on workforce issues, public retirement plans, staff sharing, DEI, financial wellness, and other related topics. Prior to joining the Research Institute in 2017, he worked with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) for over two decades on performance management, police recruitment, organizing best practices symposia, and researching smart communities and local government innovation. He has also served local government directly for eight years with the cities of Chula Vista and Loma Linda, California, with a focus on budgeting and program evaluation. His research has been covered by a variety of publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Federal News Network, Pensions & Investments, PlanSponsor, Politico, Axios, Route Fifty, and American City and County, among others, as well as the IBM Center for the Business of Government. He has presented at various state, national, and international conferences. Mr. Young earned a master's in public administration from the University of Kansas and bachelor's degrees in mathematics/computer science and political science from Loyola University Chicago.

Job Titles:

• Communications Consultant

Ms. Kenneally is a communications consultant with more than 25 years of public affairs & communications experience. She specializes in public policy issues and corporate communications, and she has led effective stakeholder outreach, message development, social media and traditional news media campaigns. In recent years, much of her work has revolved around retirement and workforce issues. Ms. Kenneally's work has helped organizations change the debate on policy issues, educate target audiences, and secure media coverage in top outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, ABC News, CNN, NPR, FOX News, and CSPAN among others. Prior to establishing a consulting practice, Ms. Kenneally served in the White House as deputy director of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships, one of the nation's most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. She has held public affairs positions at Micron Electronics, MCI WorldCom, Edelman Public Relations, Environmental Issues Management, Inc., and the American Nuclear Energy Council. She began her career as a legislative assistant with the Maryland General Assembly. Ms. Kenneally holds a B.A. in Government & Politics from the University of Maryland. Active in her local community, Kelly has served on the boards of St. Luke's Day School and the Parent Teacher Association of Hollin Meadows Elementary School. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and two sons.

Job Titles:

• CEO and Executive Director of ICMA

Marc A. Ott is CEO and Executive Director of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, which advances professional local government worldwide through leadership, management, innovation, and ethics. ICMA is the authority on leadership and management for appointed professional managers and administrators serving U.S. and international local governments. Mr. Ott's responsibilities include working closely with the ICMA Executive Board and more than 12,000 members to support and advocate for professional and ethical local government management and for forming global partnerships to further ICMA's mission. Prior to joining ICMA, he served for nearly nine years as city manager of Austin, Texas, then a full-service city with 40+ departments, a workforce of 14,000 employees, an all-funds budget of $3.8 billion, and a triple-A bond rating that was maintained throughout his tenure. Austin is widely recognized as being one of the "Best Managed Cities in America." Mr. Ott's career in municipal management includes leadership roles in the cities of Fort Worth, Texas; Rochester Hills, Michigan; Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Among his many awards, he received ICMA's highest professional honor, the Award for Career Excellence in Memory of Mark E. Keane. The National Forum for Black Public Administrators also bestowed upon him both its Marks of Excellence Award and its 2020 Hall of Fame Award. Mr. Ott completed the Senior Executives Program in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and has a master's degree in public administration from Oakland University in Michigan.

Job Titles:

• Senior Research Manager at MissionSquare Research Institute

Dr. Liss-Levinson is Senior Research Manager at MissionSquare Research Institute. With 15 years of experience designing, implementing, reporting, and disseminating rigorous, practitioner-oriented research, she is dedicated to leveraging data and stories to improve the health and well-being of public sector workers and others who serve their communities. Prior to joining the Research Institute in 2018, Dr. Liss-Levinson worked as Director of Survey Research for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), where she led the full life cycle of the pre-eminent national survey of the status of state and territorial public health in the United States. She has also worked at the Emory University/Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, collaborating with partners from the private and public sectors to research and evaluate workplace wellness programs. Dr. Liss-Levinson's work has been covered by Forbes, CNBC, and the Washington Post, and she has written multiple columns for Route Fifty. She has also co-authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, is a frequent presenter at national conferences, and serves on committees for several public service and public health organizations. Dr. Liss-Levinson holds a doctorate in Applied Social Psychology from The George Washington University and a BA in Psychology from Brandeis University.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director, Maine Public Employees Retirement System

Public service career: Matheson began her career in management services, armed with an MBA, a CPA, and an undergraduate degree in economics. She moved into her first major CEO role managing a prime contract with the U.S. Department of Energy that provided occupational and environmental health services at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington. Matheson later was appointed by Washington Governor Chris Gregoire to head the state's Department of Retirement Systems. In 2009, Matheson moved across the country to become the executive director of MainePERS.

Job Titles:

• Senior Specialist, Social Media

Sarah Bing is the Senior Specialist, Social Media. She is responsible for creating consistent, meaningful social media content that increases awareness of and affinity for MissionSquare Retirement and MissionSquare Research Institute. She also builds online presence by developing social media marketing campaigns that promote events, research, media coverage, and other initiatives. Sarah's experience in the financial services industry spans more than 15 years. As a social media communications specialist at State Department FCU, she was awarded MVP of her department prior to joining MissionSquare. Her achievements at MissionSquare have been recognized with a Marketing Star Award. Sarah graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.

Job Titles:

• Chief Marketing Officer and Member of the Operating Committee at MissionSquare Retirement

Sheri Gilchrist is the Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Operating Committee at MissionSquare Retirement. In this role, she leads brand, digital and data capabilities to deliver enhanced customer experiences and business value to clients across the public sector. Ms. Gilchrist is recognized for modernizing the marketing organization for well-known financial services brands with a background rooted in digital, big data, blockchain, marketing, and operations management. She works with high growth companies in pursuit of transforming their business to create a high performing organization, change the trajectory of the customer experience, re-position the brand narrative, integrate new digital systems, launch new products, help sales sell and deliver revenue. Prior to MissionSquare Retirement, Ms. Gilchrist served as the first global chief marketing officer at PGIM Investments, the investment management business of Prudential. There, she oversaw global teams in marketing, product, public relations, research, and digital operations. Ms. Gilchrist also held executive roles with companies including BNY Mellon, Eaton Vance, Epsilon-Publicis Groupe and American Express. Her career in marketing began in Australia, where she worked as a research analyst with American Express, and held several marketing leadership positions in advertising, data and digital consulting. Ms. Gilchrist holds a B.A. in international relations and economics from the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia.