Networking Night
A Night to Network
Join other professionals in their 20s and 30s for a night of networking! Panelists from different industries will discuss topics relevant to their fields and how faith has influenced their vocation.
Panelists
Dr. Wendell Primus, Senior Policy Advisor for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Dr. Wendell Primus is the Senior Policy Advisor on Budget and Health issues for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. In that role, he led the development of the Affordable Care Act. In 2015, Dr. Primus also played a key role in the SGR legislation and various budget agreements.
Before his appointment in March 2005, he was the Minority Staff Director at the Joint Economic Committee. Dr. Primus has also held positions
- at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- at the Department of Health and Human Services
- in the House Ways and Means Committee as the Chief Economist
- in the House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Resources as the Staff Director
Dr. Primus received his Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University.
Nancy Deliso, Co-Owner and General Manager, 868 Estate Vineyards
Nancy Deliso is from Mississippi, where she grew up in a creative family who appreciated a good story told on a wide front porch. With a degree in Political Science and an MBA, Nancy spent ten years in sales and marketing in telecom before staying home with her three children. In 2012, her husband and his business partners created 868 Estate Vineyards in Northern Loudoun County. Now, the 120-acre vineyard produces over 3,500 cases of estate-grown wine each year. As co-owner and General Manager, Nancy provides hospitality for thousands of visitors who enjoy wine, live music, and events ranging from art classes to barrel tastings. Nancy has been an active member at Floris UMC for more than 20 years.
Malak Bahrami, Asset Management Program Manager, Fairfax County Park Authority
Malak Bahrami earned his BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, focusing on structures, foundations, and construction. He worked for seven years in commercial, residential, and institutional land development, followed by five years in transportation infrastructure management. Since 2016, Malak has worked for Fairfax County at the department of public works and Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA). He is currently the FCPA asset management program manager.
Malak holds several professional designations and memberships, including
- Officer of ASTM Committee E53 on Asset Management
- Member of ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management, and Corrective Action
- Member of ASTM Committee E54 on Homeland Security Applications
- Technical Lead for the rewrite of ASTM E2812-17 Standard Practice for Uniform Data Management in Asset Management Records Systems
- Member of the Asset Leadership Network (ALN) to connect asset management professionals and help elevate the asset management profession
- Licensed professional engineer, practicing since 2010
- National Bridge Inspection Standards (NIBS) certified bridge inspector from Federal Highway Administration
- Designated Plans Examiner (DPE) in Fairfax county
- Member of and Certified Property Professional Specialist (CPPS) from the National Property Management Association (NPMA)
- Certified National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO)
- Member of The Engineers Surveyors Institute (ESI) and co-creator and teacher of an asset management course
- Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
Dr. Cynthia Horner, Medical Director, Amwell Medical Group
Dr. Cynthia Horner is a senior physician leader experienced in evidence-based clinical program design, quality assurance management, and cross-organizational collaboration to achieve strategic population health outcomes for national health systems and health plans. She is passionate about the role of Telehealth in transforming health care delivery.
Art Hoppe, Team Leader – The Art of Real Estate Team, CENTURY 21 New Millennium
Art began his real estate career in 1986, working for local homebuilders as a Sales Manager for New Home Sales. For more than 35 years, Art has excelled in his industry, earning every major professional designation and certification. He has also received many prestigious awards for sales and customer service excellence. In 2008, Art founded The Art of Real Estate Team after achieving the CENTURY 21 President’s Award as an individual agent. He was the only agent or team so honored that year in the Mid-Atlantic Region out of over 1,800 sales professionals.
Art grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from Oakton High School in Vienna. Since his family first moved to Herndon in the early 1970s, Art has lived in Fairfax, Oakton, Burke, Reston, Centreville and now Oak Hill. He resides in the Franklin Farm community with his wife, Fran, and their three boys. When not assisting clients, Art enjoys fishing, reading, spending time with family and friends, and is active with his local church.
Thanhia Sanchez, EVP, Salesforce
Thanhia leads the AMR Manufacturing, Auto, Energy & Utilities Operating Unit and creates unique value for customers in those industries as their digital transformation partner of choice. She has held executive roles at SalesForce, IBM, Cognos and Deltek. She has led high-performance teams in Sales, Solutions, Enablement, Professional Services and Customer Service. Thanhia has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.
Thanhia’s international experience includes a two-year assignment in Shanghai, China leading an IBM Global Growth Markets group. She led a team of 1900+ spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, covering Technical Sales, Professional Services and Enablement for IBM’s Software Group.
Amy Stone, Advocate & Educator, Inclusive World
Amy Stone was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP), which impacts all four limbs. She shares her experiences to help others through public speaking, education and advocacy. She strives to create a more inclusive world, one video at a time. Check out Amy’s YouTube channel, Inclusive World.
Kathy Albarado, Founder, Helios HR
Kathy Albarado founded Helios HR, an award-winning human capital consulting and recruiting firm, committing to aid leaders in solidifying human resource practices that build and enhance their corporate culture. With more than 25 years of progressive human capital management experience, she works with executives to help them establish a culture of intention. This culture allows them to attract, retain and engage exceptional people. Helios is known for helping their clients scale to their next stage of growth. Kathy and her team have helped launch and grow hundreds of organizations ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500.
Kathy is active on many boards, including the Executive Committee for Leadership Mission International, Northern Virginia Chamber, the Small Emerging Contractor’s Advisory Forum (SECAF), the Professional Services Council (PSC), and is a founding Board member of George Mason University’s School of Business, Women in Business Initiative. An Alumni of GMU, Kathy holds her B.S. in Psychology and her M.A. in Human Resource Management. Kathy is an active member of the Washington Business Journal’s Leadership Trust and Leadership Greater Washington.
Recently, Virginia Business Magazine recognized Kathy as one of the top 100 people to meet. Renowned for her commitment to leadership and community, Kathy has been recognized for multiple leadership awards and has been featured on TV, radio and quoted in numerous media publications including, The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, and Virginia Business. Among their awards, the Helios team was recognized with the National Capital Business Ethics Award, Best of Reston, Corporate Impact Award for Excellence in Philanthropy, and the CARE Awards for creating a culture of caring.
Kathy and her team at Helios HR support the community in many ways, believing that in the community is where real change happens. The Helios team loves to engage in team-building by supporting regional nonprofits, including Shelter House, Cornerstones, The Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital, and Women Giving Back.
Schedule
6-6:30 p.m. – Welcome & Keynote Address
6:30-7 p.m. – Networking & Refreshments
7-7:45 p.m. – Breakout #1: STEM & Business
8-8:45 p.m. – Breakout #2: Public Service & Entertainment/Hospitality
All events will be in the Fellowship Hall.
