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Professional Development Programs & Events

WATRA offers engaging and informative in-person and on-line professional development programs on a regular basis throughout the year. 

Whether provided by consultants and technical experts or academic faculty from a local university, our professional development programs provide critical technical knowledge and issue exploration. These are truly design to be continuing education and help forward the science of total rewards.

​In addition, WATRA is a local partner of WorldatWork and supports its training and certification programming. WATRA will host in-person certification programs in the future but you can view WorldatWork's online catalog here: WorldatWork Certification Courses.



Upcoming Programs

    • July 30, 2026
    • TBD
    Register

    The Total Rewards Business Case: Building the ROI Story That Wins Budget in a Cost-Cutting Environment

    Agenda:

    Morning; TBD

    Location:

    In person; TBD

    Why this matters: Wellness, recognition, and engagement programs are often the first line items examined when budgets tighten — not because they don’t work, but because Total Rewards leaders struggle to prove they do. This session is a practical workshop on building the financial business case for Total Rewards investment using connected data: how to translate wellness participation into healthcare cost avoidance, how to link recognition frequency to retention savings, and how to defend program budgets in language a CFO will accept. Nathan will share the specific metrics and modeling frameworks Woliba customers use to protect and grow their Total Rewards investment.

    The “why” tied to their job: Every Total Rewards leader has been asked to “justify the spend.” This session gives them the model, the metrics, and the narrative to do it confidently — and to turn budget defense into budget expansion.

    Speaker:

    Nathan Figg, CEO and Founder of Woliba.

    • August 19, 2026
    • 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    • AIA Offices: 1100 Wilson Boulevard Suite 2600 Arlington Virginia 22209
    Register

    Beyond Oversight: Strengthening the HR–Board Partnership in Organizational Governance


    About the Event:


    Agenda:

    8:30 am - 9 am Networking and Breakfast

    9 am - 10:30 am Session with Interactive Discussion 

    10:30 am - 11 am Closing, Questions, Networking


    Location:

    AIA Offices: 1100 Wilson Boulevard Suite 2600 Arlington Virginia 22209


    Session Description

    Boards and governing bodies are increasingly navigating challenges tied to culture, leadership sustainability, workforce capacity, and organizational risk—yet many lack structured visibility into the human capital dynamics that shape these outcomes.

    Human Resources is often engaged at the governance level episodically, limiting its ability to inform decision-making with foresight. While many organizations have become more data-driven, data alone does not position HR as a strategic partner.

    The opportunity is to translate data into insight—connecting workforce trends to risk, readiness, and the decisions governing bodies must make. This is where HR shifts from informing activity to influencing direction.


    This interactive session introduces a practical framework for strengthening the partnership between HR, executive leadership, and governing bodies.


    Session Format (90 Minutes | Interactive)

    1 Opening & Framing

    2 Core Content & Framework

    3 Scenario-Based Breakout Discussions

    4 Group Debrief

    5 Implications for Practice

    6 Closing


    Expected Outcomes

    1 Recognize the visibility gap in governance of people, culture, and leadership

    2 Reframe HR as a strategic partner in governance

    3 Identify early indicators of people-related risk

    4 Apply a structured alignment framework

    5 Strengthen forward-looking governance conversations

    6 Elevate your voice and influence at the board level

    7 Translate insight into practical action


    Speaker:



    Daphne B. Latimore is an Organizational Strategist and Managing Partner with over 30 years of experience advising senior leaders on culture, leadership alignment, and organizational effectiveness. She works at the intersection of governance, human capital, and strategy—helping organizations align how they lead, operate, and perform.

    Daphne is a certified SPHR, executive coach, and Certified Interim Nonprofit Executive, bringing both strategic and operational insight to her work with Boards, CEOs, and leadership teams. She is the author of the Leadership Trilogy and is known for translating complex organizational challenges into clear, actionable frameworks that strengthen decision-making and long-term impact.


    • September 17, 2026
    • 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
    • 20th floor conference center of 1000 Wilson Blvd
    Register

    Leading with GenAI: A Working Session for HR Professionals

    About the Event:

    8:30 am -9 am - Breakfast and Networking

    9 am - 10:30 am - Session and Q&A throughout 

    Location:

    20th floor conference center of 1000 Wilson Blvd

    GenAI adoption in HR has gone from flat to tidal — 88% of firms now use AI in at least one business function, and 66% of HR teams report active use this year. The question is no longer whether GenAI will reshape how HR works. It's whether we in HR will utilize AI to lead that change, or let others define how our work changes.

    This interactive working session is designed for HR and Total Rewards professionals who want to move beyond the hype and into action. Drawing on benchmarking data from CHRO communities and real case examples — from total rewards to performance management to recruiting augmentation — participants will leave with practical tools they can use immediately.

    You will leave with:

    • A clear-eyed view of where you and your organization stands relative to peers
    • Practical prompting skills that leverage your HR expertise to get dramatically better AI outputs
    • A firsthand look at agentic AI — and how HR teams are already building agents to automate complex workflows
    • The confidence and a clear path to advance your own AI skills and use, wherever you're starting from

    This is a working session, not a lecture. Expect peer benchmarking, small-group problem-solving, and hands-on exercises grounded in your real-world challenges.

    About the Presenter:


    Dirk Petersen is the founder of People-AI-HR, with senior HR leadership experience at the World Bank, advisory roles at Gartner/CEB, and people analytics leadership at Insight222. He is an internationally recognized keynote speaker whose work focuses on helping CHROs and their teams lead — not just adopt — GenAI. 



    • October 22, 2026
    • 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    • 1604 Spring Hill Rd, 4th Floor, Tysons, VA 22182
    Register

         

    WATRA & RCA (Richmond Compensation Association) Present:

    Total Rewards Summit '26


    *If you are an RCA member, please ensure you get the member code from RCA: info@richcomp.org


    MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

    Tentative Program Schedule:

    8:30a - 9:15a       Registration


    9:15a - 10:15a     Breakfast & Keynote Speaker: Scott Cawood, CEO WorldatWork

    10:30a - 11:30a   Concurrent Sessions 1A and 1B

    11:45a - 12:45p   Concurrent Sessions 2A and 2B


    1p - 2p                 Lunch & Speaker/Panel


    2:15p - 3:15p       Concurrent Sessions 3A and 3B

    3:30p - 4:30p       Concurrent Sessions 4A and 4B


    4:45p - 6:45p        Happy Hour & Networking


    Location:

    SevaSpaces, 1604 Spring Hill Rd, Vienna, Virginia 22182

    FREE parking

          Right by Spring Hill Metro Stop


Past Programs

June 02, 2026 Designing Executive Compensation with Governance in Mind
May 13, 2026 Panel Discussion on AI in Compensation
April 22, 2026 HRLF and WATRA Presents: Networking Reception
April 22, 2026 HRLF and WATRA Presents “Strategic Networking for HR Leaders"
March 19, 2026 From Crisis to Catalyst: Turning Student Debt Chaos into Your Strategic Advantage
February 18, 2026 Trends and Issues in Compensation Planning and Design: What Companies Are Preparing for in 2026 and Beyond
January 23, 2026 Innovating Employer Health Plans: Strategies to Balance Cost and Care
December 10, 2025 Holiday Happy Hour | Diamond Celebration – WATRA Shines Bright!
November 12, 2025 Aon: 2026 Legislative Updates and How They Will Impact Total Rewards
October 28, 2025 Solving the Wicked Problem of Fair Pay
September 17, 2025 Unlocking Employee Satisfaction: Innovative Lifestyle Spending Accounts and Benefits Programs for a Competitive Edge
August 14, 2025 Sip, Snack & Socialize – WATRA Summer Happy Hour!
July 17, 2025 Global Compensation Design: Balancing Global Consistency and Local Business Need
June 12, 2025 Legal Update: State Law Compliance
May 20, 2025 Optimizing Executive Rewards for Business Growth
April 16, 2025 Understanding the Secure 2.0 Act
February 26, 2025 Meeting Global Regulatory Standards through Compensation Analysis
January 16, 2025 Trends and Issues in Sales Compensation
December 05, 2024 Holiday Happy Hour
October 09, 2024 World at Work Total Rewards Summit Series: Arlington ’24
September 16, 2024 Pay Equity 101
August 22, 2024 Empower Your Workforce with Family-Friendly Policies
July 18, 2024 Aligning Total Rewards Strategies with Financial Goals: A Total Rewards and CFO Collaboration
June 11, 2024 Legacy Planning: Wills, Estates and Trusts
May 15, 2024 The Future of Total Rewards: Challenges Employers Face and Implication for Future Total Rewards Approach
April 25, 2024 Leveraging Survey Data to Flex Your Benefits
March 20, 2024 Financial Wellness Strategies: Nurturing Prosperity and Well-being in the Workplace
February 21, 2024 Mastering Hybrid Work: The Compensation Professional's Guide to Boosting Retention, Enhancing Productivity, and Minimizing Costs
January 23, 2024 Leveraging AI in Today’s Total Rewards
December 14, 2023 Holiday Happy Hour
November 15, 2023 Pain Points around New Regulations/Pay Transparency and Leave Plans
October 18, 2023 Current Trends in Compensation Structure Design and Practices
September 21, 2023 M&A and Total Rewards: Achieving Synergy Through Strategic Alignment
September 19, 2023 WaW Affiliates Event: Mini Mastermind: Well-Being Meets AI
August 09, 2023 People Analytics: Understanding Best Practices and How It Can Enhance Your Workforce Strategy
July 13, 2023 Pay Transparency: The Benefits, Challenges, and Legal Requirements
June 21, 2023 The Ultimate Benefits Upgrade! How to Maximize Your Existing Offering and Take Advantage of Recent Exciting Changes
May 17, 2023 Keeping the Momentum on DEI
April 13, 2023 Lifestyle Benefits: How to Use Non-Salary Benefits To Improve The Lives of Employees
March 22, 2023 WaW Affiliates Day: Salary Structure & Compensation Trends
March 09, 2023 Sales Compensation Formula Mysteries Solved!
February 08, 2023 Mental Health Awareness and Education
December 07, 2022 Washington Area Employer Total Rewards Trends
October 20, 2022 Compensation Basics Series: Working with Market Survey
September 14, 2022 The Washington Metropolitan Area Economic Performance and Outlook: Uncertainty, Resilience, Opportunities
June 22, 2022 CHRO's Biggest Reward Challenges of Today
May 24, 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Employee Benefit Plans

WATRA

P.O. Box 4313

Arlington, VA  22204


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