Washington Area Total Rewards Association (WATRA) upcoming events

The Total Rewards Business Case: Building the ROI Story That Wins Budget in a Cost-Cutting Environment (July 30, 2026)

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

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

Agenda:

Breakfast & Networking: 8:30 am - 9 am

Presentation: 9 am - 10 am

Questions & Networking: 10 am - 10:30 am

Location:

In person; AIA Offices:1100 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 2600, Arlington, Virginia 22209

Parking: Underground parking available

Rosslyn Metro: 5 minute walk

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.

Speakers:

Nathan Figg, CEO and Founder of Woliba. Nathan is an employee wellbeing and engagement platform dedicated to helping organizations build healthier, more connected workplace cultures. A lifelong fitness enthusiast and Master Personal Trainer, Nathan launched Woliba in 2014 to bring a more holistic approach to workplace wellbeing. Under his leadership, Woliba has become a recognized leader in employee engagement, wellness, and culture solutions. Nathan is also a combat veteran, having served in the Army National Guard with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, experiences that continue to shape his commitment to service, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership.

Lilah Sabalones is a customer experience, communications, and engagement leader at Woliba, where she helps organizations create healthier, more connected workplace cultures through employee wellbeing and engagement initiatives. With nearly 20 years of experience in media, communications, and client engagement—including leadership roles at CNN, Fox Business Network, and MSNBC—she brings a unique perspective on storytelling, relationship-building, and customer success. Lilah is passionate about creating meaningful experiences that help organizations and their people thrive.

Summer Happy Hour (August 06, 2026)

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT

WATRA Summer Happy Hour!

Networking, Food, Drink

4:30p - 5p: Network

5p - 7:30p: Happy Hour

Location:

HUB Lounge, HUB International, 8300 Greensboro Drive, Tysons, VA 22102

Parking:

Around back in the garage. Parking fees not comped.

About the Event:

Escape the summer sizzle and chill out with WATRA at a breezy, laid-back happy hour filled with Spanish flair! ✨ (FREE Event – Bring a Friend)

We're serving up crisp cava, delicious Spanish wines, and mouthwatering bites straight from the Iberian Peninsula — all you have to do is show up and unwind. Mingle with fellow members, show off your cornhole and ping pong skills (or cheer from the sidelines with a drink in hand), and enjoy a rare chance to relax and connect with your community. No speeches, no pressure — just good vibes, great company, and plenty of reasons to toast.

Come for the networking, stay for the fun!

Beyond Oversight: Strengthening the HR–Board Partnership in Organizational Governance (August 19, 2026)

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:30:00 GMT

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:

1000 Wilson Boulevard, 20th floor, 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.

Leading with GenAI: A Working Session for HR Professionals (September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:30:00 GMT

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.

WATRA/RCA Total Rewards Summit '26 (October 22, 2026)

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

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