Leadership Training

Laura is currently a very engaged Executive Champion for the National Women’s Affairs Advisory Council (NWAAC).  She joined the Social Security Administration over 24 years ago when she joined the Social Security Administration via the Outstanding Scholar Program in the Dallas Region as a Claims Representative. She went on to be a part of the first national Automation Training Specialist cadre in 2000. In 2002, Laura traveled to Baltimore to provide 30 days of support for a new software release and loved it so much that she never left.

Laura participated in the National Advanced Leadership Program and the Senior Executive Services Candidate Development Program. She has been in several executive positions across the agency, including Assistant Regional Commissioner for Management and Operations Support in Dallas, Deputy Associate Commissioner in the Office of Disability Systems, and Deputy Associate Commissioner in the Office of Electronic Services. She also had other executive details in Quality, Policy, the Office of the Commissioner’s, and U.S. Department of the Interior. 

Laura also served as the Associate Commissioner for the Office of Learning and as the Associate Commissioner for The Office of Communications Planning and Technology where she oversaw several national public information programs to educate both the public and agency employees about Social Security programs and services.

Laura became the Associate Commissioner of Data Exchange, Policy Publications, and International Negotiations in July 2018. She is currently responsible for over 3000 data exchanges and 2 billion transactions a year.

Laura is committed to employee engagement learning and development, effective communication, and she is a driver of positive transformation. Laura mentors many employees both formally and informally, and believes in the importance of growing staff and leaders at all levels. She has conducted her Laura’s Leadership Lessons presentation several times to encourage employees to be proactive with their careers.

Her efforts have earned her many internal and external accolades, such as several National Association of Government Communicators Awards, the Center for Plain Language ClearMark Awards, and runner up for The Edward Demmings Outstanding Training award.

Laura graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.