Institutional Strategy and Policy for Success

3630 Deanery Drive,Alexandria VA 22304

07 December, 2022

Description

We welcome Dr. Meg Barber to VTS at Saint Martin's Deanery in discussing leadership strategies for success. Episcopal clergy, and their fellow religious leaders, are often front-line responders to the most divisive, emotionally fraught issues of our time. Their unique position in the community requires deep, nuanced understanding of the challenges the community faces, as well as the expertise needed to place these challenges into an appropriate theological and pastoral care context. The clergy, then, stands at the cross-roads between Episcopal Church policy and the day-to-day struggles of the congregation. They are a critical communication link between the two. This presentation will use real-world examples of how large institutions craft strategy and policy, and how these policies may be implemented for the success of the institution and the communities it serves. It will provide insight into how success may be observed and communicated back to the institution to create a proactive feedback loop that improves policy and builds trusting relationships. About the Lecturer Dr. Barber holds a Ph.D. in Biodefense from George Mason University and an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University. Her career began at Project Argus - the nation's go-to Biodefense early warning group out of Georgetown University – where she served as its Senior Analyst for Africa and the Middle East. In this capacity, her team was among the earliest to notify U.S. Government sponsors of a potentially novel strain of Ebola in Bundibugyo, Uganda in 2007, and provided early warning for the 2006 Rift Valley Fever outbreak in the Horn. She was recruited by Veratect Corporation to help start a commercial spin-off of Georgetown’s early warning capability. Not only did she help establish this organization’s commercial biodefense advisory capability, she also developed an early warning capability for mass violence and civil unrest. Dr. Barber left Veratect in 2009 to join the Institute for Defense Analyses, a Department of Defense (DoD) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). Her relevant work there has included evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of the National Defense Strategy, assisting the Department in crafting clearer policy, and advising the USG on implementation of Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) programs. In her 16-year long career, Dr. Barber has provided insight to senior level decision-makers at the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, and the National Security Council.