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The pandemic has profoundly reshaped the workplace for women employees and for women leaders as well. Whether it’s a company or a law firm, a nonprofit or a government agency, women in the workplace are faced with a new set of dynamics for how they work, what values are paramount and whether they should realign their career goals. Join our wide-ranging discussion in this free webinar.
April 7, 2022
Sponsored by:
Panelists:
Founder and CEO,
PROFILES
Partner,
Aronson LLC
VP for State
and Local Affairs,
Johns Hopkins University,
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Amy Elias, since founding PROFILES in 1990, has built a firm dedicated to advancing clients’ messages and achieving their goals through the development and implementation of comprehensive communications programs. As founder and CEO of PROFILES, Elias guides the company’s strategic direction as a multi-faceted communications firm.
Elias has provided marketing, branding and public relations counsel to national, regional and local clients from various industries including non-profit, accounting, law, hospitality, tourism, arts/entertainment, education, health care and real estate/development. Her creative thinking and strategy development have produced positive results for organizations such as the National Aquarium, the Maryland Jockey Club/The Stronach Group, MileOne Autogroup, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Enterprise Homes, Inc.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Elias is committed to philanthropic endeavors that better the community. She currently serves on the Baltimore Museum of Art board of directors and has previously served on committees of Kennedy Krieger Institute, Maryland Art Place, Baltimore School for the Arts, The House of Ruth, and The Maryland Zoo.
Alexandra “Lexy” Kessler, CPA, CGMA, in her role as the partner-in-charge of Aronson’s government contract services group, connects her clients with the solutions, resources, and contacts that they need to succeed in an ever-changing government landscape. With more than 30 years of experience, she has been instrumental in growing her practice area into one of the most well-known and respected government contracting service providers in the country.
She is frequently sought as a lecturer at industry events, and she has made presentations to commercial organizations and banking institutions on issues related to government contracting. Additionally, she is a sought-out speaker nationally, speaking at conferences on the firm of the future and changing business models. Previously serving as the first female chairman of Aronson’s Board of Directors, she advocates for women to pursue leadership roles.
In 2021, Kessler was elected 2021-22 chair of the Board of Directors for the MACPA. Active in her community, she also plays an enthusiastic role on several professional, academic and nonprofit boards across the Washington, D.C., metro area. In 2020 she was recognized as one of the Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Accounting by AICPA, and in 2013 she received the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Chairman’s Award for her efforts in helping businesses connect and gain access to federal, state, and local government procurements and adopt best business practices in accounting.
Maria Harris Tildon is a highly respected public policy and government affairs expert. Tildon was recently appointed as the new vice president for state and local affairs for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Tildon will lead the Office of State and Local Affairs, spearheading Johns Hopkins’ legislative and regulatory agenda in Maryland, throughout the Washington, D.C., region, and in Florida. She will head up efforts to build and strengthen the Johns Hopkins’ relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, policymakers, business and community leaders, and neighborhood residents.
Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, Tildon held progressively senior leadership roles with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest health insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region. Most recently she served as executive vice president, public policy and government affairs, a position that involved leading all local, state, and federal public policy, legislative and regulatory affairs.
Prior to joining CareFirst, Tildon was senior vice president for external affairs for the Century Council, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing policies and programs to address underage drinking and drunk driving. Her previous professional experience includes serving in several senior roles in the Clinton administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as practicing law at Venable LLP.
Tildon serves on a number of boards of local companies, including BGE, an Exelon Company, Chesapeake Insurance Company, Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women (“BLSYW”) and Health Care for the Homeless, among others. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Boston University and a Juris Doctorate from American University, Washington College of Law. She is a Member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar Associations.
