Our "Professional Access Roundtables” allow current and prospective students, alumni, and employers to connect and network while discussing hot topics within their professions and disciplines. These small-group, semi-structured conversations are designed to catalyze an exchange of ideas and experience to enhance students’ professional development and build community.
Roundtable discussions are led by experienced alumni and employment partner professionals, who craft an initial set of thought-provoking questions shared with students in advance. This allows attendees to prepare for and make the most of these exciting conversations. It also gives discussion leaders the ability to efficiently broaden and deepen students’ understanding of the discussion topics.
At our Professional Access Roundtable events, attendees not only benefit from meeting experts in their field but also grow their professional network by meeting others who share a common interest in a particular profession and industry. Discussion leaders from our alumni and employment partner community enjoy the opportunity to support, connect, and develop the next generation of leaders in their field.
These events aim to inspire, educate, and connect you to a world of possibilities, ensuring that your journey through the multifaceted terrain of professions and industries is nothing short of transformative.
- Discussion Leader Biographies
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Mike Bishop
Founder and President
American General Council PLCMichael D. Bishop is the Founder and President of American General Counsel PLC. His firm offers a unique blend of legal, business, and political experience and a network of decision-makers and business leaders. He also served as the Co-President of iPSE-US, a national association of independent professionals, self-employed. Before returning to his private law practice, Michael was elected and served in the United States Congress (2014-2018). During his tenure in Congress, Michael was appointed to the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Higher Education. While serving in Congress, Michael championed legislation President Barack Obama and Donald Trump signed into law. Michael has been around the world meeting with world leaders and representing the United States government in world affairs. Since his service in the United States Congress, Michael has dedicated much of his time to education as an Aspen Rodel Fellow at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, and a 2023 University of Southern California Dornsife Center Fellow.
Prior to serving in the United States Congress, Michael was the General Counsel/ Chief Legal Officer of International Bancard Company in Detroit, MI. While working with the company, Michael shared his legal and business experience as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Michael was in private legal practice before his role at International Bancard. As a Senior Attorney with Clark Hill PLC, an international law firm in Birmingham, Michigan, Michael concentrated his practice in Public Policy and Business Law. Before joining the Clark Hill PLC, Michael was elected to and served in the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate (1998-2010). While serving in the Michigan Senate, his peers chose him as the Senate Majority Leader. Michael began his professional career by starting two successful small businesses to pursue his interest in practicing law and real estate investment. His legal experience involved daily courtroom appearances representing criminal defense and civil litigation clients. Michael also served as a local prosecutor, representing communities and working directly with law enforcement agencies to protect families and ensure justice. 2006, Michael was named one of Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40. Michael is licensed to practice law in Michigan, the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also a licensed Real Estate Broker and served as President of Freedom Realty, Inc.
Michael graduated from the University of Michigan (1989) and received his law degree from Michigan State University Law (1993). Michael is a lifelong resident of Rochester, Michigan, where he lives with his wife, Cristina, and their three children, Benjamin, Gabriella, and Nathan (and dog, Koda).
Bret Caldwell
Deputy Chief of Staff
International Brotherhood of TeamstersBret Caldwell is the Deputy Chief of Staff to International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. Caldwell previously served as the Teamsters Director of Communications for more than 22 years. Prior to joining the Teamsters in 1999, he served as the Assistant Political Director and as an organizer for NARAL and as the Director of Constituent Services for Rep. David Price (D-NC). He was instrumental in the establishment of the Teamsters Labor History Research Center at GW, currently serves on the executive committee of the GW Alumni Association and on the GW Athletics Advisory Board. A native of Atlanta, Texas, Caldwell was the State Treasurer of the Texas Young Democrats and interned for Speaker of the House Jim Wright (D-TX) and Rep. Jim Chapman (D-TX). He will be speaking on the impact of union political programs in the 2024 election and how to get involved.
Sacha Chadwick
Associate Publicist
Harper Collins PublishersA New York native and proud Brooklynite, Sacha is currently an Associate Publicist at HarperCollins Publishers. She received a double Bachelor’s from Mercyhurst University in Criminal Justice and Asian Studies, a Master of Arts in International Crime and Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Master of Arts in Publishing from George Washington University. Sacha has found her home in the publishing industry and is always trying to find ways to diversify the industry one step at a time. When she’s not writing copy or press releases, she’s playing video games, reading manga, and keeping up with all media and industry news.
Tihomir (“T”) Hristov
Systems Architect
Cisco SystemsWith an academic background in Computer Science and almost 20 years in the Information Technology industry, Tihomir Hristov has had a chance to straddle both the Public and Private sectors. Tihomir firmly believes that government and education are the bedrock of a highly functioning society and that passionate, committed, and creative technologists need to be a part of the public sector community to set high standards of excellence and service. That is exactly what he has been aspired to do in his career at Old Dominion University and now at Cisco Systems. His aim is to support government organizations, as they embark on their Digital Transformations journeys, and adopt new innovative technologies to solve the toughest problems that our citizens face today!
Mike Matechak
Principal for Technology Consulting, DHS & Other Government and Private Sector Accounts
Ernst & Young, LLP (EY)Michael Matechak is a proven technology leader focused on delivering mission systems that help Homeland Defense clients meet complex business challenges. For fifteen years, Mr. Matechak has worked within the Department of Homeland Security to transform business organizations through data and technology delivering measurable business value for DHS Headquarters, CBP, CISA, FEMA, ICE, TSA, USCIS, and USCG. He is passionate about working with the STT Program team and public sector leaders to support our government and a program focused on enabling emerging technologies that protect the nation and serve our citizens and transform Homeland Security programs by optimizing operations to achieve better outcomes.
Sherene McDougall
Ethics & Compliance Education & Training Coordinator
Northrop GrummanSherene was a Compliance and Risk Management Paralegal in the law department of a major defense contracting company (Northrop Grumman Corporation) who was responsible for supporting the company’s Compliance Office and its worldwide operations by handling a diverse range of fast-moving and evolving issues to facilitate effective, efficient risk management to help the company achieve its strategic goals in a manner consistent with its values. Sherene has recently transitioned from her paralegal role to the Ethics & Compliance Education and Training Coordinator role, where she will assist in streamlining, developing and deploying best-in-class effective education that is engaging and relevant and helps employees understand the guidance and requirements of their customers and the enterprise-wide working environment. Sherene has over twenty-six years of legal experience with fifteen of those years as a Paralegal. She holds both a Paralegal Certificate and an Advanced Paralegal Certificate from George Mason University. Sherene has been a member of NCAPA since 2015 and has served since 2016 in the roles of Board Director, Corporate Governance Chair and Secretary. Sherene has served as the elected President of NCAPA since 2022, and also Acting Editor of NCAPA’s quarterly magazine publication, OnPoint.
Robert (Bob) Pikora
Transportation Planner
Fairfax CountyRobert Pikora is a professional transportation and land use planner with more than 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He graduated from Arizona State University with both a Bachelors in Urban Planning and Masters in Public Administration/Urban Management. His work focuses on long-range planning for transportation networks and how land uses affect transportation. He has worked for the City of Phoenix, various private land use and engineering consulting firms, and for the past 10 years in Fairfax County’s Site Analysis and Transportation Division. For the roundtable discussion, he would like to discuss the synergy between land use and transportation, and how we might be able to address the challenges facing us.
Vanetta Pledger
Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology Services
City of AlexandriaVanetta Pledger serves as the Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology Services for the City of Alexandria Government in Virginia. Vanetta has over 20 years of executive technology leadership that she uses to drive digital transformation and create value. She leads a team of esteemed technology professionals who produce ingenious solutions that enable the City’s mission to cultivate a thriving Alexandria. Vanetta’s passion to utilize technology to achieve positive outcomes for the community resulted in being acknowledged as 2021 CyberScoop 50 winner as well as advancing to 2nd Place in the 2021 Digital Cities Survey. She currently serves on the CompTIA Board of Public Technology Institute’s City/County CIO Leadership Council and is a member of the Metropolitan Information Exchange National CIO leadership group. In addition, she was named a 2023 Capital Orbie Award Finalist.
Anne Rancourt
Communications Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institutes of HealthAnne Rancourt is the Communications Director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Prior to joining the NIDA team in 2020, she worked at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases where she led communications on HIV, allergy, and immunology. She has an extensive communications background in media relations, brand management, and public health campaigns. She began her career as a journalist at The Washington Post and NBC News. Ms. Rancourt has a bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University.
Sal Sferrazza
Lieutenant Colonel/Commander
United States Department of DefenseSal Sferrazza is a Special Operations Military Officer with experience in operations, logistics, and leadership development within the United States Air Force and Joint Special Operations communities. He has worked in numerous conflict zones as well as outside the designated theater of active armed conflict (gray zone). He has worked with and alongside with whole of government partners (DoS, FBI, USAID, etc.) to project and protect US national interests abroad. He received his Masters in Security and Safety Leadership from GW.
Scott Suozzi
Advisory Council & Executive Corps
Nonprofits FirstRecipient of 2023 GW GSPM Alumni Achievement Award. A native of the New York City suburb of Pleasantville, Scott served on active duty as a Naval Officer for twenty years, retiring at the rank of Commander. His assignments included service ashore, at sea, and overseas, including the Pentagon, The White House as a Military Social Aide to Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, on Capitol Hill as the Defense Legislative Fellow to Senator John Warner of Virginia, deploying to Iraq as a legal advisor to special operations forces, as defense counsel at a legal office in Sicily, and forward deployed aboard the guided missile cruiser USS GETTYSBURG. Following his military service, Scott served from 2015-2017 as the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School. In 2020-2021, he served as the President of Operation New Hope in Jacksonville, a community development nonprofit committed to giving second chances to those leaving the justice system, by providing life skills and training to obtain meaningful living wage employment. Scott currently serves as a member of both the Advisory Council and the Executive Corps at Nonprofits First, a world-class group of executives dedicated to the accreditation and capacity building of nonprofits in South Florida. In Spring 2022, Scott served as a full-time Philanthropic Advisor at the Gary Sinise Foundation, working in support of our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, and their families. From July 2022 to March 2023, he served as the Director of Military Outreach at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and on the Advisory Council of Johns Hopkins Medicine from November 2022 to July 2023. Scott is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He also holds a Juris Doctor law degree from Catholic University, a Master of Arts degree in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in International Law from University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Business Law Certificate from The Wharton School. From June 2014 to June 2015, Scott completed an ambitious personal journey visiting all 48 of the continental United States, seven Canadian provinces, 28 national parks, and nine Presidential libraries, covering over 33,000 road miles in a Winnebago recreational vehicle (RV). From Summer 2017 to Fall 2018, Scott embarked on another epic road trip adventure in a high-tech Roadtrek camper van, covering over 25,000 miles along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts of the United States and Canada, including visiting over sixty lighthouses and all twenty-one of the Spanish Missions in California. Scott’s personal military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
