Felícita “Feli” Solá-Carter

Former SSA Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Human Resources , FTI Advisory Board Member

Prior to her retirement in January 2009, Feli served as Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources and Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer of the Social Security Administration (SSA). She joined SSA upon graduation from the College of Mount St. Vincent. Her career began in New York City, moving rapidly into managerial positions and in 1991, to the Office of the Commissioner in Baltimore as Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Commissioner. In 1998, as Associate Commissioner for the Office of Training, she became the first Puerto Rican woman appointed to the Senior Executive Service at SSA. She is the recipient of both a Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and a Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive.

Feli serves as an Executive Coach and as a Strategic Advisor to Government Executives with the Partnership for Public Service. She also serves as a facilitator and instructor on leadership for government agencies and non-profit organizations.

Leadership in a variety of community organizations and boards led to Feli’s 2014 induction to the Howard County, Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame. In April 2016, she was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the Board of Trustees of Howard Community College, a 2019 Baldrige Performance Excellence Award recipient. She was also selected as a Top 100 Women in Maryland in 2008 and 2021.

Panel Information

Tuesday, July 26

10:15 AM EST

SES-100: Leaders Needed – How About You?

Gain an overview of the Federal Senior Executive Service program – it’s nothing like the General Schedule – from current and former senior executives. They share the good and not so good challenging experiences in leadership positions in a variety of Departments and Agencies. This session introduces a “blueprint” for your advancement in the Federal public service – from entry to executive – GS-7 to SES.

Get a sense of the challenges in becoming a one of a kind, actually one of some 8,000 senior executives leading a federal workforce of an estimated 2.3 million. Come and ask your “burning” questions from faculty with a record of service in the Senior Executive Service of our Nation. And envision yourself as one of the few!

Note: SES-100 is an overview of the purpose and expectations in being selected into the senior executive corps and is the first of three sessions in this track. SES-101 leads you through the Senior Executive Service Executive Core Qualifications, and SES-102 guides you in preparing your application and an interview before a senior executive panel.

1:30 PM EST

SES-101: Dispelling Myths, Mysteries, & Misinformation with a Blueprint & Experience

Explore the navigational chart leaving Port Entry to a commanding entry into Port Executive. There is a blueprint, believe it or not! Learn about the framework in building and advancing your career path and becoming competitive for selection into the Senior Executive Service or in just advancing your career. Gain an overview of the Executive Core Qualifications – experiential buoys or skill markers that chart and advance your federal journey. Learn about the competencies needed to build a federal “corporate” culture that strives for results, serves customers, and builds successful teams and coalitions within and outside the organization and in being a public service advocate. While the curriculum encourages participants at the GS 14/15 levels, the course content outlines skill set experiences valuable for GS11/12/13 as well in advancing their career paths.

SES-102: Can You Tell Compelling Stories about your Challenging Adventures?

3:15 PM EST

This session builds on the blueprint for your leadership “Stories”. These will be read by Senior Executives and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at each step of the selection journey. There are five factual stories about YOU, challenges YOU faced and results YOU accomplished in leading change, leading people, building coalitions, displaying your business acumen, and getting results. In sum, it’s your leadership autobiography. It’s about tooting your own horn to hear the sweet music and singing your way through a panel of interviewers. *Tell…and write your stories.