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Professional Development Programs & Events

WATRA offers engaging and informative in-person and on-line professional development programs on a regular basis throughout the year. These programs are provided at a low cost to our members and $45 for non-members.

Whether provided by consultants and technical experts or academic faculty from a local university, our professional development programs provide critical technical knowledge and issue exploration. These are truly design to be continuing education and help forward the science of compensation and benefits.

​In addition, WATRA is a local partner of WorldatWork and supports its training and certification programming. WATRA will host in-person certification programs in the future but you can view their online catalog here: WorldatWork Certification Courses.


Upcoming Programs

    • March 20, 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
    • 8300 Greensboro Drive, McLean, VA 22102 (HUB International Office). The room is named Tenant Lounge and is located on the ground floor
    Register

    Event Schedule

    Networking begins at 8:30 am.  The discussion will begin at 9:00 am.

    About the Event

    Financial wellness is like the secret sauce for a thriving workplace culture. When employees feel secure about their finances, they're more engaged, focused, and just happier overall. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

    Create Awareness: Employee messaging is a key pillar to an engaged workforce. Targeted communications will help aid in employees taking proactive steps in securing their financial future.

    Tools/Resources: Having a robust Financial Wellness strategy must incorporate the technology, human capital, and marketing to address different diverse employee groups.

    Total Rewards: Employee Benefits and Retirement Plans are intertwined and help drive employee hiring, retention, and engagement with the employees. HUB has services available for both solutions.

    HUB HSA Program: The cost of healthcare in retirement continues to grow, but many employees are not saving for these future expenses. An HSA can play an important part in bridging this retirement savings gap.

    Addressing all these dimensions into your employee well-being strategy can help you create a thriving and healthy workforce

    Speakers: 


    Kris Maleski, Senior Financial Advisor

    As a Senior Financial Advisor, Kris Maleski helps pilot HUB Retirement and Wealth Management, strategic vision, and operational excellence.  With a track record of upholding Fiduciary Standards to his clients, he brings over 15 years of dynamic leadership experience to the HUB Team. Kris has a wealth of knowledge in consulting 401(k), 403(b), Defined Benefit, Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation, Cash Balance, Private Wealth Management, and Executive Benefit plans for business owners and individual clients. Prior to HUB, he worked for a registered Investment Advisory firm as a Senior Portfolio Trader and Investment Analyst helping manage over $600M in assets under management. At HUB, Kris is actively involved in the industry as a member of NAPA (National Association of Plan Advisors). He has also received industry recognition with NAPA’s 2024 Top 75 Under 40 Plan Advisors, and PLAN Advisors’s 2023 Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers awards. Kris holds an active Life and Health insurance license, Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations. Beyond his daily work, Kris is involved on the board of WATRA.  He enjoys time with family in Texas/Pittsburgh, running, hiking, and anywhere near water.


    Francisco Abril, VP Financial Wellness and Employee Engagement

    Francisco is a bilingual educational specialist with a demonstrated track record working in the financial services industry. He passionately assists clients of all backgrounds to help them seek to understand their financial opportunities, secure their future, and protect their loved ones. As Vice President, Financial Wellness and Employee Engagement, Francisco is responsible for managing relationships with our retirement plan participants and delivering customized financial planning and retirement educational programs. When asked to sum up what he does in one sentence: “My passion is educating employees to become informed investors in an effort to help them achieve their retirement goals.”  Francisco is very family-oriented and loves travelling around the world with his wife and kids. He moved to the United States in his early 20’s for an International Exchange Program to work in the financial industry focusing on developing strategies for the Hispanic market and supporting the Hispanic community. He loves soccer, both as a player and a fan, and is always ready for a game. 


    Kim Cochrane,  Director of Client Services & Retirement Plan Advisor

    Kim Cochrane, QPA, TGPC is the Director of Client Services of HUB International Mid Atlantic LLC in Rockville, MD. She has over 25 years of experience, primarily in the consulting area of IRS, Department of Labor, and ERISA regulations. Kim focuses on corporate and non-profit retirement plans, including pension plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, profit sharing, cash balance, and executive benefit plans. Kim’s day to day responsibilities include working with plan trustees on addressing their fiduciary responsibilities and working with individuals on managing their retirement accounts. Kim holds FINRA Series 6, 63, and 65 securities registrations, life and health insurance licenses, and is a credentialed and active member of The ARA (American Retirement Association), NAPA (The National Association of Plan Advisers), and WIPN.  At HUB, Kim is a Non-Profit Specialty Expert and has received numerous industry awards, including NAPA’s Top Woman Advisor, Plan Adviser’s Top Retirement Plan Adviser, and Plan Sponsor Advisor of the Year Finalist. Prior to joining HUB in January 2022, she was the Director of Client Services with Raffa Retirement Services. She has spent over 20 years as a Relationship Manager and Consultant at some of the biggest recordkeepers in the industry.


    Additional Information

    The P4 Parking Deck is located behind the building

    Garage Rates:

    0-2 hrs. ($6.00)

    Daily Max ($13.00)

    WATRA is proud to partner with HUB to bring you this informative education program.


    • May 15, 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
    • Aon, 2001 K Street, NW, Suite 625 North, Washington, DC 20006
    Register

    Event Start

    Networking begins at 8:30 am.  The formal event is from 9:00 am to 10:30 am.

    About the Event

    Title:  The Future of Total Rewards – Challenges employers face and implication for future Total Rewards approach.

    Body:  Are you a benefits practitioner?  A compensation practitioner?  Or both?  Come and join WATRA at the Aon Office on May 15th in Washington, DC as we discuss the Future of Total Rewards and the challenges that organizations are facing now and what we foresee in the future.  Jane Kwon an Associate Partner in Total Rewards based in New York and Ruth Ann Looney an Associate Partner in Talent Solutions based in Atlanta, will be presenting the latest market best practices and trend around topics such as:   

    • Considerations for Transforming Your Total Rewards – Design, Delivery, Communication
    • What is On The Minds of Employees?
    • How Total Rewards has a direct tie to Pay Transparency?

    The Aon offices are located at 2001 K Street, NW, Suite 625 North Washington, DC 20006 is accessible via the Farragut West metro station.  In addition, the garage in the building can be accessed at 2000 L Street or on 20th Street between K &L. Parking rates are listed below:

    • Early Bird (enter before 10:00am): $16
    • 1 hr: $12
    • Daily Max: $22
    • Evening (enter after 4:00pm): $12

    Speakers


    Jane Kwon | Associate Partner | Total Rewards | New York, NY

    Jane is the leader of Aon’s Total Rewards Consulting practice, including Aon’s Total Rewards Benchmark Study of 600 U.S. and global organizations on total rewards priorities and challenges. She helps global clients effectively manage their talent and total rewards. Jane leads large-scale workforce and total rewards-related assignments and aligns leaders and other key stakeholders to make fact-based decisions for their workforce and total rewards. She is a thought leader in the areas of total rewards and employee engagement.

    Jane earned a Bachelor of Science in economics at NYU. She Is a regular speaker at the WorldatWork Conference and has presented at The Conference Board and other national association events.


    Ruth Ann Looney | Associate Partner, Talent Solutions | Atlanta, GA

    Ruth Ann is an associate partner and is an Employee Rewards Practice Leader, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically, she leads the health care, higher education, not-for-profit, and public sector industries.

    Ruth Ann has more than 20 years of compensation consulting experience working with numerous companies across multiple industries. Some of the industries to which Ruth Ann has consulted include educational institutions, health care, public sector, foundations, and associations.

    Ruth Ann earned an M.S. in human resource development from the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville. Her graduate thesis research, Spirituality in the Nursing Workplace (predictor of Job Satisfaction), was published in the International Academy of Business Disciplines Business Research Yearbook. She also received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.


    • December 05, 2024
    • 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    • HUB International Office, 8300 Greensboro Drive, McLean, VA 22102

    About the Event

    We are excited to wrap up 2024 with an industry happy hour. We can't wait to toast with you the success of the past year 

    Parking Information

    The P4 Parking Deck is located behind the building

    Garage Rates:

    0-2 hrs. ($6.00)

    Daily Max ($13.00)

Past Programs

February 21, 2024 Mastering Hybrid Work: The Compensation Professional's Guide to Boosting Retention, Enhancing Productivity, and Minimizing Costs
January 23, 2024 Leveraging AI in Today’s Total Rewards
December 14, 2023 Holiday Happy Hour
November 15, 2023 Pain Points around New Regulations/Pay Transparency and Leave Plans
October 18, 2023 Current Trends in Compensation Structure Design and Practices
September 21, 2023 M&A and Total Rewards: Achieving Synergy Through Strategic Alignment
September 19, 2023 WaW Affiliates Event: Mini Mastermind: Well-Being Meets AI
August 09, 2023 People Analytics: Understanding Best Practices and How It Can Enhance Your Workforce Strategy
July 13, 2023 Pay Transparency: The Benefits, Challenges, and Legal Requirements
June 21, 2023 The Ultimate Benefits Upgrade! How to Maximize Your Existing Offering and Take Advantage of Recent Exciting Changes
May 17, 2023 Keeping the Momentum on DEI
April 13, 2023 Lifestyle Benefits: How to Use Non-Salary Benefits To Improve The Lives of Employees
March 22, 2023 WaW Affiliates Day: Salary Structure & Compensation Trends
March 09, 2023 Sales Compensation Formula Mysteries Solved!
February 08, 2023 Mental Health Awareness and Education
December 07, 2022 Washington Area Employer Total Rewards Trends
October 20, 2022 Compensation Basics Series: Working with Market Survey
September 14, 2022 The Washington Metropolitan Area Economic Performance and Outlook: Uncertainty, Resilience, Opportunities
June 22, 2022 CHRO's Biggest Reward Challenges of Today
May 24, 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Employee Benefit Plans

WATRA

P.O. Box 4313

Arlington, VA  22204


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