Meet the Speakers

Mika J. Cross, Workplace Transformation Strategist

Mika Cross is a federal workplace expert who has dedicated over 20 years of her life to public service. She works with government agencies, leaders, and the workforce to help them adapt to the changing needs and demands of the modern work environment. She is driven by a vision of fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and inclusion in the public sector.

Mika’s background as an Army veteran, human capital expert, transformational workplace strategist and innovator gives her a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities facing public servants.

She has a national reputation for leading and implementing groundbreaking, government-wide human capital policy and workplace initiatives, such as telework, wellness and remote work policies across the United States Intelligence Community after 9/11. She has also designed and implemented award winning remote and flexible work programs across various Executive Departments and Branches of government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Department of Labor and in private industry.

She is a highly respected speaker, trainer and adviser who offers practical solutions and best practices for improving employee engagement, performance, and well-being.

In March 2023, she was invited by the Government Oversight Committee to provide a Statement for the Record as part of their congressional hearing on the Nation’s Largest Employer- OPM and in December 2021, she testified as an expert witness for the Senate Hearing on the Future of Federal Work.

Mika is a proud U.S. Army veteran who served as both a commissioned officer and enlisted soldier. She is originally from rural Maine.

Javier E. Inclán, Assistant Inspector General for Management and CIO, National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Inspector General

Javier E. Inclán joined the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General as the Assistant Inspector General for Management and CIO in May 2022. In this role, Mr. Inclán has responsibility for the OIG’s budget planning and execution; human capital; IT operations; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); training; policy and planning; and other administrative support services. He also currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Senior Executives Association (SEA) Board of Directors, the Vice-Chair of the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM), and the Government Chair of the ACT-IAC Evolving the Workforce Community of Interest.

Previously, Mr. Inclán served in several different capacities at NSF, including Deputy Office Head for the Office of Equity and Civil Rights, Deputy Office Head for the Office of Information and Resource Management, and Acting Division Director for the Division of Human Resource Management. In addition, Mr. Inclán has worked for the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center. Mr. Inclán earned his B.A. degree in History from William Paterson College and his master’s degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics

Kate Lister is a recognized thought leader on trends that are changing the who, what, when, where, and how of work. She is president of Global Workplace Analytics, a research-based consulting firm that has been helping communities and organizations optimize the employer, employee, and environmental outcomes of flexible and distributed workplace strategies for nearly two decades. Her firm’s proprietary tools include a database of over 6,000 research papers, case studies, and other documents related to where and how people work, and a Telework Savings Calculator© that was described in a report to Congress as being  “comprehensive and based on solid research.” Kate has written or co-authored five business books including, the U.S. chapter of “Telework in the 21st Century” (Edward Elgar, 2019), a multi-country peer-reviewed study on remote work. She is a trusted source of insights about the future of work for news outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and dozens of others.

In 2020, Kate was one of only three witnesses invited to testify before a U.S. Senate committee regarding the potential for remote work in government once the pandemic ends.