Washington, DC- United States Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James announces OPM will host an interagency Executive Resources Forum January 26^th, for human resources program managers responsible for administering the Senior Executive Service (SES) personnel system in the agencies. The forum is designed to address common concerns, update the senior service personnel community on ongoing and future executive resource initiatives and provide an opportunity for these professionals to network with the OPM staff personnel who are responsible for SES personnel system issues.

Kay Coles James, OPM Director, stated, "The Senior Executive Service is critical to agencies' missions. OPM has sought out ways to provide performance-based incentives for senior executives who excel. The forum is designed to keep executive resources staffs current on policies and initiatives and provide a forum for sharing best practices."

Topics to be covered at the conference include: update on SES agency certification, Presidential Rank Award process, revision/update of SES policy guidance, and update on executive resource data information systems.

The forum will be held Wednesday, January 26, 2005, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in OPM's Alan K. Campbell Auditorium. Executive resources staff and candidate development program managers are strongly encouraged to attend. Questions regarding the conference can be directed to Mr. Hughes Turner, Deputy Associate Director, Center for Leadership and Executive Resources Policy at (202) 606-1811 or hughes.turner@opm.gov, or Ms. Quasette Crowner at 202-606-1579 or quasette.crowner@opm.gov.

This is the first of what will be periodic meetings of an executive resources "community of practice."

"I encourage all agencies to take part in this important forum," James added. "The forum will provide an excellent opportunity for OPM executive resources personnel and Human Capital Officers to meet with agency executive resources and Candidate Development Program managers to discuss current and future initiatives."

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.