Executive Session

For elected officials, executives and department/bureau directors.

Leading Through Complexity: Courageous Leadership, Change Management and Equity in Public Service

Public employers are being asked to lead through a moment of extraordinary complexity: shifting public expectations, polarized civic environments, workforce fatigue, institutional risk aversion, and urgent calls for equity and inclusion. Yet too often, meaningful change efforts stall - not because leaders lack commitment, but because organizations lack the clarity, courage, and change-management discipline required to move from intention to impact.

Drawing on extensive experience partnering with public-sector organizations, April and Shawna understand that leading change in government is fundamentally different from leading change in the private sector. Their work reflects findings from McKinsey & Company that public-sector transformation efforts fail at higher rates than private-sector initiatives, highlighting the unique complexity of driving sustainable changes in public systems.

This executive session will reframe equity and inclusion as core courageous leadership and change-management work. The session will offer practical tools for defining a “winnable game,” clarifying roles and outcomes, preparing for predictable resistance, and leading conversations across difference with courage and accountability. The session will also offer a significant focus on the challenges that are unique to the Pacific Northwest, and how equity and inclusion efforts need to shift to address the challenges of today.

This keynote workshop will challenge participants to move beyond broad aspirations and toward disciplined, values-aligned action. True equity and inclusion require the same leadership muscles as effective transformational change: strategic clarity, leadership courage, the ability to navigate discomfort, and a commitment to building public trust through better decisions, healthier cultures, and more inclusive outcomes.

April Allen is a lawyer, educator, negotiator, and nationally recognized diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practitioner. With a background in law and public administration, she helps organizations navigate complex issues involving equity, policy, governance, accountability, and community impact. April has held senior diversity and inclusion roles with PeaceHealth and Daimler Trucks North America and is known for translating complex legal and cultural concepts into practical strategies for leaders and teams.

Shawna Unger is a senior human resources executive, labor relations strategist, mediator, facilitator, and executive coach with nearly three decades of experience. She has supported leaders and workforces across healthcare, technology, manufacturing, aerospace, retail, and service environments. Her expertise includes employee and labor relations, organizational change, mediation, leadership development, workforce strategy, and culture transformation.

April and Shawna began working together in 2020 and founded Allen & Unger Consulting in 2022. Since then, they have provided services to a wide variety of organizations across industries but have partnered extensively with public employers across Washington and Oregon, including Oregon Metro, the City of Portland, Multnomah County, the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County and more. Their work equips public-sector leaders with practical tools to navigate conflict, lead change, strengthen culture, and serve increasingly diverse communities.

Learn more at allenandunger.com