Dr. Cynthia Way Caple
Alexandria,USA
Summary
I'm a disruptor for positive change.
My purpose is to create empowered and inclusive learning cultures where people are curious about possibilities, deeply engaged in their mission, supportive of their teams, and mindful of what they need to thrive.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC
12.2020 - Current
- Created an enterprise-wide learning strategy for 15,000+ geographically dispersed personnel, aligning talent development with organizational priorities across multiple stakeholder groups.
- Responsible for the development and implementation of 34 formal employee and leadership development programs across 5-levels of leadership.
- Partnered with senior leaders and stakeholders to assess and prioritize leadership development needs aligned with organizational goals and objectives, focusing on organizational leaders and people managers across 15,000+ employee enterprise.
- Appointed Chair of the Federal Chief Learning Officer Council, providing leadership to CLOs across all federal agencies and spearheading the government's first comprehensive strategic learning plan to align learning investments with mission-critical priorities.
- Designed a standardized framework for assessing leadership in alignment with employee development and succession planning initiatives.
- Established a progressive leadership development pipeline to create systematic preparation for advancement.
- Directed the design of a centralized, automated leadership development training application system to streamline administration and democratize access to learning opportunities.
- Led the development and implementation of a learning metrics strategy with critical key performance indicators that evolved with organizational priorities, and emerging learning and leadership development pipeline needs.
- Launched Mindful EPA, a mindfulness program devised to improve overall wellbeing in response to employee engagement, stress, burnout, and psychological safety.
- Envisioned a holistic employee lifecycle experience and led the team to create an integrated process from attraction to separation, with on-boarding programs that increased employee retention and engagement by 30% in the pilot year.
- Built a comprehensive coaching program serving over 250 individual coaching clients and 137 group coaching engagements, achieving a 97% satisfaction rate and measurable improvements in employee empowerment (+20.7%) and engagement(+17.5%).
- Co-lead succession management transformation across nationwide geographically dispersed organization with 15,000+ employees, earning Honor Award for Succession.
- Led the team to design and implement an enterprise performance management strategy for distribution, transitioning from a 5-tier paper-based system to a streamlined 3-tier electronic platform, improving efficiency and accountability.
- Created comprehensive performance management training programs and consultations focusing on measurable standards, goal-setting methodologies, and ongoing performance conversations to support managers in conducting effective talent reviews, addressing performance challenges, and implementing development planning strategies.
- Implemented machine learning automations and predictive learning recommendations enabling employees to identify relevant development opportunities based on skill gaps, resulting in 20% increase in Individual Development Plan completion rates.
- Championed development of enterprise learning analytics dashboard providing real-time metrics on performance, enrollment, and skills to enable data-driven executive decision-making.
- Supervised AI-powered analytics platform implementation reduces analysis time by over 40 hours while providing deeper insights into learning patterns and organizational performance trends.
CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Silver Spring, MD
12.2015 - 12.2020
- Created strategy and implementation of learning ecosystems across 12,000+ global employees to adapt to rapidly changing operational requirements.
- Secured $850,000 budget allocation for a dedicated Learning & Development Division through a business case presentation that demonstrated critical alignment with mission objectives.
- Led executive crisis response to COVID-19, directing a rapid pivot to transform learning programs resulting in an increase from 95 to 1,655 participants and $2.4M in cost savings for the flagship leadership program.
- Established agency-wide coaching program. Recruited and certified 35 internal coaches, and provided executive oversight of 140+ coaching engagements.
- Achieved $12,000 in cost savings through the optimization of Learning Management System licenses and resource allocation. Oversaw the learning management system and modernization
initiatives, including predictive analytics, enhanced search capabilities, and social learning features. - Organized, designed and facilitated training programs, classes, workshops, and e-learning webinars in leadership development, customer service, management, recruiting, orientation, performance management, talent management, and more.
LEAD CURRICULUM DESIGNER & FACILITATOR
Department of Defense DoD
Alexandria, VA
12.2011 - 12.2015
- Led strategic redesign of the leadership development architecture to create an integrated leadership learning pipeline for emerging, mid-level, and executive talent. Designed and taught comprehensive leadership curriculum incorporating experiential learning, adult learning principles, and neuroscience research.
- Organized, designed, and facilitated training classes, workshops, and e-learning webinars at the individual, department, and organizational levels in leadership development, customer service, management, recruiting, orientation, performance management, talent management, and mentoring, tailored to specific customer needs.
- Developed strategic leadership competency framework and career path toolkit, aligning 12 leadership development programs across emerging to executive levels to ensure systematic talent progression and organizational capability building.
- Led a learning experience redesign to map employee learning journeys to align learning solutions with strategic workforce needs.
- Established a metrics strategy integrating multiple evaluation methodologies, providing visibility into program impact, and driving strategic improvement initiatives.
- Provided oversight for $1.2M leadership development portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment between curriculum design, delivery methodology, and organizational objectives.
Education
Doctorate of Education - Adult Learning, Organizational Learning, Leadership, Change, Culture
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Washington, D.C.01.2020
Master of Organizational Leadership - Leadership Theory and Practice, Organizational Culture, Change Management
COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY
Omaha, NE06.2009
Bachelor of Independent Studies - Human Resource Management
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Fairfax, VA12.2006
Skills
- Learning strategy and implementation
- Leadership development
- Technological implementation
- Data analytics and learning analytics
- Visionary leadership
- Organizational development and change management
- Performance management
- Learning experience design and facilitation
- Talent management
- Coaching and mentoring
- Program management and operations
- Leading geographically dispersed and hybrid teams
Certification
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
- Certified Mindfulness Facilitator
- TKI Conflict Management Assessment
- Brain-Based Coaching
- Gallup StrengthsFinder Coaching
- Center for Creative Leadership 360 Feedback Assessments
- DiSC Behaviors Analyst
- PIAV Motivators Analyst
- Yoga Instructor
- Rowing Coach
Publications
Daring the Sea: Exploring Aesthetic Experiences in Prolonged, Extreme Natural Environments Which Reconnect Individuals to the Ecosystem, Way, C., 2020, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Areas Of Research
- Neuroscience
- Aesthetic Education
- Adult Learning
- Eco-Consciousness
Military Experience
U.S. Navy, Veteran, Former TSSCI, 01/1994, 12/2000
Accomplishments
2024 EPA AWARD RECIPIENT
"For exceptional work and collaboration ensuring each program and region submitted a final succession management plan."
2022 NOAA BRONZE AWARD RECIPIENT
"For outstanding contributions to improve leadership development by opening the virtual NOAA Leadership Seminar to all NOAA Federal employees."
Timeline
CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER
Environmental Protection Agency
12.2020 - Current
CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
12.2015 - 12.2020
LEAD CURRICULUM DESIGNER & FACILITATOR
Department of Defense DoD
12.2011 - 12.2015
Doctorate of Education - Adult Learning, Organizational Learning, Leadership, Change, Culture
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Master of Organizational Leadership - Leadership Theory and Practice, Organizational Culture, Change Management
COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY
Bachelor of Independent Studies - Human Resource Management
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
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