Cara Woodson Welch

Cara Woodson Welch is the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Sector HR Association (PSHRA), the organization formerly known as the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). She joined PSHRA in early 2020 with nearly 30 years of experience in association management and leadership and is a member of the DC Bar. Prior to PSHRA, she spent 12 years with WorldatWork, a human resources association, as General Counsel and in a prior role as the Vice President for External Affairs and Practice Leadership. Early in her career, she received a fellowship with the Human Resources division of the Social Security Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also has worked in a state legislature and a state executive branch.

Welch previously held executive positions with several other non-profit associations including the Design Build Institute of America and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

She has been a frequent keynote speaker and conference speaker and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and multiple Government and HR trade publications. Welch has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in International Studies and French with a minor in political science from Macalester College.