We are constantly seeking new ways to empower our Members with the knowledge they need to navigate the ever-changing landscape of OFCCP compliance and recruitment. That is why we are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with one of the industry’s most respected voices, Alicia Wallace.

Many of you may already know Alicia from her impressive tenure in the industry, including roles at major organizations such as Eli Lilly, Anthem, and Walgreens, as well as her involvement with local chapters of the Industry Liaison Groups (ILG) and time served on various National boards. What you may not know is that she is also an Army Veteran and an avid track and field enthusiast, serving as head coach at a local high school in Indiana, and previously coaching high school girls all over the country from Maryland to California for over 30 years–many whom have transitioned to college sports at the D1 level. Alicia was also a college track athlete at Illinois State University, setting a then-school record her sophomore year of college in the 60-meter dash.

She now leads her own consulting business, AHall Consult LLC, with a mission that aligns perfectly with our values and vision: “assisting with the ongoing development of solutions to current-day compliance, inclusion, and policy integration.”

Through this partnership, Alicia will share her extensive experience and expertise through a series of webinars and provide exclusive resources and insights for our membership as they traverse the compliance terrain in 2026. You might even hear her on an episode or two of the DE Talk podcast!

To welcome Alicia back to the DE community and give you a preview of what to expect, we sat down with her to discuss her journey, her new venture, and the current state of compliance.

Your career journey began as a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) specialist in the U.S. Army–what eventually led you to the field of Human Resources after transitioning from the military?

Alicia Wallace: I did not come from a military family, other than my older brother, who was drafted shortly before the end of the Vietnam war. I left my college track program to try and change schools, however, I had no clue how to manage the transfer and ended up joining the military to fill the gap once I heard they had just began a world class track and field program where soldiers could train at the beautiful Presidio of San Francisco, 3-6 months a year, depending on how well they ran. My math scores on the military entrance test were pretty high, which put me in a bonus Military Occupational Skill (MOS) where I learned all about NBC and conducted tons of field exercises conducting downwind fallout predictions for a possible war in the desert, and managed the NBC program at headquarters. In my first assignment, I was the first female assigned to the 91^st Chemical Company, Fort Stewart, Georgia, where I was also called to assist with HR-related duties (other duties as assigned).

After my military service, I was a seventeen-year military spouse. We relocated a lot, which meant I changed jobs frequently. My first civilian job was serving as a floating Executive Assistant supporting 5-6 retired generals; then I managed the diner’s club accounts in finance, and served as a purchasing and contracting officer at several military installations. The role that transitioned me into HR compliance was my job offer as a Compliance Specialist with the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP). From there, I was recruited into a full-time corporate HR compliance role, which combined my analytical skills, attention to detail, and love for all things disciplined and compliant. I should probably mention that I came from a large, loving family where discipline was the expectation, and there were lots of rules.

Your background in AA/EEO spans both sides of the desk–formerly as a Senior Compliance Officer for the OFCCP and later leading compliance for major federal contractors. How does that dual perspective shape the advice you give to HR professionals today?

Alicia Wallace: I can truly say I am very proud of my government experience, and having worked for both the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor, I spent a lot of time learning to read and interpret regulatory requirements and how they would be enforced. The OFCCP in the late 90s required compliance officers to train with their colleagues across the country, learning the compliance manual requirements. I was scared to death when I was approached about leaving the government to work at the corporate level. I learned right away that managing all of the government regulations was a bit tougher than enforcing them. I feel the same today. Learning the regulatory requirements is just the beginning; however, creating a strategy to comply is much tougher, as it’s my opinion that companies often need to be convinced that HR compliance is important and should be a major ongoing focus. Why have the business work so hard to secure government contracts to then lose portions of the contract funds on violations?

You recently launched your own consulting business with a specific focus on creating space to educate and engage. Tell us about that, and why you feel that educational component is missing or vital in the current market.

Alicia Wallace: I’ve been networking with colleagues and experts for many years, those who have worked in the EEO space for more than 20 years are beginning to be a dying breed as many have chosen to instead focus on diversity and inclusion and why not–they have the budget, staff and leadership’s attention, however, I know for sure that those of us who have managed, reviewed and dug through thousands and thousands of HR employment data truly have learned the facts about an organization’s culture based on HR trends and years of accessing that data. I think it’s important, especially now, that HR professionals pay attention to the data, understand their organizational trends, and work with legal to address them before they lead to bad behaviors, complaints, or God forbid, discrimination charges.

I will say that HR compliance is not easy work. It’s the work no one wants to talk about, but when done well, it lessens the impact when complaints, investigations, or charges occur. Asking questions, focusing on the data, and then doing the “hard” work of interpreting and finding the “why” is so, so very important. Adverse indicators are just that, they don’t mean anything other than informing an organization of areas to focus on–but whoa, if they are continually ignored, they will certainly manifest in many other ways. With Affirmative Action going away, Executive Order 11246, and the focus on illegal DEI, it’s more important than ever that organizations have individuals  trained to gather, scrub, and manage data from a compliance perspective. There are tools for doing that!

As we look at the current compliance landscape–from pay equity transparency to the seismic changes in AAP development–what do you see as the single biggest challenge facing federal contractors right now?

Alicia Wallace: Uncertainty is the biggest challenge, I would state. When regulations are not clear, or when they are contradictory, then the interpretation of those regulations becomes a challenge, additionally, I’m afraid that many organizations may decide there are no government watchdogs, and may step away from their previous compliance posture. The False Claims Act is a threat to diversity and compliance programs, and therefore, should be watched closely as those cases are communicated.

Members can look forward to your webinars with DirectEmployers. Without giving too much away, what are some of the key themes or “hot topics” you plan to tackle in this series?

Alicia Wallace: My objective is to address HR compliance, as well as disability and veteran self-identification and compliance. These groups are of enduring importance to me, and I believe more progress can be made in this area, but continued effort is essential. These discussions will also include considerations of equality and offer practical tips for HR compliance professionals. Without revealing all content, the sessions will provide actionable tools intended to enhance the skills and motivation of HR and recruiting colleagues. I also plan to address several significant challenges facing our field.

Join Us for the Series Kick-Off! We couldn’t be happier to have Alicia’s strategic mind and energetic teaching style available to our Members. Keep an eye on your inbox or the DE Connect events calendar for registration details for her first webinar, taking place February 26th at 2:00 pm ET!