The Runway Podcast Episode 5: Public Service, HRC Board Governance, and the State of Inclusion with Shawn Skelly

Welcome back to The Runway Podcast—the space where we stop asking for permission and start building the future of work ourselves.

In Episode 5, hosts
Stephanie Battaglino
and
Erica Vogel
welcome
Shawn Skelly
for an inspiring and candid conversation on service, advocacy, and leading at the highest levels.

🌟 About Our Guest

Shawn Skelly is the former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and served in both the Biden and Obama administration leadership teams. Senate-confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness under President Biden, she became the highest-ranking out transgender official in executive branch history.

A retired U.S. Navy Naval Flight Officer with 20 years of active duty service, Shawn co-founded Out in National Security, was honored in the 2017 Out 100, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the
Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

🎙️ What We Cover in This Episode

• Rebuilding & Strengthening Coalitions:
  Shawn discusses her journey joining the HRC Board of Directors, addressing historical community tensions, and how HRC works across broader civil rights networks to protect LGBTQ+ rights.
• Board Leadership & Governance:
  The necessity of having trans leaders, parents, and diverse cross-sector representatives in boardrooms steering organizational budgets and strategy.
• Navigating Corporate Backlash & “DEI Hushing”:
  Analyzing how Fortune 500 companies are responding to modern political pressure on DEI while maintaining core inclusion and talent-retention practices internally.
• Recruitment, Retention, and Family Care:
  Why effective human capital management requires treating employees—and their families—with dignity and comprehensive care.

💬 Featured Quote

“If you’re not in the room… if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu, right? Presence matters in those organizations… The number of people that come from across the country from all these different professional disciplines and that represent the different pieces of our community—it’s about having those voices where decisions are made.” — Shawn Skelly

🎧 Listen to Episode 5 now on Spotify!

📺 Watch the Video Episode:
Catch the full edition on our digital home at Leading From the Heart on Substack.

🤝 Connect with Shawn:
Find and network with Shawn Skelly directly on LinkedIn.

We’d love to hear your thoughts!

How is your organization navigating corporate Router inclusion and allyship in the current landscape?

Have a question or a topic idea for the show? We want this to be a two-way conversation with our audience! Send your text or audio questions to us at
therunwaypc@gmail.com
to be featured on a future episode, drop a comment below, or slide into our LinkedIn DMs.

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We’re paving the way together, and we’ll see you next time on The Runway.

— Stephanie & Erica