Dr. Patrina M. Clark

Patrina Clark is founder and president of Pivotal Practices Consulting (Pivotal), a professional services firm that works collaboratively with organizational leaders to capitalize on talent to maximize performance. Clark is a trusted advisor on a broad range of human and organizational performance strategies and has broad and deep expertise in human resource development, leadership development, and evidence-based program and process improvement.

Pivotal, which is headquartered in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area, employs a cadre of experts and authorities who can support government and business leaders in increasing employee engagement, improving internal processes, and enhancing organizational performance. In 2017, Pivotal was awarded the Minority Business Development Agency (MDBA) Professional Services Firm of the Year and named one of the Top 100 MBEs (Minority Business Enterprises) by the Central Region National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (CRMSDC). In 2016, Pivotal was one of only 16 firms to receive the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Small Business Achievement Award.

Before launching Pivotal, Clark performed with distinction for 25 years in five federal agencies – U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Federal Election Commission (FEC), Department of Navy, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Clark's last federal position was Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) for GAO. A career member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), Clark received numerous awards and commendations during her government career, including the Navy's Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and a Hammer Award from the Partnership for Reinventing Government.

Since moving to the private sector, Clark has continued to receive recognition and accolades for her exemplary professionalism. In 2016, she received the SmartCEO Brava Award and was inducted in the Class of 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year Awardees. In 2015, Clark was awarded the Prince George's County Chamber of Commerce (PGCOC) Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was also a finalist for Business Woman of the Year Award.

Active in the community, Clark is Chair of the Board of Directors for Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School and serves on the Board of Directors for the Prince George's County Chamber of Commerce, chairing the Board's Education and Workforce Development Committee. Clark is an Advisory Board Member for Enterprising Women, the voice of women entrepreneurs with a global reach in 185 countries. She is also a lifetime member of the National Association of African Americans is Human Resources (NAAHR) and a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Active in public sector thought leadership activities, Clark serves as Vice Chair for the Board of Directors of the Senior Executives Association (SEA) Professional Development League (PDL) and Vice Chancellor for the African American Federal Executives Association (AAFEA). Clark is the creator and moderator of the LinkedIn group "Public Service Excellence," which has more than 4,000 members. She is a contributing author to the ATD Public Manager Journal. Clark also served as a Presidential Rank Award Board Member for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in 2014 and 2016. She is a member of Executive Women in Government (EWG).

Clark earned her doctorate in Human and Organizational Learning at The George Washington University. She has also completed graduate studies and programs at Harvard, Cornell, Georgetown, George Washington University and the University of Maryland. Clark is also an alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging Leaders programs.

Other professional affiliations and certifications include: Human Capital Institute Human Capital Strategist; HR Certification Institute Senior Professional in Human Resources; SHRM Senior Certified Professional; and Neuro Leadership Group Results Associate Certified Coach.