Dr. Patrina M. Clark is founder and president of Pivotal Practices Consulting (Pivotal), a talent leadership consulting firm that specializes in maximizing individual and team excellence. She is a trusted advisor on a broad range of human performance issues and has broad and deep expertise in human resource development and talent leadership strategies. Pivotal, which is headquartered in the 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 boosting organizational performance. Among the firm’s numerous awards are the Professional Services Firm of the Year by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Small Business Achievement Award.
Prior to 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, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Clark recently returned to federal service as a career executive. Previous federal positions include Chief Human Capital Officer for GAO, Staff Director for the FEC, and Regional Executive Director and senior civilian for Naval District Washington. 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.
While serving in the private sector, Clark received the SmartCEO Brava Award, Enterprising Women of the Year Award, and Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Active in public sector thought leadership, Clark is a contributing author to the ATD Public Manager Journal. Clark is the creator and moderator of the LinkedIn group “Public Service Excellence,” which has more than 4,000 members. Her previous Board experience included serving as Board Chair for the Academy of Hope, a Washington D.C. adult public charter school; President of the Executive Women in Government, and Chancellor for the African American Federal Executive Association.
Clark received her doctorate in Human and Organizational Learning from The George Washington University and completed graduate studies and programs at Harvard, Cornell, Georgetown, and the University of Maryland. She recently joined the University of Maryland Global College as an adjunct professor for its MBA program. She holds numerous certifications, including Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).