POLIHIRE - Key Persons
Angie has been a solid contributor to POLIHIRE since 2011. Before joining POLIHIRE, Angie served in several roles from HR Manager to Senior Recruiter. She has become a leader with valuable organizational skills and the ability to authoritatively identify the strongest candidates based on experience, skill sets, qualifications, and interests. Angie has held board positions for several non-profit organizations. She is currently serving on the board of Survivors United, an organization dedicated to serving individuals who have been sexually assaulted by US military service members. Angie is a graduate of Radford University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Co - Founder and President of Flexwind Inc
Cindy Kupski is the Co-Founder and President of Flexwind Inc., a software and engineering services company in the government and commercial sectors focused on technology + user-experience solutions. She brings over twenty years of experience in the intelligence community and technology sector with disciplines in both design and engineering. Cindy is a proven leader and sought-after developer with a keen understanding of mission. Her expertise is in user-interface/user-experience design, and she holds certifications in User Experience (UXC & CUA) and Design Sprint Facilitation. She is also a certified ScrumMaster. Cindy has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree focused on Graphic Design from the University of Akron, and an MBA from Virginia Tech, Pamplin College of Business
De'Shawn has spent over 15 years serving in senior leadership roles in the public and private sectors. Before joining POLIHIRE, he served as the Senior Manager for Public Policy at Uber Technologies. Before Uber, he was appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to serve as the Deputy Secretary for Education, the highest-ranking education post in the Executive Chamber of New York State Government. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing and implementing the Governor's statewide education agenda, overseeing an annual budget of more than $20 Billion and managing the Administration's collaborations with the State Department of Education, State University of NY, City University of NY and the Higher Education Services Corporation.
Before joining the Cuomo Administration, Wright was appointed to the post of Deputy Mayor for Education in Washington, DC where he created a citywide birth to 24 strategy that includes early education, K-12, post-secondary education. Before those roles, De'Shawn also served as Chief Policy Advisor to then-Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark, New Jersey, and as Policy Analyst for former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. De'Shawn is a graduate of James Madison University and later earned a Master in Public Administration from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Policy.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President & CEO, Meyer Foundation
The Meyer Foundation partners with organizations in pursuit of racial and economic justice. Leading the foundation in this work is George L. Askew. George began his career as a pediatrician but retired from medical practice when it became clear to him that he could have a bigger impact via policy and administration if he made the shift from treating individual families to potentially changing the structural reality for millions.
From policy work at the Federal level to health and human services administration at the city and county levels in New York and Maryland, respectively, the entirety of George's career has been in service to both individuals and to the work of creating a more just and equitable society.
Job Titles:
- Director of Search Assessment
- Senior Consultant of Search Assessment
Dr. Kamala is a Senior Consultant of Search Assessment for POLIHIRE. A national board-certified counselor and licensed professional counselor supervisor with more than 20 years of clinical and higher education experience, Dr. Kamala contributes her expertise to POLIHIRE's process of leadership development and assessment. She is responsible for maximizing POLIHIRE's use of assessment on many of our engagements. Dr. Kamala's professional experience includes work at North Carolina Central University School of Law, North Carolina State University, Shaw University, Campbell University, the University of Mount Olive, and Durham Technical Community College. She has served in leadership roles, such as Assistant Dean of Student Development, Director of Workforce Development, Director of Career Services, and Director of Wellness. Additionally, she has conducted several professional leadership development and diversity workshops and is certified in administering the EQ-i 2.0 / EQ 360.
Additional certifications that she holds include Career Development Facilitator and Title IX Investigator. Dr. Kamala attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. She went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Agency Counseling from Campbell University and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Counselor Education from North Carolina State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Freddie Fuller has spent his entire professional career in the public transportation industry. For more than 23 years, Freddie has utilized his education, expertise, and relationships to engage and connect organizations and individuals within the transit industry. He is currently a Vice President at Jacobs, leading new business capture for transit and rail pursuits in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Canada, with a focus on electronic payment systems. Also, he has been asked to serve as the liaison between Jacobs and several political organizations including African American Mayors Association, Community Leaders of America, International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and US Conference of Mayors.
A private-sector consultant and public servant, Freddie currently serves on boards as the National Chair of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and as Secretary/Treasurer of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Freddie earned an undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, two Masters degrees from Georgia Tech in City Planning and Civil Engineering. He also completed coursework towards a doctorate degree at Virginia Tech in Planning, Governance, and Globalization.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
As the inaugural Commander of U.S. Africa Command, General Ward oversaw the establishment of the nation's newest geographic command responsible for all U.S. defense and security activities on the African continent and its island nations. Before taking this position, General Ward was the Deputy Commander of the U.S. European Command, U.S. Security Coordinator for the Israel-Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and NATO Force Commander in Bosnia. Since retirement from the United States Army, General Ward has served as the President, SENTEL Corporation, Strategic Adviser, Vectrus Systems Corporation, and permanent member, Council on Foreign Relations.
Job Titles:
- Commander
- Retired Police Commander
is a 29-year veteran of the Metropolitan Washington Police Department. She commanded the 5th Police District which included 420 sworn and civilian employees. She also served as the Interim Director of the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and as Director of the District of Columbia Office of Unified Communications (911 and 311 call center). Jennifer earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, Virginia; the Senior Management Institute of Police (SMIP); and the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Municipal Management.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
Kenyatta is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of POLIHIRE. Under his leadership, POLIHIRE has gained a reputation for high ethical standards and strict professional standards of performance. Building on his previous executive experience in the private and public sectors, Kenyatta brings a transformative vision for diversity and inclusion to assist clients in their executive recruitments. Kenyatta previously served as the Executive Recruitment Manager for the Government of the District of Columbia.
During his tenure with the Anthony A. Williams Administration, Kenyatta was responsible for the successful recruitment and hiring of multiple executives and senior managers, to include, the City Administrator, Deputy Mayors, Inspector General, and numerous agency Directors and Deputy Directors. Kenyatta received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds an MBA from Howard University's School of Business. Kenyatta is an active member of several civic and professional organizations, including the National Forum for Black Public Administrators where he served on the National Corporate Advisory Council. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association, and also served on the Board of Directors for the African American Nonprofit Network.
KJ has over 20 years of experience working with social impact organizations rooted in a variety of issues - including, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ youth advocacy, Indigenous education, and racial justice - and from several angles, including nonprofit management (staff and board), organizational development/communications consulting, philanthropy, and editorial journalism. KJ is a former elected member of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Dartmouth College and a Master's degree in developmental psychology from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
Job Titles:
- Recruitment and Operations Manager
Leanne has over 25 years of experience in management, including 15 years of Project and Program Management in direct support to federal agencies. She is an organized and detail-oriented professional skilled in managing large contracts and cultivating client, team and management relationships that deliver results professionally, as well as personally. Leanne's studies include Business Management, Accounting, and Human Resources. She enjoys interacting with others and fostering relationships and open lines of communication.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Finance Committee
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Trustee
- Health Care Executive
Marc A. Love is a health care executive with deep expertise in managed care and health care operations. Currently, Marc is Vice President, National Provider Contracting and Strategy for Kaiser Permanente in Georgia and the Mid-Atlantic States. In this capacity, he is responsible for partnering with leaders across the region to develop and implement the vision for care across the continuum and to create opportunities for KP to continue to develop and lead as a community health system.
Before joining Kaiser Permanente, Marc was the State Chief Operating Officer (COO) for WellCare of Georgia. Prior to its acquisition by Centene, WellCare was the largest Medicaid CMO in Georgia and the 4th largest Medicare Advantage plan. Marc is also the former Vice President of Managed Care Operations for PHP, a Medicare Advantage HMO and PHC, a Medicaid Managed Care HMO in Florida.
Marc is a Trustee and the Finance Committee Chair of Talladega College and a member of the Board of Directors for national home health company Accessible Home Care. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Talladega College and an MBA from Howard University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration degree at Florida International University.
Melanie Bell - COO, Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Managing Director
Melanie brings more than twenty years of operations experience and organizational leadership in the areas of public healthcare administration, education, housing, procurement, public works, and law as well as a particular expertise in executive leadership to her role at POLIHIRE. Across more than a decade with the District of Columbia, Melanie has been a leader in a range of agencies. Most recently, she served as the Operations Manager/Interim Chief Operating Officer for the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) - the District's Medicaid agency - where she was awarded the Director's Special Award for Employee Excellence in 2015 and 2016.
Prior to her positions at DHCF, Melanie was a Management and Program Analysis Officer in the District of Columbia with a portfolio that included 20 agencies within the Health and Human Services, Education and Public Safety Clusters. She served as a liaison between the District's Office of the City Administrator and the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Mayor's Commission on HIV/AIDS, and DC Water Board of Directors. In 2013 and 2014, she served as an Ex-Officio Member of the DC Business Regulatory Reform Task Force.
Melanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Business Administration from Howard University. She is also a graduate of The George Washington University DC Government Executive Leadership Program. She is a member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) and National Black MBA Association (NBMBA).
Job Titles:
- Clinical Social Worker
- Managing Director
Nana is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified Project Management Professional with over 20 years of experience in people and project management. Before joining POLIHIRE, she held various leadership roles overseeing the development and operations of service-delivery teams. Nana spent the last decade in the workforce staffing industry, collaborating with private and public sector clients to fulfill their personnel needs. She routinely guided human resources functions, including hiring, onboarding, compliance, employee relations, and performance management.
Nana started her career in social work, spending ten years as a leader of health and human service programs. With a focus on quality improvement and team development, she most enjoys mentoring and training early career professionals through workplace interactions and organizational changes. Nana holds a Master of Social Work degree from the Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from James Madison University. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Executive
- Retired Executive With over 37 Years of Federal Service
Sharon is a retired Executive with over 37 years of Federal Service. She retired from the General Services Administration in 2011 from her position of Deputy Chief People Officer and Director of the Office of Human Capital Management. She has served in various leadership capacities throughout her Government service and she has received numerous awards for her outstanding accomplishments.
She also served as Acting Regional Administrator for one of GSA's largest Regions, the National Capital Region (NCR) where she was responsible for over 93 million square feet of leased and owned space in the metropolitan area as well as a comprehensive end-to-end telecommunications service that supported over 90 Federal agencies with more than 750,000 customers. During her tenure, she oversaw implementation of the largest amount of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded construction projects for the NCR. She led the Agency during the Presidential transition and inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2008. Sharon is a native of North Carolina and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management from Columbia Union College. She is a Harvard University SES Fellow and holds a Masters Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University's School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Member of the Board of Regents of Texas Southern University
Stephanie D. Nellons-Paige's career spans the public and private sectors with a focus on improving outcomes for cities through infrastructure building and partnership development. She is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Vice Chair of the Nellons-Paige Group, Inc. (NPG), a strategic consulting firm, which she co-founded with her husband, Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education (2001-2005). The firm provides business development expertise to the private sector, infrastructure investment entities, foundations, school districts and higher education institutions and cities, and also advises clients on diversity and economic inclusion.
Stephanie is a member of the Board of Regents of Texas Southern University, an Executive Board Member of the Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity, and Chair for Governance and Nominations of the University of the Potomac's Board of Directors. She was also an advisor on NYC Mayor Eric Adams' Education Transition Committee.
A servant leader and philanthropist, Stephanie has raised more than $30M for organizations and institutions that support education, economic equity, and justice. Stephanie was recently named to the Motown Museum National Legacy Council, where she is actively raising funds to support the expansion of the museum in Detroit, Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Diverse City Fund