About Us

Kenyatta is the founder and President 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.

Bill has more than 30 years of local government experience, primarily as a senior executive. He is especially well-versed in managing organizational operations such as finances, human resources, information technology, and procurement. Bill led more than 1,400 employees and served as the Director of the District’s Department of Public Works for more than 11 years and served four Mayoral Administrations.

Prior to his appointment as Director of Public Works, Bill served as the Chief of Staff to the DC Deputy Mayor for Operations. Bill joined the District of Columbia as the Deputy Director for the Department of Human Services (DHS), where he directed the administrative management for the agency. He managed the capital budget for DHS, oversaw construction and renovation of agency buildings, and led a team of eight departments to create an emergency management plan to shelter displaced residents and reunify families. Bill also served the Fairfax County (VA) Government for 17 years, as a Personnel Analyst, an Assistant to the County Executive, and finally as Director of the Department of Administration. Bill holds a BA from UC-Berkley and an MPA from Carnegie Mellon University.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Retired Police Commander Jennifer Greene 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.

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.

Kenneth is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at POLIHIRE with responsibility for IT architecture, project management, and financial management as well as for recruitment efforts in the areas of municipal government, finance, and technology.

Kenneth brings 11 years of municipal government experience to POLIHIRE. Most recently, he was Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief of Staff for the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance, where he was a key strategy architect and advisor and responsible for all administrative operations of the $3.6 billion agency. An engineer by training, Kenneth has also worked at the Federal level with the Department of Defense and held Top Secret/Secret Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. His experience in finance and operations also extends into the private sector. As Treasury Manager for Sprint Nextel, Kenneth drew on his training in both engineering and finance to direct the investment of $4.5 billion for the telecommunications firm.

Kenneth earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University, a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master’s in Business Administration with a Finance Concentration from Howard University.

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.

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.

Marc is the State Chief Operating Officer (COO) for WellCare of Georgia. WellCare is the largest Medicaid health plan in Georgia and it operates a significant Medicare Advantage plan. Marc is primarily responsible for Health Plan Operations, Network Management, and Member Experience. Also, he is responsible for driving financial performance, improving quality outcomes, and managing the relationship with the plan’s government partners. Before joining WellCare, Marc was Vice President of Managed Care Operations for PHP, a Medicare Advantage HMO, and PHC, a Medicaid Managed Care HMO in Florida. Marc’s experience includes various leadership and management roles, including National Director of Insurance Contracting for HCR Manor Care; Senior Director, Network Management, Coordinated Care Solutions; Manager, Deloitte & Touche; Analyst for Howard University Hospital and University of Maryland Medical Center. Marc earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Talladega College.

Randall Akee is a Nonresident Fellow with the Economic Studies program at Brookings. He was a David M. Rubenstein Fellow with the Economic Studies program from 2017–2019. He is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles in the Department of Public Policy and American Indian Studies. He completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in June 2006. Prior to his doctoral studies, Akee earned a Master’s degree in International and Development Economics at Yale University. He also spent several years working for the State of Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs Economic Development Division. Akee is also a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Labor Studies and the Children’s Groups. In addition, he is a research fellow at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and at the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), a faculty affiliate at the UCLA California Center for Population Research (CCPR) at UCLA and a faculty affiliate at UC Berkeley Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA). His main research interests are Labor Economics, Economic Development and Migration.

Melanie brings more than twenty years of experience in the areas of public healthcare administration, education, housing, public works, and law as well as a particular expertise in executive leadership to her role as Consultant 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.

Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton is the inaugural Vice President and Associate Provost for Inclusion and Diversity at Auburn University.  She serves as the designated executive administrator for coordinating the University’s diversity and inclusion strategy and is the principal advocate and adviser to the President, Provost, and senior University leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion.  As Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Clayton leads the Office of Inclusion and Diversity comprised of Women’s Initiatives, Access and Inclusive Excellence (which houses the Cross Cultural Center for Excellence), Inclusion and Diversity Education, and Strategy and Special Initiatives subunits. Dr. Clayton also serves as Convener of the CDO Cabinet, an institutional body connecting diversity liaisons from units across the campus. She and her team are tasked with expanding Auburn’s diversity and inclusion footprint within the institution and nationally.

Dr. Clayton formerly served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and as Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer at East Carolina University.  Throughout her 20+ career as an executive administrator leading diversity and inclusion efforts at major universities, Dr. Clayton has served students, faculty, staff, community, visitors and alumni. As an early career professional, Clayton served as a Legislative Research Fellow on the staff of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, led by Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy in the United States Senate and worked on the campaign committee to elect the first woman to Congress from the state of North Carolina.

Dr. Clayton is known nationally for her presentations on faculty diversity recruitment and retention, institutionalizing diversity and inclusion in higher education institutions, and translating corporate diversity and inclusion promising practices into the higher education context. She is an affiliate Instructor with the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center’s Equity Institutes and co-leads a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community of Practice with Lorelle Espinosa, Vice President for Research at the American Council on Education (ACE). Dr. Clayton is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and is co-chair of the Membership Committee.

Dr. Clayton is an appointee on the Executive Committee of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities’ (APLU) Commission on Access, Diversity and Equity. Additionally, she sits on the Executive Committee of the Diversity and Inclusion Executives Council of The Conference Board, a global, independent business membership and research organization serving 1,200 public and private corporations, and recently became a member of its Executive Committee for the Council. Dr. Clayton serves on the Advisory Board of the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates at the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center. She is a current member of the Alabama Association of Higher Education Diversity Officers network and a former Convener for North Carolina Diversity and Inclusion Partners, a statewide network of diversity and inclusion professionals.

Dr. Clayton is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, American University, and East Carolina University. She has also completed the Management Development Program at the Harvard Institute of Higher Education, Harvard University Graduate School of Education.