Federal Leadership Development
Executive & Team Coaching
My experience in federal leadership development includes executive coaching, team coaching, facilitation, and experiential learning with senior leaders across the federal government. As a former faculty member with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Executive Institute (FEI), I worked with leaders navigating complex organizational environments, evolving priorities, and the responsibilities of public leadership.
At FEI, I contributed to the Leadership for a Democratic Society (LDS) program, partnering with senior federal executives and intact leadership teams through residential, virtual, and hybrid learning experiences. My work integrated executive and team coaching, leadership assessments, facilitated dialogue, and experiential activities to support reflection, collaboration, and the application of learning to real organizational challenges.
A central focus of my team coaching practice was helping leaders examine how they work together. I partnered with teams to explore decision-making patterns, assumptions about authority, accountability, trust, and the dynamics that influence collective effectiveness. Through inquiry, observation, and facilitated reflection, I supported teams in strengthening psychological safety, surfacing perspectives that might otherwise remain unspoken, and developing more intentional ways of working together.
My coaching and facilitation also incorporated tools such as 360-degree feedback and DiSC to deepen self-awareness and support leadership development. I approach assessments as a starting point for meaningful conversation rather than as labels, helping leaders connect insight to their relationships, choices, and leadership practice.
This experience continues to inform my work with leaders and organizations. I bring an appreciation for the complexity of public institutions, the importance of ethical and inclusive leadership, and the value of creating spaces where individuals and teams can reflect, learn, and make progress together.
Higher Education & Research
Teaching, Research & Scholarship
My experience in higher education encompasses teaching, research, academic advising, and student development, grounded in a commitment to adult learning, educational access, and the development of individuals and organizations. Across my academic roles, I have worked with students, faculty, and colleagues to create meaningful learning experiences and support the connection between scholarship and practice.
At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, I held graduate research and teaching roles, served as an instructor of record, and contributed to academic advising and student development. These experiences strengthened my ability to design and facilitate learning, support diverse learners, and translate complex ideas into accessible, practical applications. My earlier work in higher education and career education also informs my understanding of institutional systems, learner development, and the varied pathways through which individuals pursue their educational and professional goals.
As a scholar-practitioner, my research interests center on leadership, identity, race, gender, and resilience, with particular attention to the lived experiences of African American women in higher education leadership. My doctoral research at Southern Illinois University Carbondale explores how African American women senior administrators navigate leadership within predominantly White institutions, drawing on Black feminist thought, intersectionality, and phenomenological inquiry.
My scholarly work includes peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, conference presentations, and collaborative research activities. I am interested in research that not only contributes to academic knowledge but also informs leadership practice, organizational learning, and more equitable institutional environments.
The intersection of education, research, and coaching is central to my professional approach. I bring a reflective, evidence-informed perspective to my work with leaders and teams, recognizing that meaningful development requires attention to context, lived experience, power, and the ways people make meaning of their experiences. Through Chelesea LLC, I integrate these perspectives to support learning, thoughtful leadership, and sustainable organizational change.
Professional Coaching Credentials
ICF Credentials
Association for Coaching
EMCC Accreditation
Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Advanced Certification in Team Coaching (ACTC).
EMCC Accreditation
Association for Coaching
EMCC Accreditation
EIA Senior Practitioner, reflecting advanced coaching practice, supervision, and continued professional development.
Association for Coaching
Association for Coaching
Association for Coaching
Fellow recognition, reflecting professional contribution and engagement with the coaching community.
