Kim Douglass

Kim Douglass

Acting Director of Consulting

Kim has extensive experience in the public, corporate, and non-profit sectors, with top-level federal experience as Director of White House Management in the White House and later as a Deputy Chief of Staff at GSA. As a result, she is able to assist leaders at all levels with a variety of organizational transformation initiatives, and is skilled in organizational strategic planning, change management, succession management, workforce planning, human capital strategy, employee engagement, and consultative facilitation and coaching.

Working at high levels of government gave Kim a unique perspective on leadership and management, especially when it comes to crises. “When every day brings a new crisis and there are multiple priorities competing for attention and the political landscape is ever changing, it can feel overwhelming for even the most seasoned professionals,” she says. “But I learned that by keeping a level head, keeping things in perspective, and not losing your sense of humor, it’s easier to make order out of chaos and the right solution will become clear.”

Life Imitating Art


Kim cites a lesson she’s learned from artistic expression as being central to her professional outlook. “When I’m not solving consulting problems, my ‘side gig’ is art,” she says. “My philosophy is if you mess up or have a problem and you can’t erase it or redo it, then it’s just a chance to turn it into something else. No matter the situation, there’s always an opportunity for creativity.”

Kim Douglass in the Spotlight

Grace Under Pressure 

Today, Kim Douglass is the Acting Director of Consulting at CI International, where she partners with leaders and organizations to develop human capital strategies: resolving workforce challenges, promoting organizational efficacy, and building wise succession plans. But when this New Jersey native began her journey at Villanova University, she was a marketing major with no thoughts of becoming a consultant. “I studied marketing because I was deeply interested in human motivation and behavior,” Kim explained.  

Kim is known for her grace under pressure, which she credits to having many years of managing high-stress situations. Her professional path began as Director of Special Events for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the nation’s oldest natural history museum. Experience in fundraising and event planning taught her to navigate one complex challenge after another, leading her into campaign and convention event management.  

A Move to the White House 

Kim’s time in event management opened a new door: into the White House. In 2001, she moved to Washington, D.C. to become Deputy Director for White House Management. The role was fundamentally operations-focused: from contracts and billing to meeting every logistics need for fellow White House offices. Kim believed her calm, centered leadership style would serve her well in juggling operational demands, and the opportunity to serve was compelling. One week into her new role brought the terrorist attacks of September 11. “That experience completely colored my entire time in the White House, and beyond,” Kim said. “It was always about public service, but that day, public service became a part of me. I felt I had a part to play; a chance to support what really mattered.”  

Expanding Horizons  

Kim dedicated five years to her work in White House Management, rising to Director. The long hours and complex schedules were demanding but honed her ability to lead under pressure. In 2006, she took on a new role as Deputy Chief of Staff for the General Services Administration, focusing on agency operations and implementation of strategic initiatives for the GSA Administrator.  

Kim’s work at GSA brought her insight into operational best practices and the challenges faced by government leaders. This experience working alongside agency senior leaders to support the fulfillment of GSA’s mission deepened an interest in helping to create effective and thriving organizations. Serendipitously, her role at GSA brought her into collaborations with CI.  “I developed a deep appreciation for their approach to organizational development,” Kim explained. “Their work sparked a new vision for the direction I wanted my career to take.” 

That spark led Kim to Booz Allen Hamilton after her time at GSA. Guided by the advice of CI co-founder and then-president Jon Hassinger, who had become a mentor, she stepped into the consulting world. At Booz Allen, she said, “I learned how to be an effective organizational development consultant. I had always had a passion for understanding human motivation and organizational systems. At the White House and the GSA, I learned to solve complicated problems, to think on my feet strategically. When I stepped into consulting work, I had the chance to bring all that together, to support human achievement through systems and solutions.” 

Growing CI’s Consulting Division 

In 2014, after five years at Booz Allen, Kim joined CI as the third member of CI’s brand-new consulting division. At CI, Kim not only found a home—she found an opportunity to help build it from the ground up. “I’ve been really lucky to be part of our division from its early days. I could see what CI wanted their organizational development consulting practice to be, and it aligned so powerfully with the kind of work I wanted to do.”  

As Acting Director of Consulting at CI, Kim continues to unite psychology and problem-solving to lead human capital and organizational strategy for her clients. “I love partnering with clients to develop workforce solutions and strategies that will really empower their work. In part that’s because CI’s culture really empowers and inspires my work. I have the freedom to get into the trenches with a client and become part of their team.” 

Love of the Arts and the Water 

Kim divides her time between Alexandria, Virginia, and coastal Delaware, where she enjoys spending time with family and friends and her dog Phoebe, “my very wild French Bulldog-Boston Terrier mix.” She has spent the last few years bringing life back to an old home near the ocean in Delaware and developing her skill in oil painting. “I’m fortunate to be able to divide my time between the kinds of places that fulfill me. I love cities, but I also love the beach and the beauty of nature near the shore. The water is my happy place.”