The Inner Circle Acknowledges Yolanda M. Gibbons as a Distinguished Professional for her contributions to Leadership and Education

ARLINGTON, Va., June 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Yolanda M. Gibbons is acknowledged as a Distinguished Professional for her contributions to Leadership and Education.

Dr. Gibbons began her academic career at Mercer University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Human Development. She then pursued a Master of Science in Public Health and a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The professional continued her education at Boston University earning a Master's degree in Social Work and then capped her scholarship with a PhD in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Owner and founder Dr. Gibbons is the chief executive officer of The Partnership for Inclusion Leadership, a women-owned business she founded after having served as a diversity strategist for the Department of Commerce Census Bureau from 2013 to 2020. In 2005. She was recognized by the University for Instructional Excellence in 2009 and notes that she was appointed to serve as an affiliated Georgetown University Scholar because of her visionary work with the Federal Government.

Inspired by former president Barack Obama's proclamation that required the federal government to implement a strategy to increase diversity and inclusion, Dr. Gibbons remains wholly convinced about the immense significance of her mission, which is built on a platform of diversity and inclusion principles, values, and topics. While her experience is varied, she senses a remarkable synergy among her professional appointments. She was a diversity and inclusion subject matter expert for Curtis Lewis & Associates PC between 2009 and 2011, and also acted as a senior consultant and social scientist there from 2007 to 2009. Dr Gibbons asserts that she exercised her passionate commitment to advancing society, and in 2011, founded the Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation in Government Initiative.

As an advisor, Dr. Gibbons explained that she has made recommendations to the Secretary of Defense to prioritize certain instructional policies and has contributed to the realignment of military education and training protocols, which impact personnel from cadets and officers to the staff at the Department of Defense. Dr. Gibbons has introduced competency-based approaches to redefine military leadership training and development, helping refine the vision, mission, and governance of the Department of Defense Center of Excellence.

A testament to her professionalism and impact in the field, Dr. Gibbon's was nominated for the Washington Business Journal Award; is a recipient of the Women Worth Watching Award from the Profiles in Diversity Journal; and was awarded the Black Leadership Award in 2022. She has received numerous Stevie Awards for Women in International Business; Women of the Year in Government; the Power the Future Award from the Historic Form on Workplace Inclusion organization in 2021 and proudly accepted the American Sociological Association Fellows Award in 2002. The professional was additionally recognized by the Women's Education Research Institute Congressional Fellowship in 2003.

Dedicated to serving in many capacities, Dr. Gibbons is associated with the American Sociological Association and the Association of Black Sociologists. She has contributed to the ongoing scholarly conversation with her 2011 publication, "The Business of Diversity: A View from the Corporate Suite." 

Aside from her professional pursuits, Dr. Gibbons anticipates exciting travel, research and consultancy opportunities via a Fulbright award, which will take her to the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, editorial@continentalwhoswho.com

SOURCE The Inner Circle