Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Patrina Clark, after a quarter century of public service, has left federal employment in pursuit of her long-time dream of launching her independent consulting practice. To many, especially in the current economy, this seemed to be a very bold move. However, Clark sees it as a very natural progression in her professional pursuits.
To mark the occasion, Clark threw herself a party at the City Club of Washington on November 18, 2011. The event was as much a celebration of Clark's exemplary 25-year public service career as it was a launch for her new professional endeavor, Pivotal Practices Consulting LLC.
Ms. Yvonne E. Clarke, President of Y-Hope Foundation Inc. served as Mistress of Ceremonies. Featured speakers at the event included Dr. Nick Nayak, Chief Procurement Officer for the Department of Homeland Security; Admiral Jan Gaudio, United States Navy, Retired, and executive vice president and chief operations officer of the Navy-Marine Corp Relief Society; The Honorable David Mason, senior vice president for Compliance Services at Aristotle International and former Chairman and Commissioner at the Federal Election Commission; and Dr. Nancy Kingsbury, Managing Director, Applied Research and Methods at the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
The speakers were consistent in their praise for Clark's service and their confidence in and well wishes for her success in this new endeavor.
Clark remarked that she was appreciative of and humbled by the outpouring of support and was looking forward to the pursuit of making her long-time dream a success. With the official launch behind her, she is actively cultivating a solid client base and finding ways to continue to elevate the professionalism of public service and to help organizations operate better.
Clark is presently working on her first book, Deconstructing the Federal Vacancy Announcement, a book that will provide an insider's perspective on how to successfully navigate the federal hiring process to increase the chances of a resume actually being seen by a hiring manager. The book is scheduled for release in January 2012.