PoliHire Appoints General Counsel and Senior Advisor
May 14, 2024 – PoliHire, a retained executive search firm and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., has expanded with the addition of James Banks as senior director and general counsel and Marcia K. Thompson as senior advisor. “I am thrilled to have James and Marcia’s extraordinary talents and expertise on our team as we approach our 19th year in business,” said Kenyatta Uzzell, founder and CEO of PoliHire. “Their addition will enable PoliHire to strengthen our capacity in executive recruitment and further expand our client offerings to include coaching and leadership development, advisory and counsel services, and organizational management support, especially as it relates to public safety and human resources.”
Mr. Banks has over 25 years of experience in the legal industry. Most recently, he served as the general counsel at the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM). Prior to that, Mr. Banks built a long and distinguished career in the law, consulting, and civil service at the City of Alexandria, Seyfarth Shaw, McGuire Woods, and the U.S. Army. His career includes a track record of forging strong relationships and working effectively at all organizational levels. He specializes in general corporate law, executive coaching/leadership development, legal ethics, public sector governance, and fostering collaboration for organizational growth and excellence across diverse sectors.
Ms. Thompson is an attorney and subject matter expert with over two decades of law enforcement, change management, justice reform, DEI, and organizational management experience. She has a long track record of providing expert counsel and advice to associations, corporations, state, and federal agencies including Amazon, the University of Chicago Police Department, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement.
Ms. Thompson is a highly sought after expert counsel and advisor to associations, corporations, state, and federal agencies on a wide range of matters, including leadership recruitment and retention; professional standard reviews and leadership training; law enforcement policy audits and assessments; reform compliance and report evaluations, and personal performance reviews and best practices.
Over the last 18 years, PoliHire has identified more than 2,000 senior leaders for its not-for-profit, corporate, and government sector partners, including city managers and commissioners, philanthropy executive directors, general managers of regional utilities, CFOs, arts and culture directors, and legal officers.
Integrating Cultural Humility into the Coaching Process
Building a positive workplace culture has become one of the top priorities for organizations around the world. Since the pandemic, many employers have focused on building workplace environments in which their employees can feel safe, engaged, inspired, and productive. According to human capital experts and talent industry leaders, it is positive workplace culture that now separates the most successful companies from the average ones. It increases employee retention, builds engagement among workers, and increases productivity and the bottom line.
With all the positive outcomes that good culture brings, organizations are looking to find effective ways to not only understand their own unique cultures, but to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging to fully unlock the value of the talent within their organizations. But when it comes to discussions on building a strong culture through consulting and executive coaching, often missing from the equation is a focus on the training that coaches receive to provide a curriculum that prepares clients for success while also navigating cultural differences during coaching itself.
Mr. Uzzell founded PoliHire in 2006. He has more than 30 years of experience in recruitment with over two decades in executive search supporting local government and non-profit organizations. Mr. Uzzell has led hundreds of searches throughout his career, partnering with mayors, governors, appointed executives, and boards and commissions, to recruit cabinet-level officials, city administrators/managers, deputy mayors, inspector generals, and directors across the public sector. Prior to founding PoliHire, he served as the executive recruitment manager for the District of Columbia Government under Mayor Anthony Williams.
Recent CFO Search
PoliHire recently assisted in the recruitment of Ed Vroom as the new CFO of Reston Association, a member-driven property owners association that serves Reston, VA. In his role as CFO, Mr. Vroom ensures that resources are efficiently administered to meet the needs, interests, and priorities of the community in accordance with the association’s governing documents.
Previously, he was the director of finance at the Defense and Space Manufacturing company, L3Harris Technologies. Before that, Mr. Vroom was with CACI for 24 years in roles including program management, business operations and finance. Earlier in his career, he served in the Navy as the weapons control officer.
Related: How to Build Teams with Cultural Depth for Global Success
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
