Kim Bobby, Ed.D. has had a distinguised career in the field of higher education prior to joining AGB Search. She has conducted various executive searches to assist institutions in meeting the needs of diversity and inclusion, including:
Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Bobby served as the director of the Inclusive Excellence Group (IEG) at the American Council on Education (ACE). The goals of the IEG included advancing women and people of color into senior leadership roles in higher education and ultimately college presidencies. Signature programs included the ACE Women’s Regional Leadership Forums for mid-career women, and the National Women’s Leadership Forums for senior-level administrators. Both provide career enhancement opportunities for women leaders: the Spectrum Aspiring Leaders Program and the Spectrum Executive Leadership Program, respectively attract men and women of color at the mid-level and senior-level who desire to lead in an increasingly diverse higher education landscape. Dr. Bobby also provided leadership and oversight for the ACE Women’s Network, a consortium of 57 higher education institutions across the United States devoted to advancing women leaders, and the Moving the Needle: Advancing Women Leaders initiative a multi-association collaboration that designed to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions in higher education through programs, research, and partnerships. The IEG programs extended into the college campus by working to advance new analytical frameworks to foster collaboration between internationalization efforts and diversity/multicultural education.
Before joining ACE, Dr. Bobby was chief diversity officer and associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Puget Sound (WA). As the first chief diversity officer for Puget Sound, she held the primary responsibility for coordinating and implementing the university’s strategic plan for diversity and directing early college access and achievement programs.
During Dr. Bobby’s career, she has served in higher education and K–12 leadership roles prompting access and equity in education. This includes being appointed by the chancellor of the New York City public school system to a senior-level cabinet post to research, advise, and provide support for initiatives aimed toward systemic educational reform for the New York City Public Schools. She has also served as a consultant to the College Board, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the College Success Foundation focusing on leadership development, college access, and organizational transformation.
Dr. Bobby has written and spoken on leadership development, creating an inclusive campus climate, appreciative inquiry, and creating effective leadership programs as a pipeline to achieving diverse campus leadership teams.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Bobby received her Doctorate in Educational administration and Policy Studies from the University of Washington, Seattle, her Master’s in Educational Administration from California State University, Sacramento, and her BA in Business Administration Management from California State University, Fresno.