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Daphne Jefferson

"I now have a lifetime of skills and insights to support me and my goals."

Chief Marketing OfficerGlobal Nonprofit
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Daphne Jefferson, MPA, PCC
Executive Coach, Facilitator and Consultant

Daphne is an executive coach, author, speaker, facilitator, adjunct faculty and consultant with over 20 years of experience as a senior executive with the federal government. She’s passionate about helping leaders gracefully navigate the challenges of transitions. As a coach, works with leaders at every level of government, in the private sector, for nonprofit organizations and in academia.

Education

Daphne holds a master’s in public administration from American University, and served as a Brookings Institution legislative fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Her certifications include:

  • Certificate in Leadership Coaching, Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership.
  • PCC Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation.
  • Leadership Circle Profile 360 certified practitioner.
  • Hogan Assessments certified practitioner.
  • MBTI certified practitioner.
  • Experience

    In addition to her skills as a coach and facilitator, Daphne is the author of Dropping the Mask, a book about the intersection of leadership and identity. She’s a frequent speaker for government, businesses and nonprofits on topics including leadership, diversity and inclusion, transportation and technology. She also serves as adjunct faculty for the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, and is a mentor coach for Georgetown’s Leadership Coaching Program.

    Daphne was the deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), leading the organization’s over 1,100 employees across the United States. She previously served as the counselor to the chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and as deputy assistant secretary for administration for DOT. She also held executive leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, NASA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Service. Daphne received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award and the 2017 Influential Woman in Trucking Award for outstanding leadership achievements in transportation.

    In the course of her career, Daphne has worked with executives from Marriott Corporation, DoorDash, Delta Airlines, Norfolk Southern, Georgetown University, the University of Virginia, Pew Research Center, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation and dozens of other companies and nonprofits.

    Expertise

    Daphne is dedicated to helping senior leaders, emerging leaders and high-potential leaders develop solutions and strategies that work for them now and into the future. She’s adept at developing a strong coaching relationship based on trust, candor, clear goal setting and accountability. Daphne works with a host of development programs focused on empowering nonprofit leaders to scale their ability to meet the challenges of leadership. She fosters a nonjudgmental, supportive environment, while challenging clients to be open to new possibilities.

     

    She’s a trusted coach on:

    • Execution: Delivering results with strategic vision, leveraging resources and customer focus.
    • Self-awareness: Strengthening emotional intelligence, leading with confidence and communicating authentically.
    • Building effective relationships: Improving employee engagement through trust, managing conflict and developing strategies for effective delegation.
    • Leading in changing times: Learning to lead and innovate in volatile environments.
    • Executive presence: Navigating an organization’s political environment, strategic thinking and stakeholder engagement.

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