Priscilla W. Clark

Dr. Priscilla W. Clark is a member of the adjunct faculty in the DrPH program where she teaches Public Health Project Management and Social Entrepreneurship. She has also taught and advised doctoral students in the field of Organizational Development and Leadership studies, policy development, and research. She currently serves as the Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and has over 25 years of public service with a broad range of experience leading major programs and strategic initiatives, conducting research and analysis, and managing people. Her background includes organizational development, strategic planning, human capital management, shared services, policy development and implementation, innovation and technology management, research and analysis, and training and development.

Before joining HUD, she served as the Transformation Management Officer for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) within the Immediate Office of the Secretary leading the Department’s largest transformation effort, ReImagine HHS, and was designated as the Department’s Interim Program Management Improvement Officer (PMIO). Dr. Clark has led government-wide reform and change management efforts through her assignments at the White House, Executive Office of the President (Performance & Personnel Management), and the Office of Personnel Management. She has served as a catalyst and convener across diverse stakeholder groups and managed senior staff across multiple disciplines.

While at HHS, Dr. Clark held several leadership positions at the Operating and Staff Division levels, primarily, Federal Occupational Health standing up an organizational development function and directing in both the Behavioral Health Services and Clinical Health Services organizations. At the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Administration, she served as the Deputy Director for the Center for Mental Health. She began her federal career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the student scholar’s program and held several management positions at the district, regional, and headquarters levels. She is a certified executive and mentor coach, graduate research advisor, research consultant and editor, and Sunday school teacher. Throughout her federal career, Dr. Clark has received a number of distinguished awards and recognition. Most notably in 2020, she joined the Government Hall of Fame as a 2020 Theodore Roosevelt Government Leadership Directors Award recipient.

Most recently, she founded Embrace HI: Hope & Intervention, LLC, (Embrace HI) to address the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young adults facing mental health challenges. The organization seeks to leverage and conduct research focused on outcome-based results, particularly in the areas of health disparities and the socio-economic impacts on disenfranchised and disadvantaged populations. Embrace HI aims to provide resources, intervention, and support to drive positive change that will save lives and impact the individuals and communities around them. 

Dr. Clark has a proven track record of streamlining operations, improving employee engagement, driving strategy, and leading positive change, as evidenced by key accomplishments in her career at both the Department level and across the government. Dr. Clark takes great pride in “taking care of the people who take care of the mission” and in creating a positive work environment for innovation, growth, and development.