Carol Washington
Carol Washington is a visionary leader, author, and executive consultant dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations through purpose-driven leadership and transformational change. As the owner of Carol Washington Consulting LLC, she provides strategic human resources guidance, leadership and life coaching, organizational development, and training services designed to help leaders build compliant, values-aligned organizations while fostering personal and professional growth. Her approach combines decades of hands-on leadership experience with a commitment to integrity, service, and measurable impact.
A proud graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Carol made history in 2017 as the first African American woman honored on the Eberly School of Business Wall of Distinction for her outstanding professional contributions. Her executive leadership career spans more than two decades across nonprofit and human resources sectors, including roles as Chief Operating Officer of Life’sWork of Western Pennsylvania, Executive Director and Director of Human Resources at The NorthShore Community Alliance, and Human Resources Director at The Wilson Group. In each position, she demonstrated expertise in workforce development, operational excellence, and strategic oversight, successfully leading organizational transformations and high-performing teams.
As a consultant, Carol’s work is highly adaptive to her clients’ needs. Many of her post-COVID clients work remotely, so she engages through video platforms like Teams and Zoom, visiting on-site when needed to understand organizational culture and determine where her impact will be most meaningful. She provides curriculum development, policy revision, and professional development, and supports employee and labor relations, including union environments. While her current focus often centers on recruiting, onboarding, and retention due to remote work demands, her true passion lies in employee relations—helping organizations create workplaces where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania - BS, Business Management
• Business Hall of Distinction
• Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
• American Red Cross
• NAACP
• Junior Achievement
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to faith, discipline, and the unwavering support of my family. Their encouragement, combined with a commitment to integrity and hard work, has allowed me to lead with courage and resilience. Academia can prepare a person for success, but experience is the greatest teacher of all.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
A senior leader encouraged me to fight for myself and my coworkers and told me that I probably belonged in HR—advice that directed me into an HR career. This transition into the HR industry elevated my ability to empower and lead others in all of my future professional endeavors.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be patient. Become an expert at what you do. Academic credentials are valuable, but you must learn and hone your craft through practical experience. Life can be your best classroom.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
HR will always be a necessary component in any industry, but a current threat is the belief that AI can replace HR functions. I believe the ongoing need for human judgment, especially in assessing authenticity during the recruitment process, providing objectivity with regards to employee relations, and a trusted opinion in the assessment of performance evaluations, will be the challenge with regard to AI.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Ethics, integrity, and loyalty are most important to me. In recruiting, I believe that HR can be seen as a double-edged sword in terms of loyalty - you have to be loyal to the employer to make sure they're getting a good product, so to speak. But you have to be loyal to the candidate as well, because you want it to be a good fit for their professional growth.