Kim Garrison
Kim Garrison, She/Her, is the Owner, Principal Consultant, and Coach of K/VAL Consulting & Life Architects based in Edgartown, Massachusetts. She is a teacher, leader, coach, and researcher dedicated to advancing systems of wellbeing within organizations and across individual lives. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of education, leadership, and behavioral health, she partners with schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations to strengthen cultures of collaboration, clarity, and sustainable growth.
Her current work is intentionally focused on supporting women leaders navigating career and life transitions. This includes leaders seeking to evolve their approach within organizations, shift organizational direction, or step into new phases of life related to wellness, career development, and greater time and financial freedom. Kim’s approach centers on helping women create sustainable, scalable change—moving beyond short-term initiatives toward integrated practices that truly align with mission, values, and lived organizational culture. She integrates continuous improvement methodologies with personal development work to support both leaders and their teams in achieving lasting transformation.
Kim is also actively developing a trade book and accompanying curriculum that translates her human-centered organizational improvement framework into an accessible workbook format. Designed for early-stage continuous improvement work, it blends structured team-based improvement processes with individual reflection and personal growth. As a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rochester, she continues to deepen her research on organizational climate, collaboration, and wellbeing, bringing an evidence-based yet deeply human approach to her evolving body of work.
• ICF Certification
• Brave Thinking Institute Certified Personal Development Coach
• Brave Thinking Institute Certified Life Mastery Consultant
• Social-Behavioral-Educational Researchers
• DreamBuilder Coach
• Facilitating Improvement Teams
• Leadership Effectiveness Training Model
• Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent
• American International College - MEd, Teacher of Moderate Disabilities 5-12
• Clark University - B.A. in American Literature
• Martha's Vineyard Vision Fellowship
• Brave Thinking Institute
• American Educational Research Association
• American Evaluation Association
• Society for the Study of Human Development
• National Association of Special Education Teachers
• Philanthropy and giving back
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being goal-driven and detail-oriented, with a strong commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. I strive to approach every opportunity with kindness, respect, and a genuine effort to be a good listener, as I believe meaningful relationships are central to effective leadership and lasting impact. Each day, I focus on making a positive difference through intentional action and service to others. Outside of my professional work, I find balance and inspiration in running outdoors in nature, as well as through reading and writing, which help me reflect, recharge, and continue growing both personally and professionally.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to lead by example, stay consistently eager to learn, and remain open to new ideas and approaches. I’ve learned the importance of being a strong team player and focusing on getting the job done with integrity, accountability, and collaboration. This mindset has guided how I show up in my work each day and has reinforced that growth and success come from both continuous learning and contributing meaningfully to the success of others.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is to keep pushing forward, even when challenges arise, and to remain committed to your growth and purpose. There will be obstacles along the way, but perseverance is what builds strength, confidence, and expertise over time. Never give up on yourself or your goals—every experience, whether easy or difficult, is an opportunity to learn, grow, and become more effective in your work and leadership.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think that the challenges that I faced were more just the higher-level systems work that I was consulting and coaching through. I think a lot of the individuals and the work that staff and leaders end up doing just gets lost in a lot of the structures of organizations and schools. I really wanted to start to focus on how the work that I do with women leaders and their staff and organizations really, truly supports them in making sustainable, scalable change, not just the start-stop initiative that really doesn't integrate into the mission or the true work of the organization. That's why I pivoted my work to specifically focus on using continuous improvement work with organizations, but also working with their leaders to do personal development, and that's something that's really evolving as I do more of this work with some of my clients.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life include helping others in need, guiding people toward thoughtful and sound decision-making, and supporting them through times of change. I place a strong emphasis on empathy, striving to understand and respect the experiences of others while meeting them where they are. I also value embracing change as an essential part of growth, both personally and professionally, and I aim to approach each situation with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to making a positive impact.