Kimberly Carlson, Ph.D., has dedicated over two decades advancing nonprofit leadership, organizational development, and strategic planning. She is the co-founder and CEO of Tractus Strategic Partners, a boutique consulting firm that helps managers strengthen their Management Tradecraft™. At Virginia Tech, she serves as Director of Volunteer Advisory Board Strategy in the Advancement Division, consulting with university-level advisory boards to enhance strategic alignment and integration with institutional goals. Additionally, she remains affiliated with the Pamplin College of Business as an Associate Professor of Practice in Management, where she contributes to Ph.D. committees, research initiatives, and teaching.

Previously, Kimberly directed programs in Virginia Tech’s Principal Partnerships Office and led both the Business Leadership Center and the Business Diversity Center within the Pamplin College of Business. She also served as adjunct faculty in the Center for Public Administration and Policy and the Political Science Department at Virginia Tech. She was the Assistant
Director for Presidential Global Scholars and Fulbright Program Adviser in University Honors, as well. Her contributions included the development of the Moss Arts Center through the Arts Initiative at Virginia Tech.
She earned her Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Tech, specializing in nonprofit management, organizational strategy, and leadership development.

She also holds a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Theatre Arts with a minor in Sociology from Virginia Tech, as well as an M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work with a certificate in Arts and Community Practice from Florida State University.

Her dissertation research examined succession planning processes in university-wide research institutes at public, doctoral universities with very high research activity. Kimberly’s teaching and research interests focus on leadership, organizational processes, and workforce development across national and local organizations, government agencies, and universities. Before returning to Virginia Tech, she was involved in community engagement, strategic planning, and arts education with arts organizations in Oklahoma City, OK, and Pensacola, FL.

In her free time, Kimberly enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and biking, as well as indoor hobbies like cooking, reading and sewing. She resides in Christiansburg with her husband, Eric, a research scientist at Virginia Tech, and their puppy Sophie.

Workshop and Training Expertise:

Dr. Carlson offers a comprehensive suite of workshops and consulting services designed to enhance organizational effectiveness, and help managers strengthen their Management Tradecraft™

Management Skill Development– Enhancing core management competencies, including decision-making, strategic thinking, and leadership effectiveness.

Leadership Development – Equipping leaders with tools to build strong, sustainable teams

Ethical Decision-Making in Leadership – Promoting integrity and ethical reasoning in leadership roles

Board Strategy & Best Practices – Guiding organizations to optimize the impact of their volunteer leadership

Collaboration & Effective Teamwork – Strengthening communication and problem-solving skills for high-performing teams

Employee Engagement Strategies – Developing methods to boost workforce commitment and productivity

Succession Planning – Building internal talent pipelines to ensure organizational resilience, and preparing organizations for seamless leadership transitions

KAI Assessment – As an Advanced Certified Practitioner of the Kirton Adaption-Innovation (KAI) Inventory, Kimberly helps organizations assess problem-solving and creativity styles to improve teamwork and innovation.