With over 15 years of experience coaching, consulting, teaching, managing, and leading strategy development within the U.S. federal government and non-profit sectors, Graham has learned that it is possible to achieve more than we sometimes believe – with the right mindset, discipline, and partners.  Graham believes that clients can create more effective organizations and more purposeful lives, and he offers his intuition, creativity, and lighthearted persistence as experienced tools for achieving client goals.  He is especially passionate about teams and individuals who are navigating transition and who are curious to experiment with alternatives, particularly clients in public service, non-profits, international organizations, or communities of faith.

Graham led change at the intersections of national security, diversity & inclusion, and employee development during his decade of service at the Central Intelligence Agency.

• He has coached and delivered 360-degree feedback and other assessment results to federal leaders emerging at mid-career, managing in the middle, and navigating senior executive service across several disciplines.
• On behalf of the CIA and in private practice, Graham has presented workshops on building trust, aligning with values, ethical decision-making, exploring transitions, and using Myers Briggs Type Indicator as an aid to improving communication and teamwork.
• He was awarded for spearheading the design of a mid-career leadership development program that addressed succession planning and diversity & inclusion priorities.
• Graham managed direct reports and served as chairman of the CIA’s employee resource group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees and straight allies.
• As an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow while at the CIA, Graham handled constituent relations and legislative matters relating to foreign affairs, defense, veterans affairs, appropriations, and civil rights for Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota, helping strengthen the effectiveness of a freshman member’s office.

Prior to joining the U.S. Government, Graham coordinated federal grants for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, supporting efforts to cultivate democracy and human rights globally. Graham also worked in fundraising, policy, and communications for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, and he served two appointed terms on what was then called the Delaware Commission for National and Community Service (now the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service), overseeing AmeriCorps and other federal funding for community service programs. An active member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Washington and a former Eagle Scout, youth swim coach, and journalist, Graham’s interest in community development, individual learning, and public service runs deep.

Drawing on his experience of strong connection to the outdoors, Graham co-created Coaches Going Wild to invite coaching peers to join structured exploration of natural wilderness as an additional source of wisdom.  He curates the DevelopmentLens blog as a resource for coaches and an outlet for his conviction that constructive-developmental psychology offers key insights into human development across the lifespan.

Graham holds a coaching certificate from Georgetown University and the Associate Certified Coach credential through the International Coach Federation.  Additionally, Graham holds certifications in Center for Creative Leadership 360 instruments, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the Conflict Dynamics Profile, and participated in tailored applications of the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara’s Spot Coaching for Managers model and of Development Dimensions International’s Leadership Mirror tool.  He holds Master’s degrees in International Affairs from the George Washington University and in Foreign Language Pedagogy from the University of Delaware.

Graham speaks and coaches in Italian and French in addition to English.  A Tennessee native, he lives in Washington, D.C., with his partner and their beloved hound dog.

Graham is trained and certified in the following assessments:

• Center for the Application of Psychological Type (CAPT), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI)
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), Benchmarks® 360 assessment suite
• Eckerd College, Conflict Dynamics Profile® (CDP)

In addition, Graham has experience working with these tools:

• Development Dimensions International, Leadership Mirror®
• Gallup, Clifton StrengthsFinder®

Graham’s education and credentials include:

• Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and Member, International Coach Federation (ICF)
• Member, American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
• Member, International Leadership Association (ILA)
• Certificate in Leadership Coaching, Georgetown University
• Conference Presenter, National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP): “Building Trust,” 2012
• Education for Ministry, University of the South School of Theology
• M.A. in International Affairs, George Washington University
• Program for Non-Francophones, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
• M.A. Avec Mention Bien in Foreign Languages and Pedagogy, University of Delaware
• Courses in language and culture, Universität Bayreuth, Germany
• B.A. Magna cum Laude in International Relations and Foreign Languages, University of Delaware
• Courses in language, political science, art history, and culture, Università per Stranieri di Siena, Italy
• Past Member and Conference Presenter, American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): “Understanding the Impact of Invisibility on Gay Foreign Language Learners,” 1998