Maria Darby

A Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, Maria Darby leads the firm’s strategic communications business, including capabilities in organizational communications, stakeholder relations, change communications, public and media relations, social media and risk communications. In addition, Ms. Darby serves as a co-lead of the Firm’s Change Management Board where her responsibilities include leading training and professional development for the firm’s change management practitioners, and conducting outreach and engagement across industry on promoting and advancing the practice of change management. Ms. Darby is the Vice President of the Association of Change Management Practitioners (ACMP), where she serves in a leadership role to evolve this professional association focused on advancing the practice of change management worldwide. With 30 years of experience assisting federal clients in developing and implementing communications and change management strategies, Ms. Darby leads communications strategy and change management efforts for a variety of Department of Defense (DoD) strategic communication initiatives; change initiatives that involve business and technology transformation; maturing Joint programs and initiatives; and personnel transformation. She co-leads the Change Management Advanced Practitioner Program, a graduate level course at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Ms. Darby serves as thought leader and advisor on numerous DoD communications plans and campaigns for topics ranging from Wounded Warrior to recruiting and retention of military personnel. She also supports messaging and stakeholder outreach for a number of Navy technology and operational initiatives; change management and communications efforts for HR and personnel transformation within the Army, Air Force, and at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level; and leads STEM outreach programs for the Army. Other strategic communications and stakeholder engagement federal efforts include: • DoD’s and State Department’s Worldwide Strategic Communication Seminars • US Army’s Wounded Warrior and Warrior Transition initiatives • Department of Homeland Security’s organizational standup • Worldwide Public Communication and Media Support Services for the Chief of Information • Directly supported Chief of Staff of the Army General Shinseki on the creation of the Army’s nationwide science, math and technology competition - eCybermission • Directly supported Commissioner Rossotti throughout the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) modernization effort, for which she was an IRS Team Professional Excellence Award winner • Federal Emergency Management Agency’s post-Oklahoma bombing anti-terrorism efforts • Department of Energy’s massive weapons complex clean-up effort • Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup • Numerous AFL-CIO labor union occupational safety and health outreach efforts In these roles, Ms. Darby served as primary communications advisor to senior federal executives. She is specifically skilled in: communications strategies; design and development of change management strategies focused on people and culture; facilitation; stakeholder relationship management; developing and implementing communications campaigns; marketing and communications; public relations/media relations; public outreach planning and implementation; public involvement; social media and Govt 2.0; and teambuilding. Before joining Booz Allen in 1998, Ms. Darby was a vice president at Advanced Technologies and Laboratories, Inc., vice president of Apex Technologies (1991- 1996), Communications & Outreach Manager at Dynamac Corporation (1986-1991), and Communications Project Lead for International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades (1980-1986). She graduated Magnum Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Arts in Public Communications from Wheeling Jesuit University in 1980, and is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America.