Partners for Positive Impact
Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Organizations
Partners for Positive Impact
Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Organizations
Research has shown that nothing impacts an organization’s diversity, inclusion and culture more than meaningful progress at the leadership levels of an organization, including:
- Hiring, transition, and retention of diverse leadership
- Diversifying and developing Boards
- Engaging and retooling leadership teams for high-impact execution of equity and inclusion initiatives

We partner with mission-led organizations to bring about critical changes and meaningful progress at their leadership levels, including hire-to-retire talent strategies, employment marketing and communications, board development, and other key initiatives furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Who We Are
Who We Are
Wahl & Associates is a boutique consulting firm with an equity focus, offering services to assist organizations involved in social justice and positive community change in the Pacific Northwest and across the U.S.
We bring deep expertise on reducing barriers
and mitigating
unconscious biases
related to racial, gender, and other types of diversity.
We focus on
inclusion & equity,
integrity & transparency,
collaboration & respect,
within our firm and across all of our partner and community interactions.
We meet our partners where they are
and set high standards
for progress,
not perfection,
with our partner teams along the way.
We believe everyone's progress on equity and inclusion is needed
to overcome systemic injustice in our society.
We welcome the opportunity to hear about your needs and objectives
and to partner on a tailored approach to make meaningful progress for your organization.
Recently Selected Executive Leaders
Recently Selected Executive Leaders
We are proud to have connected these transformational leaders with our amazing clients,
and we celebrate their continued success in creating a deep and measurable impact on our community.
Please see our Current Engagements.
Learn how your organization can benefit from more diverse leadership...
Learn how your organization can benefit from more diverse leadership...
When [mission-led] organizations cannot attract and retain people of color, especially those whose experiences help them relate to the target population of the nonprofit, attainment of the mission becomes that much more difficult.
Being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, more diligent and harder-working.
Companies in the top-quartile for ethnic/ cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to have industry-leading profitability.
A team with a member who shares a client’s ethnicity is 152% likelier than another team to understand that client.
Nonprofit and philanthropic organizations will need to adjust to this new reality of increas[ing] age, racial and ethnic diversity in terms of changing assets and challenges in the communities served...
Our Founder
Our Founder
Joseph Wahl, our founder and CEO, has more than 30 years of experience in leading executive selection, human resources, organization development, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for both public and private sector organizations. He is a featured and requested speaker, presenter, skilled facilitator, and trusted leadership consultant.
We appreciated Wahl & Associates' thoughtful approach to understanding our needs and help to focus and streamline our recruiting process.
We were very pleased with the outcome...
Trever Cartwright, All Hands Raised CEO Search Committee Chair
Trever Cartwright, All Hands Raised CEO Search Committee Chair
We were very pleased with the quality and diversity of the CEO candidates and appreciated Wahl & Associates' experience and expertise in helping us through the selection process. They also helped plan a smooth transition that has been very effective for all concerned.
Truman Collins, President of The Collins Foundation
Truman Collins, President of The Collins Foundation
Working with Wahl & Associates on a recent executive recruitment process was a very positive experience with an excellent outcome. Their focus on equity and fairness guided our process the entire way.
Our entire search committee appreciated their direction and experience...
Debbie Goldberg Menasche, Director of Legal and Human Services at Energy Trust of Oregon
Debbie Goldberg Menasche, Director of Legal and Human Services at Energy Trust of Oregon
We chose Wahl & Associates because of their great reputation and focus on finding diverse candidates. They provided us with a highly qualified candidate pool and valuable guidance throughout the hiring process. We are very pleased with the selection of our new CEO, and the process went more smoothly than any of us could have expected. Wahl & Associates lived up to their great reputation!
Karen Vineyard, Board Chair Oregon Business & Industry
Karen Vineyard, Board Chair Oregon Business & Industry