You Have Served the Public.

Now It’s Time to Serve Your Next Chapter.

Executive Coaching for Current and Former Federal Leaders Navigating Change.

Let's Open That Chapter Together

My name is Monique Fortenberry, and I support current and former federal leaders.

I spent more than 25 years serving in the federal government, including 15 years as a senior executive. During that time, I led in a wide range of roles, including Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Deputy General Counsel, and Interim Chief Human Capital Officer, in both headquarters and field offices. Each role taught me something new about leadership, responsibility, and the people who make the mission possible.

The federal landscape has changed, quickly. I help federal leaders navigate this change and make empowered decisions about their life and work, whether they are still inside federal service or building what comes after it.

Over the years, I've come to believe something simple but important: leaders are just people who have been entrusted with greater responsibility. They don’t have all the answers, but they do deserve support, honest feedback, and someone in their corner.

That's why I do this work.

As an executive coach.

As a strategic thought partner.

As a champion for your life and your leadership.

Career Recognition:

Federal Agency’s Chair’s Award - the agency’s highest honor - for exceptional leadership, wise counsel, and whole-hearted commitment to the workplace.

Georgetown Law - Paul R. Dean Annual Alumni Award - for dedication to my alma mater and to the legal profession.

Learn more about my career, leadership experience, and awards here.

Follow me on LinkedIn!

A New Call to Leadership in a Time of Unprecedented Change

For generations, federal leaders have understood that change is part of public service. Presidents change. Congressional leadership changes. Agency priorities shift. Throughout those transitions, career civil servants have continued doing what they have always done: serving the public with professionalism, adapting to new leadership, and accomplishing the mission of their agencies with integrity.

While the work itself evolved, there was a shared understanding that the institutions and processes governing federal service would provide a measure of stability, with established policies and procedures guiding decisions that affected their careers. The system was not perfect, but it often functioned in predicable ways. Then things changed across government, and the agreements they had built their careers around no longer were reliable.

This is change management at scale.

Now, some public servants who devoted their life to public service have left their agencies, by choice or by circumstance, even though they succeeded at their jobs. They are navigating a new world with new questions, opportunities, decisions, and challenges, ones they did not necessarily expect to encounter in their career.

Others are still leading but in a transformed federal environment. They are navigating a new world, too. This is true whether a leader is thriving, holding steady, or leading through real difficulty right now. Leading inside a sector that no longer offers the certainty it once did is a different leadership challenge than leading inside a predictable one. The breadth of this kind of shift can broadly impact how leaders lead their people and care for themselves.

Whether you left federal service or are still serving, I want you to know…

Amidst these changes and endings, you still have the power to build your next chapter.

What My Clients And Colleagues Are Saying

“I think the essence of Monique's leadership can be summed up by the humanity she brings to everything she does — she can take the most difficult of circumstances and create results while improving relationships and building coalitions. She is a quietly powerful, transformational leader who has earned the respect and admiration of every leader I know.”

— FORMER MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE

“She won us over with her fairness, her brilliance, her incredible leadership abilities, the joy that her work gives her, and her commitment to helping us move forward… Over the course of these six months, she managed to lift our spirits, engage our community, and invigorate and inspire our partners. We are better for the experience.”

— FORMER DISTRICT OFFICE LEADER

“When I left my government role, I felt lost. I'd spent years building a career inside a system with clear rules and predictable paths, and suddenly none of that applied. I needed someone who had actually walked that road and could tell me, honestly, whether I had what it took to build something of my own. That someone was Monique Fortenberry.

She listened closely to where I was, asked the questions I hadn't thought to ask myself, and helped me see my own strengths more clearly than I had in years. Since then, I've started my own law and consulting practice. I've landed clients I'm proud to work with, and I'm genuinely living the career I dreamed about. None of that would have happened as quickly, or as clearly, without Monique's guidance. Hiring her may be the best decision you make in this next chapter of your life.”

—SENIOR LEADER, LAWYER, & CONSULTANT

“Monique was instrumental during a career-defining moment for me.  She helped me navigate the high-stakes issue with clarity, confidence, and intention. What stood out most was Monique’s ability to enable me to create space for honest reflection while also challenging me in exactly the right ways. Monique didn’t try to fit me into a generic model of leadership; instead, she helped me identify and trust my own authentic leadership style and voice. Through our work together, I became more grounded in my values, more deliberate in how I showed up, and more effective in how I communicated with others.”

—C-SUITE LEADER

“Monique's creativity, innovation, and outside-the-box thinking have led to groundbreaking improvements in the way the agency conducts business. She is an entrepreneur, visionary and change-agent in whatever she does, and is always the most enthusiastic and engaged person in any room.”

— FOUNDER & BOARD LEADER

“Monique was someone I could trust to handle the most sensitive of matters with discretion, lead with great care for the agency's employees, be nimble enough to step into vacant executive positions, handle unfamiliar responsibilities, and find creative ways to make an impact.”

— FEDERAL SENIOR EXECUTIVE

What I Do

My role is to help you reconnect with what no change in any administration, organizational restructuring, or career transition can take away: your leadership, your creativity, your ability to continue to write your story. Together, we'll create space to step back from the uncertainty, reconnect with your strengths, and make thoughtful decisions about how you want to live and lead.

Whether you're continuing your career in federal service, preparing for retirement, exploring a new direction, or leading a team through an especially challenging season, I'll help you move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.

We will focus on what you can control instead of what you can't. Your experience, your judgment, your values, and the leadership skills you've developed over decades still matter. Together, we'll build on those strengths, identify new opportunities, and create a path that aligns with both your goals and the life you want to lead.

My commitment is to use my skills as a senior executive, coach, facilitator, and strategic advisor to help you lead this next chapter with intention, resilience, and the confidence that this moment of change may contain some endings, but it is also contains beginnings.

How to Work With Me

  • Cost Investment: $699

    A focused 90-minute private strategy session for current and former federal leaders navigating change, transition, or uncertainty. Whether you're continuing your career in public service, preparing for retirement, exploring a new chapter, or leading others through significant organizational change, this session provides dedicated space to think strategically, gain perspective, and identify practical next steps grounded in your values and leadership.

    What's Included

    • One 90-minute private strategy session by phone.

    • A pre-session reflection questionnaire to help us quickly focus on your priorities.

    • Personalized strategic thought partnership grounded in your goals, challenges, values, and circumstances.

    • Dedicated time to work through leadership questions, competing priorities, career decisions, organizational change, or your next chapter.

    • Practical, action-oriented guidance tailored to your specific situation.

    Post-Session Support

    Following your session, you'll receive two weeks of email support as questions arise and you begin putting our conversation into practice. Whether you need to think through a decision, clarify an idea, or navigate an unexpected challenge, you'll have direct access for thoughtful guidance as you take your next steps.

    Investment

    Beta Rate: $699 (available for a limited time)

    Standard Rate: $899

    The beta rate is available for a limited number of clients as this offering launches. Once those spots are filled, the investment will increase to the standard rate of $899.

  • Cost Investment: $1799

    Some transitions can't be navigated in a single conversation. The Next Chapter: Clarity Intensive is designed for current and former federal leaders who want sustained thought partnership as they work through a period of meaningful change.

    Across three private 90-minute strategy sessions, we'll create the space to reflect, make decisions, test new ideas, and adjust your approach as your next chapter takes shape. Whether you're preparing for retirement, exploring a career transition, continuing your service in a changing environment, or redefining your leadership beyond your current role, this intensive provides the strategic support to move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.

    What's Included

    • Three 90-minute private strategy sessions by phone.

    • A pre-engagement reflection questionnaire to identify your goals, priorities, and areas of focus.

    • Personalized strategic thought partnership grounded in your unique leadership journey, values, and circumstances.

    • Dedicated space to navigate complex decisions, competing priorities, organizational change, career transitions, and long-term planning.

    • Practical, action-oriented guidance and clear next steps after each session.

    • Email support between sessions so you have a trusted thought partner as questions, challenges, and opportunities arise.

    Investment

    Beta Rate: $1,799 (available for a limited time)

    Standard Rate: $2,499

    The beta rate is available for a limited number of clients as I launch this new offering. Once those spots are filled, the investment will increase to the standard rate of $2,499.

  • A six-month private advisory engagement for current and former federal leaders navigating transition, change, and the next chapter of their leadership.

    Some leadership questions deserve more than a single conversation. They require time, trust, and a thought partner who understands the complexity of leading in public service.

    The Next Chapter: Executive Partnership is a six-month private advisory engagement designed for current and former federal leaders who want ongoing strategic support as they navigate career transitions, retirement, organizational change, or new leadership opportunities. Rather than starting from scratch each month, our work builds over time, allowing us to develop a shared understanding of your leadership, your priorities, and the questions that matter most.

    Together, we’ll create a confidential space to think strategically, work through difficult decisions, respond to changing circumstances, and build a life and career aligned with what matters most to you.

    What We’ll Focus On

    Over six months, we’ll thoughtfully explore topics such as:

    • Clarifying your vision for your next chapter.

    • Navigating leadership transitions and organizational change.

    • Working through complex decisions with greater confidence.

    • Strengthening your leadership presence and decision-making.

    • Building a career and life that reflect your values and priorities.

    • Developing a practical roadmap for what comes next.

    Every engagement is personalized, so while these themes provide direction, each session is shaped by what is most important to you in this era of your life and career.

    What’s Included

    • 6 private 90-minute strategy sessions (one each month).

    • A personalized onboarding questionnaire to help us begin our work together.

    • Strategic thought partnership tailored to your leadership journey.

    • Ongoing email support

    • Post-call memo including insights, next steps, and relevant resources.

    • A confidential advisory relationship. Sessions are never recorded, and because many conversations involve sensitive professional matters, confidential information is intentionally excluded from written summaries.

    Investment

    Beta Rate: $5,999 (available for a limited time)

    Standard Rate: $7,999

    The beta rate is available for a limited number of founding clients as this engagement launches. Once those spaces are filled, the investment will increase to the standard rate of $7,999.

Book With Me Here

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. I also work with mission-driven leaders, executives, and lawyers outside of government who are facing meaningful transitions, leadership pressure, reinvention, or important decisions about what comes next.

  • I recently launched these offers and am refining them with a limited number of founding clients. Beta clients pay a reduced rate and receive the complete engagement. The Leadership Reset is $699 during the beta period and $899 at the standard rate. The Clarity Intensive is $1,799 during the beta period and $2,499 at the standard rate. The Executive Partnership is $5,999 during the beta period and $7,999 at the standard rate.

  • The offers serve current and former federal leaders. If you are still inside government, we can work through organizational complexity, leadership challenges, retirement decisions, and questions about whether to stay, leave, or reposition. If you have stepped away, we can work through transition, identity shifts, grief, reinvention, and the work of designing what comes next. The engagement is shaped around where you actually are.

  • The Leadership Reset includes two weeks of direct email support beginning the day after our session. The Clarity Intensive includes direct email support for the full three-month engagement. The Executive Partnership includes direct email support for the full six-month engagement. In all cases, the support is flexible, responsive, and designed to meet you where you are. I respond within 24 hours or on the next business day.

  • Yes. Many of my current clients are still serving. As a former federal senior executive, lawyer, and ethics official who held a Top-Secret clearance, I understand and respect the confidentiality of internal agency information. We focus on you, your leadership, and your life, not your agency’s information, which should remain confidential.

  • Yes, I consult organizations on workplace strategy, employee engagement, the people side of change management, and leading through uncertainty.

    I also speak about and facilitate workshops on these topics, as well as humane leadership, executive and lawyer well-being, and life after federal service.

    Please complete the form below and let’s begin a conversation about your organization’s needs.

  • For public speaking and organizational consulting engagements, I offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, I will provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.

Get in Touch

If you're interested in hiring me for public speaking or organizational consulting, please complete the form with a few details about your project.