Ambrose Joseph
Goodlettsville,TN
Summary
Strategic Global HR Business Partner and organizational effectiveness leader with expertise advising executives, boards, and mission-driven organizations on talent strategy, organizational design, leadership development, workforce planning, and culture transformation. Recognized for aligning people strategies with business objectives, driving organizational change, strengthening governance and employee engagement, and building high-performing, inclusive workplace cultures. Proven ability to partner across nonprofit, corporate, philanthropic, and public sectors to deliver sustainable organizational growth and measurable business outcomes.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Global HR Business Partner
TEN25 Advisory Group, LLC
Nashville, TN
10.2025 - Current
- Strategic HR and organizational effectiveness leader partnering with executives, boards, foundations, and mission-driven organizations to align people strategies with business objectives, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and drive organizational growth across complex stakeholder environments.
- Executive Leadership & HR Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to CEOs and senior leaders on workforce strategy, organizational design, leadership effectiveness, succession planning, and change management initiatives that support enterprise goals.
- Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning: Partner with leadership teams to develop talent management frameworks, workforce planning strategies, and employee engagement initiatives that enhance organizational performance and retention.
- Organizational Development & Change Management: Lead organizational assessments, culture evaluations, and transformation initiatives to improve effectiveness, strengthen employee experience, and support strategic growth objectives.
- Leadership Development & Coaching: Provide executive coaching and leadership development support to senior leaders, fostering high-performing teams, accountability, and inclusive leadership practices.
- Governance & Employee Relations: Advise executive teams and boards on governance structures, organizational policies, compliance considerations, risk mitigation, and employee relations strategies that strengthen organizational health.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB): Design and implement people-centered strategies that promote inclusive workplaces, equitable talent practices, and employee engagement across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Building: Collaborate with nonprofit, corporate, government, and philanthropic leaders to develop strategic partnerships, align workforce initiatives, and drive sustainable organizational outcomes.
- Performance Management & Organizational Effectiveness: Develop performance management frameworks, accountability systems, and measurable people metrics that support business objectives and continuous improvement.
- Strategic Planning & Execution: Conduct workforce analyses, stakeholder assessments, and organizational reviews to inform HR strategy, establish implementation plans, and drive successful execution of key initiatives.
- Culture & Employee Experience: Champion organizational culture initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, enhance collaboration, and align values-driven practices with mission and business priorities.
Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN
07.2023 - 10.2025
- Executive leadership of comprehensive institutional advancement strategy for a historically Black university — with full accountability for philanthropic strategy, board relations, cross-functional operations, and enterprise alignment.
- Institutional Advancement Leadership: Designed and executed comprehensive advancement strategy encompassing major gifts, annual fund, corporate partnerships, planned giving, and alumni engagement — aligned to institutional mission and strategic priorities.
- Board Relations & Governance: Reported simultaneously to the Board of Trustees, TSU Foundation Board, and National Alumni Association Board — preparing executive briefings, financial updates, board materials, and compliance reporting for each governing body.
- Philanthropic Strategy & Revenue Growth: Increased alumni giving participation to 10%, establishing a new institutional benchmark through data-informed donor engagement, stewardship programming, and diversified revenue development.
- Strategic Planning & Enterprise Alignment: Translated the president's strategic priorities into division-wide plans with clear KPIs, timelines, and accountability structures — driving crossdepartmental coordination and execution.
- Organizational Development & Infrastructure: Introduced the institution's first CRM platform, building performance dashboards and reporting systems that provided real-time visibility into financial and programmatic outcomes for executive and board oversight.
- Corporate Partnership Development: Established corporate partners program and convened inaugural engagement event, deepening cross-sector relationships and expanding institutional visibility.
Executive Director of Development
Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN
05.2022 - 06.2023
Vice President of Development
Dismas House
Nashville, TN
09.2020 - 05.2022
- Executive development leadership for a criminal justice reentry nonprofit serving individuals navigating trauma, systemic inequity, housing instability, and community reintegration — a mission rooted in dignity, equity, and whole-person support.
- Nonprofit Leadership & Organizational Development: Built internal development department from the ground up, creating scalable infrastructure and eliminating outsourcing costs — positioning the organization for sustainable, mission-aligned growth.
- Philanthropic Strategy & Revenue Performance: Raised $1M in annual operating funds within the first 9 months through disciplined strategy execution — demonstrating capacity to build philanthropic pipelines quickly and under time-sensitive conditions.
- Community-Centered Culture: Advanced trauma-informed, equity-centered practices throughout the organization, embedding community impact values and whole-person care into programs, team culture, and external partnerships.
- Board Relations & Governance: Strengthened board accountability, engagement, and giving through strategic capacity assessments, personalized stewardship, and governance best practices.
- Signature Event Leadership: Created landmark fundraising event featuring celebrity chairs, achieving the highest gross and net revenue in agency history.
Principal & Philanthropy Consultant
Toney Consulting
Nashville, TN
03.2019 - 12.2024
- Strategic consulting practice serving mission-driven nonprofits, foundations, and community organizations on institutional advancement, philanthropic strategy, and community-centered organizational development.
- Philanthropic Strategy & Capital Planning: Advised organizations on annual fund development, endowment growth strategy, capital campaign planning and execution, and alignment of philanthropic investment to community impact.
- Board Relations & Governance Development: Strengthened governance practices, board composition strategy, and infrastructure for organizational capacity and long-term sustainability.
- Community-Centered Organizational Development: Designed equity-centered stakeholder engagement strategies that built trust between organizations and the communities they serve.
- Performance & Compliance Systems: Developed grant tracking, reporting infrastructure, and performance visibility tools to strengthen organizational accountability.
Chief of Staff & Director of Development
National Museum of African American Music
Nashville, TN
02.2014 - 05.2019
- Dual executive role as CEO's strategic partner and operational integrator for a nationally significant cultural institution — with full accountability for nonprofit leadership, board relations, philanthropic strategy, and community-centered organizational development.
- CEO Partnership & Executive Leadership: Served as primary strategic advisor to the CEO — managing enterprise-wide operations, preparing executive briefings and board presentations, and amplifying executive bandwidth for strategic priorities.
- Transformational Philanthropic Growth: Grew total organizational funding from $400K to $5M over five years by designing and launching diversified annual giving programs alongside the ongoing capital campaign — creating a sustainable philanthropic model.
- Board Relations & Governance: Managed board materials, strategic updates, and committee engagement — partnering with the Board Chair and CEO to advance governance effectiveness, fiduciary accountability, and board-executive alignment.
- Team Building & Organizational Development: Expanded development staff from 1 to 5 fulltime positions plus contractor support, building organizational culture and internal systems aligned to institutional values.
- Institutional Advancement & Signature Events: Transformed annual fundraiser from small luncheon to black-tie gala with global media coverage — increasing net proceeds from $25K to $200K and elevating institutional profile.
- Community-Centered Stakeholder Engagement: Served as organizational spokesperson to media, government officials, and community stakeholders, shaping strategic narrative and strengthening the institution's civic presence across Middle Tennessee.
- Technology & Performance Systems: Led adoption of Blackbaud platform for integrated data tracking, donor communications, and institutional performance visibility.
Principal Consultant
Ivy Business Solutions
01.2007 - 01.2014
Cardiovascular Sales Specialist
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
01.2009 - 01.2012
Director of Development Systems, Stewardship & Special Events
Fisk University
01.2005 - 01.2007
Community Liaison
Belmont University
01.2003 - 01.2005
Special Assistant to VP of Institutional Advancement
Meharry Medical College
01.1999 - 01.2003
Education
Business Psychology - undefined
The Chicago School
BA - Business Administration
Trevecca Nazarene University
BA - Organizational Management
Trevecca Nazarene University
BA - Management and Human Relations
Trevecca Nazarene University
Skills
- Nonprofit Leadership
- Organizational Development
- Institutional Advancement
- Philanthropic Strategy
- Board Relations
- Governance
- CEO Advisory
- Executive Partnership
- Strategic Planning
- Execution
- Community-Centered Organizational Development
- Revenue Growth
- Fundraising
- Cross-Sector Partnerships
- Equity Integration
- Culture Integration
- Team Building
- Leadership Development
- Financial Stewardship
Military Service
United States Army, Service-Connected Disabled Veteran, 1986-01-01, 2003-12-31, Active Duty: Frankfurt, Germany / Operation Desert Shield, Officer Candidate School Leadership Training
Timeline
Global HR Business Partner
TEN25 Advisory Group, LLC
10.2025 - Current
Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Tennessee State University
07.2023 - 10.2025
Executive Director of Development
Tennessee State University
05.2022 - 06.2023
Vice President of Development
Dismas House
09.2020 - 05.2022
Principal & Philanthropy Consultant
Toney Consulting
03.2019 - 12.2024
Chief of Staff & Director of Development
National Museum of African American Music
02.2014 - 05.2019
Cardiovascular Sales Specialist
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
01.2009 - 01.2012
Principal Consultant
Ivy Business Solutions
01.2007 - 01.2014
Director of Development Systems, Stewardship & Special Events
Fisk University
01.2005 - 01.2007
Community Liaison
Belmont University
01.2003 - 01.2005
Special Assistant to VP of Institutional Advancement
Meharry Medical College
01.1999 - 01.2003
Business Psychology - undefined
The Chicago School
BA - Business Administration
Trevecca Nazarene University
BA - Organizational Management
Trevecca Nazarene University
BA - Management and Human Relations
Trevecca Nazarene University