The Women Leaders Association (WLA) has named Debbi Embry the first official Coaching Partner for its Cleveland chapter, expanding access to experienced, credentialed leadership coaching for women throughout Northeast Ohio.
The partnership connects WLA members with Embry's extensive experience in developing leaders at all stages of their careers, from emerging, high-potential leaders preparing for greater responsibility to executives and CEOs navigating the complexities of organizational leadership.
Embry brings more than 30 years of executive and CEO leadership experience across the nonprofit and government sectors, along with extensive expertise in executive coaching, leadership development, organizational capacity building, strategic leadership, change management, team effectiveness, and community impact.
As an International Coaching Federation (ICF) ACC credential holder, Embry combines professional coaching standards with a particularly valuable asset for executives: firsthand experience leading organizations.
"Leadership changes as responsibility grows," said Embry. "The capabilities that make someone successful early in her career are not necessarily the capabilities she needs to lead people, navigate complexity, make enterprise-level decisions, or eventually lead an organization. I'm excited to partner with the Women Leaders Association to help women develop those capabilities throughout their leadership journey."
Leadership Development Grounded in Executive Experience
Throughout her executive career, she led programs, initiatives, organizations, and cross-sector efforts addressing education, economic opportunity, housing, racial, gender, and social justice, early childhood education, health, and community development. Her work required her to operate not only as an organizational leader but also as a strategist, relationship builder, collaborator, influencer, and community leader.
That experience now informs her work with leaders and organizations across the business, nonprofit, government, and community sectors.
Embry works with leaders navigating some of the most consequential stages of leadership development, including:
- transitioning from technical expert to leader
- preparing emerging leaders for greater responsibility
- developing executive confidence and presence
- strengthening strategic thinking and decision-making
- leading and developing people
- navigating courageous conversations and accountability
- building stronger and more aligned teams
- transitioning into executive and C-suite roles
- leading organizational growth and change
- strengthening organizational capacity and systems
- navigating the isolation and complexity of executive leadership
- work-life balance
- building sustainable leadership and organizational impact
Her coaching style is warm, direct, practical, and grounded in real-world leadership experience. Using the ICF Core Competencies, Embry helps clients deepen self-awareness, challenge assumptions, clarify what matters, identify their own solutions, and translate insight into meaningful leadership action.
"Coaching isn't about giving successful leaders all the answers," Embry said. "It's about creating the space and asking the questions that help them see themselves and their situation differently, make intentional choices, and become increasingly confident in their own leadership."
From Individual Leadership to Organizational Impact
Embry's work extends beyond individual executive coaching. Through NLOS, her leadership and organizational development platform, she works with emerging leaders, managers, executives, C-suite leaders, teams, and organizations to strengthen leadership capability at every level, following a developmental progression: Lead Yourself. Lead Others. Lead the Organization. Lead for Impact.
Through leadership coaching, the NLOS Leadership Academy™, Coach Debbi™, leadership assessments, and organizational solutions, leaders develop practical capabilities they can immediately apply to real leadership challenges. For organizations, Embry also partners with leadership teams to strengthen effectiveness, alignment, accountability, culture, systems, and readiness for change.
A Strategic Partnership for Women's Leadership
The WLA Coaching Partners program was designed to give women access to carefully screened coaches with demonstrated professional credentials, leadership experience, and client results. The association vets Coaching Partners for recognized certifications, verifiable experience, and client reviews before presenting them to members.
Embry's appointment creates an opportunity to combine WLA's extensive professional network with leadership development grounded in both professional coaching practice and firsthand executive experience.
"Debbi has sat in the chair our members are sitting in, running the organization, carrying the board, making the call nobody else can make," said Lydia Price, 2026 Volunteer Chair of the Women Leaders Association. "Thirty years as a nonprofit and government executive, an MBA from Weatherhead, and an ICF credential: that is a rare combination, and it is exactly what a woman needs beside her at every stage from emerging leader to chief executive."
The Cleveland partnership is part of WLA's Coaching Partners initiative across its national network of more than 130 chapters.
Cleveland-area members can learn more about Embry's coaching focus and credentials, and connect with her directly, through her WLA Coaching Partner profile at the profile WLA Coaching Partner profile at: https://ClevelandWomenLeaders.org/coaching.html?coach=DebbiEmbry
About Debbi Embry
Debbi Embry is an executive and leadership coach, leadership development expert, organizational strategist, and former CEO with more than 30 years of executive leadership experience. She works with emerging leaders, executives, CEOs, and C-suite leaders who want to become more self-aware, confident, strategic, and effective while building stronger teams, healthier organizations, and greater impact.
Having spent decades in executive leadership herself, Debbi brings more than coaching theory to her work. She understands firsthand the complexity of leading people, managing competing priorities, making consequential decisions, navigating organizational change, working with boards and stakeholders, and carrying the responsibility that accompanies senior leadership.
Today, through NLOS, she develops leaders across the leadership continuum, from emerging and high-potential professionals preparing for greater responsibility to experienced executives navigating enterprise leadership, following a practical progression: Lead Yourself. Lead Others. Lead the Organization. Lead for Impact. She is also founder and president of Strengthening Communities Consulting, LLC, partnering with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and cross-sector collaboratives to strengthen organizational and community capacity, strategy, collaboration, accountability, and impact. She holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management and a communications degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Learn more at https://nlos.coach
About the Women Leaders Association
The Women Leaders Association is a non-profit committed to the development and advancement of women in the corporate arena. With 43,000 members and more than 130 chapters in major cities, it is the largest publisher and events organization serving women professionals, producing conferences, leadership programs, original research, and daily publications for its members. We also celebrate the top 50 business women in each city, publish a Glass Ceiling Score ranking how well most employers advance women, and then recognize the best women's employers in each city from these rankings.
Events Near You: https://WomanLeaders.org/r/
Best Employers Near You: https://WomanLeaders.org/r/GlassCeiling
Media Contact: Women Leaders Association, Service@WomanLeaders.org
Media Contact:
Lydia Price
Women Leaders Association
Service@WomanLeaders.org
