Mission-driven organizations are full of people who care deeply — and too often, the systems around them don’t match that. Purpose Path Partners exists because they deserve more than programs. They deserve systems that last.
With more than 25 years of experience across nonprofit, education, and corporate sectors, Deirdre brings both the strategic perspective of a former HR executive and the grounded practicality of someone who has done the work from the inside. She spent nearly a decade as Chief of Human Resources at the Madison Metropolitan School District, leading district-wide initiatives in talent acquisition, leadership development, compensation, and organizational culture.
Today she works with executive leaders and boards across the country to align people strategies to mission — building the systems that sustain purpose and engagement through turnover, transition, and change.
She is known for connecting people, purpose, and performance — and for helping organizations stay anchored in their values while navigating complexity.
Deirdre Hargrove-Krieghoff is an independent consultant and the founder of Purpose Path Partners. She partners with executive leaders and boards across sectors — including nonprofit, education, healthcare, and corporate environments — to align people strategies with mission and long-term organizational goals. Her work spans talent development, leadership capacity, workforce strategy, and sustainable organizational performance.
Deirdre brings an equity-centered lens to every engagement. Her consulting approach is grounded in both strategy and implementation — helping organizations not only define priorities, but build the systems to execute them. She is an organizational development coach, HR executive, and trusted advisor with a particular focus on the full employee lifecycle: from how organizations recruit to how they handle transitions and exits.
Prior to her consulting work, Deirdre served as Chief of Human Resources and Senior Executive for Workforce Development at the Madison Metropolitan School District. She led the development and implementation of a comprehensive human resources strategy aligned to the district’s strategic priorities — spanning succession planning, talent acquisition and retention, change management, organizational effectiveness, training and development, and total rewards.
During her tenure, she played a key role in several high-impact district-wide initiatives: redesigning the teacher screening and selection process, restructuring principal compensation, enhancing employee benefits, and launching employee affinity groups to strengthen culture and belonging.
Earlier in her career, Deirdre served as Vice President of Workforce Development for the Urban League of Greater Madison, leading efforts to advance equity and expand access to opportunity by supporting employers in building inclusive workplaces and strengthening pathways for diverse talent across the region.
Deirdre is an active board member and strategic advisor, contributing expertise in governance, workforce strategy, and organizational effectiveness. She is also a speaker and facilitator, engaging audiences on leadership development, equitable talent practices, change management, and building inclusive organizational cultures.
Deirdre brings more than 25 years of experience across private, public, and nonprofit sectors — and a career-long commitment to connecting people, purpose, and performance.