Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Urkums.
Hi Robin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Robin Urkums. I am the oldest of two children. I was born in Washington, DC and was raised in Prince George’s County, primarily in Fort Washington, MD. I graduated from Friendly High School in 1984. From there I went to the University of Maryland Baltimore County and received a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science and Policy with a minor in Sociology in 1988. I received a Master’s of General Administration with a concentration in Human Resources in 2008 from the University of Maryland University College, now the University of Maryland Global Campus.
In the Summer of 1987, I started what would be my first job in a 38 year career in the Federal Government. I worked at the National Park Service under the Department of the Interior and at the Department of the Treasury (Office of Personnel Policy, Headquarters). In 2003, I had the privilege of being a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, Headquarters, and retired from DHS in September 2025.
During my federal career, I worked in the Human Capital and Human Resources areas. I started as a GS-4 Clerk and worked my way up to a GS-14 Human Resources Specialist. The last 24 years of my career were spent serving in policy offices where I wrote policies and served as a subject matter expert in areas such as position classification, law enforcement retirement, telework and remote work, leave administration, etc.
In my career, I witnessed various kinds and levels of organizational and leadership transitions. My experiences and work related to these transitions became the basis for my current consulting firm, Emerald Consulting Solutions, L.L.C. The goal at Emerald is to assist organizations(particularly federal agencies) with recognizing the cost of not managing the uncertainty that employees often experience during organizational transitions. The idea is to help them see that unmanaged uncertainty is more than just a matter of employee wellbeing- it is a productivity and business issue. I also want to empower individual employees (particularly Federal Government employees) and help them navigate the often murky waters of organizational transitions.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My company is brand new (started in June 2026). I am just beginning the journey of building credibility and obtaining buy in from organizations/agencies and employees.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think I covered much of this in one of my previous responses. I am proud that after a complete career as an employee, I am embarking on a journey that involves me playing the role of founder and CEO. I am proud of the transition I am making into my new role. I am enjoying the journey.
What sets my consultancy apart is that my strategies and offerings focus on organizational transition from the employee’s perspective. Organizations and agencies often focus on change from the organizational perspective. ECS is focused on helping employees work and remain productive and resilient during transitions. What also distinguishes ECS is the focus on the human element of change. Employees who struggle with organizational transitions have the potential to not operate at optimum levels. My work is centered on offering employees ways to maintain personal wellbeing and health so that they can continue to produce quality work during organizational change.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see the work that I do thriving because some organization or agency or employee somewhere will be experiencing an organizational change.
The federal landscape is shifting right now. Agencies are restructuring. Leadership is changing. And the employees who thrive will not be the ones who wait to see what happens — they will be the ones who knew exactly how to position themselves before the dust settled.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emeraldconsultingsolutions.com
- Instagram: emeraldconsultingsolutionsllc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-urkums-659972389
