Dr. Kimberly Giardina serves as the Executive Director of the Academy for Professional Excellence. Prior to joining the Academy, Dr. Giardina dedicated nearly 25 years to serving the County of San Diego, most recently as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Health and Human Services Agency and Director for the County’s Child and Family Well-Being department.
Throughout her career, Dr. Giardina has consulted on child welfare issues at national, state, and local levels. She led the transformation of San Diego’s child welfare system into a child and family well-being model, driving improved coordination, communication, and partnership across family-serving organizations to strengthen communities.
Dr. Giardina’s primary areas of expertise include: child welfare services, health and human services leadership, cross-agency collaboration, change management, implementation science, systems transformation, diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracist system strategies.
Dr. Giardina has co-chaired key regional initiatives, including the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership with San Diego State University and the San Diego County Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Taskforce. She was also an active member of the County Welfare Directors Association and the Southern Area Consortium of Human Services. She is a passionate advocate for embedding diversity, justice, equity, and antiracist strategies into community systems to address poverty and expand economic opportunities.
Outside of work, Dr. Giardina enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering in the community, and getting outdoors to hike, camp, and rock climb.
