Desiree Del-Zio, EdD, chief executive officer and principal consultant of D.E.&C Consulting, LLC, in Charlotte, North Carolina, has overcome extreme adversity to become the successful leader she is today. She began her career as a teacher’s assistant while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at California State University San Marcos, where she graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts and sciences. With a deep passion for helping others, Dr. Del-Zio worked for nearly a decade as an educator for juveniles in the justice system. After becoming a mother, she wanted to be there for her children and play an active role in her community, so she launched a daycare service in her family home. Her then-marriage ended, however, and she and her children ended up homeless—an immense hardship that tested her resolve and demanded that she rise in strength to support her children. Leaning into her love for community service, Dr. Del-Zio became the director of an after-school literacy program and worked with nonprofit organizations to focus on education for impoverished children and families. She gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, leading her to work for the federal government, overseeing nonprofit agencies that received federal funds.
Among her impressive achievements, Dr. Del-Zio returned to her higher education at the University of San Diego and earned a Master of Arts in nonprofit leadership and management. She graduated in 2022 from the University of Southern California with a Doctor of Education in organizational change and leadership. Always dedicated to her professional development and education, she became a certified nonprofit professional through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and a certified diversity and inclusion facilitator from Cornell University’s ILR School. Further, Dr. Del-Zio is a member of the California Head Start Association, the California Child Care Advancement Association, and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, among other organizations.
In 2022, Dr. Del-Zio launched D.E.&C Consulting, LLC. Through her business, she strives to give back to the community by helping nonprofits identify their strengths and weaknesses. She helps organizations leverage their power to find new ways to provide services. Drawing on her breadth of experience in the nonprofit sector, Dr. Del-Zio helps nonprofits meet regulatory requirements and better serve their communities. For her exceptional professional accomplishments, she has been recognized with an Outstanding Leadership Award at the Education 2.0 Conference in 2024 and was inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi International Education Honor Society at the University of Southern California in 2020. To share her and others’ stories, she wrote a chapter for a book that chronicles the journeys of extraordinary women who have faced adversity and emerged as successful individuals despite their hardships. The book, titled “Unstoppable: The Rise of Female Global Leaders,” was published in 2024, and Dr. Del-Zio is proud to serve as a shining example of determination, perseverance, and compassion. Looking ahead, she plans to publish more of her writings.
In past years, outside of work, Dr. Del-Zio has volunteered with The Elizabeth Hospice, served as an ambassador for the University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences, and devoted time serving as an events committee member for the California Child Development Administrators Association. Throughout her career, she has learned that, at the end of the day, people are just people, and building and maintaining strong relationships matters more than anything else. As such, she loves spending time with her family—her children and her husband, Dr. Andre Walker, alongside whom she manages D.E.&C Consulting, LLC. In her free time, Dr. Del-Zio enjoys reading, writing, cooking, solving puzzles, and exploring national parks and monuments.
