TUCSON, AZ, February 23, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cynthi Knight has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Ms. Knight has established herself as a leading expert in leadership development, drawing on more than two decades of experience in human resource consulting and executive coaching. Since 2017, she has served as executive coach and consultant at Winning Leaders, where she coaches leaders ranging from chief executive officers to high-potential talent. In this capacity, Ms. Knight acts as a sounding board and challenger for executive clients, practices active listening, reflects insights, and provides guidance to emerging leaders. She develops customized leadership development plans, utilizes 360 assessments to identify growth opportunities, supports career transition coaching for professionals navigating layoffs, advises on job search strategies and industry pivots, and educates clients on adapting to artificial intelligence-driven recruitment and presentation techniques.

In 2024, Ms. Knight expanded her professional reach by joining Leadership Impact Strategies as an executive coach and consultant and SparkEffect as a senior career coach. She also worked as an independent senior consultant specializing in career transitions at Waldron from 2019 to 2024, and concurrently led CAKnight and Associates as an executive coach and consultant from 2017 to 2024.

Her commitment to nonprofit leadership is evident through her longstanding involvement with the National Charity League, Inc., where she has contributed since 2001. Initially serving as National District Coordinator from 2010 to 2013, Ms. Knight served on the National Board of Directors from then served on the Leadership Development Team and moved to Lead on the Implementation Team in 2024, a role she currently holds. Her team of seven delivers training content to leaders across more than 300 chapters nationwide. Notably, she was the founding president of the Tucson Chapter of the National Charity League and served on the Founding Board for the Sonoran Centennial Chapter in Scottsdale. Establishing the Tucson chapter required significant marketing and public relations efforts to introduce the organization's mission to a new community with limited resources, with support from NCL, Inc.

Ms. Knight's corporate experience includes her tenure at the Tucson Airport Authority, where she served as Director of Human Resources from 2014 to 2017, after serving as Manager of Team Member Services and Development from 2012 to 2014. In these roles, she implemented change initiatives, built effective teams and relied on guidance from organizational leaders to address areas for improvement. Prior to this, she operated as a self-employed human resources consultant from 1982 to 2017.

Her academic contributions are equally significant. From 2001 to 2007, Ms. Knight taught graduate courses at Webster University at Luke Air Force Base, covering both the Master of Business Administration program and the Master's in Human Resources curriculum. She also served as Associate Director of Career Development at the University of Arizona from 2008 to 2009.

A pivotal achievement in Ms. Knight's career was her 1991 recruitment by the California Institute of Technology to establish its training and development department. As manager of training and development until 1997, she built a comprehensive curriculum from scratch, forged relationships with key organizational leaders and developed an entire program that continues to thrive today, a source of great pride for her.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Knight held several positions at McDonnell Douglas Corporation between 1978 and 1989, including branch manager, senior human resources administrator and administrator for management development and training.

Ms. Knight is an active member of several professional organizations, including the International Coach Federation, the Society for Human Resource Management and the Association for Talent Development. She has been invited to speak at various professional association meetings on leadership development.

Her educational background is extensive and foundational to her success. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in management from the W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University in 1977, followed by a Master of Business Administration in general business from Loyola Marymount University in 1984. She furthered her expertise with an executive program certificate in advanced management from Claremont Graduate University in 1986.

Ms. Knight holds numerous certifications that underscore her commitment to professional excellence: team coaching foundations certified coach from Global Team Coaching Institute (2022), senior professional in human resources from HRCI (2019), leadership circle profile certification from Leadership Circle (2018), associate certified coach from International Coach Federation (2018), board certified coach from Center for Credentialing & Education (2018), SHRM senior certified professional from Society for Human Resource Management (2015) professional certified coach from International Coach Federation (2024) Navigating Transitions (2025) Red Team Thinking (2025) and The Six Types of Working Genius certified by The Table Group.

She attributes her achievements to faith in God for giving her a learning-oriented mindset and giving her opportunities where she embraces curiosity and continuous learning through reading, webinars and conferences and values networking environments that foster knowledge exchange.

Ms. Knight's initial interest in psychology was inspired by a cousin who is a clinical psychologist; however, she soon discovered that human resources offered an ideal blend of psychology and business principles. This realization led her into a field where she could lead process improvement initiatives, guide teams toward measurable results and eventually transition into coaching, a natural extension of her human resources background.

Her civic engagement is broad-based and impactful. She provides pro bono coaching through Stand Beside Them and Ignite Program with the ICF Arizona Chapter. She has served as district director for Arizona SHRM since 2024. She has held multiple leadership roles within SHRM of Greater Tucson, including president in 2021, president-elect in 2020, vice president in 2019, and director of professional development from 2017 to 2018. Additionally, Ms. Knight is a member of the International Coach Federation – Arizona Chapter since 2020, after serving as vice president, special projects and events, in 2019. Her volunteerism has extended to Therapeutic Riding of Tucson since 2017.

Born in Jamestown, North Dakota, Ms. Knight looks forward to embracing new personal experiences while continuing her passion for coaching and leadership development. She intends to devote more time to writing, to travel, and to cherishing time with her grandson.

Throughout her distinguished career, Ms. Knight has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to advancing progress for individuals and organizations alike, helping clients tap into their inner strength and support their journeys toward personal and professional growth.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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