Dr. Phildra Swagger is President/CEO of Combined Expertise, Inc., a coaching and consulting firm established in 2006.  As an International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentialed coach, Dr. Swagger empowers her clients to reach new heights across individual and organizational spaces. She works with clients to design strategies to ignite success and take action that yields desired results. Her collaborative approach to achieving success rest in her motto, “combining our expertise to maximize yours.”  She often shares insights and inspirational experiences from her professional, industry, and client- based network on her popular podcast, “Beyond the Title.”

Dr. Swagger began her 30+year career as a classroom teacher and served as a principal, district administrator, university instructor, and charter school founder.  While at the University of South Florida (USF), she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Education and received the 1998 Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student. Her Ph.D. was conferred in December 2000.  In addition to her commitment to ensure quality education was available to at-risk communities, she has also remained keenly aware of the ‘business of education’; in 2015, Dr. Swagger earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from USF. In 2019, she retired from public education to fully focus on expertly serving leaders and executives by providing strategic business guidance to foster immediate and long-term growth.

Before retiring as Vice President of AMIkids, Inc. , Dr. Swagger served as the Supervisor of Academic Programs for the Hillsborough County Public Schools and the founding Principal and Board Member of Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School. Her recent efforts include authoring competitive grants, legislative funding requests, and community campaigns, totaling nearly $15 million in federal and state funds and private donations.  Dr. Swagger remains committed to securing resources while leveraging existing community assets to positively impact communities and organizations who need them most.

Dr Swagger enjoys facilitating retreats, workshops and other training opportunities. In her personal time, she loves traveling, cooking and spending time with her husband and two children.