The Nonprofit Center is pleased to have these great presenters at the 11th Annual Washington State Nonprofit Governance Conference.
Putnam Barber is Senior Researcher at Idealist.org. He is also a Senior Advisor at the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy and author of its annual statistical report Nonprofits in Washington. From its founding until last year, he chaired the Charities Advisory Council of the State of Washington, which is housed in the Office of the Secretary of State; he continues as a member of that group. He is a board member of Washington Nonprofits and served as one of the founding board members of Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations.
Barber founded The Evergreen State Society in 1990 to provide supportive services to community serving nonprofits in Washington State; it merged into EA Alliance of Nonprofits in 2004. Previously, he served as staff director for the celebration of the centennial of Washington statehood in 1989 and as director of the Washington state Office of Economic Opportunity. He is a graduate of Haverford College and earned an MA in population studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Linda C. Crompton has been President and CEO of BoardSource since the fall of 2007. She has more than 25 years of experience in business, finance, and organizational strategy and a strong commitment to social responsibility and exceptional governance. Before joining BoardSource Linda served as President and CEO of the Washington-based Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC), the leading source of independent, impartial research on corporations and shareholder issues. In 1996, she founded Citizens Bank of Canada, Canada’s first branchless bank. Linda was a federal Commissioner on the 2001-2002 “Canadian Democracy and Corporate Accountability” Commission.
Over her career Linda has served as a director of more than 20 organizations in the nonprofit, for-profit, and public sectors. She was formerly a member of the Board of Governors of the University of British Columbia, the chair of the governance committee of Encorp Pacific, a Canadian nonprofit dedicated to recycling, and an advisory board member of Ethical Funds, Canada’s first family of socially responsible mutual funds. She holds an MBA from the University of Kent Canterbury (UK), a MA from the University of British Columbia (CAN), and a BA from Simon Fraser University (CAN).
Peter Drury integrates sustainable fundraising with savvy business planning at every turn. He is Founder & Principal of DZO Strategists, LLC, and teaches Nonprofit Management at the University of Washington. Peter serves the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center through its Ethics Committee (Institutional Review Board) and as Advisor or Director with Intiman Theatre, EarthShare Washington, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Peter distills formal training as M.B.A., M.S.W. and M.Div. to advance leadership for a new era in philanthropy and nonprofit organizational design.
Stuart Grover spent a decade teaching Russian history at several universities before starting a career as a fundraising consultant. Over a period of 25 years he worked with more than 400 nonprofit organizations, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. For 15 years he owned the region’s largest capital campaign consulting firm, The Collins Group, Inc., which helped clients raise more than $1.1 billion under his leadership. In 2004 Grover received the Professional Achievement Award from the Northwest Development Officers Association. Since selling his firm he has published two books, one for board members about to embark on a capital campaign, the other focusing on fundraising for community colleges. He has also written two novels that are looking for a publisher. He lives in Tacoma with his significant other, Pamela Transue, and his superannuated rescue greyhound, Whitney.
Lynn Hagerman has 25 years experience in healthcare leadership and nonprofit administration, including serving as Executive Director –Puget Sound Susan G. Komen for the Cure and as VP Planning and Business Development, Evergreen Healthcare. In the private sector, Lynn also served as AVP, Safety and Health, for GTE domestic US Operations, overseeing health policy, programs and services. Today, Lynn works through her own consulting practice with health care, nonprofit & public organizations throughout the Northwest, in strategic planning, program development, leadership development, and capacity development. Lynn’s practice includes executive and leadership coaching services working with CEOs and Board Presidents of nonprofits. Lynn is of Hispanic origin and is bilingual. She has a BA in Developmental Psychology and a Masters in Public Health from the University of California. Lynn currently is studying with the Coach Intensive Training Program at the Hudson Institute, Santa Barbara, and will receive her Coaching Certification in June, 2011. Lynn serves on non-profit Board(s) and is a member of the Leadership Tomorrow (Seattle) Curriculum Committee. Lynn enjoys the Northwest, is devoted to the region and loves gardening, reading, traveling and skiing with her family. Lynn has one son who is a senior at the University of Washington, and she lives on Mercer Island with her husband and their two golden retrievers.
Liz Heath is the Founder and Executive Director of The Nonprofit Center and has more than 35 years of experience in the nonprofit sector as a consultant, executive director, development director, board member and volunteer. She is Principal Consultant for the Center and is an experienced retreat facilitator, trainer and speaker with a special emphasis on nonprofit governance. She has served as adjunct faculty member at the University of Oregon and as an instructor at the University of Washington Tacoma in the Fund Raising Certificate Program.
For eight years Heath wrote a regular column on nonprofit issues for The News Tribune (Tacoma). In 2008 she was Host and Producer of “Reaching Out,” a community television program featuring area nonprofit organizations. She is author of “Nonprofit Governance – a look at nonprofit boards in the South Puget Sound region,” Spring 2003 edition of the Crossroads Journal, University of Washington Tacoma. Heath was a founding member of both the University of Washington Tacoma Citizens’ Advisory Committee and of City Club of Tacoma. She currently sits on the boards of the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation and the Tacoma Estate Planning Council. She was recently appointed by Governor Gregoire to the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. She holds a BA in English Literature from Lawrence University of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Stewart Henderson brings 25 years of experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, conflict resolution, and training. His focus has been in the public sector, where he has worked extensively at the state, local, and federal levels, both as an external consultant and as public manager himself. Since founding Third Way Consulting Group in 2005, he has worked with a wide range of clients in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College and received his master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences from the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS)
Melora Hiller currently consults with nonprofit organizations, foundations and local governments in areas related to organizational development, capacity building, strategic planning, and program development. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Melora was a senior program officer for Impact Capital and managed the agency’s statewide capacity-building programs for housing and community development organizations, including investments in organizational core support, technical assistance grants, and a technical skills and leadership development training program. As a planner for King County, Melora facilitated a variety of planning processes with community groups, social service and housing providers, and elected officials related to housing and services needs of low income and homeless households. Melora earned her Master’s degree in public administration at Seattle University’s Institute for Public Service. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards and school committees and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow.
Carolyn Hojaboom, CPA, MNPL, is a Principal at Jacobson Jarvis and has served the Not-For-Profit sector for over 22 years. She has provided professional services as an audit partner in a regional accounting firm and has practical experience from serving as the ED for a healthcare foundation and board positions for various organizations. She is recognized for her ability to identify areas to enhance or improve an organization’s operations where her recommendations have been found to be intuitive, innovative and pragmatic.
As a leader in the Not-For-Profit Industry, she is committed to providing a high level of excellence in service and expertise to the industry. Carolyn recognizes the unique attributes found in this sector and continues to be well versed in its current issues. She received her Executive Master of Not-For-Profit Leadership from Seattle University. She participates on the Charity Advisory Council to the Washington Secretary of State, the Accounting Advisory Committee of Seattle University and served on the Finance/Audit Committee of Swedish Medical Center. She has been a speaker and facilitator for board retreats, college classes and at professional seminars such as the AICPA and WSCPA.
Ben Klasky is the Executive Director of Islandwood, a unique 255-acre outdoor learning center located on Bainbridge Island, WA. Prior to joining Islandwood, Ben served as the Executive Director of Net Impact, a global organization of MBAs using the power of business to address social and environmental challenges. Ben serves on the board of Camp Galileo (a large set of children’s daycamps in the Bay Area, which he co-founded) and he serves on the board of the Bainbridge Japanese-American Exclusion Memorial – a national historic site located on Bainbridge Island. Ben’s career ranges from advising Fortune 500 companies as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting, to fundraising as a development director at Teach For America, to teaching third grade in a severely under-resourced school district in Louisiana. He holds an MBA and a Masters in Education from Stanford University. He lives on Bainbridge Island with his wife and two young sons.
Sharon Lucas is an interim executive director and management consultant working exclusively with nonprofit organizations for the past fifteen years. As an interim executive director she assists nonprofits during executive and organizational transition. She’s been Interim E.D. for fifteen nonprofits, currently at Rosehedge, providing housing and health care to people with HIV/AIDS plus mental illness, chemical dependency and dementia.
Dennis McMillian began his community and nonprofit career at the age of ten when he volunteered to work with younger children at his church, and he has never wavered from that focus. After a successful career which included twenty-one years in the United Way system, joining the United Way of Alaska in 1992. In 1993 the United Way of Anchorage board envisioned an organization that would help to help build the capacity of nonprofits. In 2000, that vision became The Foraker Group, of which Dennis is the Executive Director. Since then, Dennis has worked with over 400 Alaskan nonprofits and tribes and he has trained thousands of Alaskans to serve on boards and staffs. He currently serves on committees at United Way of America, The Council on Foundations, and The Independent Sector. He serves on the Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy in Alaska and the Community Advisory Board fro KNBA. He also serves on the national board of Camp Fire, Inc. He received a B.S. from New College from the University of Alabama and an M.S. in Education Management from UAB.
Ann Macfarlane: Ann G. Macfarlane began her career as a diplomat with the U.S. State Department, serving in Lahore, Pakistan and on the Soviet desk. After becoming a Russian translator, she served as President of the American Translators Association and Executive Director of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators. Ann is founder and partner in Jurassic Parliament, training board members and elected officials how to meet more effectively to achieve a common purpose, and enjoy doing it. She is a Certified Association Executive and a Professional Registered Parliamentarian. Her greatest expertise is in humanizing the rules of meetings and helping people get the most out of their time working together by focusing on what really matters.
Laura Pierce is the owner and principal consultant of Laura Pierce Consulting. Laura has worked in and with nonprofit organizations for eighteen years, including fund development, community organizing, and executive management positions. Since 1998, she has consulted with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, assisting with strategic planning, board development, organizational assessment and capacity building. She has also served as Interim Executive Director for seven Seattle area nonprofits.
Laura has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington with a concentration in nonprofit management. In addition to consulting, Laura teaches board roles and responsibilities, board development, philanthropy, strategic leadership and other nonprofit management topics at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs, UW Extension’s Nonprofit Management Certificate Program, Nonprofit Assistance Center, and United Way of King County.
Don Rennegarbe has been working in leadership roles with non profit and public agencies for over forty years. His most recent experience was as Executive Director for Tacoma Community House. Prior to his thirteen year service with TCH, he worked with a variety of human services agencies addressing issues of domestic violence, emergency assistance, education, employment and community organizing efforts. Don has a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis on voluntary and nonprofit organizations and an undergraduate degree in Social Work and Comparative Religions. Over his career he has facilitated numerous strategic planning, organizational development and fund/raising campaigns and served in leadership roles for over 50 different community volunteer and professional boards.
Scott Schaffer is a veteran nonprofit leader with over twenty years in the sector. He is currently executive director of Common Ground, a leading statewide developer of low-income housing in Washington. He has also led organizations in the fields of food and nutrition, education, and nonprofit capacity-building. He brings a background in applied economics, and recently co-authored an article prescribing a method for financial restructuring of nonprofits facing economic stress.
Alan Strand joined The Nonprofit Center in 2009 as the Senior Program Director for Financial Services. Strand has an extensive background in nonprofit finance, primarily at the California Association of Nonprofits where he was Director of Finance and Quality Reporting and Interim Executive Director. He developed the content for “My Financial Management Plan” a program of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, and he is an experienced nonprofit financial management trainer. Most recently he has been the Principal of Strand and Associates: Not-for-Profit Accounting in Los Angeles, California. Strand is a graduate of California State University, Chico, and is a QuickBooks Pro Advisor.
Mike Walsh is Vice President of Operations for The Foraker Group in Alaska. He has lived in Alaska for 30 years, most of that time in Fairbanks. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Public Administration from Purdue University, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Mike oversees Foraker’s Fairbanks Office, has overall responsibility for development and provision of business planning services, and provides training to boards and staff on a variety of topics, including lobbying and advocacy and outcomes evaluation. He has facilitated dozens of strategic planning sessions and scores of nonprofit business plans, has worked with multiple organizations considering various types of mergers and collaborations, and trained hundreds of nonprofit boards and staff of Alaska nonprofits.
Scott Winship is an attorney with Vandeberg Johnson and Gandara where he focuses on business and nonprofit representation, real estate, estate planning, probate and litigation. He served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in both King and Pierce Counties before entering private practice with Bonneville, Viert, Morton & McGoldrick in 1988. In 1990, Mr. Winship joined North Pacific Bank in Tacoma, Washington, eventually assuming leadership of that institution as President and CEO in 1995. Following the successful sale of North Pacific Bank in 1998, he returned to the practice of law until 2002, when he led the newly created Northwest Commercial Bank in Lakewood, a position he held until joining VJG. Scott was a founding board member of The Nonprofit Center, and he currently serves on the Boards of United Way of Pierce County, Tacoma Trauma Trust, Tacoma Rotary Club #8, and Hilltop Artist in Residence.
Dave Wittenberg has a unique perspective as a value-focused leader at Verax Point Consulting. His special blend of behavioral insights with expertise in traditional valuation techniques makes Dave stand out in the field of decision-making. Dave has held extensive responsibilities as an advisor to CEOs and CFOs in capital investments, strategic analysis, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures. He received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business and served as Visiting Assistant Professor in Finance and Business at Pacific Lutheran University.
