Jennifer Avers completed her Master of Science degree in Public Service Management at DePaul University . She is particularly versed in program development, evaluation, needs assessments, and public policy. With TCC Group, Jennifer has conducted a range of program evaluations for museums and educational systems, has provided training and advisement to corporate clients around grants management, and has assisted in a range of strategic planning assignments.

Eva Booker

Eva Booker, founder and President of Creative Consulting Solutions, draws on her diverse background and experiences to identify resources and strategies that can be creatively applied to meeting the needs of nonprofit organizations and for- profit businesses. Creative Consulting Solutions is a management consulting firm that helps nonprofits to increase their revenues and impact. In addition to working with organizations interested in pursuing earned income ventures, Creative Consulting Solutions provides capacity building services such as organizational assessment, board development, program design, grantwriting, outcome measures and program evaluation. For more information, check out our website at www.creativeconsultingsolutions.com. Our website also includes publications on social enterprise, board governance, nonprofit management, financial management, strategic planning, fundraising, and grantwriting. To schedule a free consultation, call us at (773) 412-9263.

Diane Decker

Diane Decker is a workplace consultant with Quality Transitions. Diane works with clients in the areas of customer service, team development, innovation, and planning for change. Her work has been profiled in newspapers across the country, including the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Chicago Tribune. She is a member of the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits. Diane’s clients appreciate her ability to help them discover practical solutions for lasting resultsâ. Contact Diane at 847-394-0994 or dcdecker@msn.com

Deborah Halpern

Deborah Halpern is president and owner of DGH Communications, a consulting firm focused on assisting nonprofit organizations to clearly communicate their vision and messages effectively and efficiently to their stakeholders, members, media and the general public. For over 25 years, Deborah has consulted with organizations from Fortune 100 corporations to privately held firms, sole proprietorships and nonprofits on their marketing and communications needs. In 2004, Deborah established DGH Communications with a client base including nonprofits in the health care, social service, education and cultural arenas. Services include: Marketing Communication Plans that will serve as the roadmap for future communications efforts. Public Relations for exploring all opportunities to communicate clients' messages to a wide variety of markets. Media Relations based on strategically pitching clients to targeted media including international, national, local, and trade in print, broadcast, electronic and alternative resources. Writing all types of communication pieces, including reports, brochures, articles, web pages, and newsletters. Consulting to provide marketing communications direction and recommendations to organizations, associations, boards, and committees. For more information contact Deborah Halpern at Deborah@dghcommunications.com or 773-363-1587.

Betsy Harman

Betsy Harman is founder of Harman Interactive, a consulting practice dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations and associations strengthen fundraising programs and enhance relationships with their donors and members through strategically utilizing e-mail and the Internet in concert with their traditional fundraising and communications techniques. Harman Interactive provides organizations with an array of services from helping them choose technology vendors to writing direct mail and e-mail fundraising appeals, to conducting website usability studies with a fundraiser's eye.

Betsy Harman has more than 15 years of nonprofit development experience. Before starting her consulting practice, Betsy was the Director of Development at Chicago Public Radio where she consistently exceeded fundraising goals while reducing the time spent fundraising on the air and spearheaded the station’s e-fundraising initiatives. Betsy is a certified ePhilanthropy Master Trainer from the ePhilanthropy Foundation and is an active member of the Assciation of Consultants to Nonprofits, Women in Development, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Public Radio Association of Development Professionals, the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, and the Chicago Area Direct Marketing Assocation. She has presented on the topic of online fundraising and e-mail marketing at numerous conferences.

Valerie Hogan

Valerie Hogan, President of Growth Strategies, Inc, provides a variety of consulting services to help organizations grow and succeed. She specializes in strategic planning and the implementation services that turn vision into reality.

Ms. Hogan has more than 20 years of experience serving nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and business corporations. Her expertise spans a variety of fields, including organizational development, service delivery, financial management, data processing, training programs, and association management. Ms. Hogan's consulting practice is supported by extensive nonprofit management experience, including former positions as Executive Director of the Illinois Alliance for Aging, General Manager of Childs Play Touring Theatre, and Assistant Regional Director of an international environmental organization.

Ms. Hogan is a current Board Member and former President of the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits. She also serves on United Way's Community Impact Panel, responsible for making funding recommendations to the Chicago Council.

For more information, please contact Ms. Hogan at 715-248-4849

Elizabeth A. Kaye

Elizabeth A. Kaye is an executive coach and consultant who challenges strong leaders and their organizations to grow into their full power by increasing their effectiveness and impact. Clients say that, through one-on-one leadership coaching and team building sessions, Ms. Kaye helps them to: * Create dramatic positive career and life changes * Clarify goals, make tough decisions, and address their big issues and * Structure a plan of action and stay on track with it during challenging transitions

Ms. Kaye has been actively involved with coaching since 1999, receiving training and ongoing mentoring through the International Coaching Society. As the principal of Elizabeth A. Kaye Consulting & Communications since that time, she combines twenty years’ experience as a professional development officer with her concurrent study, practice, and teaching of transformational growth disciplines. She has made presentations on personal and professional growth issues to a number of university, professional, and community groups. Ms. Kaye is listed in the Who’s Who of American Women (17th & 18th editions), Who’s Who in the Midwest (23rd & 24th editions), and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America (4th edition). She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with distinction from Northwestern University.

Charles W. Lustig

Charles W. Lustig has over twelve years experience working with a wide range of non-profit institutions in the design and fabrication of recognition programs that encompass public donor wall displays and individual presentation pieces. Also, he has worked with many private corporations in developing special commemoratives to support new product roll-outs and sales achievement programs. His clients include the University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Alzheimer’s Association, Healthcare Financial Management Association. and Bankers Life & Casualty Company.

Susan Munro

Susan Munro started SBM Solutions for Nonprofits early 2004, after she left the Steans Family Foundation, where she had been associate executive director. Previously, she was in publishing for many years. She is especially interested in literacy, the challenges of affordable housing, and children’s health and mental health. She lives in Evanston with her husband Bruce and dog Gozo.

Elizabeth Dunlop Richter

Elizabeth Dunlop Richter is principal of The Richter Group, an integrated communications strategy consulting practice focused on the delivery of educational content to the public across multiple media platforms. Selected clients include Chicago Public Radio, the Pritzker Military Library, the Chicago Rehab Network, the Field Museum, and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Formerly Vice President of Production for WTTW/Channel 11, she is on the advisory board of EVO Knowledge, a new-media publishing company and serves on a variety of nonprofit and civic boards. Her background includes senior management positions in public and commercial television, theater and internet-delivered education. erichter@alum.wellesley.edu

Lolita Sereleas

Lolita Sereleas is a consultant providing targeted services to non-profit organizations nationwide. These services include needs assessment, program evaluation, market analysis, fundraising and capitalization planning, board development, strategic planning, and organizational development. She holds a M.S. degree in Public Service Management and a Graduate Certificate in Metropolitan Planning from DePaul University. Ms. Sereleas has 10 years experience in the not-for-profit sector through her work at Chicago area non-profit organizations. For four years, Ms. Sereleas directed the delivery of community development consulting services to organizations nationwide at a not-for- profit research and consulting firm. Most recently, she established a consulting firm, F.U.N.D. Consulting. Ms. Sereleas currently serves as part-time faculty at DePaul University’s Public Service Graduate program.

Dhiren Shah

Dhiren Shah is a financial management consultant for nonprofits and is a member of Association of Consultants for Nonprofits. He was awarded a plaque with an inscription ‘Dhiren you are a rock’ from Bethel New Life after a successful consulting assignment as an interim CFO. He is an executive with financial expertise and strong operating experience in both for-profit and not-for-profit environments. He offers information system expertise and an effective interrelationship orientation. He excels in challenging environments, where his analytical skills, people skills and high level of integrity are valued. He works well in a turnaround situation providing strategic direction and collaboration.

Dhiren Shah has over twelve years of experience with nonprofits as a CFO, Board Member, Volunteer and a consultant. Prior to his consulting career, he was CFO of Francis W. Parker School, where he suggested, negotiated and successfully closed a $23.7 million tax-exempt bond. He is currently on the board committee of Bethel New Life. He was a former Treasurer of Lawndale Community School and Life Education Center. He volunteers for CPAs for the Public Interest and Independent School Association of Central States. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. He is a member of the Illinois CPA Society. He has a Masters in Banking.

Eve Smith

Eve Smith works with local and national nonprofits to develop e-mail and web marketing campaigns that drive sales and membership development, increase revenue, and improve program and service delivery. She currently serves as e-commerce consultant to the Arts & Business Council of Chicago developing online strategies for arts and cultural groups. Visit her web site for more information about current projects, clients and recommended articles.

Contact: http://home.earthlink.net/~evesmith (Web); evesmith99@yahoo.com (E-mail); 847-253-3468 (Phone)

Kathryn Vanden Berk

Kathryn Vanden Berk practiced law for 9 years before serving as the president of two residential treatment centers for children. Now practicing law in Chicago, she focuses on nonprofit start-ups, corporate and tax law, and employment issues. She serves as adjunct faculty at the Harper College Nonprofit Management Certificate Program and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University. She will be teaching two courses at the Axelson Center this fall: The Law of Nonprofit Organizations and The Law of Religious Organizations. Ms. Vanden Berk is the author of “Do It Right the First Time: Starting a Nonprofit Organization in Illinois,” available from the Donors Forum and the Nonprofit Financial Center, Chicago, and two chapters in the Illinois Handbook Not-for-Profit Corporations, 2004 Ed., published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. She can be reached at 312-558-1690 or at kvandenberk@nonprofitlawchicago.com.

Ruth Wuorenma

Ruth Wuorenma has devoted her career to helping public, private, for-profit and nonprofit groups work together to achieve mutual goals. Her experience as both a lawyer and developer spans national and international commercial real estate, market-rate and affordable housing, and various civic roles. Wuorenma recently (2003) created the Neighborhood Capital Institute, an Illinois not-for-profit research and policy corporation, which offers planning and real estate development strategies to foster capital investment, economic vitality, and an enhanced quality of life in cities, neighborhoods and households. Before founding NCInstitute, Wuorenma served as development advisor to the City of Waukegan, Illinois as it launched a redevelopment master plan and financial strategy for its 1,400-acre lakefront and 400-acre downtown. Prior to her work in Waukegan, she was a managing director for Mesirow Financial/Stein Real Estate, where she oversaw the firm's work on a variety of mixed-use, high-density, often transit-oriented urban developments, including market-rate and public housing transformation projects. She has also, as a principal, developed an award-winning homeownership program, affordable to households earning less than 40% of area median income, without subsidies, using conventional real estate loans. Wuorenma began her career as a land use and zoning attorney at one of the country's largest real estate law firms (Rudnick & Wolfe, now Piper Rudnick) from which she went to work for Marriott Corporation.

A licensed real estate broker and attorney, Wuorenma's professional affiliations include membership in the Urban Land Institute, where she serves on the National Public/Private Partnership Council and the Chicago Local District Council Policy Committee; Lambda Alpha International honorary society for land economics; and the National Housing Conference. She is a frequent participant in national ULI Advisory Services Panels and often speaks on topics of urban revitalization, transit-oriented development, and housing matters. She is on the executive committees for the University of Chicago Women's Board and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She graduated with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned her JD from its College of Law.

Harold A. Bergen

Hal Bergen is an Executive Service Corps consultant who utilizes his experience in all areas of marketing to assist ESC clients. He is also serving as chair of this year’s ESC Annual Meeting. Hal has been a senior executive with three international public relations firms for more than 35 years. He is currently President of Hal Bergen & Company and formerly head of Ruder-Finn of Mid-America, Inc. He has written and lectured extensively on the topic of PR. A graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, he is past president of its Alumni Association and Life Trustee.

Nancy Fuhrman

Nancy Fuhrman is Vice President of Consulting for Executive Service Corps of Chicago. In that capacity she oversees the management and quality outcomes of the more than 200 annual client consultations and coaching engagements and their volunteer consultant/coach teams. Included in her responsibilities is the oversight of the extensive training and continuing professional development functions for the ESC consultants. In her earlier tenure with Executive Service Corps Nancy managed the functions of client marketing, volunteer services, administration and human resources. Before joining ESC, Nancy’s career was in human resource management and education. Nancy has B. Ed. from National Lewis University.

Jacqueline Gilbert

For 11 years before she retired, Jacqueline Gilbert was Director of the Rosenwald School on Chicago’s north side—a school for which she had developed the concept and then took on the responsibility of running. Under her direction, and working with her Board of Directors, Jackie saw the school grow from an idea to the construction of its own building. Prior to taking on that project, she taught in both public and private schools. Jackie is particularly knowledgeable in the areas of board development, school finance, fund raising, and administration.

Always active in her community, Jackie worked with the Skokie Consumer Affairs Commission, and played leadership roles with the National Council for Jewish Women and the League of Women Voters. She was also president of a synagogue board during a time of substantial financial stress, and she worked successfully with board members to create a healthier climate for the synagogue. Jackie recently took on the huge role of becoming “Dean of Faculty” at ESC, working with the rest of ESC’s trainers to create high-quality courses for ESC’s volunteers. She is also a member of the board of ESC and is a Project Manager working with both clients and consultants.

Jack Jadel

Jack Jadel is the Endowment Practice Manager of the Executive Service Corps of Chicago (ESC). Following his retirement as President of Akzo America, he has devoted more than 3,000 hours of volunteering as an ESC board member, a leader in planned giving and endowment, fund raiser, trainer, and consultant with ESC’s nonprofit clients. He presently serves as a trustee of ESC’s A. Dean Swift Memorial Fund.

In addition to his volunteer work with ESC, Jack is a Trustee of the Alpha Phi Omega Endowment Trust, a Board Member of the Harkness Outreach Center, and a Trustee of the North Shore Senior Center Foundation. The North Shore Senior Center honored Jack in 2001 as a “Super Senior.” He is past president of the Wilmette United Way and has been active for more than 50 years with the Boy Scouts of America.

L. Kenwood Lewis

Ken brings to ESC over 25 years of development experience. His work experience has included fund raising, including strategies, campaigns, foundation proposals, events and personal solicitations.

Ken’s most recent employment was with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago where he worked for five years as the Director of Planned Giving. For ten years beginning in 1988, he was the Director of Planned Giving for Northwestern Memorial Hospital and prior to that at his alma mater, North Central College, he was the DPG. Ken’s career in development began in 1979 at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Ken’s nonprofit experience has been as a member and elder of the Highland Park Presbyterian Church where he is currently on the Church Growth Committee. He is presently a donor and was previously Assistant Scout Master, Troop 44 and adult leader in Cub Scout Pack 137 for the Boy Scouts of America.

William W. McLeod

Bill McLeod is an accomplished, results-oriented manager who has proven his abilities on a global scale while Director of Management Services for Sears World Trade, Inc., a division of Sears, Roebuck and Co. For the past 18 years, Bill has been a volunteer at Executive Service Corps of Chicago. Believing thoroughly in the work of Executive Service Corps, Bill McLeod has recruited many of our best consultants while himself devoting thousands of hours to the work of ESC. In addition, Bill has acted as consultant on client projects and as a project manager particularly in the areas of volunteer management and marketing planning. He is a past member of the ESC Board of Directors. Presently, he serves as Member Advocate and continues a many-year activity as the lead volunteer in ESC’s volunteer management initiatives, partnering with the staff Manager of Volunteer Resources. Bill’s Executive Service Corps’ clients include: Child Serv, Palatine Park District, City of Chicago Department of Personnel, Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation and Lambs Farm. In 2002 Bill received the Platinum Award for 10,000 hours of volunteer service to ESC of Chicago. Bill has also given time to the Boy Scouts and has been business manager of his church school. He can be reached at info@esc-chicago.org. Please visit www.esc-chicago for more information about ESC’s services.

James W. Patton

Jim Patton joined the Executive Service Corps of Chicago in 2002 as a consultant following his 26-year career with the United States Treasury. He gained extensive experience in dealing will nonprofit tax-exempt organizations at both the District and National levels. As an ESC consultant, Jim utilizes his extensive knowledge by assisting individuals who have questions about the application process necessary for 501(c)(3) status. Jim is also active in the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association of Chicago. Jim can be reached at info@esc-chicago.org

Jerry Pinney

Jerry Pinney has been actively involved in the Executive Service Corps coaching practice since 2003. He has coached executive directors and consulted on board development and strategic planning projects. Jerry is also president of his own consulting firm. He is currently focusing his efforts on consulting to small and mid-sized companies, nonprofits, and providing executive and personal coaching to persons who are interested in improving their quality of life. He is a facilitator for peer advisory groups with The Alternative Board and is a Certified One Page Planning Consultant.Jerry has served on a number of nonprofit boards including: Advisory and Development Board of the Parkside Pastoral Counseling Center in Park Ridge, Maine Township Center for Addiction in Park Ridge, Human Services Advisory Commission of the City of Des Plaines, Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago and Horizons Children Academy.

Thomas Read

After more than 30 years of experience in independent schools, in roles ranging from teacher to headmaster, Tom Read went on to serve, for another 11 years, as President of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. As a consultant in the fields of education and school administration, Tom has few equals – either in experience or academic background. He has been tireless in adding to his knowledge of how people learn. He has been a panelist as well as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education. He was commissioned by the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) to conduct a yearlong strategic planning study of their operations. His principal consulting projects in recent years have been governance, board/head relations and strategic planning for schools and non-profit associations. He has served as a member of the board for more than twenty schools and non-profit organizations.

It would be impossible in this short biography to summarize Tom’s extensive and broad-ranging service on the Boards of community, alumni, and other organizations. As a consultant and project manager at Executive Service Corps, he has worked with dozens of public and private schools, and, just to name a few, CASA Cook County, Fountaindale Public Library District, Village of Lisle and Chicago Scores. In addition, for the past few years Tom has been assisting Chicago high school students with ESC’s Citibank School Store Project.

Mark Rissman

Mark Rissman is an Executive Service Corps consultant with a wide range of experience, from technology to strategic planning. As the founder and Chief Executive of a technology-consulting firm for many years, Mark brings practical understanding of organizations and their wide range of needs. He has managed fast-paced growth while minimizing the chaos that can sometimes accompany it.

Mark has personally founded three very different companies in his life: a small video store, an extremely fast-growing technology consulting firm, and a peer network for executives. During the formation and ongoing development of these firms, he gained the kind of experience that would be helpful to anyone who is in the midst of trying to develop his/her own organization into a model of effectiveness and efficiency.

Dedication to the missions of nonprofits is evident in Mark’s past involvement in his church's Executive Council, serving meals at a homeless shelter, sponsorship of a homeless teen with a job in technology, and his continued sponsorship of children who are living in poverty around the world.

Mark has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University and has several hours of graduate studies in theology from Wheaton College.

Please visit www.esc-chicago.org for more information about Executive Service Corps.

Peter R. Sawers

Peter Sawers is a consultant with Executive Service Corps of Chicago. He offers ESC clients a remarkable combination of marketing know-how, strategic planning, and organizational analysis. As Vice President of the management consulting firm of Towers Perrin, he acted as advisor to many of the nation’s best-known companies. Today, Executive Service Corps’ clients benefit from that same high quality of consultation. Since joining Executive Service Corps, Peter has worked with ESC clients primarily in strategic planning, marketing, focus groups, and board development. Some of his clients include:

·Chicago Child Care Society ·Interfaith Council for the Homeless ·Lambs Farm ·Villages of Addison, Lombard and Lincolnshire ·Evanston, Bridgeview and Melrose Park Public Libraries ·Vernon Hills, Deerfield Park, Carol Stream and Winnetka Park Districts ·Office of the Public Guardian ·Brickton Montessori School ·Clearbrook Center for the Handicapped ·Josselyn Center for Mental Health

In addition to his work with clients, Peter serves on the ESC Board of Directors. He also spends time training ESC volunteers on strategic planning, focus groups, and other matters. Peter has served as Chairman of the Board of the Hadley School for the Blind, as well as the Evanston Civil Service Commission. He has also been a board member of Opportunity International, the Evanston Historical Society, and the Institute of Management Consultants. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of Dubuque, where he taught marketing. Peter’s credentials also include a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Rolf Weil

Rolf Weil is a distinguished economist, professor emeritus of economics and finance and an authority on fund raising. He is President Emeritus of Roosevelt University. Rolf Weil brings a rich and rare background to his work with Executive Service Corps. No stranger to business--Rolf was Dean of Roosevelt’s College of Business Administration--he offers our clients an unusual ability to make sound and practical recommendations regarding organization, finance, board governance, strategic planning and fund raising. He is an outstanding analyst and problem solver. Rolf has a doctorate from the University of Chicago and several honorary doctorates.

Rolf’s many well-satisfied Executive Service Corps clients include: Saint Paul’s House and Health Care, Lycee Francaise, and the Schechter School.

In addition, Rolf has other involvements with the nonprofit world, including the Self Help Home for the Aged (past Board President) and honorary member of the Board of Roosevelt University.

Auxillium West

Auxillium West was formed in 1996 by a group of HR professionals with broad and extensive Human Resources experience. At Auxillium West, our mission is to support small to mid-sized companies in their desire to establish efficient and effective HR processes. We do this by offering an integrated and affordable HR office automation solution.

Jimmie R. Alford, CFRE

Jimmie is Founder and Chair of The Alford Group. During his almost 45 year career in the nonprofit sector, Jimmie has provided leadership in improving the quality of life, assisting hundreds of clients in all aspects of not-for-profit management. Prior to founding The Alford Group in 1979, Jimmie was a senior executive with a major not-for-profit organization in Chicago.

Recognized by The NonProfit Times twice as "one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector," Jimmie plays an active leadership and stewardship role in the not-for-profit sector. He was Chair of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel (AAFRC) and has served on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation and the Fund Raising School of Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. He is Chair of the Board of the Alliance for Children & Families, a 350 member association of premier human service organizations. In addition, he serves on the following boards: North Park University's Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of North Park University's Center on Nonprofit Management, Alice Lloyd College, the Barat Education Foundation, and El Valor.

Jimmie frequently writes and lectures on issues affecting the nonprofit sector. He has also accepted the position of "Executive in Residence" at North Park University and teaches a limited number of graduate courses in nonprofit management. He served as editor and chapter author for the book, Building and Managing an Asset Base, published under the auspices of Indiana University Center on Philanthropy's New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising program.

Jimmie has a Master of Science Degree in Administration and Organizational Behavior and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. In May of 2006, he will receive honorary doctorates from Aurora University and from North Park University.

Susan Ellis

Susan J. Ellis is President of Energize, Inc., a training, consulting, and publishing firm that specializes in volunteerism. She founded the Philadelphia-based company in 1977 and since that time has assisted clients throughout North America (48 states and 6 provinces), Europe (9 countries), Asia (3 countries), Latin America (2 countries), Australasia (2 countries) to create or strengthen their volunteer corps. From 1981 to 1987 she was Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Volunteer Administration. She has written more than 120 articles on volunteer management for dozens of publications and writes the national bi-monthly column, "On Volunteers," for The NonProfit Times. She was the recipient of the Association for Volunteer Administration's 1989 Harriet Naylor Distinguished Member Service Award. Susan is an active volunteer in a variety of volunteerism associations and several Philadelphia-based community groups.

Rhonda Goldstein M.S.W., C.P.C.C.

Rhonda Goldstein is a certified executive and professional coach and nonprofit consultant from the firm: Power to Lead: From Choice and Commitment Her experience ranges from direct social service, to public policy on the national level on mental health issues, leadership of a constituency section for psychiatric and substance abuse hospital based programs at the American Hospital Association, director of development at a national breast cancer organization and research administrator of a university based hospital. She has been a member of many boards, conducted numerous trainings and workshops related to staff and board development and volunteer her services in the community. She provides coaching to individuals and nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson joined the Golden Apple Foundation staff in November 2006, having most recently served as the Director of Development & Communications with the Inner-City Teaching Corps (ICTC) for over two years. Eric moved to Chicago in July 2004 after spending four years with City Year, a national AmeriCorps program. Eric was a corps member with City Year in Seattle, leading a team of 17 to 24 year-old full-time volunteers and managing afterschool and Saturday programs for middle school students, and a staff member at the national office in Boston and the Rhode Island site, based in Providence. Eric currently serves as one of two Executive Co-Chairs with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Chicago (YNPN Chicago) and a board member with the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University.

Kathleen Langheck

Kathleen is the Director of Client Development for MissionFish, a service of the Points of Light Foundation that enables anyone to support their favorite causes through trading on eBay. She provides advice and technical assistance to nonprofits to help them fundraise with MissionFish. Prior to MissionFish, she worked in both the corporate and the nonprofit world. At the Council on Foundations and Gifts In Kind International, she advised corporate foundations and giving programs with a particular emphasis on managing product donations. As an Environmental Specialist for NIKE Europe and NIKE Germany, she managed their environmental education and improvement programs including developing opportunities to reuse surplus shoes.

Kathleen, who grew up in Germany, holds a Master of International Management from Thunderbird - The Garvin School of International Management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland

Wesley Lindahl, Ph.D

Wesley Lindahl is the Director of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park after spending many years as the assistant dean and director of development at The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University. He has authored several publications on the subject of fundraising and is a frequent presenter on the subject at national conferences. wlindahl@northpark.edu

Jeffrey Lozer

Jeffrey M. Lozer concentrates his practice in the area of nonprofit/tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations. Prior to joining Ice Miller, Mr. Lozer served as an independent consultant to nonprofit organizations, headed the operations of Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, a private family foundation supporting charitable needs in Indianapolis, and served as a corporate attorney for RCI. Mr. Lozer graduated from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, in 1989 with a bachelor of arts in history. In 1994, he earned his juris doctorate, cum laude, from the Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, where he was a member of the Indiana Law Review and a Harold H. Woodard Fellow. Mr. Lozer is admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana and is a board member and secretary for Irvington Community School, a board member and chair of the development committee of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, and the chairman of Play Ball Indiana.

Tim Mills-Groninger

Tim Mills-Groninger is the Associate Executive Director of the IT Resource Center, a 21-year-old Chicago-based nonprofit providing computer planning, assessment, training, and technical support services to the nonprofit and government community. He is also a contributing editor to the NonProfit Times, the leading news and information periodical read by over 85,000 full time nonprofit executives around the country. He writes and speaks frequently on nonprofit technology issues with a focus on fundraising databases and their role in improving Advancement Services. In addition to his work in helping development offices select and implement fundraising software, he has worked with numerous fundraising software developers to improve their products and marketing strategies. His extreme out-of-box thinking is often mistaken for irreverence. One of the original “Geeks for Good,” his 25-year career in nonprofit technology has involved numerous teaching, staff, and board positions in local and national initiatives. Among his national roles he was the chairman of the Technology Resource Consortium during the planning and consolidation process with the Nonprofit Management Association and Support Centers of America into the National Alliance for Nonprofit Management. He was part of the National Strategies for Nonprofit Technology (NSNT) program that became the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN) and he has been a grant reviewer for the Dept of Commerce’s TIIAP/TOP program, the Ericsson Erica Awards, and other technology grant programs.

James G. Quaid

Jim has over 12 years of experience providing auditing, accounting, and tax services to not-for-profit organizations. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, Association Forum, and various other civic and educational organizations. Jim also serves as an appointed member of the Illinois CPA Society's Non-Profit Committee and is chairperson of the Not-for-Profit Conference Committee and past chairperson of the Not-for-Profit Special Interest Group. He is an adjunct faculty member of North Park University and serves as an appointed member of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence Selection Committee and the City of Chicago CityArts Program Review Panel. Jim has experience serving on the board of directors of various not-for-profit organizations. He is a 1991 graduate of Marquette University.

Jason Saul

A leading expert in the field of performance measurement and benchmarking, Saul is the founder and Managing Director of Mission Measurement, LLC, a performance measurement consultancy. In 2000, Saul co-founded B2PCommerce Corp, a software firm that developed products for nonprofits and foundations. Prior to 2000, Saul practiced as an attorney at Mayer, Brown Rowe & Maw, where he represented government and nonprofit clients. In 1994, Saul co-founded the Center for What Works, a national nonprofit organization that sets standards for outcomes and performance measurement. Jason Saul is the author of the book: Benchmarking for Nonprofits: How to Manage, Measure and Improve Performance, published in 2004 by Fieldstone Press. The book was awarded the 2005 Ben Franklin Award by the Independent Publisher’s Association for best business book of the year. Saul holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A. in Government and French Literature from Cornell University. He is currently a faculty member at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In 1989, Saul was awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship for leadership and public service.

Kathy Schaeffer

Kathy Schaeffer considers it a calling to help clients achieve their goals through creative and effective communications strategies. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Kathy founded Kathy Schaeffer and Associates, Inc. to fulfill her passion to provide the highest quality communications to clients trying to make the world a better place. As a result, a commitment to projects that make the community better is a hallmark of the firm.

Clients seek Kathy’s counsel because of her more than 25 years of communications experience. Kathy helps associations, nonprofits and corporations change public opinion, shape public policy and educate the public about important issues. Over the years, she has expertly helped clients translate their policy positions to make landmark legislative progress and engender broad public support in a wide array of areas, including health care, economic development, tax policy, conservation and education. She has helped organizations and individuals build public awareness, mend reputations and navigate crises.

With 10 years of reporting experience at the Daily Herald, Kathy understands how reporters think and how the media work. That, combined with six subsequent years at Jasculca/Terman and Associates, where she rose to vice president, gave Kathy unmatched expertise on both sides of the news equation when she started Kathy Schaeffer and Associates in 1994.

Kathy chairs the Church Council at the First United Methodist Church of Chicago and with her husband teaches youth Sunday school. She also serves on the board of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance and is the president of the Chicago Area Public Affairs Group. Kathy is a member of the advisory board of the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University. She serves on the public policy advisory committee of the Donors Forum of Chicago and on the government affairs committee of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the advisory board of Deborah’s Place.

Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois in Urbana.

David Blair

David Blair is an associate in Winning Workplaces’ consulting and training practice. David’s professional experience includes helping nonprofit organizations to build and sustain high-performance workplaces. He is particularly versed in conducting organizational assessments using employee surveys and focus groups, facilitating action-planning task forces, and providing general workplace consulting and training services to nonprofits. Prior to joining Winning Workplaces, he spent several years in program development and administration for a major nonprofit organization in Chicago. David holds a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Michigan State University, and will be completing a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago in June.

Mary Corbitt Clark

Mary Corbitt Clark, Executive Director of Winning Workplaces, has held senior management positions in human resources and organizational development consulting firms, specializing in small to midsize companies, and has established human resources functions for entrepreneurial ventures. She spent 14 years in career management and organizational development consulting with Jannotta, Bray & Associates, Right Associates and People Tech consulting. Early in her career, she served as Assistant Dean, Director of Admissions at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Mary has a B.A. degree from Mount Holyoke College and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School. She is on the faculty of the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

Diane Stoneman

As the Director of Programs and Services, Diane leads Winning Workplaces’ consulting and training practice and has over 20 yrs experience in the fields of workforce and organizational development. She is an experienced facilitator, marketer and consultant in human resource strategies to increase workplace effectiveness-specializing in small & mid sized businesses. During her career, she has worked as a workforce learning consultant at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), a program director at the Chicago Manufacturing Institute, and a director of a major urban community development organization in Michigan. Diane has a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and holds a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago.

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