NANCY E. GIST

Organizational Performance · Program Development & Evaluation · Partnership Development · Executive Coaching

Nancy Gist brings substantial experience in public, private, and nonprofit sector management to The VOR Group, Ltd.

She has served most recently as Director of The Legacy League, assisting professional athletes in finding their philanthropic passion, organizing their resources, and developing and executing their giving plans.

Nancy previously served as Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the largest grantmaking agency of the US Department of Justice, a position for which she was nominated by President Bill Clinton and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate. With an annual appropriation of almost $2 billion, BJA supports all components of state, local and tribal criminal justice systems through funding, training and technical assistance. Under her leadership, BJA developed and administered numerous innovative grant programs, with a particular emphasis on community justice, comprehensive planning, and strategic partnerships.

Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Nancy served for ten years as Deputy Chief Counsel of the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state's public defense agency. She did pioneering work in the area of prepaid legal services, developing, administering and consulting on prepaid legal services plans and delivery systems for unions and employers as Assistant Director of the United States Auto Workers Legal Services Plan and as Director of Midwest Legal Services in Detroit. She practiced law in Chicago as a staff attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and as a volunteer attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services.

Nancy is a graduate of Wellesley College (Economics) and Yale Law School. She is a member of the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation Advisory Network and of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Community Peace. She lives in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, DC.

RUTH L. GOINS

Organizational Performance · Program Review & Assessment · Leadership Development · Strategic Planning · Budget & Financial Management · Interim Executive Services

Ruth L. Goins is a seasoned consultant specializing in program planning and development and organizational development for the philanthropic and nonprofit community. She has worked with organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of their work, designed program strategies for new initiatives, and conducted research to help organizations build their knowledge in potential new program directions.

Since 1999, Ruth has also served as the interim executive director of three small national nonprofit organizations - Women’s Funding Network, Women & Philanthropy, and most recently Community Development Partnerships Network. In each instance, she stepped in at a critical moment to help maintain the organization’s programmatic momentum and administrative stability as the board of directors reached pivotal decisions about the organizations’ future directions and leadership.

Ruth is a highly respected leader with solid program and organizational skills. She is an adept listener, a capacity she uses effectively in working with groups to identify issues, set priorities, and make decisions. Her style combines strategic thinking, efficient decision-making and respectful support. She possesses strong analytic skills and is an accomplished planner.

Since she started her consulting practice in 1997, clients have included major private foundations and nonprofits organizations, a corporate community affairs program, and a local office of the largest national provider of community development financing and technical assistance. Her client list includes, among others:

• The McKnight Foundation
• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
• National Congress for Community Economic Development
• The St. Paul Companies -- Community Affairs
• Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation – Twin Cities

Prior to opening her consulting practice, Ms. Goins served as a member of the program staffs of two large private foundations - the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Northwest Area Foundation. In both situations, her primary programmatic focus was community and economic development.

Ms. Goins also has a history of leadership within the national philanthropic field. She is a past chair of the Neighborhood Funders Group, a national group of funders working on issues of affordable housing and neighborhood development. She also served two terms on the board of Women & Philanthropy, during which time she served as Secretary, Vice Chair and Acting Chair. In 2004, Ms. Goins completed a term as chair of the board of directors of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her efforts on behalf of nonprofit organizations.

Ms. Goins, who resides in Washington, DC, holds a BA in Urban Studies from Wellesley College; she received an MS in Public Management and Policy Analysis from Carnegie-Mellon University.

ROBERT (“BOB”) HUNZINGER

Leadership Development · Team Building · Executive Coaching · Conflict Management and Resolution · Strategic Planning · Organizational Transition Assistance · Retreat and Meeting Facilitation

Bob Hunzinger is an accomplished professional whose specialty includes the full range of issues surrounding organizational performance.

A senior consultant in organizational effectiveness and change management, Bob has worked for such consulting firms as Noblis, Inc., BearingPoint, Inc., and American Management Systems (AMS). In all of these settings, Bob has led change development teams in an effort to advance best practices to build, sustain, and align human capital with organizational vision, mission, and goals.

Bob’s strengths lie in his commitment to nurturing high performance capacity through judicious coaching and collaboration techniques. He is especially skilled in working with executives, leaders, and managers. He has led several successful organizational transformation and transition efforts in public, private and nonprofit organizations. His passion and commitment to making a difference in the organizations with which he works are unparalleled.

Bob received his BA in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and his MA in Organizational Development from The American University. He resides in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.

SUE LOMENZO

Public Relations · Communications · Media Relations · Marketing Strategies · Brand Building · Partnership Development

Sue Lomenzo has over 20 years of experience as a senior communications, marketing, and public relations professional. The former Senior Vice President for Communications & Marketing at America’s Promise – the Alliance for Youth, she also oversaw a major global environmental communication initiative for the Academy for Educational Development (AED)’s Center for Environmental Strategies, an initiative that included projects in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Prior to joining AED, Ms. Lomenzo ran her own communications consulting business, providing strategic guidance to clients in the international and domestic nonprofit sectors.

Sue also served as Vice President for Communications at The Wilderness Society (TWS), a 300,000 member national environmental organization, where she oversaw all external communications functions, including institutional brand building, market research, polling and message development, media outreach, membership communications, electronic communications, and cause marketing/corporate partnership development.

From the mid-80s to the late-90s, Sue served as an executive at three public relations agencies in Washington, DC and New York City. Her clients included nonprofit environmental organizations, broadcast and publishing companies, and membership associations. She also managed projects for tourism and economic development clients.

Ms. Lomenzo holds a BS in political science from Union College. She resides in Washington, DC.

ANTHONY L. (“TONY”) MOSCA

Program Assessment and Analysis · Budget and Fiscal Analysis · Grant Stewardship · Meeting and Workshop Facilitation ·General Writing

Tony Mosca has been an educator for his entire career. A master classroom teacher and mentor to young professionals just starting their careers in education, Tony has also developed exceptional administrative, fundraising, and grantwriting skills. In cooperation with school administrators and superintendents in New York City, he raised millions of dollars for the inner city school with which he was associated. Through such grants as The 21st Century Learning Center (Federal), Comprehensive School Reform (State), Reading for Results (State), Students with Interrupted Schooling (State) and The Center for Arts Education (Annenberg, City), his responsibilities beyond the classroom included the administration of the program components of the grants as well as fiscal oversight and stewardship.

Since his retirement from the New York City Board of Education in 2004, Tony has worked with The Chasdrew Fund (a Maryland-based family trust) as both a writer and an educational consultant. He has written extensively for one of the Fund's major initiatives, The Campaign for Youth Justice. Recent projects include securing funds for a host of educational organizations in New York City, among them: Hunter College Elementary School, The George Jackson Academy, P.S. 145, and Stages of Learning. He continues to teach on a part-time basis in a private secondary school.

Tony holds a BA in History and master's degrees in Secondary Education and History. He and his wife reside in New York City and Hampton Bays, New York.

DEIRDRE H. O’BOYLE
DHO Consulting, Inc.

Brand Development · Marketing Strategy · Research · Marketing Communications · Strategic Website Development · e-marketing

Deirdre O’Boyle brings 25 years of experience in marketing management to The VOR Group, Ltd., including 18 years dedicated to customer relationship management strategy and execution. Didi assists organizations in using marketing as a strategic competitive weapon.

Didi’s broad experience spans creating marketing departments for Liggett Group, Inc. and Howard, Merrell & Partners Brand Development Agency; developing integrated branding campaigns for Fortune 500 manufacturing and technology companies; and integrating marketing and information technology strategies to build more effective branding programs for such clients as: SAS Institute, Kimberly-Clark, MacGregor Golf, and ING Direct.

In more recent years Didi has used her experience to equip nonprofit organizations with strategic brand marketing to achieve national awareness, develop new products and increase revenue and funding streams by executing targeted marketing campaigns. A few of the nonprofit organizations with which Didi has consulted include: Youth Communication, Youth Radio, ShadeTree for Girls, the University of North Carolina, The Campaign for Youth Justice, and the Latin American Youth Center.

Didi is a member of the Direct Marketing Association, the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, NAFE, and the American Marketing Association; she is a past-president of the NC Triangle Chapter of the American Marketing Association. She has led direct marketing seminars for Duke University Medical Center, United Methodist Communications Group, and several advertising agencies.

Didi holds a BA in Psychology from Merrimack College, North Andover, MA. She and her family reside in Raleigh, North Carolina.

RICHARD RECORD

Meeting & Retreat Facilitation · Budget Development and Accountability Strategies · Leadership Development · Team Building · Strategic Planning

Richard Record joins The VOR Group, Ltd. with nearly 30 years of hands-on experience in international project and program design, implementation, and management. His practical experience at both headquarters and in the field has allowed him to develop a depth and breadth of expertise to work effectively in a broad range of development roles and situations. He is particularly skilled in the intercultural work environment, having served as a contractor or consultant in twenty-eight countries.

Richard has extensive experience in program and project management and is proficient in budget development, fiscal monitoring and accounting, contract development and management, contract negotiation, and management of client and constituent relationships.

Richard has represented several US government agencies in the identification, design, and evaluation of collaborative development projects in agriculture, education, health and nutrition, environment, youth and community development. Much of his work has focused on strengthening decentralized management of localized development activities, concentrating on the continuous improvement of management and planning.

Richard also has substantial experience in all aspects of didactic and participatory training and facilitation, including needs assessment, design, implementation, management, and evaluation. He is skilled in facilitating strategic development, team building, and design and management workshops. Since 1985, he has worked with internationally diverse groups at all levels, including community groups, NGOs, field technical advisors, middle and upper level management personnel, and government policy makers. He currently serves as an Expert Consultant to several US government programs, providing assistance in developing realistic strategies for enhancing program effectiveness.

Richard is a graduate of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and is a Certified Public Mediator in Peace Corps settings. He and his family live in Alexandria, Virginia.

VIRGINIA (“GINNIE”) O’BRIEN RECORD
Founder & Managing Director of The VOR Group, Ltd.

Start-up Services · Governing Document Review and Development · Board Development · Retreat and Meeting Facilitation · General Fundraising Counsel · Resource Development Planning · Strategic Planning · Executive Coaching

A 35-year veteran of nonprofit management, Virginia O’Brien Record sat on the asking side of the nonprofit table for three decades at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and the American Hospital of Paris before joining the staff of The Chasdrew Fund, a Maryland-based family trust, in 2001. Her six years with The Chasdrew Fund have allowed her to observe philanthropy from the giving side of the table; as a result, she has developed a management portfolio that spans the nonprofit spectrum.

Virginia’s portfolio includes the full range of nonprofit consulting services, including start-up activities; governing board recruitment, assessment, and development; governing document development and review; budget development and accountability strategies; strategic and resource development planning; and general fundraising counsel. Virginia is particularly skilled in facilitating board retreats and meetings.

Virginia currently serves as a member of several nonprofit boards, including a Vermont-based state college, a regional community center (also located in Vermont), a local youth organization, and a university press. She also chairs the board of a for-profit technology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah that develops software solutions for the healthcare industry, and she chairs her homeowners’ association board of directors.

Virginia received her BA in French language and literature from Dunbarton College, and she holds a master’s degree in higher education from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She is a resident of Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.

MARTHA H. SCHUMACHER, CFRE

Annual and Major Gifts Solicitation Strategy and Training · Capital Campaign Consultation · General Fundraising Counsel · Board Development · Resource Development Planning · Leadership Development · Team Building · Executive Coaching

With over 20 years of nonprofit fundraising and organizational development experience, Martha H. Schumacher received the Outstanding Professional Fundraiser of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Washington DC Chapter (AFP-DC) in 2006. Her greatest strength is in her ability to provide exceptional services that are tailored to meet each organization’s specific needs.

Martha was on the Defenders of Wildlife development team for nine years, where she was promoted to the positions of Director of Development and Vice President for Development. Since leaving Defenders in 2003, Martha has worked side-by-side with many outstanding nonprofit organizations including the ACLU-MD, American Red Cross, Epilepsy Foundation, Capital Area Asset Builders, Endangered Species Coalition, National Aquarium in Baltimore, National Partnership for Women & Families, People for the American Way, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

Martha currently serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals International (AFP) and is the AFP Marketing and Communications Chair. She was the president of AFP-DC in 2002.

Martha received a BS in Public and Environmental Affairs with a concentration in Law and Public Policy from Indiana University. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), holds a Certificate in Fundraising from George Washington University and completed the Fundraising School’s rigorous Capital Campaign Course. Martha lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband, two dogs and two cats.

PENNY THOMAS-KEZAR

Executive Coaching · Leadership Development · Team Building ·
Conflict Management & Resolution · Meeting, Workshop, & Retreat Facilitation · Group Facilitation

Penny Thomas-Kezar joins The VOR Group under the auspices of PTK & Associates, a management consulting firm specializing in team building, group facilitation, communication skills, and customer relations training. She has facilitated training workshops for a wide variety of clients including nationwide businesses, government agencies, small businesses, non-profit organizations, and associations.

Penny has facilitated workshops in numerous human resource dimensions that include management and supervision skills, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and professional/personal development. Her train-the-trainer workshops provide managers, the front-line, and trainers with the skills needed to transfer learning in the corporate environment. In addition, she is certified to administer leadership measurement instruments and such personal preference indicators as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

Penny has provided customer relations training for a wide variety of organizations, including E.I. dupont de Nemours, the US Department of Agriculture, AETNA Insurance, British Aerospace, J.C. Penney, and many others. She has also designed organization-wide interventions that have reduced bottlenecks, clarified roles, and created a climate of partnership between functional groups.

In addition to consulting, Ms. Thomas-Kezar has served as an Adjunct Faculty member at National Louis University – School of Management and Business. Her courses span a broad field of management areas, including: Cultural Issues in the Workplace; Management and Supervision, Organizational Development; Presentation Skills; and Group Dynamics.

Ms. Thomas-Kezar holds a Masters degree in Organization Development from the American University in Washington, DC in conjunction with the National Training Laboratories. She and her family divide their time between Vienna, Virginia and Morgan, Vermont.

SIMPATICO DESIGN STUDIO
AMY & DAVE SIMPSON
www.simpaticodesignstudio.com

Website Design & Development · Multimedia Design & Development ·
Print Collateral Design · Logo & Identity Development

Simpatico Design Studio, located in Alexandria, Virginia, may be a small studio, but its owners, Amy and Dave Simpson, have big ideas. Simpatico Design Studio is a full-service firm specializing in web and print graphics. Amy and Dave offer creative solutions to real life design problems, and they can handle any size project – from teeny-tiny to enormous – effectively and efficiently. Their clients are located through the US and include both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Together, Amy and Dave have over 16 years of experience in graphic design. They are great listeners who pay attention to detail and know how to turn problems into opportunities. They can handle the entire scope of whatever project they undertake, from the smallest tasks to the finishing touches, mastering everything in between.

The VOR Group, Ltd. is very pleased to include Simpatico Design Studio in its network of experts.

CHRISTA WATTERS

General Writing and Editing · Communications

Christa Watters is a writer and editor with a rich background in community journalism. For the past 11 years she has owned and operated WattersEdge, which provides writing and editorial services tailored to meeting the needs of the client in a timely manner. WattersEdge specializes in making highly technical and specialized information comprehensible to the layperson as well as technical readers; she adapts her writing and editing skills to the voice and style of the client. Often meeting tight deadlines, she suggests ways to restructure documents that need stronger organization and reads for sense as well as grammatical and stylistic correctness. She has helped devise the initial project report text format for a nationwide nonprofit agency’s website and has edited content for other sites.

Christa has considerable experience reporting, writing, and editing in the field of education. She has edited human resources documents on a variety of topics, including military personnel training, human resources evaluation and retention systems in government agencies, educational testing, and reports of seminars and conferences. She has copyedited annual reports and anniversary publications and has edited several books, both narratives and compilations, including Attu: Birding on the Edge (2003), a compilation of essays, journals, poetry, photos and art, co-published by the American Birding Association.

She served as editor of Potomac Review, a twice-yearly literary magazine published by Montgomery College (2001 to 2005). She is a former reporter and editor for the Alexandria Gazette Packet and Connection Newspapers.

Past and present clients include the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), the Public Entity Risk Institute, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL), the National Academy of Public Administration, and RK-net.

Christa is fluent in German and has reading competencies in French and Russian. She holds a BA in Government from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She resides in Old Town, Alexandria, VA.

WILLIAM (“BILL”) WRIGHT

Program Planning and Assessment · Budget Planning and Analysis · Special Event Planning · Project Management · Administrative Structures · Executive Searches

Bill Wright has successfully spanned three careers – architecture, university administration, and performing arts management – over four decades.

Following receipt of his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Kansas and a certificate in design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Bill assumed the role of project administrator for one of the largest and most prestigious architectural firms in the nation. This work led him to positions in university administration that allowed him to use his architectural background as well as his astute sense of administrative organization and budget management required for project completion.

After celebrated careers at the University of Houston and Rutgers University, Bill made an incredibly smooth segué from higher education to the performing arts, first serving as President of New Brunswick Cultural Center, Inc., which was charged with developing the first comprehensive center for the arts in New Jersey. At the end of his term there, the Center had three theatres operating on a year-round basis, dance studios for the resident ballet company, and a gallery and offices for New Jersey’s fine crafts organizations.

Following the completion and five years of successful operation of the Cultural Center, Bill moved west to became Executive Director of the Wharton Center at Michigan State University, where developed the Center into one of the largest performing arts programs in the country. In his first six years at Wharton, he took the annual budget from $2 million to $10 million, built the staff from 14 full-time to 30 full-time professionals, developed the largest arts education program in the state, and raised millions of dollars for facility improvements and program development. Using well-honed marketing and communications skills, he extended the Wharton Center’s reach to all corners of the state. Fundraising, special event planning, arts programming and marketing, and general management have been Bill’s fortés in his years as a performing arts administrator.

Using this unique combination of professions – architecture, university administration, and performing arts management – Bill has served on several nonprofit boards of directors and has been engaged in a variety of consulting capacities, from executive searches to program and budget development for both architectural projects and the performing arts. Bill is a consummate wordsmith who has relocated to his childhood home of St. Joseph, Missouri.