Options Besides Merger: How to Restructure for Mission Impact

Mergers are not the only option for organizations seeking to strengthen, share or expand services and resources. There are a host of possibilities on the spectrum between an informal collaboration and a fully integrated organizational merger. This workshop will focus on a range of partnership and restructuring options for nonprofits - such as strategic alliances, fiscal sponsorship, joint ventures, administrative consolidation, merger, and shared services. Join us to discuss these models and evaluate what might be a good fit for your organization.

Track: Collaboration

Skill Level: Mid-Advanced

• Presenters: Hez Norton, Heather Harker, Margo Kelly, & Kay Snowden - Third Sector New England

  • Heather Harker directs TSNE's Consulting & Executive Transitions Program. Prior to TSNE, Heather was the assistant director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, focusing on policy development, advocacy and program implementation. While there, Heather received the prestigious three-year Kellogg International Leadership Program fellowship. Heather also received an echoing green fellowship for social innovation to work in Malaysia with the deaf community to establish a public health educational series, English as a Second Language programs and a summer youth leadership camp, all while teaching in schools for the deaf.

     

    Hez Norton manages TSNEs Organizational and Executive Transitions Program, which provides an array of services for organizations that are undergoing or expecting to undergo a transition. Hez previously served as the executive director of Resource Generation, the founder and executive director of North Carolina Lambda Youth Network, and a program officer for Learn and Serve America with the North Carolina Commission on National and Community Service. Hez has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lyndhurst Foundation and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Funders of Lesbian and Gay Issues.
    
    Margo Kelly is an independent consultant and executive coach with 30 years of experience in leadership and management in the non-profit sector. She served as the first Chief Operating Officer of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (now NeighborWorks America) where she oversaw the growth and critical functions of what was then a $115 million national organization with offices in 11 states. In 2004, Ms. Kelly established a consulting practice specializing in organizational assessment, planning, restructuring and problem-solving, executive coaching and executive search. In addition to her experience as a strategic and highly effective manager, she possesses exceptional written and oral communication skills and the ability to facilitate difficult discussions among diverse audiences and stakeholders to a positive and productive conclusion. Her clients range across the non-profit sector. Current and recent clients include The South Boston and South End Community Health Centers, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Americans for Fairness in Lending, Chelsea Neighborhood Developers, The Engineering Center, The Boston Society of Architects and public access television stations in Newton and Waltham, MA. During her tenure at NeighborWorks, Margo fostered and supported a number of alliances, mergers and joint ventures and she is currently working with a trio of arts organizations in the Boston area who are forging a new, strategic partnership. Ms. Kelly serves as an executive coach in the Achieving Excellence Program at Harvard's Kennedy School and in 2002, Ms. Kelly was selected as one of a small number of consultants to conduct executive search and coaching work for Third Sector New England.
    
    Kay Snowden oversees Third Sector New England's fiscal sponsorship program in her role as Manager of Client Services. The program currently provides full financial, human resource and grant management services to 36 nonprofits which are able to accept funds under TSNE's 501(c)(3) status and whose staff members receive benefits as TSNE employees. Kay joined TSNE's consulting practice in 1998, and since 2001 has focused on financial management, planning and organizational development for the nonprofit organizations affiliated with TSNE. She has worked with nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies for her entire career, first as a senior consultant at Arthur D. Little, Inc. for ten years and then with the American Psychiatric Association. Kay earned her Master's in Public and Private Management from Yale University, and her BA in Economics from Oberlin College.

Grounded Visioning: Creating A Shared Vision of Your Future, Fast!

This workshop introduces Grounded Visioning, a new methodology for creating shared vision in teams, organizations, and communities in four hours or less. The method helps diverse groups of people come together and discover the common ground that unites them, and does so with remarkable speed. Teams can develop a shared vision in two hours or less. Multiple stakeholder groups as large as 150 or 250 can find common ground in four hours. The method is the featured subject of a 2009 book by Praeger entitled Recharge Your Team: The Grounded Visioning Approach, and was the cover article of the July/August 2008 issue of Nonprofit World.

Track: Collaboration

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenter: Jay W. Vogt, Peoplesworth
  Tim Garvin, United Way of Central Massachusetts

  • Jay W. Vogt founded Peoplesworth, a private practice in consulting, training, and counseling, in 1982. Jay is a master at facilitating large groups, having led over one hundred events involving over ten thousand participants. Jay is the author of Recharge Your Team: The Grounded Visioning Approach, a new book by Praeger on his visioning work with clients.
    
    Since arriving at the United Way of Central Massachusetts in March, 2006, Tim Garvin energized the 87-year-old philanthropic organization. United Way of Central Massachusetts works to change the lives of the citizens in central Massachusetts by ensuring the children, youth, families, and people most in need have the opportunity to become self-sufficient and successful members of society.
    
    In just 18 months, Tim has stabilized the organization financially: revenue has increased to more than $6.5 million; spending has decreased; and more money is being granted back to the community to make a lasting impact in the lives of children, youth, and adults most in need. Tim is most proud of the community change in ‘supporting positive youth development’ and ‘ensuring children’s readiness for school,’ where youth violence and pre-school expulsion issues are at the forefront of what the United Way is working to address.
    
    Prior to joining the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Tim spent 19 years in non-profit agencies including serving as the Vice President/Executive Director of the Central Branch of the YMCA, Boston; Executive Director of the Allston Brighton Family YMCA/Oak Square YMCA; and as a volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Jamaica, West Indies.
    
    Tim Co-Chairs the American Diabetes Association Advocacy Group, where he spends many hours speaking with legislators and advocating for diabetes issues at the state level. Tim is a volunteer soccer coach; and enjoys spending time with his three young children: Colin, Erin and Meghan; and his wife of 17 years, Theresa.

Meet the Funders Panel Discussion 

Join us for an overview of how funders are currently thinking about their grantmaking, and what they see as possible trends in the coming months.  Questions this panel will address include how funders calculate their annual “payout” levels, and how priorities get shaped in extraordinary times. This session will provide an opportunity to hear about the specific funding approaches of the panelists, as well as significant time to ask questions. 

Track: Fund Development

Skill Level: General Audience

• Moderator:  Miki Akimoto, Acting President, Associated Grant Makers
  Panel:
  Jessica Newman, Manager of Community Relations, BJ’s Wholesale Club
  Jeff Paquette, Assiatant Vice President, Grantmaking & Operations, The Boston Foundation
  Carla Oleska, Executive Director, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts
  Katherine McHugh, Executive Director, Cabot Family Charitable Trust

  • Miki Akimoto is the Acting President of Associated Grant Makers, where she leads the staff work around designing, implementing and evaluating programs for grantmakers and grantseekers, as well as leading the public policy work for the organization. She manages the work with the Board, as well a series of external relationships. Prior to AGM, Miki was the Director of Grants Management at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where she implemented the Foundation’s first formal grants management system. Other work experiences include the Corporation for National Service, AmeriCorps*National; and the Circle Solutions consulting firm. Miki helped co-found the Saffron Circle, the first Asian Giving Circle in Massachusetts; and is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), and the YWCA Boston. Miki grew up in Germany, and holds a BA in Political Science from Stanford University.

     

    Jessica Newman is the Manager of Community Relations at BJ’s Wholesale Club, where she provides overall supervision, guidance and support to the BJ’s Charitable Foundation and the philanthropic programs of BJ’s Wholesale Clubs.  Jessica came to BJ’s in February 2009, from the Rock Bottom Foundation in Colorado where she served as their Executive Director and provided direction and supervision of the philanthropic programs for the corporate foundation of Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc.  Prior to her work with the Rock Bottom Foundation, Jessica worked for the Junior League of Denver as well as the Colorado Restaurant Association. 

     

    A native of Massachusetts, Jessica recently returned to the Greater Boston area from Denver, CO where she enjoyed a wide array of outdoor activities like hiking, biking and skiing.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

     

    Jeff Paquette joined the Boston Foundation in early 2008 and is responsible for the Foundation's grantmaking operations. He recently led the development of the Foundation's new strategic framework, which updates the Foundation's areas of focus and makes significant changes to its approach to grantmaking. Jeff brings over 20 years of experience leading and growing mission-driven, entrepreneurial organizations in the areas of education, youth development and community development. His work has focused on building organizational capacity and systems to enhance the scale, effectiveness and impact of innovative nonprofit organizations.
    
    Prior to joining the Boston Foundation, Jeff served as Vice President, Strategic Growth and Development, for Massachusetts 2020, supporting its efforts to establish and scale an innovative school model based on a longer and redesigned school day as a strategy to improve student achievement. Prior to that, Jeff worked for twelve years with City Year, a national youth service organization headquartered in Boston, where he most recently led the start-up and launch of the organization's first international program in Johannesburg, South Africa. Other roles at City Year included Executive Director of City Year Boston and Co-Chief Operating Officer of City Year, Inc. Jeff also served as Chief Operating Officer at Urban Edge, one of Boston's leading community development corporations, and worked earlier in his career as Executive Director of The DOME Project, a community-based organization which operated a network of programs for youth and families in New York City.
    
    Jeff received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley, and his undergraduate degree from Columbia University. He lives with his wife and two children in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

     

    Carla Oleska, Ph.D. executive director of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts has held the position since 2006, but has been connected with the Fund since its inception, both as a grantee partner and donor. She has over twenty years of professional experience in creatively addressing the needs of women and girls, specializing in the design of programs enhancing academic preparation, higher education access and degree completion. Her work on behalf of women and girls has been recognized both regionally and nationally. Prior to joining the Fund as director, Carla had a long and varied career in administration and teaching at Elms College, Chicopee, MA. During her tenure at Elms she served on many public boards and committees, including Girl Scouts of Pioneer Valley and the Polish Center for Discovery and Learning. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Community Action of Franklin and Hampshire counties, the Hampden County Literacy Cabinet, and is co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Network.
    
    Katherine McHugh is executive director of the Cabot Family Charitable Trust, a post she has held since 2008. Previously, she served as the Director of Program Development for MassINC, a statewide nonprofit research and policy organization focusing on the welfare of the state’s middle class. In addition, she brings many years of philanthropic experience from her position as Program Director for the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust, a New England-wide family philanthropy, in which she served for 12 years. She is trained as a lawyer and practiced for many years before turning to philanthropy in 1992. She is a trustee and vice chair of the Board of Northeastern University and received an honorary degree from the university in May of 2008. She is also a former chair of the Associated Grant Makers board and Boston Education Funders group, and a current member of the EdVestors board.

Getting Ready for Income Generating Revenue

Does your nonprofit have a product or service that could earn revenue for the organization? Has your organization thought about generating income from the sale of goods or services? This workshop explores the steps to getting ready for an income generating venture. Explore aspects of a new business venture including product and service design, knowing your customer, financing, legal considerations, risk profile of your organization and business planning.

Track: Fund Development

Skill Level: Mid-Advanced

• Presenter: Kristen McCormack,  Boston University Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership

  • Kristen McCormack has thirty years of experience leading nonprofit and government organizations in Boston. She is the Founder of the Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester and Founding Executive Director of the Greater Boston Food Bank. Ms. McCormack served for nearly a decade in city government in a variety of senior management positions including Director of the Mayor’s Office of Jobs and Community Services where she was instrumental in the establishment of the Boston Adult Literacy Fund, the Boston Employment Commission, the Safe Neighborhoods Fund, Boston Can Share and the Neighborhood Jobs Trust. Ms. McCormack also led the financial and programmatic turn around of one of Boston’s largest social service agencies in the 1990’s. A resident of Dorchester, she also served as a founding member of the Dorchester Youth Task Force, the All Dorchester Sports League and the Dorchester Center for Adult Education. Ms. McCormack has served as a consultant to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in Boston including the United Way of Massachusetts Bay where she guided the establishment of the Women’s Leadership Breakfast and the Faith in Action Initiative. Today Ms. McCormack holds the position of Faculty Director of the Public and Nonprofit Management Program at Boston University’s School of Management where she teaches Strategic Fundraising and Corporate Philanthropy; Social Entrepreneurship and Management Consulting. She resides in Dorchester with her family, is a member of Cambridge Christian Vineyard Fellowship and serves as a board member of a variety of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

Get that Grant Through a Sublime Proposal Budget

Obtaining grants is always competitive in New England, but even more so in down economies. If your proposal isn't excellent, chances are you will not receive the dough, re, mi. If your current proposal budget does not sing with clarity, or looks like it was written on Fantasy Island, come to this workshop and learn to create sublime, winning proposal budgets!

Track: Fund Development

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenter: Carla C. Cataldo, Proposals, Etc.

  • Carla C. Cataldo brings many years of government experience to her development consulting business. She has written successful proposals in the areas of: education, health and human services, economic development, transportation enhancements, housing, historical preservation, and the arts. She served as a member of the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation's Distribution Committee for six years, and holds degrees from Smith College and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Three Tools for Every Nonprofit Leader

Non-profits in today's economy face severe challenges. One of the most fundamental is the challenge of doing more with less, and this means that it is more important than ever for leaders to align and empower everyone in order to build capacity without building head count.

This interactive workshop presents and illustrates three vital tools for aligning and empowering staff members.
1. A clear mission and goals. It is surprising how many times groups assume (falsely) that everyone perceives the mission and goals in the same way!
2. Clear plans of action complete with a balanced set of measures to monitor progress. Financial development plans and measures (even donation numbers) are not enough. A balanced set of measures focuses everyone on doing all the important things.
3. Motivation and recognition for great performance. Everyone needs to feel appreciated especially since most non-profits cannot afford to recognize people with high rates of pay.

Attendees will learn how other non-profits have used each of these tools to align and empower their colleagues and to achieve their missions. It is especially appropriate for attendees who are at least mid-level who are interested in leading their organizations to greatness.

Track: Leadership

Skill Level: Mid-Advanced

• Presenters: Diane Schmalensee, Schmalensee Partners
  Steve Hodlin, DST Output
  Dick Eppig Strategic Management Consulting Group

  • Steve Hodlin is a recognized expert in process improvement and quality management offering a passion for process simplification, elimination of waste, and quality improvement with demonstrated cross-industry results. He is able to map creative business strategies, transforming and empowering operations with the tools, techniques, and strategies to improve operational efficiencies, operational effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. He is currently VP, Business Excellence for DST Output, where he leads their continuous improvement initiatives, and he serves on the MassExcellence Board of Directors.

     

    Dick Eppig is President of the Strategic Management Consulting Group (SMCG). SMCG focuses on helping organizations improve performance by providing guidance for development and implementation of appropriate business strategy along with appropriate measures, improving understanding and performance of key business processes, and assessing organizational effectiveness. His clients include non-profit, education, manufacturing and service organizations. He serves on the MassExcellence Board of Directors and has presented at their conferences.

     

    Diane Schmalensee is President of Schmalensee Partners which works with managers and their teams at service organizations to perfect their clients experiences. Many of her clients have received awards recognizing their excellence. She has a background in both marketing and change management and serves (or has served) on the Boards of such non-profits as Pioneer Institute for Public Policy (non-profit with focus on MA), MassExcellence, Boston Ballet, and Crittenton Women s Union, American Marketing Association (national and Boston chapter).

Leadership Development: Finding Your Voice, Your Confidence, Your Stride

Effective Leadership is at the heart of organizational effectiveness and capacity. This workshop will teach participants how to align their distinctive skills, talents, and temperament to the realization of their organization's missions and strategies.

Track: Leadership

Skill Level: Mid-Advanced

• Presenter: Barry Dym, Boston University Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership

  • Barry Dym is the Executive Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership at Boston University. He is an executive coach and organizational development consultant. He is the author of the books, Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations and of the upcoming Passing the Torch: Leadership Continuity and Transition.

Social Media: Volunteer Management in the New Millennium

Participants will learn how to effectively utilize social media to enhance their volunteer programs. The volunteer management staff from WGBH, a leader in innovative media production, will demonstrate its use of social networking as a source of volunteer recruitment and program marketing. Resources examined will include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more. During the session, participants will have the opportunity to observe case studies of successful online volunteer management. The session will include roundtable discussions to share best practices.

Track: Information Technology

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Joanna Rothman & Stacy Kasdin, WGBH Educational Foundation

  • Joanna Rothman has been in the field of volunteer management for a decade, working at such institutions as The Phillips Collection, The New England Aquarium, and WGBH. Joanna is an active volunteer in the Greater Boston community and serves on several advisory boards at local non-profit organizations. She received her BA from Brandeis University and MA from the George Washington University.

     

    Stacy Kasdin spearheaded the online marketing initiative for WGBH s volunteer programs and was recently published on this topic in an issue of public radio fundraising organization DEI s newsletter. Stacy is an active volunteer and fundraiser, devoting her time to non-profits Camp Sunshine and Homes for the Homeless. She has her B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Effective Contact and Donor Management - What's New

Many small and medium sized nonprofits wrestle with older contact management systems or no system at all. This workshop will survey new opportunities that could help organizations overcome the obstacles of costs, resources and complexity of change. Participants will learn about:

• the new generation of contact and donor databases and how to get started evaluating them

• how to consider costs and benefits of integrating web forms, such as event registration or donations, with internal databases

• cloud computing such as Salesforce's nonprofit edition or Convio's common ground or and how these can reduce the overhead for effective contact management

• better integration of donor lists with email newsletter lists and social networking pages

Track: Information Technology

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Steve Backman, Database Designs
  Marc Baizman, Root Cause
  

  • Steve Backman has worked for twenty years with nonprofits on effective technology planning. His company, Database Designs, focuses on implementing effective web and data systems for nonprofits and public sector organizations.
    
    Marc Baizman is the Information Technology Manager for Root Cause. Marc joined Root Cause after two years working in the nonprofit sector at NPower as a Senior Project Manager in Consulting Services. Prior to NPower, he was a technology trainer at Pfizer for three years. Marc brings a wealth of experience in the private sector, having worked at Motorola and Xerox, as well as a passion for the nonprofit sector and connecting organizations with technology in a positive way. Marc has an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a TESOL Certificate from Columbia Teacher's College in New York City.

Board Governance and Complying with the New Form 990

Participants will be provided with tools and recommendations to develop board competence and operating procedures including what the IRS is looking for in proper board governance and how to respond to the questions asked by the IRS on the New Form 990 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.

Track: Regulatory/Legal

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Barry Chait & Peter Dinsmore, Parent McLaughlin & Nangle CPA's

  • Barry N. Chait, Esq. is a Senior Tax Manager at Parent McLaughlin & Nangle CPA's. He provides advisory services to not-for-profits in the areas of Board of Directors education and development and fundraising.

     

    Peter H. Dinsmore, CPA has over 30 years experience as a Certified Public Accountant. He is Partner in charge of audits of a variety of not-for-profit organizations and an accounting, tax and business advisor for a wide range of industries, including not-for-profit, services, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, and real estate.

Creating a Culture of Supervision

Strong supervision creates a culture of mutual respect in which employees and supervisors communicate regularly and clearly about job-related expectations, tasks and overall performance. Through this highly participatory training designed for those responsible for establishing organizational culture, you will:
• Explore job descriptions for supervisors
• Consider the role employee orientation plays in establishing expectations
• Identify key tools to facilitate an organizational culture shift
• Develop an implementation strategy.

Track: Capacity Building

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Lyn Freundlich & Joanne Horgan, Third Sector New England
  

  • Lyn Freundlich is the Director of Administration and Human Resources for Third Sector New England. In this capacity she oversees the operational and personnel aspects of the organization, ensuring that internal customers receive the support and services they need in order to meet their mission-driven goals. In addition, she provides employee relations and other human resources-oriented consultation to TSNE clients. She has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Lyn has a B.A. from Oberlin College and a Masters Degree in Organization and Management from Antioch University of New England.

    
    Joanne Horgan is TSNE s Sr. Human Resources Manager for the Fiscal Sponsorship program. Joanne has 20 years of experience in a wide range of HR functions, including employee relations, training, performance management, policies and procedures development, and legal compliance. She currently supports 18 nonprofit clients, each with varied missions, staffing and programs.

MNN Action Session I: Where We’ve Been and Where Should We Go?

Come help evaluate the programs and services of MNN in three areas, public awareness, capacity building and advocacy. Help plan the future direction of the organization. This interactive session will be led by the President of MNN and facilitated by Ruth Aaron, of Aaron & Associates.

Track: MNN Action Session

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Bill Walczak, Codman Square Health Center
  David Magnani, Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
  David Turcotte, University of Massachusetts - Lowell, Department of Regional Economic and Social Development & Center for Family, Work, and Community
  Moderator: Ruth Aaron, Aaron & Associates

  • Bill Walczak is most associated with the Codman Square Health Center, a multi service center which he co-founded in the 1970s and has been its CEO since 1980. The Health Center is a major provider of medical and other clinical services and of community services including job training, civic health, education, youth and other programs. The Health Center serves over 20,000 individuals, has over 130,000 annual visits, with 270 employees and a budget of $15 million.
    
    Mr. Walczak is also founding president of Codman Academy Charter School, a high school located on the health center campus. He is a co-founder and co-CEO of DotWell, a partnership with the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center. Overall, the DotWell enterprise encompasses two health centers serving nearly 45,000 individuals, and includes a school, after school programs, adult education, after school activities, a community technology center, public health programs, civic engagement programs, recreation center including a pool and gym, and many other services. This effort is considered a national and even international model of an NGO collaboration which uses the medical system as a platform for community regeneration. In this capacity, Mr. Walczak also works on international programs in South Africa, Northern Ireland and Vietnam.
    
    Mr. Walczak is currently the President of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and is a founding member of the MNN Board of Directors.

    
    David Magnani is a veteran of the Massachusetts State Legislature, where he served for 20 years as a State Representative and then a State Senator, representing the 2nd Middlesex-Norfolk District. He stepped down from his senate seat in 2005 to found EdAction Associates, a consulting firm focused on education and technology-based economic development. He also served as founding Director of the Citizen Involvement Training Project, which provided support to more than 400 nonprofit organizations in the course of eight years, beginning in 1976, earning national honors for innovation in education. He is the founder of the Ashland Educational Community Center and is involved in eleven different volunteer associations, including a position on the Board of Directors for the National Peace Corps Association. He holds a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University, Doctorate of Education and Masters of Education from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, and a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University. He completed a Senior Executive Leadership program at Harvard University’s JFK School of Government in 2003.

     

    David Turcotte, Sc.D. is senior program manager at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Center for Family, Work, and Community and adjunct professor in the Department of Regional Economic and Social Development with more than 20 years of community development experience. He has administered several community development and environmental related projects, including an EPA funded initiative to train healthcare professionals serving minority and low-income populations on children environmental health risks, the CIRCLE (Center for Immigrant and Refugee Community Leadership and Empowerment) Project that provided ongoing technical assistance and capacity building training to leaders of newer immigrant communities, co-directing the first “scenario workshop”, participatory-planning project in the United States, In the Community’s Hands: Planning for a Sustainable Lowell.
    
    Dr. Turcotte has conducted research on regional housing needs and innovative approaches to developing more affordable and sustainable housing. Recently, he studied 21 municipal and county green building programs and was lead author on the report, The Benefits of Building Green: Recommendations for Green Programs and Incentives for the City of Lowell. Dr. Turcotte holds a Master’s degree in Community Economic Development and a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He teaches courses on conflict resolution and housing development and land use. His research interests also include health and the build environment, and sustainable development.
    
    Dr. Turcotte currently serves as the chair of the MNN public awreness committee and is a founding member of the MNN Board of Directors.
    
    Ruth M. Aaron has been an executive, both in management and consultant roles, in nonprofit organizations for over 20 years. She has held senior management positions on both a permanent and interim basis. She has provided leadership for collaborative activities, including the planning and executing the merger of nonprofit organizations.
    
    Ruth has served in interim roles in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, including as the Interim Executive Director, New England Chapter, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation; Interim Associate Director, Brandeis University, Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education; Interim COO, Eastern Connecticut Health Network; Interim COO, Total Health Care Plan (Medicaid HMO); and Interim COO, CogniMed. She has also been a member of turnaround and crisis management teams that were successful in providing rapid organizational and business assessment, interim management, and restructuring and execution of financial and organizational solutions with measurable outcomes.
    
    Ruth has held management positions where she has been responsible for all aspects of operations - budgets, revenues, human resources, information systems, marketing, facility development and management, program development and evaluation, capacity building, financial and strategic planning and execution, fundraising, quality measurement, external relations, and board governance and development. She has special expertise and experience in healthcare (community health centers, hospitals, physician practices) and health insurance and human services community-based organizations.
    
    As a consultant, Ruth has performed operational assessments of staff, structures and processes, identifying and implementing operational improvements, turnaround strategies, and setting objectives for increased efficiency, effectiveness and financial stability.