Our Experienced Consultants Design
Specialized Solutions

Marla J. Bobowick, MBA, is a senior governance consultant with BoardSource. Marla has over a decade of nonprofit experience and a history of creative problem solving. She consults with nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes, ranging from a local Habitat for Humanity and a family foundation to the Smithsonian Institution, a regional healthcare organization, and a national federated organization. She also develops and delivers training workshops on a variety of governance topics, including board roles and responsibilities, exceptional governance practices, board self-assessments, and more.

Previously, Marla was vice president of products for BoardSource. In this capacity, Marla served as a member of the working group for The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards and developed a corresponding online diagnostic survey instrument for use with BoardSource consulting services. She was also the project manager for "Governance Futures: New Perspectives on Nonprofit Governance," a multiyear research project that sought to discover, develop, and disseminate new and different governance strategies and culminated in publication of Governance as Leadership (authored by Richard Chait, William Ryan and Barbara Taylor and published by John Wiley & Sons). In addition, Marla was a joint author of Transforming Board Structure: Strategies for Committees and Task Forces and is a frequent contributor to Board Member magazine.

Previously, Marla lent her expertise to John Wiley & Sons, where she served as an acquisitions editor. There, Marla developed Wiley's Nonprofit Law, Finance, and Management Series and the National Society for Fund Raising Executives (now Association of Fundraising Professionals) Fund Development Series.

Marla holds a bachelor's degree in English from Amherst College, a master's degree in business administration from the Weatherhead School of Management, and a certificate in nonprofit management from the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, both at Case Western Reserve University. Marla served on the board of Calvary Women's Services in Washington, D.C. and on the strategic planning committee of the Mandel Center Alumni Association.

Vicki Clark is a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. Based in Memphis, Tenn., Vicki has extensive experience as both a nonprofit leader and consultant. She has delivered training on a variety of nonprofit governance topics to a broad range of organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Association of Professional Chaplains, Allen County Public Library, and Sangamon County Community Foundation, among others.

Vicki also has her own consulting practice in which she helps build the capacity of nonprofit, government, faith-based, and business sector organizations through training, speaking, writing, and consulting. In this capacity, Vicki has worked with the Leader to Leader Foundation (formerly The Peter F. Drucker Foundation), Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Prevent Child Abuse America, Association of Junior Leagues International, Association of African American Museums, Literacy USA, and others.

Prior to her work as an independent consultant, Vicki filled several roles at The Points of Light Foundation in Washington, DC, including vice president of community initiatives, volunteer services, and external relations. She created and executed the Foundation's strategy with multiple markets and various segments of the volunteer sector. She has also worked on staff with the National Volunteer Center, the Volunteer Center of the Texas Gulf Coast, the Houston Metropolitan Ministries, Foodmaker, Inc., and others. Vicki also has experience in the corporate sector specializing in human resources and publishing. She is a contributor to Board Member magazine.

Ann Cohen is a senior governance consultant at BoardSource. Based in the Washington, DC area, Ann brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and private sectors to her consulting and training engagements. Ann provides consultative guidance and training to nonprofit boards seeking to rise to greater levels of commitment and to engage in strategic planning and action. Her clients include American Legacy Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as well as the Department of Agriculture Cotton Board.

Ann Cohen is also an executive business consultant who founded Ann Cohen & Associates in 1999 to use her combined business focus and nonprofit experience to enable nonprofits to identify and achieve their strategic goals. In this capacity, her work encompasses management effectiveness reviews, strategic planning, board engagement, development and governance assessments, market readiness, and the leadership guidance and learning required to manage and implement change. Through her work at Ann Cohen & Associates, Ann has worked with national and governmental organizations including American Chemical Society, Credit Union National Association, International Foundation for Election Systems, Lupus Foundation of America, National Osteoporosis Foundation, and United Jewish Communities, as well as United States Department of Justice, GE, Crossroads Systems, and SRA Corporation.

The roots of her consulting practice derive from over 25 years as a vice president at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. At EDS, she established several business units in the financial markets, law enforcement, and aeronautics, developing and growing them to over $3.5 billion in revenue. As an attorney, she handled federal cases across the country and in the U.S. Supreme Court.

She has served on many nonprofit boards in the areas of the arts, education, religion, and community building. Among the honors for which she is most proud are her selection as a "Federal 100" winner, an award naming the top information technology executives from government and industry, and her appointment to the United States-Israel Science and Technology Commission.

Ann graduated cum laude from Clark University with a bachelor of arts degree and earned her juris doctor degree from Antioch School of Law.

Michael Daigneault is a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. Michael is an experienced consultant and trainer. He is frequently asked to counsel nonprofit boards concerning vital governance challenges, and has particular experience working with nonprofit boards and chief executives on leadership, ethics, and strategic issues. Based in the Washington, DC area, Michael has worked with Independent Sector, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), the College of American Pathologists, the International Baccalaureate, NISH, the LAM Foundation, and many others.

Michael also works with BoardSource's corporate clients such as Time Warner and Target to develop cutting edge community involvement, philanthropic, and leadership development programs centered on the training of their executives and employees to more effectively sit on nonprofit boards.

In addition to his work with BoardSource, Michael is also a Senior Fellow with The Business Learning Institute (BLI), a MACPA affiliate that focuses on higher learning for leaders, strategists, and managers in the business and financial fields. He is also a member of the United Way of America's Membership Appeals Panel. Previously, Michael served as the ethics officer for the United Way of the National Capital Area. He also has hands-on experience in successfully running both for-profit and nonprofit institutions having some 20+ years' experience as President of the Ethics Resource Center, the Executive Director of the American Inns of Court Foundation, and the President of Ethics, Inc. He has published numerous articles on these topics for a wide variety of periodicals, journals, and magazines.

Michael graduated first in his class in Philosophy from Georgetown University College of Arts and Sciences in 1981. He graduated from Georgetown Law Center with a JD in Law and holds a Masters in Law with a concentration in Ethics and Professional Responsibility from Georgetown University Law Center.

Susan Decker is a Senior Governance Consultant for BoardSource. Based in Indiana, Susan has extensive experience in nonprofit governance and management. She conducts training and consulting on nonprofit board governance, fundraising, board development, and leadership for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, and has particular expertise in working with organizations in social and human services, higher education, and the volunteer sector. Susan also serves as the Director of the Master of Leadership Development program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

For the past ten years, Susan has served in senior leadership positions at two of the most trusted public charities: ALSAC/St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. As the Executive Director of Field Management at St. Jude, she was responsible for the oversight and development of the professional special event fundraising staff located throughout the country. Her team was responsible for an annual fundraising goal of over $125 million. Her work also extended to guiding the local boards and assisting with the Professional Advisory Board and the Sports Council.

At Komen, as the National Director of the Affiliate Network, Susan was responsible for the overall governance, board development, compliance, and training of more than 100 local affiliates. She served as a consultant to the individual affiliates, and led the training department that conducted specialized trainings in governance, leadership, fundraising, fiscal oversight, event planning, and team building. Susan also served as the Director of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure national fundraising event.

Having completed her undergraduate degree at St. Joseph College, Susan attained a Master of Science in Education Administration and Leadership from Indiana State University. She has completed coursework for a doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Deborah S. Hechinger is a Senior Governance Consultant for BoardSource and the principal at Debbie Hechinger Consulting. From 2003 to 2007, Debbie served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BoardSource, the nation's premier governance resource for nonprofit organizations. Debbie has spent over 30 years in governance and nonprofit work. She provides boards and chief executives with proven strategies to address complex governance issues, implement exceptional governance practices, set strategic directions, and capitalize on specific opportunities and challenges.

Debbie has worked with numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, American Legacy Foundation, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, National Democratic Institute, National Association of Enrolled Agents, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, The Potomac School, and Sidwell Friends School.

From 2004 to 2007, Debbie served as co-convener of the Governance and Fiduciary Responsibilities work group, one of the five groups established by the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector to make recommendations to Congress on ways to improve the governance and accountability of nonprofit organizations. She also served on the Advisory Board for the Center for Effective Philanthropy and was a member of the Ethics and Accountability Committee at Independent Sector.

Prior to joining BoardSource, Debbie was the Executive Vice President of the World Wildlife Fund, a large, global conservation organization, where she oversaw all fundraising, communication and operations activities. She also served as Deputy Comptroller and as Director of the Securities and Corporate Practices Division at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and has held senior executive positions in the Division of Enforcement at the SEC.

Debbie is currently on the Board of AllianceBernstein in New York, NY, Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C., and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation in Jackson, WY. She has also served on the boards of the Sidwell Friends School, Children's National Medical Center, Washington Scholarship Fund, and the Black Student Fund. Debbie received her B.A. from Brown University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and is a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar. Her complete biography can be found at www.hechingergroup.com.

Dr. Robin L. Hindsman is a senior governance consultant at BoardSource. Based in the Atlanta, GA area, Robin has over 17 years of experience as a nonprofit consultant. She has expertise in board governance and board development. She has particular experience assisting nonprofit boards and chief executives with leadership development and executive coaching, retreat facilitation, building cultural competency, team building, assessments, visioning and strategic planning, as well as designing and delivering customized training programs. Robin has worked with a variety of organizations in the education, health care, religious, and social service sectors.

In addition to providing governance consulting through BoardSource, Robin has been the principal consultant of Hindsman Consultation Services since 1990. Since this time, she has provided mission focused consulting services aimed at improving nonprofit organizational performance and impact. Robin is known and respected for her highly customized consulting approach of immediately engaging the client in a partnership for change through a solutions focused process. Trained as a Clinical Psychologist, Robin applies behavioral change and organizational development principles to her work with the nonprofit sector. Additionally, she places primary emphasis on ethical practice, timely and reliable delivery of services, and ensuring superior client satisfaction.

Previously, Robin was the director of consulting for a state nonprofit association. In this capacity, she was responsible for responding to the consulting and training requests from member nonprofits which included project development, work plan design, provision of consulting services, coordinating consulting teams, and developing final reports and data analysis as appropriate.

In addition, Robin has practiced for the past 18 years as a clinical psychologist and health care manager and currently focuses on health care quality and performance improvement. She previously held an academic appointment at the University of Maryland's School Of Medicine, and served as adjunct clinical faculty for the University of Maryland at Baltimore County's graduate psychology program.

Robin received her Psy.D. from Wright State University and bachelor of arts in psychology from Ohio University.

Katha Kissman is a BoardSource senior governance consultant. Based in the Washington, DC area, Katha has over 25 years of experience managing and consulting with nonprofits. As a senior governance consultant, Katha provides individualized board consultation and training and conducts workshops on governance issues. Katha has worked with a variety of organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of America, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lincoln County Community Foundation, and LA Art, among others. She has particular expertise in assisting boards with compliance, fiscal management, fundraising, relations and retention, risk management, special events, strategic planning, team-building, and training.

In addition to providing governance consulting through BoardSource, Katha also serves as an Interim Leader, providing organizations with a short- or long-term leadership bridge, and provides nonprofit organizational development consulting. Previously, she served as Leadership America's executive director in 1996 and 1997 and then again as its president and CEO in 2000 and 2001. She lived in the United Arab Emirates in 1998 and 1999 where she helped found the American University of Sharjah's Continuing Education Center. Katha also helped found the American University of Kuwait's Continuing Education Center in 2004. In 2009, Katha received the Linguistic Society of America's Linguistic Service Award for her service as its Interim Executive Director.

Katha currently serves or has served with the Office Depot Business Women's Council, IONA Senior Services, the African Continuum Theatre Company, the Trans-Arab Research Institute, the New Buffalo Railroad Museum, Leadership Montgomery, the Berrien County Economic Development Commission, the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, Greentree Shelter for Women, NOW, and Hexagon.

In 2006, Katha authored Taming the Troublesome Board Member (available through BoardSource). She is also a contributor to Board Member magazine. Katha received her B.S. in Public Administration, School of Public Service at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Berit Lakey, Ph.D., is a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. Her thirty years in the consulting, training, communications, and nonprofit management fields has taken her to many parts of the country and to a wide variety of organizations. She provides individualized board consultation and training, conducts workshops for board members and board consultants, and has been actively involved with the development of the BoardSource Self-Assessment for Nonprofit Governing Boards.

She is also a principal at Lakey Consulting and is based in the Washington, DC area. Throughout her career, Berit has worked with a wide variety of organizations including local health and human service organizations, arts organizations, religious groups, major associations such as the National Association of Community Health Centers, as well as other national and international organizations, such as Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, Credit Union Executive Society, and International Baccalaureate.

Previously, Berit served as the executive director of Fellowship Commission, a human relations organization, and Women Organized Against Rape, and as a board member for WOMAN'S WAY and Kirkridge, a religious retreat center focused on justice issues. She has also served as an adjunct assistant professor in the graduate school of management at the University of Maryland University College.

Berit has authored or co-authored a number of works on nonprofit governance including, The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps to Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board Members; Credit Union Governance Guide & Best Practices; Transforming Board Structure: Strategies for Committees and Task Forces; Nonprofit Governance: Steering Your Organization with Authority and Accountability; and Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership: A Guide for Organizations in Changing Times.

She earned a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems and a master's degree in Organizational Development from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. Berit is also certified in Mediation Training from the National Center for Dispute Settlement. She received her bachelor's degree in sociology from Midland Lutheran College.

Bruce Lesley is a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. Bruce has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and offers extensive consulting expertise in nonprofit board best practices, with a particular emphasis on the board's role in strategic planning and innovation. Based in the Washington, DC area, Bruce's client organizations are diverse in terms of mission, size, and geographic scope, and they include Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, America's Second Harvest, American Lung Association, Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Center for Multicultural Human Services, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Credit Union Executive Society, Fulbright Association, Garden City Hospital, Jewish Community Centers, Maryland State Medical Society, United States Space Foundation, Urban Leagues, WaterPartners International, and West Virginia University Alumni Association.

Previously he was a staff professional for 15 years with Junior Achievement, Inc., where from 1989 through 1991 he was national executive vice president of its headquarters. His management oversight included strategic planning, marketing, international relations, public relations, educator relations, curriculum research and development, rural expansion, staff training, finance, and management information systems.

He is committed to lifelong learning and has been a participant in numerous management and leadership seminars including: Consumer Marketing, Northwestern University; Developing Effective Facilitation Skills, Michael Kaplan; Innovative Teamwork Program, Synectics, Inc.; Investment in Excellence, The Pacific Institute, Inc.; Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership; Leading Customer Focus, The Forum Corporation; Managing Interpersonal Relationships, Wilson Learning; and Transpersonal Association International Conference. Bruce is also a contributor to Board Member® magazine.

Bruce holds a bachelor's degree with distinction in economics from the University of Michigan, and is a current or past member of the American Evaluation Association, American Society for Training and Development, American Society of Association Executives, National Rural Education Association, Rotary Clubs, The Planning Forum, and World Future Society.

Chuck V. Loring, CFRE, MBA, is a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. He provides nonprofit governance consulting and training to clients, and has a particular expertise in the board's role in fundraising. Chuck is also the senior partner of the Fort Lauderdale and Indianapolis-based firm of Loring, Sternberg & Associates, which provides fundraising and governance consulting services to nonprofits.

Throughout his career, Chuck has helped hundreds of local, regional, and national nonprofits across the country improve their governance, including such prominent national charities as The American Lung Association, Second Harvest Food Banks, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Easter Seals. He is a frequent trainer for many funders and nonprofit centers including The Center on Philanthropy and Leadership at Rollins College, The Foundation Center, The Hartford Foundation For Public Giving, The Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and The Community Foundation of Broward to name a few.

Chuck is a past president of the Indiana Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is the founder of Indiana Fund Raising Day, the state's largest nonprofit fundraising conference.

Chuck is a certified fundraising executive, and holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and a master of business administration degree from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

Susan Meier is a Senior Governance Consultant for BoardSource and the principal at Meier & Associates. From 2004 to 2011, Susan served as the vice president of consulting and training for BoardSource, the nation's premier governance resource for nonprofit organizations. She has spent over 23 years in governance and nonprofit work, working collaboratively with nonprofit executives and board members to identify governance challenges and opportunities and to implement proven strategies to address a broad array of governance issues.

Much of Susan’s work has focused on increasing board engagement, board/staff relations and leadership transitions. Specifically, she engages boards in a deeper understanding of roles and responsibilities, strategic and generative thinking, concrete ways to maximize board meetings, and addressing culture and dynamics in the boardroom. Her 13 years as a senior executive at Prevent Child Abuse America has given her concrete experience in understanding the complex and unique challenges of federated organizations and structures. Susan also has extensive experience in facilitating sensitive and important conversations and in helping boards build on their strengths to become higher performing boards.

Susan works with all types of nonprofit organizations. Some current and past clients include ASME, Association of Junior Leagues International, Center for Excellence in Nonprofits, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Council on Foundations, Greensboro Nonprofit Consortium, NeighborWorks America, San Antonio Community Foundation, Volunteers of America, and the Wege Foundation, among others. Susan has also served as faculty for the Kellogg School of Management Nonprofit Executive Education program, the George Washington University, and the Issues in Nonprofit Governance Conference hosted by Georgetown Law, the IRS and Independent Sector.

In addition, Susan has served on a number of boards of directors and currently serves on the Ripon College Board of Trustees. She graduated cum laude from Ripon College.

Jim Schwarz is a BoardSource senior governance consultant based in Jacksonville, FL. He works with nonprofits and associations to build high performing boards through governance, group effectiveness, meeting dynamics, board development, team building, and strategic thinking. He has worked with a variety of organizations including CCIM Institute, LPGA, International Code Council, and Conservation Consultants, Inc.

In addition to Jim's work with BoardSource, he is president of Compass Management Group, Inc., a consulting and training company serving for-profit businesses, mostly Fortune 500 companies. In Jim's capacity as president, he serves both as a consultant and as an executive coach. Jim's extensive consulting work includes bringing expertise to organizations experiencing structural and cultural changes such as senior leadership transitions, strategy shifts, mergers and acquisitions, and implementing new company visions. Corporate clients include Con Edison, Heineken USA, Unilever, and UBS, one of the world's leading financial firms.

Jim is an active board volunteer at several nonprofits including the Stamford Chapter of the American Red Cross and SoundWaters Environmental Education Center. He served on the Red Cross board from 2000 through 2006 including terms as chairman and vice chairman. He initiated and facilitated successful merger discussions with nearby Chapters to improve operating effectiveness, he encouraged a change in Board leadership when conflict threatened to destabilize the Chapter, and he led the Chapter through an Executive Director change.

Jim received his BA in Business Administration from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Additionally, he has attended various continuing education programs within his field, including Yale University's Corporate Environmental Leadership Seminar, Myers Briggs Type Indicator training, Open Space Meeting Technology, and Scott Peck's Community Building Workshops.

Tony Scucci, MSW, is a senior governance consultant at BoardSource. Based in Portland, Maine, Tony also works as an organizational and clinical consultant in private practice. Tony’s clients include individuals and organizations in the fields of nonprofit governance and management, mental health, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, parent education and support, Head Start and other pre-school programs, public & private schools, foundations, health care, the environment, the arts, & social justice.  These organizations range from relatively small operations to those that are national in scope and with multi-million dollar budgets.

In addition to more than 35 years of experience in the nonprofit sector in general, Tony served as the executive director of a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening families and preventing problems like child abuse and neglect.  He has also served on many nonprofit boards of directors, and on various advisory panels and task forces.

As a senior governance consultant with BoardSource, Tony has served in a coaching capacity with Prevent Child Abuse Amercia’s Leadership Initiativein conjunction with Leader To Leader (formerly The Drucker Institute).   He has also conducted workshops for the Maine Association of Nonprofits and the Institute for Civic Leadership. 

Tony was one of a small team of consultants who worked with the Corporation for Public Broadcastingon an initiative to improve governance effectiveness with public broadcasting stations across the country.  He recently completed work on a governance effectiveness project with the North Carolina Partnership for Children. 

Tony has provided board development training sessions for over twenty five Urban Indian Health Centersand the National Council for Urban Indian Health.  He has facilitated strategic planning sessions for the National Indian Health Board and for the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee of the Indian Health Service.   He has also worked with various Somali Bantu Organizations.

Tony graduated with a BA in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and earned his master’s in Social Work from Boston College.  He is a Licensed Master Social Worker in the state of Maine.

Dave Sternberg is a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. He is a frequent trainer and speaker, and has a particular expertise on the board's role in fundraising. Dave has worked with a variety of organizations including educational foundations, social service organizations, higher education institutions, membership organizations, children's groups, and museums.

Dave is a founding partner of Loring, Sternberg & Associates which provides fundraising counsel to a variety of organizations. Additionally, Dave is a member of the faculty at The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University's Fund Raising School where he teaches Developing Annual Sustainability, Principles and Technique of Fundraising, Developing Major Gifts, as well as numerous customized training programs nationally and internationally. In 2006, he developed the course Purposeful Boards, Powerful Fundraising in partnership with BoardSource.

Previously, Dave was the Associate Director of Public Service for the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, The Fund Raising School. From 1991 to 1996, he served as a development staff member at both small and large nonprofit organizations in human services and higher education.

As an active participant in the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana Chapter, Dave served two terms as the Vice President of Programs (1999, 2000), one term as chapter President (2001), and two terms as the chair of Indiana Fund Raising Day (1997, 1998).

Dave is the author of the second edition of Fearless Fundraising for Nonprofit Boards, one of BoardSource's best selling books, and he has his BA Degree from The Ohio State University.

David Styers serves as Director of Member Education and Engagement and as a Senior Governance Consultant for BoardSource. In this position, David oversees the organization’s work to provide its members with a valuable membership experience and expand its network of leaders. He also directs the BoardSource Academy, a governance and leadership certificate-generating educational program, and develops content programming for the BoardSource Leadership Forum. 

Additionally, as a BoardSource senior governance consultant, David provides project management, consulting, and training services to major client organizations on best governance practices and emerging trends and developments in the nonprofit sector. His clients have included Big Brothers Big Sisters, Goodwill Industries, and the League of American Orchestras.  He has helped clients to identify criteria and success measures of board initiatives for their affiliates as well as helped boards move toward objectives in their strategic plans, including measuring impact, obtaining diversity, and managing talent. David has developed numerous training resources and trained extensively on a variety of governance topics, including board responsibilities, fundraising, outcomes measurement, and exceptional practices.

Prior to joining BoardSource, David served as senior director at the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, where he led the work to build capacity and national partnerships for more than 360 affiliate volunteer centers across the country.  During his nearly eight years at Points of Light, David designed and conducted trainings at local, state, national, and international conferences and consulted with many nonprofits and associations across the country and around the world.  His areas of expertise include board and fund development, leadership and partnership development, outcomes measurement, strategic planning, and volunteer management.

Prior to joining Points of Light, David helped establish the Catherine French Group, an independent consulting firm specializing in executive search and recruitment with boards and executives of symphony orchestras and other music and arts organizations.  From 1992 to 1999, he worked for the League of American Orchestras, where he served as the lead staff for governance services and organized annual seminars on such topics as conducting, orchestra management, concert production, and music director searches, including training in group process, team building, and problem solving.

As an active board member, David is chair of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA), treasurer of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), and immediate past president of Volunteer Alexandria.  He is a summa cum laude graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in English and religion from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is a Certified Pew Partnership for Civic Change Leadership Trainer and Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute Trainer.

Vernetta Walker, JD, is vice president of consulting and training for BoardSource. She has worked with many national and international nonprofit organizations addressing a wide range of governance issues, from how to start a nonprofit organization, to improving board engagement and performance, and restructuring complex entities.  Her areas of expertise include board roles and responsibilities, board self-assessments, understanding conflicts of interest and legal compliance, exceptional practices, and transformative governance. Vernetta provides governance counsel, training, and solution-based strategies to clients, which have included Habitat for Humanity International, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, YMCA, Smart Start agencies, U.S. Black Chamber, and the Concordia University system, among others. Vernetta also leads BoardSource's diversity and inclusion work to help nonprofit boards address the challenges and obstacles of integrating successful diversity and inclusion strategies and practices.

Vernetta brings a broad depth of knowledge and expertise to BoardSource. She practiced law for a large firm in Orlando, Florida, for several years and also served as associate general counsel for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, rendering technical assistance, consulting, and training to many of its 1400 member organizations.  Prior to Maryland Nonprofits, Vernetta served as foundation advocacy counsel for the Alliance for Justice and director of the Administration of Justice Grants Program for the Florida Bar Foundation.

Vernetta is a contributing author to Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals, a Jossey-Bass publication (2011), and Investing in Change: A Funder's Guide to Supporting Advocacy, an Alliance for Justice publication (2004). She has served on several boards, including Planned Parenthood, Lynx (Orlando's regional transportation authority), the Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, and the Valencia Community College Advisory Board. She received a juris doctor degree from the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri, and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. She is admitted to the Florida and Maryland state bars.

Director of Training/Governance Consultant

As BoardSource’s director of training, Andy Davis is responsible for creating and delivering the public trainings that BoardSource offers to the nonprofit sector. These trainings include those associated with the Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education as well as BoardSource’s leadership certificates for board chairs and chief executives.  Andy also leads the team charged with developing and delivering BoardSource’s new train-the-trainer program, which enables practitioners from around the country to become certified BoardSource trainers.

As a BoardSource consultant, Andy works with the organization’s clients nationally, developing and delivering high-quality consulting services ranging from board assessments to  strategic planning.  He also develops and customizes curriculum for clients of all sizes and mission areas. Since joining BoardSource, he has worked with and/or designed learning modules for Goodwill, NeighborWorks America, and Urban Indian Health Services, among many others.  Andy brings considerable governance expertise and a commitment to helping organizations and BoardSource leverage social media in meaningful ways.

Prior to joining BoardSource, Andy served as professional development coordinator for Quality Enhancement for Non-Profit Organizations (QENO), a joint partnership between the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the City of Wilmington, and area nonprofits dedicated to increasing their leadership knowledge and capacity. In this role, he customized governance solutions and organized training programs for nonprofit boards and chief executives throughout Eastern North Carolina.

Andy holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.  As an AmeriCorps veteran and long-time nonprofit staff member, he has had the unique experience of working at nonprofit organizations nationwide as either a staff or board member. These organizations include Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, Hawaii Food Bank of Honolulu, Palm Springs Unified School District, and United Community Ministries of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. 

Governance Consultant

Jenifer Gager Holland joined BoardSource as a governance consultant in 2012.  Jenifer has 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and is a skilled facilitator, trainer, and project manager.  Prior to joining BoardSource, Jenifer served as program manager for training and technical assistance at The Finance Project, where she delivered financing and sustainability training, planning and technical assistance to groups nationwide.  She also contributed to publications on the topics relating to financing and developed policy tools and fiscal management resources.  Jenifer’s clients at The Finance Project included the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative (DCPNI); C.S. Mott Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Care; and the Latin American Youth Center.

Jenifer also founded JG Consulting, which provided business consulting to nonprofit organizations in grant making, program development, and fundraising.  She assisted in shaping a three-year, $4.5 million program to seed social purpose alternative staffing firms in the U.S. Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.  Jenifer also gained extensive experience in advising and training nonprofit staff members in program design and management, outcomes reporting, and adult training techniques.  Jenifer’s clients at JG Consulting included Public/Private Ventures, Housing+Solutions, Business Outreach Center (BOC) Network, Inc., and Fordworks Associates, Inc.

Jenifer holds a M.P.A degree from Columbia University and a B.A. degree in geography from the University of Washington in Seattle.