For two years, I’ve been a problem solver - partnering with social justice nonprofits to generate revenue, communicate impact, and create operational efficiencies. Much of the work I do is informed by my twelve years as an executive director. But, my work is also informed by a different kind of experience: my fifteen years as a trustee.

Board service is a unique opportunity to develop strategic expertise, experience, and skills. As a trustee at the William Penn Charter School, I have had the chance to gain knowledge and skills far beyond those I built as an executive director:

Board service has allowed me to learn about endowment management and financing at a scale much larger than what I experienced as an organizational leader.
Board service has allowed me to learn about and participate in an executive search process to identify and hire a new organizational leader.
Board service has allowed me to co-lead culture change initiatives, involving deep engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders.
Board service has allowed me to participate in defining board recruitment priorities and designing an orientation process to ensure diversity, inclusivity, and engagement.

I was the founding executive director of a small nonprofit for twelve years. During my tenure, we took that organization from $0 to $2M in revenue. We grew from serving no one to serving 500 students per year. But, through board service, I’m learning about managing an endowment over $100M and approving financing for buildings that cost half that. We operate in a complex and evolving space, and we enroll 1,000 students each year while engaging thousands of additional stakeholders. All of this happens in a highly competitive market.

I did not join Penn Charter’s board because I thought it would help me professionally. However, the learning that has come through this experience has absolutely informed my consulting practice, and I am better for it. I hope Penn Charter is too.