A health conversation foundation serving the Boston MetroWest area, the foundation has been a long-term, strategic funder promoting systemic change, equity and access to health care. Following the retirement of founding CEO Marty Cohen, a comprehensive national search led to the appointment of Phillip González, a leading community advocate and philanthropist.
The retirement of NPQ’s founder and the emergence of a new generation of leadership was a challenging moment for the organization and for nonprofit and social movement policy and practice. We recruited NPQ’s first Publisher, President and Chief Operating Officer – Joel Toner, and later led the search for the President and Editor in Chief – Cyndi Suarez.
The Economic Policy Institute is a nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. Governed by the major labor leaders and labor activists in the country, EPI has been an unimpeachable source for timely, irrefutable national, state and local economic data on workers and the economy.
In 2018 we recruited Thea Lee, former Policy Director for the AFLCIO, to be the EPI President.
When Ms. Lee joined the Biden administration in 2021, we were engaged again. Heidi Shierholz, former Labor Department chief economist under the Obama administration, was the successful candidate.
In 2019, Governor Jared Polis organized a Task Force to create a blueprint to reform the Colorado behavioral health system. The Task Force’s comprehensive process, engaging with consumers, citizens, advocates, policy makers, providers and local government produced a plan for reform and change management with broad and deep support.
We were engaged after the inaugural Commissioner left prematurely. We recruited Dannette Smith, formerly the Nebraska Human Service administrator. Her appointment has been welcomed and applauded statewide, and by national advocates.
The Excessive Wealth Disorder institute was established to address the corrosive influence of excessive wealth on our government and democracy. Founding Executive Director Dr. Gabriela Sandoval will stand up the agenda of this organization, serving a national board of leading racial and economic justice activists, philanthropists and academic experts.
Dr. Sandoval previously served as the Director of Race & Equity Policy for TURN – The Utility Reform Network. Her focus at TURN was increasing access to and affordability of essential utility services as a matter of public health and equity. Dr. Sandoval holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University, and a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego.
Goddard College was founded in 1938 in response to the rise of fascism in Europe, in the belief that interactive, self-directed education can help build civil, democratic societies. In 2016, Goddard was on probation and over $1M in debt when we were engaged to recruit a new President. Our process united a deeply divided community, which in turn made it possible to recruit Dr. Bernard Bull. Over the past five years, Dr. Bull led the revival of the college, which now has a ten-year accreditation, over $1M in reserves and growth against every key measure.
In January 2021 Dr. Bull was recruited to become President of his alma mater. We were engaged again and recruited an extraordinary and diverse group of finalists. Dr. Dan Hocoy, former Antioch President, who came to the United States as an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago and was a key force in the South African Truth and Reconciliation movement, was the successful candidate.
