What they say
Hermina Harold, Executive Director, Trust Montana
"Allison's skillful approach to addressing organizational issues has served our organization well. She conducted stakeholder interviews and facilitated our strategic planning session in a refreshingly direct and patient way. She helped us have an honest conversation about our core organizational strengths and challenges, and ensured our challenges would be addressed with our new strategic plan. Even on Zoom, she was able to keep everyone focused and engaged for the entire meeting. Hiring Allison at this time of rapid organizational change was the best decision we could have made."
Kate Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, Deschutes River Conservancy
"Allison’s deep expertise in nonprofit work and her warm professional style helped our organization at a key time of staffing transition. She asked all of the right questions to move my thinking forward as a new Executive Director, and made staff members feel valued and comfortable throughout the process. Once new staff was hired, Allison facilitated a fantastic staff retreat that gelled our team and that continues to lay the foundation for our work together."
Ilene McClelland, Executive Director, Vina Moses Center
"Allison will distill deep discussion into something meaningful, clear, and true. She's professional and fun, which is a great combination when you're working on a strategic plan! She truly made all of us feel heard."
.Ann Richardson, Acting Executive Director, Deschutes Land Trust
"Allison supported the Land Trust in our board and staff collaboration on an updated vision, mission and strategic plan. Allison was extremely well organized, kept the process moving along and kept me informed all along the way. She created multiple opportunities for engagement of all staff and board, with careful attention to ensuring everyone’s perspective was heard. Allison was very flexible in modifying her approach if necessary, keeping the train on the tracks and doing it in a way that people respect."
Ben Gordon, Executive Director, Central Oregon LandWatch
"When I met Allison, I was a brand-new executive director running an organization in need of a strategy. I knew we needed a robust process that patiently invited every idea without judgement, and I knew I couldn’t do this on my own. From the start, Allison struck me as refreshingly different than the other consultants I had interviewed. With her, there were no pretenses, no selling me something I didn’t need. Instead there was a deep commitment to working in partnership to design the perfect process which, in looking back, I can honestly say we achieved. Allison’s inquisitive, empathetic, and honest style of communicating inspired my team’s best ideas and her approach to facilitation left no voice unheard. Working with Allison was like coming home."
Katie Ryan, Executive Director, The Wetlands Conservancy
"Allison was a tremendous asset to our organization's strategic planning process. I had just taken over as the new executive director of an organization that had a well established history, but needed some refreshed strategic direction as they entered the next chapter. Allison's knowledge of the conservation community, and experience with other organizations across the country was invaluable. And her direct and transparent communication resulted in a plan that the entire organization can support and get excited about. Our board chair stated that it was the best strategic planning process he had been through in his decades long tenure with the organization. Allison was thoughtful, thorough, and remains an incredible asset for me to brainstorm with."
Chuck Allott, Executive Director, Aquidneck Land Trust
“I think Allison is the best listener I've ever worked with. And she is a fabulous writer. She has a tremendous ability to express what we spoke about. And her level of passion, commitment, and follow-up, even after our project was complete, is rare as a consultant. She really cares about her clients.”
Emily Reiman, CEO, DevNW
"I have a ton of respect for Allison. She’s very methodical and efficient in how she works and sets up processes for groups to go through. And she’s a great communicator. Her approach is very boots on the ground, practical, and rooted in direct experience. Theory is nice. I want to know how things will work in practice when applied to humans and groups. Allison knows her stuff and is very effective in dealing with human dynamics."
Glenn Lamb, Executive Director, Columbia Land Trust
“Allison has a strong command of nonprofit management, community building, and planning. And she understands the importance of relationships and building toward an outcome that achieves a result. Her strong intellect makes her a quick study. Plus, the joy she brings to her work makes her a lot of fun to work with.”
Chris Canfield, Executive Director, Conservation Trust for North Carolina
“Allison goes beyond the bullet points of her deliverables as a consultant. I know she genuinely cares about us as an organization and has become a valued sounding board for me personally. I appreciate that she has lived the nonprofit reality, but also brings her clients new ideas and tools not common in the nonprofit world."
Heather Benham, Executive Director, Athens Land Trust
“Allison stands out among consultants in her experience and expertise with both community land trusts and conservation land trusts. That is a rare combination. And I really appreciated her commitment to ensuring we produced a business plan that was complete and actionable. We successfully secured significant funding as a result."
Jason Webb, Senior Community & Capacity Building Specialist, Grounded Solutions Network
“Allison is incredibly sharp and her capabilities as a consultant are multi-faceted. One thing that really stands out about her is she isn’t scared to jump into complex or out-of-the-box projects.”
Ryan Houston, Executive Director, Oregon Natural Desert Association
“Allison cuts through the nonsense and gets to the heart of the matter quickly. She reads and navigates dynamics between groups and personalities and is able to jump right in and be effective. She’s smart, collaborative, practical, and a go-to trustworthy colleague.”
Rev. Joan Ross, Executive Director, North End Woodward Community Coalition / Storehouse of Hope
“When Allison arrived for our first meeting, she came into a lion’s den. The last thing we wanted was for an outside consultant to drop in, tell us what to do, and then take off. So we were hard on her that first meeting. Instead of running away, Allison came back the next meeting and shared her story with us. We saw Allison the person first, not the work. It was a wonderful approach. She went on to create a living plan document that we are able to easily adjust as our project evolves. And even though our work with her is complete, she remains connected and helpful. She turned a bad situation around – and now she has a friend for life."
Kelley Beamer, Executive Director, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts
“Allison is able to work skillfully with a diverse group of stakeholders. She’s a straight shooter who is direct when she needs to be, yet always respectful. She’s excellent at distilling the issues, is one of the most articulate people I’ve worked with and has a high bar for the quality of her products.”
Larry Ojua, Executive Director, Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District
“I appreciated Allison’s professional approach. She listened well, worked with us to find a solution to our need, produced strong work products, and then guided us to a good decision.”
Steve King, Executive Director, Oakland Community Land Trust
“Allison is very warm and approachable. Her content knowledge of community land trusts along with her higher-level strategic and facilitation skills is a combination I value. She’s really intentional about process and thoughtful about providing tools that are imminently actionable."
Jennifer Gilmore-Robinson, Executive Director, ABC House
“One thing that stands out about Allison is her ability to develop trust among individuals who may have reason to doubt the planning process. She has a lovely way of making people feel safe in saying what they think. And she is skilled at picking up social cues and adapting her agenda on the fly in response to people’s needs."
Francie Alling and Al Bisbee, Board Members, Saint Joseph Community Land Trust
“Allison was very prepared to work with our Board. I liked how she gave us options for our Land Trust and then helped us decide the best direction for us at this time. I felt she sincerely wants our Land Trust to flourish in the future. She was the rudder keeping us on course during the creation of our business plan.”
"Allison's skillful approach to addressing organizational issues has served our organization well. She conducted stakeholder interviews and facilitated our strategic planning session in a refreshingly direct and patient way. She helped us have an honest conversation about our core organizational strengths and challenges, and ensured our challenges would be addressed with our new strategic plan. Even on Zoom, she was able to keep everyone focused and engaged for the entire meeting. Hiring Allison at this time of rapid organizational change was the best decision we could have made."
Kate Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, Deschutes River Conservancy
"Allison’s deep expertise in nonprofit work and her warm professional style helped our organization at a key time of staffing transition. She asked all of the right questions to move my thinking forward as a new Executive Director, and made staff members feel valued and comfortable throughout the process. Once new staff was hired, Allison facilitated a fantastic staff retreat that gelled our team and that continues to lay the foundation for our work together."
Ilene McClelland, Executive Director, Vina Moses Center
"Allison will distill deep discussion into something meaningful, clear, and true. She's professional and fun, which is a great combination when you're working on a strategic plan! She truly made all of us feel heard."
.Ann Richardson, Acting Executive Director, Deschutes Land Trust
"Allison supported the Land Trust in our board and staff collaboration on an updated vision, mission and strategic plan. Allison was extremely well organized, kept the process moving along and kept me informed all along the way. She created multiple opportunities for engagement of all staff and board, with careful attention to ensuring everyone’s perspective was heard. Allison was very flexible in modifying her approach if necessary, keeping the train on the tracks and doing it in a way that people respect."
Ben Gordon, Executive Director, Central Oregon LandWatch
"When I met Allison, I was a brand-new executive director running an organization in need of a strategy. I knew we needed a robust process that patiently invited every idea without judgement, and I knew I couldn’t do this on my own. From the start, Allison struck me as refreshingly different than the other consultants I had interviewed. With her, there were no pretenses, no selling me something I didn’t need. Instead there was a deep commitment to working in partnership to design the perfect process which, in looking back, I can honestly say we achieved. Allison’s inquisitive, empathetic, and honest style of communicating inspired my team’s best ideas and her approach to facilitation left no voice unheard. Working with Allison was like coming home."
Katie Ryan, Executive Director, The Wetlands Conservancy
"Allison was a tremendous asset to our organization's strategic planning process. I had just taken over as the new executive director of an organization that had a well established history, but needed some refreshed strategic direction as they entered the next chapter. Allison's knowledge of the conservation community, and experience with other organizations across the country was invaluable. And her direct and transparent communication resulted in a plan that the entire organization can support and get excited about. Our board chair stated that it was the best strategic planning process he had been through in his decades long tenure with the organization. Allison was thoughtful, thorough, and remains an incredible asset for me to brainstorm with."
Chuck Allott, Executive Director, Aquidneck Land Trust
“I think Allison is the best listener I've ever worked with. And she is a fabulous writer. She has a tremendous ability to express what we spoke about. And her level of passion, commitment, and follow-up, even after our project was complete, is rare as a consultant. She really cares about her clients.”
Emily Reiman, CEO, DevNW
"I have a ton of respect for Allison. She’s very methodical and efficient in how she works and sets up processes for groups to go through. And she’s a great communicator. Her approach is very boots on the ground, practical, and rooted in direct experience. Theory is nice. I want to know how things will work in practice when applied to humans and groups. Allison knows her stuff and is very effective in dealing with human dynamics."
Glenn Lamb, Executive Director, Columbia Land Trust
“Allison has a strong command of nonprofit management, community building, and planning. And she understands the importance of relationships and building toward an outcome that achieves a result. Her strong intellect makes her a quick study. Plus, the joy she brings to her work makes her a lot of fun to work with.”
Chris Canfield, Executive Director, Conservation Trust for North Carolina
“Allison goes beyond the bullet points of her deliverables as a consultant. I know she genuinely cares about us as an organization and has become a valued sounding board for me personally. I appreciate that she has lived the nonprofit reality, but also brings her clients new ideas and tools not common in the nonprofit world."
Heather Benham, Executive Director, Athens Land Trust
“Allison stands out among consultants in her experience and expertise with both community land trusts and conservation land trusts. That is a rare combination. And I really appreciated her commitment to ensuring we produced a business plan that was complete and actionable. We successfully secured significant funding as a result."
Jason Webb, Senior Community & Capacity Building Specialist, Grounded Solutions Network
“Allison is incredibly sharp and her capabilities as a consultant are multi-faceted. One thing that really stands out about her is she isn’t scared to jump into complex or out-of-the-box projects.”
Ryan Houston, Executive Director, Oregon Natural Desert Association
“Allison cuts through the nonsense and gets to the heart of the matter quickly. She reads and navigates dynamics between groups and personalities and is able to jump right in and be effective. She’s smart, collaborative, practical, and a go-to trustworthy colleague.”
Rev. Joan Ross, Executive Director, North End Woodward Community Coalition / Storehouse of Hope
“When Allison arrived for our first meeting, she came into a lion’s den. The last thing we wanted was for an outside consultant to drop in, tell us what to do, and then take off. So we were hard on her that first meeting. Instead of running away, Allison came back the next meeting and shared her story with us. We saw Allison the person first, not the work. It was a wonderful approach. She went on to create a living plan document that we are able to easily adjust as our project evolves. And even though our work with her is complete, she remains connected and helpful. She turned a bad situation around – and now she has a friend for life."
Kelley Beamer, Executive Director, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts
“Allison is able to work skillfully with a diverse group of stakeholders. She’s a straight shooter who is direct when she needs to be, yet always respectful. She’s excellent at distilling the issues, is one of the most articulate people I’ve worked with and has a high bar for the quality of her products.”
Larry Ojua, Executive Director, Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District
“I appreciated Allison’s professional approach. She listened well, worked with us to find a solution to our need, produced strong work products, and then guided us to a good decision.”
Steve King, Executive Director, Oakland Community Land Trust
“Allison is very warm and approachable. Her content knowledge of community land trusts along with her higher-level strategic and facilitation skills is a combination I value. She’s really intentional about process and thoughtful about providing tools that are imminently actionable."
Jennifer Gilmore-Robinson, Executive Director, ABC House
“One thing that stands out about Allison is her ability to develop trust among individuals who may have reason to doubt the planning process. She has a lovely way of making people feel safe in saying what they think. And she is skilled at picking up social cues and adapting her agenda on the fly in response to people’s needs."
Francie Alling and Al Bisbee, Board Members, Saint Joseph Community Land Trust
“Allison was very prepared to work with our Board. I liked how she gave us options for our Land Trust and then helped us decide the best direction for us at this time. I felt she sincerely wants our Land Trust to flourish in the future. She was the rudder keeping us on course during the creation of our business plan.”