One of ESC’s greatest assets is our ability to offer internal workshops and trainings to clients as part of any consulting project. Our trainings have proven to increase productivity among staff, build communications skills within boards, and strengthened executive teams at nonprofits of all sizes. We owe a great deal of our ability to offer such services to Consultant Sue Ogle, who joined ESC in 2002 and has made an incredible impact at our organizations and those that she consults to in the broadest sense possible.
Sue has presented as many as 75 workshops and worked on numerous consulting projects along the way. Her management experience has been built through years of work in independent consulting, higher education, social work and corporate training, and she is constantly driven by challenge. It’s only fitting that she would take on an opportunity several years ago to help expand ESC’s workshop offerings—both seminars implemented directly in consulting projects and others offered to nonprofit community members through sponsored programs.
Sue has specialized in employee burnout, succession planning, change management and many other areas helpful to nonprofit staff at all levels through her work with ESC. She has also maintained a passion for coaching both board chairs and nonprofit leaders. One project that Sue takes particular pride in is an engagement that was initially entered as Strategic Planning but quickly turned out to be an emergency turnaround project. Without ESC’s assistance, Sue said the organization would have gone under in a matter of weeks.
“When we recognized the severity of the situation, we created a strategic advisory committee, turnaround plan, climate survey, and we interviewed all the staff,” she said. “Throughout the project we conducted a change workshop for staff, touched on morale issues, and did three different sections of a change workshop through lunchtime sessions. “
Sue said this project, which took over a year to complete, was successful due to the ESC team’s ability to look at the human side of the client’s situation as well at the financial. Through building close relationships with the staff, board members and volunteers, ESC consultants were able to facilitate a transition to a merger that best served the organization.
ESC is a consulting practice of experts who are engaged in continuous learning,” Sue said. “”The constant challenge at ESC, in the variety of projects and the call for consultants to always expand their capacities, is a huge benefit to clients and consultants alike”.
The contribution to the sector, varied challenges and ongoing learning are the reasons Sue cites for being a longtime consultant. Her colleagues agree—and have recognized Sue in with multiple awards for excellence in consulting and commitment to community.
