John has leveraged his profound understanding of organizational communications into an impressive set of facilitation skills.The clarity we achieved about the main issues that concern us and their priorities as we look ahead will inform our work at every level. Highly recommended.”
Tam Stewart, board president
Middlebury (VT) Natural Foods Co-op
John is a superb collaborator and facilitator, whether one-on-one, in team meetings, or at gatherings large and small.”
David Leckey, executive director
Orton Family Foundation
Working with nonprofits requires extraordinary people skills, deep insights into nonprofit management, and true dedication. John possesses all three. He has the personality, professionalism, and perspective to assist organizations facing the challenging issues that they must address to survive and thrive.”
Tony Wood, trustee
Orton Family Foundation
John is a caring and careful communicator. He knows how to listen first to the needs of the organization and/or the community and to tailor a strategy to those needs. He is strategic, intentional, and aware of nuances. He believes in strong communities and strong organizations and works to make them even better. It has been a growing experience to work with John.”
Jane Lafleur, executive director
Friends of Midcoast Maine and Community Institute
When our forty year-old food co-op encountered an unforeseen set of complex challenges, the board turned to John. He was quick to grasp the underlying issues and helped us design an intensive, daylong retreat to address them. The venue was perfect and the pacing deft. He combined provocative thought exercises with intervals of generative discussion in a way that kept the group’s spirits high and focus steady, and provided just the right amounts of reflection and feedback. In the end, there was a sense of confidence and accomplishment, in part because we came away with an impressive list of actionable next steps. Needless to say, we look forward to working with John again in the future.”
Tam Stewart, board president
Middlebury (VT) Natural Foods Co-op
John made a complex transformative process [Community Heart & Soul™] easily grasped by residents and volunteers by sticking with plainspoken language that builds understanding, trust, and loyalty.”
David Leckey, executive director
Orton Family Foundation
John Barstow Associates 