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SDG Advisors testimonial from: “We brought SDG Advisors in to help
restructure our Board of Advisors. What impressed me was
their ability to give us a really good system that we
were able to share with our board members. SDG helped us see what we were trying
to do in terms of defining our vision. They provided
helpful documents that were beautifully organized. We
could then put our mark on them and personalize
according to our needs. In terms of board committee
structure, they helped me focus on the kind of person we
wanted to attract who would serve the school well. They
are good at establishing the profile of an ideal board
member and honing in on what specific skills are needed. With the exception of meeting with our
board at the summer workshop, SDG worked behind the
scenes. They have a good image and are organized and
informed. Their background with Catholic education was
important to us and our board. They were good at
identifying with the audience. Sr. Ritamary and Stacey produce an
instant credibility and inspire confidence. They are
very non-threatening and have excellent people skills
when it comes to talking with our staff, board members
and others. They present options and clearly communicate
what we’re about. We’ve been working with them since
January, and they’re now helping to boost our annual
fund. Our contract with them concludes in December. Lake
Catholic is a strong school that has not used
consultants in the past, but in this case, it was clear
there was an expertise we could tap that would be to our
benefit.”
SDG Advisors testimonial
from: “We engaged SDG Advisors to do a Board
review and strategic marketing plan. The bottom line is
to secure our school as a self-sustaining organization.
Sr. Ritamary and Stacey helped us restructure our Board
of Trustees from an Advisory Board to one with a
corporate structure, and they assisted us in forming
committees and defining the role of each committee.
Their recommendations to streamline the administrative
process have made the school’s operations more
efficient.
SDG Advisors testimonial
from: “I came on board as president in the
middle of the 2008-2009 school year, and Sr. Ritamary
and Stacey were indispensable to me as I got up and
running with very little lead time. As I assumed this
new position, I needed to bring under control a number
of elements to effect broad culture change on and off
campus. SDG Advisors helped me prioritize
first steps in order to map out a strategy for how to
change the school’s direction. They were professional in
their demeanor, sympathetic, reassuring and supportive.
Their skill set is deep and adaptable to conform to a
client’s needs, from the smallest issues to the largest
and highest priorities. There was no advisory board when I
came. SDG gave me the support I needed to recruit and
structure an effective and engaged board. I also had
some issues to address with our administration, and our
development program needed to be taken to a higher
level. SDG helped me untie the administrative mess,
restructure it and take the proper steps to accomplish
our goals. Sr. Ritamary and Stacey were able to
provide the right kind of support that I needed. It was
not dictatorial but in a style that conformed to my
needs. They knew how to build on my strengths and
provide help where I didn’t have in-house support. They
also envision what the future of a Catholic school
should look like, and they understand that each Catholic
institution is individual in and of itself. Sr. Ritamary and Stacey are a good
team in that each brings separate skills to the table.
Together, they are spectacular. Their communication with
the client and with each other is good, and they
understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Over the months, my needs and the way
I’ve worked with SDG have evolved. At first, each step
had the potential to explode. They had the tools to help
plot the course that overcame the challenges, and we
have been able to make incredible progress
institutionally. I owe a lot of that to SDG.
SDG Advisors testimonial
from: “We hired SDG Advisors to do a
strategic plan, and they were very professional and easy
to work with. Before making recommendations, they
thoroughly evaluated our current situation, asked us
knowledgeable questions and reviewed all of our existing
marketing materials. Sr. Ritamary and Stacey came back with
an excellent presentation to our board, and were
straightforward about praising the things we’re doing
well and suggesting things that we need to tweak or
improve. They surveyed our various constituencies, and
the responses were very positive, reconfirming our need
for more marketing. They also did a detailed analysis of
our demographics to see where our students are coming
from since we’re not a diocesan school. What I really liked about SDG was
their positive approach. They identified areas that were
missing from our marketing plan and gave us fresh, new
ideas. They made us aware of the importance of
publicizing the school’s good news and stories to our
key audiences through the local media, our website and
other vehicles. We’re more professional and keenly aware
of our marketing efforts because of the help we received
from Sr. Ritamary and Stacey. Schools are hesitant to make a
significant investment in marketing, but I believe it is
extremely important for schools to find those dollars
and invest in the future of our students.”
SDG Advisors
testimonial from:
SDG Advisors helped us on many issues and provided
valuable feedback on our program and challenges.
We were impressed especially with the detailed marketing
program they totally mapped out and offered to us.
It was right on target--an incredibly useful tool.
SDG Advisors
testimonial from: We partnered with SDG Advisors to
develop a Marketing Plan for the school. We established
an internal, four-person marketing committee and met
with Sr. Ritamary and Stacey several times. They came
back to our committee with a written report and formal
presentation. This process pushed us to move forward
with a number of the proposed ideas. Although we struggle with limited
financial resources to implement marketing initiatives,
we have benefitted from the fact that the
recommendations came from a legitimized outside source.
Sr. Ritamary and Stacey have a real working knowledge of
a school setting and gave us practical suggestions. They
helped hone in on what would be most effective and
prioritized things for us. I appreciate the fact that Sr.
Ritamary and Stacey have called to follow up and check
in. It’s reassuring to know we still have a connection,
and I feel comfortable knowing I can call them when I
need a sounding board.
SDG Advisors
testimonial from:
“With
the changing landscape of Catholic education today,
there is a significant need for the services provided by
SDG Advisors. I have seen the effectiveness of Sr.
Ritamary and Stacey’s work first-hand at Beaumont
School, and I am confident that they have the right
skill sets and fresh ideas to help Catholic schools find
the best practical solutions to fulfill their mission. I
admire their commitment to Catholic education and know
that they will bring value to their clients.”
SDG Advisors
testimonial from:
“The primary
reason we invited Sr. Ritamary and Stacey to meet with
us was because our high school, Villa Maria Academy,
could possibly have benefited from their involvement as
our situation was similar to their past experience where
they successfully confronted and resolved some very
basic issues/problems.
Sr. Ritamary and
Stacey were very helpful to our constituencies in
understanding the various layers of leadership in
relation to our schools as well as their
responsibilities.
One of the
things I found most impressive about them is that they
are attentive listeners. This quality is ‘key’ to
working with anyone, and in our situation, it was very
important. I had the sense that they treat each project
as unique. They were clear about what was needed or what
was being asked.”
SDG Advisors
testimonial from:
“This is a phenomenal combination of experience and
expertise. Sr. Ritamary did a fabulous job at Beaumont
School. As a grantor, I found her to be an excellent
grantee and administrator. She is a great example of how
to run a Catholic school.
Although I’ve only known Stacey for a short time through
an advisory board, she is terrific. The fact that she
makes complicated financial matters sound simple and
translatable is an incredible gift for someone in
consulting. Stacey is extremely skilled at managing
finances as well as explaining things easily.
They have a combination of talents and the belief that
goes with that. They firmly believe in Catholic
education and know it can work. They offer an
outstanding range of services, and they’re not just in
the consulting business to make money. They really want
to help the schools, and that’s the extra edge for them.
They have the complete picture of the educational and
business aspects of running a school, plus the faith.
SDG Advisors
testimonial from:
“There are six
points I’d like to share about Sr. Ritamary and Stacey
Picard.
First, they
understand what a team is, and they work very well
together. They know how to guide others in building a
team. For example, Stacey worked closely with Beaumont’s
maintenance staff to develop them as a team.
Second, they’re
very thoughtful in their approach to a project. They are
very thorough in research and knowledgeable about
finance. They fully understand the president-principal
model of leadership as well as a religious community’s
sponsorship of a school. They understand the laws and
finances peculiar to non-profits.
They are also
very clear in the presentation of a project -- they
effectively use technology as an aid to clarify key
points.
Third, they view
issues and problems from various perspectives. They can
walk in someone else’s shoes and think from another’s
perspective. They are also, in a discussion or planning
session, able to draw out the participants’
perspectives.
Fourth, they
have excellent articulation skills. When they’re
conducting a group session, they’re able to summarize
what they hear, lead discussions and get all points on
the table. They clearly explain policies, procedures and
directions with an enthusiasm that encourages people to
get on board.
Fifth, they’re
personable. They relate well to people, and it’s easy
for others to relate to them.
Testimonial for
SDG Advisors from:
On Sr. Ritamary
Welsh, OSU:
“I’ve known
Ritamary as part of the Ursuline community for more than
40 years and have watched her in many ministries. If she
says she’s going to do something, she’ll do it.
She has a great
gift for finding new answers to old questions. She knows
how to launch a project -- putting together a master
plan with all the steps needed to bring that project to
a successful conclusion.
She’s a
delightful person to work with and has more
‘sticktuitiveness’ than super glue. She really doesn’t
give up on a project. When she sets her mind to
something, it happens.
She comes with a
great deal of expertise in fundraising as well as an
understanding of the inner workings of parishes, grade
schools and high schools.”
On Stacey
Picard:
“I’ve known
Stacey through Beaumont School for the past three years.
She has a great understanding of financial intricacies.
While we served on Beaumont’s Finance Committee
together, Stacey demonstrated the ability to organize
complex financial data in such a way that it can be
understood by a non-financial person.”
On Ritamary and
Stacey as a Team:
“Together,
Ritamary -- with her practical expertise -- and Stacey
-- with financial expertise – make an outstanding team.
They work well in a consulting setting as an on-site
team to effectively work through an institution’s
challenges and issues.
They have the
ability to take a project through to completion and know
how to ask the difficult questions. They’re not afraid
to explore new possibilities on how to answer those
difficult questions.”
SDG Advisors
testimonial from:
“Stacey worked
closely with us during the launch of our capital
campaign. She gave us strong financial advice which was
clear and direct. Our Development Director said that she
was amazed at how easy it was to follow Stacey’s
suggestions. It is also an easy task to track additional
income that has come because of these suggestions.
Stacey is always
careful not to be pushy. She gives good suggestions and
is very open and broad-minded. She is also willing to
bring in others to lend their advice.
Stacey is highly
skilled and well educated. With her experience, Stacey
could have made more money in the corporate world,
however, she chose to work at Beaumont School where she
was extremely committed to its mission.
Stacey believes
that Catholic education provides students with the
values to be successful. She loves our school and is
very appreciative of the work that Catholic education is
doing to help poor families break out of poverty.
She is very
affirming of what we have accomplished and challenges us
to think outside the box. She is also effective at
encouraging educators to think of things from a business
perspective. Our school has benefited from her advice
and presence, and I’m very grateful to her.
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