The Sister Communities of San Ramón, Nicaragua is a nonprofit dedicated to fostering a collaborative effort between Durham and San Ramón to provide educational opportunities and people-to-people connections. This organization is dedicated to developing educational programs, as well as promoting eco-tourism, service learning and cultural immersion travel that can benefit both the traveler and the San Ramón community.
This organization has built a number of schools, a library and a pre-school, and is now looking at ways to expand classrooms at the high school, which is severely overcrowded. It is also looking at ways to outfit more schools with computers in this remote area.
Sarah Montgomery was hired as executive director of this group in May 2012. It was an organization with limited experience with staff, having depended largely on the work of volunteers. Montgomery was interested in better understanding her role and the role of her volunteer board of directors.
The Coaching Process
“It was a learning experience for both the board and myself,” Montgomery said. “This was new for me and at the same time the board had to transition from a volunteer-driven organization to one with separate roles for staff and volunteers. I turned to ESC for help.”
ESC suggested that Montgomery participate in its executive coaching program. This program consists of a confidential one-on-one relationship between an executive director and a specially trained ESC coach. The coach acts as an impartial sounding board to help leaders think through problems and make informed decisions.
“My ESC executive coach and I began meeting weekly at first,” Montgomery explained. “It was critical to have a professional help me think through the processes necessary for an orderly change. And as a new executive director, I needed advice on the proper roles for both my position and the board. I needed to understand when to step up and when to step back.”
One of the key challenges Montgomery and her coach addressed was the issue of how to best focus the organization for the future. “When I came on board, we were financing a variety of projects, but we had limited financial resources. We now have a focus on education, which has really helped us prioritize our resources to make the most impact on the community.”
The Professionalism of the Consultant
Montgomery praised her ESC consultant. “My consultant was highly professional and experienced, which really gave me perspective on the job I needed to do. It was reassuring to have her work with me through this process. I would recommend this program to any executive director.”