Associates

Lori Vidlak leads interactive learning experiences that promote critical thinking, team spirit, and the honest sharing of perceptions. She helps board and staff members understand their responsibilities, discover their strengths, build skills, and establish collaborative relationships among themselves and within their communities. She advocates forging alliances among people with diverse perspectives based on common ground and a shared vision.

Lori began her career as a journalist in the U.S. Army. She gained experience and insight working with volunteers as a public information specialist and community educator with nonprofit and government agencies. She earned a B.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Washington and a M.Ed. from Doane College, Crete, Neb. She has developed curriculum for distance-learning communication courses, co-written a book on choosing educational software, and produced award-winning documentary films. She started her own consulting business in 1999.

Susan Felton uses her keen attention to detail and strong organizational skills to research, write and edit client publications. She produces reliable and readable community needs assessment reports that provide in-depth information from a breadth of resources. If a piece of data exists, Susan cannot give up until it has been unearthed. She is a focused, active listener who conducts personal interviews and informal surveys with skill and tact. Beginning in the third grade when she first diagrammed a sentence, Susan relishes connecting words to convey clear meaning. She showcases organizational impact by writing poignant success stories and appealing annual reports.

Her approachable demeanor and unflappable composure are reflected in her work as she helps staff and board members develop processes to engage the community and establish long-lasting relationships. Susan holds a B.S. in Education and a M.A. in English from the University of Nebraska and has taught composition, research, and business writing at the high school and college level.