For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Coates Madsen
Director, Standards for Excellence Institute®
acmadsen@standardsforexcellence.org
443-438-2314
Introducing: Standards for Excellence Institute® Licensed Consultant Class of November 2025
Baltimore, MD – December 11, 2025 – The Standards for Excellence Institute, an initiative dedicated to promoting the highest standards of nonprofit ethics and accountability, announces its 2025 Class of Licensed Consultants.
Twenty-nine highly experienced nonprofit professionals completed the intensive three-day training and are now equipped to provide organizational assessments and expert assistance to nonprofits nationwide. The members of the 2025 class represent organizations from states across the country, including California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultants use their extensive knowledge of the Standards for Excellence to help nonprofits strengthen their governance practices and build capacity, accountability, and sustainability in their organizations. Licensed Consultants provide nonprofits with organizational assessments, consulting, and training, and help them earn national Standards for Excellence accreditation.
Some Licensed Consultants work with Standards for Excellence replication partners (which are organizations licensed and trained to use the Institute’s program materials and resources to support other nonprofits in a specific geographic area or in a specific mission area).
The Licensed Consultant Program has continued to grow each year since its inception in 2006. See the complete list of current Licensed Consultants. Anyone interested in becoming a Licensed Consultant should consider joining the 2026 training – learn more and sign up to be notified when applications are available.
Participant Testimonials:
Dwan Burton, Deputy Director of Out for Justice, Inc., spoke about the training:
”Completing the Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant Training was an incredible experience. The material brought clarity and structure to practices that many take for granted or hold in disconnected pieces. What truly made it powerful was the cohort—aligned, thoughtful professionals who enriched every session. I was grateful to add my own lived experience and community-rooted best practices, especially as we work to ensure equitable systems in a time that feels increasingly oppressive. I loved the training, the trainers, and my cohort, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity.”
Juan Pablo Berrizbeitia, Founder and CEO of JP Berriz, offered:
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Licensed Consultant Class of 2025 for the Standards for Excellence Program. I was very impressed by the high level of quality of the content we reviewed during the training sessions. The depth and comprehensiveness of the Standards themselves is impressive and it’s clear they have been worked on for many years. It’s a wealth of knowledge. And now I have privileged access as a Licensed Consultant to tools and materials to bring the Standards to nonprofits I work with.
The highest privilege was to be in a room discussing the most important and nuanced nonprofit management ideas and practices with a group of like-minded, bright, friendly, and high-performing professionals who have chosen, like I have, to strengthen and build the nonprofits that our communities need the most.”
Patricia Glass, CNP, Founder and Owner of Flourish, shared:
“Joining the Licensed Consultant Class of 2025 is an important milestone in my work with nonprofits across East Texas. The Standards for Excellence framework reflects what I value most in organizational health—ethical leadership, strong governance, and sustainable systems. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring this level of rigor, clarity, and support to the organizations I serve and to help them strengthen their impact in our community.”
Yurani Sandoval, Founder & CEO of Women Palante, describes the training:
“The Licensed Consultant Training expanded my expertise and equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and tools to help nonprofits enhance their accountability, strengthen their governance, and adopt proven best practices. I am also now prepared to support organizations seeking accreditation through the Standards for Excellence Program. I’m excited for what’s ahead for Women Palante, for the nonprofits I will serve, and for the impact we will create together.”
Introducing the Members of the Standards for Excellence Institute® Licensed Consultant Class of November 2025:
(*Participated as a member of a replication partner organization)
Davede Alexander
Crofton, MD
Marthea Alley-Caliz
Alameda, CA
Juan Pablo Berrizbeitia
Staunton, VA
Tekoah Boatner
Baton Rouge, LA
Dwan Burton
Baltimore, MD
Heather Cassity
Maryland
Andrew Davis
Georgetown, TX
Anthony Dicks
Annapolis, MD
Patricia Glass
Tyler, TX
Christi Green
Baltimore, MD
Torbin Green
Baltimore, MD
Rihana Herbert
Baltimore, MD
Olive Idehen
Derwood, MD
Kela Jones
Arlington, TN
Brenda Kasprzewski
Rehobeth Beach, DE
Laurin Kelly
Silver Spring, MD
Michelle Kenyon
Tyler, TX
Kristine LaLonde
Nashville, TN
Rachel Maleh
Bethany Beach, DE
Amy Merida*
Round Rock, TX
Amy Mizcles*
Round Rock, TX
Amanda Mock
Annapolis, MD
Tony Murchison*
Knoxville, TN
Stephanie Rolle
Brandywine, MD
Katie Rouse
Elkridge, MD
Yurani Sandoval
Derwood, MD
Leon Seemann
Potomac, MD
Teresa Titus-Howard
Millersville, MD
Candace Thompson
Garland, TX
About the Standards for Excellence Institute®
The Standards for Excellence Institute® is a Maryland Nonprofits program that serves nonprofits throughout the nation. The Institute is dedicated to promoting the highest standards of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management, and operations. It has 15 state, regional, and national partner organizations, and is supported by 357 Licensed Consultants and 50 volunteers with professional experience in nonprofit governance and administration.
Nonprofits can participate in a rigorous application and review process to demonstrate adherence to the Standards for Excellence®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector in the program’s accreditation and recognition program. Learn more at www.standardsforexcellence.org
