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Promoting Excellence and Trust in the Nonprofit Sector
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John E. Saunders, III

JDF Consulting, LLC


Stowe, VT

   202-262-1466 |

Independent Consultant and Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant, 2014. Skilled consultant with more than 30 years of successful government and non-profit chief executive leadership experience including extensive interaction with community organizations, professional associations and private sector companies. Licensed by the Standards for Excellence® Institute to assist nonprofit organizations implement the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.  He specializes in nonprofit and governmental organizations with expertise in areas that include: Board Development and Governance; Leadership Development; Strategic Planning; Organizational Assessment and Improvement Strategies; Strategic Collaborations.

A natural consensus builder and optimist, John is devoted to improving citizen access to public leaders in the nonprofit and government arenas, and continuous improvement of their organizations and the vital community services they provide. For the past 30 years John has held executive posts in community-based organizations, governmental agencies and national associations. In each of those positions he worked to ensure that vital services of superior quality were effectively provided to his constituents. He has served on a wide variety of Boards of Directors both as a member and in leadership positions.  A believer in leaving things better than you found them, John is committed to providing development and growth opportunities for young people as a way of both giving back and insuring a next generation of leaders committed to equity and opportunity.

For the past 15 years he has taken a special interest in the development of leaders, particularly public- sector leaders who understand the principles of “Servant Leadership” and using them to guide their service. His most recent work as head of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators provided opportunities for fulfillment of his interests leading to a significant body of experience with leaders in developing countries throughout Africa.

Skill Highlights

  • Providing creative and innovative leadership
  • Building and motivating effective teams
  • Achieving organizational goals and vision
  • Working effectively with boards, committees, and external partners
  • Communicating with clarity and accuracy
  • Strategic planning and implementation
  • Strategic planning and implementation
  • Working in difficult situations with tact
  • Encouraging and effectively interfacing with diverse groups and opinions
  • Developing and managing budgets
  • Project and change management
  • Meeting and event planning
  • Interim CEO/COO capability