Nat Ezray, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Jacob, Redwood City, CA
“Beth Schecter is fantastic. She had the ability to step into our synagogue and manage the myriad of details to keep it running well. She is a great listener who helped each employee thrive and a skilled problem solver. She helped us find solutions to issues that have festered for too long and set up a path to future success. She is efficient, wise, caring, strategic and thoughtful. What a blessing to have her in our organization.”
Poppea Dorsam, D.Music, President, Board of Directors, Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Oakland, CA, Instructor and Performing Cellist
“Beth provided expertise from her previous work with numerous Bay-Area Non-Profit organizations. Her wisdom and professionalism have been invaluable to our organization. As an intentional listener, she connected with our whole community to understand who we are and to help clarify and define our values and goals. Through her leadership, we accomplished a restructuring of our systems resulting in a new level of professionalism throughout our office processes and for the Board of Directors. Her commitment to our success as we have transitioned this past year from founding conductor to a new Artistic Director, and now to our new E.D. is evident throughout our program, especially through a pandemic! We are a stronger organization thanks to Beth’s passion for partnership and her steadfast training in governance and operations.”
Alexis Lynch, President, Board of Directors, Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center, Novato, CA; Alexis Lynch Law Firm
“We owe a huge thank you to our Interim Executive Director, Beth Schecter! She has guided us with such strong leadership and advice, and we are forever indebted to her for the work she has done not only stabilizing, but also strengthening our organization during this transition.”
Randi Fisher, Secretary, Board of Directors, Education Outside, San Francisco, CA; Co-Founder and Trustee, Pisces Foundation
“Beth, I knew the minute we met with you that you were the one who could successfully take us to where we needed to end up. I deeply appreciate the care and sensitivity you expressed when dealing with our young and emotionally charged staff, as well as the professionalism you exhibited when communicating with our partners and schools. This was not an easy endeavor, and you did it with grace and competency. I feel very positive about the outcome!”
David Knego, President, Board of Directors, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium; Executive Director, Curry Senior Center, San Francisco, CA
“Beth made what could have been a difficult experience (the transition of a 20+ year Executive Director), into a clear and positive path forward, providing us with a great learning opportunity, plus team-building for the Board.”
Ezequiel “Zeke” Montejano, Treasurer, Board of Directors, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium; Clinic Director, St Anthony’s Medical Clinic, San Francisco, CA
“Thank you so much for all that you did for SFCCC in such a short period of time. It was such a pleasure working with you and sharing ideas with you on how we can make SFCCC a better place for the many more years to come. I was most impressed with your professionalism and get it done attitude!”
Tanya Small, COO, Agricultural Institute of Marin, San Rafael, CA
“What a pleasure it was to have you as our Interim CEO during this time. Thank you for everything! I really enjoyed working with you, getting to know you, and learning from you. Your positive encouragement, work ethic and knowledge and understanding was refreshing. You are a terrific person, CEO, and role model.”
Shelton Ensley, Board President, San Francisco Girls Chorus, San Francisco, CA; Architect
“Beth stepped into the Interim Director position with SFGC as the organization faced several significant challenges. She immediately began work on a detailed analysis of our strengths and weaknesses, worked with the Board to clarify priorities and developed an aggressive workplan, all of which empowered the staff and engaged the Board. Beth’s leadership resulted in positive changes and a much healthier organization – and she was a joy to work with throughout!”
Lisa Bielawa, Artistic Director, San Francisco Girls Chorus, San Francisco, CA
“Beth Schecter brought a unique balance of strong leadership and collaborative energy to her work with us. Always respectful and inquisitive in her interactions with the staff and board, always honoring the mission and culture of this long-standing institution and the values of its stakeholders, she nevertheless was able to bring about just the right amount of change and refocusing that brought us to a terrific place for our hiring of a permanent ED.”
Joe Cannizzo, Board President, SHELTER, Inc., Concord, CA; Regional VP, National Accounts, United Health Care
“We were extremely fortunate to have Beth as our Interim Executive Director during a time of such drastic change and volatility. She provided tremendous leadership and advanced the agency in many ways. We extend our gratitude to Beth for her work and commitment.”
Joe Rodriguez, Board Member, SHELTER, Inc., Concord, CA; Senior Manager, Employee Relations, Genentech
“Your skillful leadership through a time of change and uncertainty allowed the organization to move forward on many fronts. You created stability and a united vision that empowered staff to step up and take needed actions, a cultural change that will continue to benefit the organization going forward.”
Zach Cowan, JD, Board Chair, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis; City of Berkeley, City Attorney, Berkeley, CA
“Beth came into SFCP after the former executive had left, with virtually no orientation. She had to discover everything for herself, and discovered an organization that needed significant reforming.
Working with the volunteer leadership, she brought consummate professionalism – not to mention a great deal of experience and knowledge – to her assignment. She did not come in as if she were a consultant just doing another job, but did her job with dedication, energy and persistence, and with clarity about what she was here to do.
SFCP is much the better for her tenure, and we owe her a huge debt of gratitude.”
Michael B. Donner, PhD, President, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis; Private Practice Psychologist, Oakland, CA
“Beth stepped into the position of Interim Executive Director with two hours of introduction by the outgoing executive, an office that was a mess and a President with a month’s experience. She not only was able to keep us going, but by the end of her tenure we were better organized than ever. I was consistently impressed by her competent, calm professionalism. It was an excellent experience and I would work with her again in a minute. We were lucky to find her.”
Joan Lucchese, Board President, The Gardens at Heather Farm (GHF), Walnut Creek, CA
“I am so grateful to you for being willing to come in and help get GHF back on track. You have worked tirelessly to make sure everyone’s voice has been heard: departed staff, disgruntled volunteers and dedicated volunteers, City managers, current and former Board members, and staff. You have been calm, fair and balanced in your assessment of us. It is my hope that we will honor your contribution by honoring this agreement and returning to it periodically to ensure that we recognize the mistakes we have made, and work hard to make sure we don’t repeat them.”
Ben Shapiro, MD, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Chair, Transition Committee, Garrison Institute, Garrison New York; Retired Clinical Director, Merck Pharmaceuticals
“Beth was excellent as an Interim ED and just what Garrison Institute (GI) needed. I cannot think of anything she could have done better – she engaged with Staff and Board at an appropriate level, was adept at dealing with complex interpersonal issues that emerged, and kept GI stable and on track as we regrouped and searched for our new ED. Many thanks to you and the Center for your help with this process, and for recommending such an excellent person.”
Dana Hughes, DrPH, (former) President, Board of Directors, East Bay Agency for Children, Oakland, CA; Professor of Health Policy, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UC San Francisco
“Everyone at the East Bay Agency for Children is grateful to Beth Schecter for her many contributions to the agency as our ten month interim CEO. While the agency was relatively stable when she stepped in during our search for a new, permanent CEO, we all knew that we would benefit from a review from an objective third party. And that she did: a comprehensive review and assessment of virtually all functions, ranging from the Board operations and policies to organizational policies and procedures to the day-to-day activities of key staff and departments. We ended up with a thorough first time ever manual of policies and procedures for the board as well as clarity about where we were doing well and where we could benefit from changes. During it all, Beth worked with integrity and professionalism, bringing to bear her vast knowledge and experience. All in all, it was an extremely positive experience. I highly recommend Beth!”
Rita G. Howard, East Bay Agency for Children Board of Directors, Chair, Development Committee, Retired Attorney, Oakland, CA
“Beth made outstanding contributions as the Interim Executive Director for East Bay Agency for Children (EBAC). She very quickly came up to speed preparing clear, targeted analyses and recommendations that highlighted her thorough understanding of the complex issues of this complex organization. At the same time she developed good rapport with the board and staff, leading in a collaborative and pragmatic way. We were very fortunate to have Beth guiding and moving the organization forward during this transition period.”
Christy Wilson, Former Board President and Founding Family Member, The Gardens at Heather Farm, Walnut Creek, CA
“There are no words I can use to express my thanks for all you have done for The Gardens. Your skills, expertise, objectivity and ability to handle difficult personnel were so outstanding and a gift to us all and the organization. Thanks to you we are on the right track and believe me, we have every intention of making you proud of all that you have started. With deep appreciation, Christy”
Jonathan F.P. Rose, Board Chair and Co-Founder, Garrison Institute, Jonathan Rose Companies, New York, NY
“We are very grateful for all that you have done for us. When you made the gutsy choice to shift your life and come across the coasts, the Institute was on uneven ground from a miss match of the Institute and our first ED. You stabilized our staff, and leave with a happy, highly functioning team. You have helped us really think through our governance and you have given our Funders confidence in our present and our future. All of this has helped set up a context that should make the new Executive Director’s leadership smooth and successful. As we look back over the last nine months, the Institute has made tremendous progress, and it simply could not have happened without you. We so much appreciate your clarity, your willingness to take a risk and come to a new place and plunge into a very different circumstance. You took on far more then you initially said was normal for an Interim Executive Director, such as fundraising, and we are very grateful for that. The Institute is the best prepared for a new ED than it has ever been. Thank you so very much for all of what you have given of your time, energy, and heart to the Institute.”
Jim Heeger, Board President, Hillel at Stanford, CEO, GreenRoad, Palo Alto, CA
“Beth served as Interim Executive Director of Hillel at Stanford this past academic year while we searched for our new professional leader. We had an exceptional year, even by Stanford Hillel’s normally high programming standards despite it being a transition year.”
Lillian Archer, Director of Development, San Francisco Botanical Gardens; formerly at Hillel at Stanford, Stanford, CA
“Beth is a detailed oriented executive and mentor. She can command and direct staff and be a trusted guide and advisor. With her never-ending focus, Beth and I accomplished so much in the short time we worked together. She is an excellent planner and thinks strategically about the task at hand. Most importantly she is passionate for the organizations and causes where she works. I am grateful for her partnership and hope that we have the chance to work together again.”
Rod Libbey, Executive Director, Janus of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
“I hired Beth as a health care consultant to develop and implement a plan to increase 3rd party payer business, and to train staff on customer service. Staff, management, and Board were all impressed and results were excellent.“
Stephen Cassell, Board Chair, Van Alen Institute, New York, NY
“Beth is knowledgeable and insightful about the workings of not-for-profits and she is a pleasure to work with. Her top qualities are: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity.”
BethAnn Berliner, Senior Researcher and Program Director, WestEd, San Francisco, CA
“I have worked with Beth for many years in various capacities and she is a stellar director, project lead, and colleague. She has deep content expertise across the spectrum of social services, and strong background in business administration and leadership. Her work is consistently of high quality and timely, and just as importantly, she ensures that her work is relevant to clients and the public good.“
Claudia Girrbach, Senior Director, Gap, Inc., Member Stanford Alumni Consulting Team, Palo Alto, CA
“Beth had the great insight to bring a business perspective to the challenges of a non-profit and did an outstanding job in translating non-profit goals and issues for us MBA’s, shaping recommendations to fit her culture, selling to her sponsors and then deploying. I was amazed and appreciative that Beth had the discipline and political skill to deploy all our recommendations, when many of our clients despite best intentions are unable to make long term progress.”
Marguerite Stricklin, VP Governance Committee, East Bay Agency for Children; Deputy Attorney General, CA Department of Justice, Oakland, CA
“As the Interim Executive Director, Beth provided phenomenal guidance and support to the staff and board members of our non-profit agency. She also left us with a thorough analysis of, and suggestions regarding, the inner workings of the agency that is so helpful to us in moving forward. I thank her for a job well done.”