Monica Gould, MBA, CMC

“ As the the new President and CEO of UCP of Central Pennsylvania, I needed to get a well-researched strategic plan in place to guide the organization - a company that faced tremendous regulatory and fiscal challenges. Seeking a partner for this project, I met with multiple consultants - but Monica was the only consultant who presented a rigorous plan for data collection and research to precede any strategic plan development and the cascading of that plan, once developed, throughout the entire company. This impressed me because it would be impossible to engage any planning without first clearly understanding where the company stood - from the candid perspectives of clients, staff, families, Board members, regulatory authorities and all other stakeholders alike. Monica understood the true value of seeing the organization through the eyes of every constituent at every level at it really was. Monica and her capable team conducted a thorough evaluation through a variety of mediums. She delivered a well-researched, informative report that painted a clear picture of who UCP was to each stakeholder and in so doing, identified the gaps. The team then facilitated a SWOT analysis with all levels of company management. Next, they met with the executive team and conducted Board retreats as we worked to develop a strategic plan that was informed by reality and ground truth, prioritizing the steps necessary to restore the company, enabling it to reverse revenue losses and correct all regulatory gaps. Thereafter, Monica and her team served as monitors of the cascading of our plan - to every level of the organization. We met and exceeded every goal because the plan was grounded in reality and focused on objectives that mattered to our stakeholders. The organization was successful because of its partnership with Strategic Consulting Partners - and Monica Gould. I could not more strongly endorse any consultant. Monica is an honest and trustworthy partner who is wholly committed to the success of her clients. If you are looking for “game changing” results, you need a game changing partner. Monica Gould is that partner. Judith A. McCowan, President and CEO, UCP of Central Pennsylvania ”

“Monica has been a board member, mentor and business consultant to me. I've had nothing but positive professional interactions with her and can say she is simply great to watch in action. There is no fooling this lady when it comes to strategic planning and she is never afraid to ask the tough questions. I respect her as a business leader and individual. ”

“Monica possesses vast knowledge and experience to motivate and educate participants. She has the gifts to move a group through process in such away that each individual feels valued and included resulting in transformed individuals as well as a transformed organization.”

“Monica is a leader that delivers results. Her passion for training and coaching was evident in the national sales program we worked on together. I welcome the opportunity to work with Monica on future projects as her enthusiasm and experience are captivating.”

“Monica and I have worked together as colleague on a project for West Shore Chamber of Commerce. I found Monica to be an excellent listener who was quick to grasp the essence of the topic under discussion and who also delivered well-thought out results promptly and reliably. It's also a pleasure to work with Monica because of her professional and pleasant nature and caring attitude. I am happy to strongly endorse Monica Gould as a professional of high caliber.””

“Monica was wonderful on both a personal level in assisting me with ramping up my skill set in the job market and a motivator for the members of the diplomatic committee with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. An excellent attribute to any organization she is associated with. In her words: "There is no glass ceiling."”

“Monica is an outstanding and brilliant professional who offers companies the wisdom of her expertise in addition to the dedication to serve her customer beyond compare.”

“Monica Gould was chosen as a breakout session speaker for several back-to-back Business Women's Forum events. Her professionalism, organization, and preparation truly lended themselves to her presentations, making her one of our most sought after speakers. As the adminstrator of Business Women's Forum, Monica was a presenter I knew could handle her own and the audience. She showed up prepared and ready to go. I greatly appreciated her contribution to our Chamber's events, and am sure she will be selected again in the future to present on new and innovative topics.”

“Monica Gould is a member of the Nonprofit Resource Network's Preferred Consultant Network. I highly recommend her for bringing strategic planning services to the nonprofit sector with a solid understanding and compassion for the challenges faced by organizations in the community benefit sector. She has much experience and knowledge, specifically in strategic planning and also brings her experience serving on boards and in fundraising. Monica is also flexible and and provides creative problem solving. It is a pleasure to work with Monica.”

“Monica is detail oriented, easy to work with, and knowledgeable. She guided as through our strategic planning process and gave us the tool we needed to implement the plan. It was a great process.”

“Monica is an excellent group facilitator. I attended a seminar where Monica was the presenter and facilitator and she did a great job. She kept it fun and was very dynamic. She has also worked with some of our clients and has done a great job with them. Any client we have that has worked with Monica is well prepared and ready to move forward. Omar Shute”

“I was part of the team from Brown Schultz Sheridan Fritz, CPAs, that was brought in to one of Monica/SCP’s projects as subject matter experts. I had the opportunity to witness Monica in action first hand. The project involved providing an organization with solid substantive data that would help it evaluate the options, benefits and costs of splitting into two separate organizations. Monica had two weeks to complete the task from planning to finish. Within this short time frame she was able to bring together subject matter experts from three different fields, coordinate everyone’s fact finding efforts with minimal interruption to the client, and produce a high quality professional report complete with executive summary, details of the pros and cons of numerous options, and including detail budget impact data. I enjoyed working on this project with Monica and I look forward to partnering with Strategic Consulting Partners in the future.”

“Monica is one of the most dedicated and passionate professionals that I have worked with. From preparing a proposal to execution of the assignment, Monica remains focused and effective so the client sees results. Her knowledge, experience, and insight make her an asset to any organization. And with her down to earth approach, she can relate to all levels of employees. Monica cares about the success of others and is committed to excellence.”

“Monica has worked with PANO for several years presenting on topics such as Strategic Planning, Effective Leadership Skills, and Succession Planning. She brings energy, experience and expertise to her presentations. In addition to writing a leadership column for Keynotes, PANO’s quarterly publication, Monica currently volunteers as a Standards for Excellence Peer Reviewer and serves as a Standards for Excellence Approved Consultant and Trainer. Monica serves as an extremely valuable volunteer and trainer and it is my pleasure to recommend her.”

“Monica is a passionate and energetic trainer. I have had the pleasure of attending her trainings and working on projects together and you can count on Monica to give 110% to everything she does. Her experience in strategic planning provides excellent value to companies and nonprofit organizations.”

“In the short time that Monica has worked with the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce, she has provided great insight and tireless effort. Monica’s lead with the strategic planning of the Chamber has given the organization the opportunity to set realistic goals to establish itself as a true Chamber and not just a community event organization. Her insight in regards to interviews for potential employees has been a great asset in the Chamber’s ability to hire capable and compatible personnel. As President of the Board of Directors, she allows the employees to do the job they were hired to do, but is always available to assist when the need arises.”

“When I was functioning as executive director for a 14 county health related nonprofit organization a few years ago, I hired Monica to advise me on our strategic planning process. What impressed me most was her comprehensive consideration of the work. While I'd previously utilized the services of perhaps six or seven other strategic planning consultants over the course of a dozen years, I can honestly say that no one dealt with the subject quite like Monica. I came away from the hours she spent with me understanding exactly how I needed to proceed. I found the experience to be highly informative, instructional, and engaging. Monica's no nonsense, cut to the chase approach struck a chord in me and empowered me to move forward in a seamless fashion.”

“I have had the pleasure of serving with Monica on the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Board of Directors since early 2010. Monica lead the Strategic Planning process for BBBS and has been instrumental in implementing some sweeping changes in the way we do business, which was not made any easier in these economic times. Monica is always willing to help out and a pleasure to be around regardless of whether we are discussing business or personal matters. I would certainly recommend Monica to anyone seeking a true leader, dedicated to improving you as a person, your company or a non-profit.”

“Monica is known in the community for being innovative and creative. She brings a sense of energy, awareness and knowledge to her presentations.”

“Monica is an excellent trainer. She has assisted both nonprofit and profit-making organizations. She has special expertise in areas of planning for the future.”

“I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Monica in multiple settings and I can truly say that she is a stellar leader and positive fixture in the Central Pennsylvania professional community. Monica is an active leader currently holding key positions with various entities influencing not only the global professional environment but the local community as well. Monica’s professional elasticity allows her to provide leadership to individuals professionally and personally, which is exemplified through her spirited community involvement and has earned her the respect of her colleagues. She is a true person of character with a strong ethical foundation.”

“Whenever any of our fundraising clients wants to develop a strategic plan, or when potential clients phone us to ask if we do strategic planning consulting, I am always confident in recommending Monica. She has never let me down or disappointed me; I am happy to refer business to her. She is always professional and DELIVERS and I am happy to share clients with her. And I'm not one to make a referral lightly!”

“My company hired Monica to provide formal training to our management team in 2009. I was part of the team who evaluated the consultants. At the interview I was quite impressed with Monica's punctuality, thoroughness, and energy. She delivered information in the same way to our managers, and provided exercises that reinforced points or opened our minds to new thinking. I often see my managers employ tidbits of the training in their work. I also have worked with Monica ont he Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. Monica really impresses me with her strategic thinking. Most recently, she led a group in our 2012 planning. It was very organized, fruitful and, dare I say, fun. If you are looking for new ways of thinking, strategic planning, business consulting, or structured management training, Monica Gould will deliver.”

“I am so proud to be both a friend and FAN of Monica Gould! Monica is among my absolute favorite speakers and trainers! She is committed to customizing her approach to meet each individual's needs and goals. She truly has earned her status as a leading expert in strategic planning and leadership development. And -oh- When she takes the stage, she's such a crowd-pleaser! Those who have had the pleasure of enjoying her presentations have reaped the benefits of her knowledge and skills.”

“Monica and I have worked together on projects for non-profit organizations in the greater Harrisburg area. Her work has been outstanding and any project she's been involved with has been more than successful, and always greatly received by the client. She is organized, efficient, and incredibly knowledgable about non-profits and their challenges in the current environment. I would (and have) recommended Monica to my non-profit clients, and will always welcome any opportunity to work with her again in the future.”

“Monica was a partner in the development of a curriulum and train the trainer program. She was easy to work with, did great work on time and graciously.”

“I met Monica through a network of consultants and later collaborated with her to design training programs to support an assessment. I know her to be talented, professional and passionate about her work. I also found her to be collaborative. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her or to use her with my clients as opportunities arise. Dick Cipoletti, MPA, PMC RCC Associates”

“We have had a chance to have Monica as a trainer within the USAID funded project - Strategic Planning and Organizational Development Trainings for Tbilisi State University (Tbilisi, Georgia) senior administration. What she did within the project was: 1. assess the overall organizational development and strategic planning framework of TSU vis a vis the reform initiatives underway at the university, in order to design training interventions on strategic planning and O&M; 2. Through practical examples, provide training, skills and knowledge on the essentials of organizational development and strategic planning to senior management and key staff of TSU; 3. assist TSU, through appropriate training, to recognize and address priority strategic reform and organizational development issues; 4. train TSU staff to establish responsive, demand-driven and modern management and administrative practices that are competitive in the domestic, regional and global marketplaces. As part of the TSU management, my experience with Monica is that she is a professional of high class with distinctive skills and profound experience in training and institutional assessment. It is a pleasure to recommend her to any institution looking for assistance in its quest for institutions reform and strategy (re-)formulation.”

“Monica is a knowledgeable facilitator who clearly communicates her goals and outcomes. She expertly engaged the entire group and brought a lot of knowledge and experience to the table. It is a pleasure to work with her.”

“Monica Gould is a remarkable and talented woman. I have worked with her as my client and in many business organizations and groups. Her wit, dedication to her craft and broad based knowledege makes her one of the most dynamic women in her industry. I am impressed with her tenacity and her tireless involvement in her community on top of an incredibly busy schedule. Any company considering hiring her cannot go wrong.”

“Monica always brings a very thorough, detailed approach to her work. She delivers materials thoroughly and creatively.”

“Monica is a dynamic and resourceful consultant, always ready to connect businesses and others who would work well together. She's skilled in identifying issues and proposing options for solutions. Beyond that, she's a genuinely nice person!”

“It was a pleasure having Monica as my professor at Duquesne University. She was upbeat and energetic. She emphasized the importance of learning and networking in order to achieve career goals. She also made the classroom time very interactive by relating the textbook material to real life experiences and asking for our thoughts/opinions. Even though the classes were on Saturdays, I looked forward to going. Thanks Monica for being a great professor!!”

“Monica is able to develop her presentation to fit any group. She relates well with people and knows her topic. She enjoys what she does and it shows”

“I have worked with Monica through intense networking sessions. Monica has the skill of getting to the route of issues through her well thought out consistent results oriented behavior. Monica is amazingly prompt and focused when addressing situations, Her attention to detail, be it participation in a community event or evaluating business ideals are grounded in achieving your desired result. I have referred Monica to many of my colleagues and I personally always come away empowered from our meetings. I highly recommend Monica. Service Category: Business Development Year First Interacted: 2007 - till present Top Qualities; Focused, Expedient, Results producer!”

“I attended one of Monica's presentations and found it to be very informative and enjoyable.She was very organized and set a relaxing atmosphere during her talk. I would highly recommend her to my business associates and would attend other workshops myself. I came home inspired and ready to apply her suggestions to my own business. Barbara Will”

“Monica is a very energetic person and a great outsource for any company looking to take their company to the next level. Give her a call! David Hutton”

“Monica was chosen to create the Five Year Strategic Plan for the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce. Her expertise and leadership provided the Chamber with a roadmap to enable it to grow and expand the services offered to its members. Thanks to Monica, we now have a precise plan to follow along with S.M.A.R.T. goals.”

“I learned of Monica's work when she volunteered to assist the Chamber in re-writing/updating our Strategic Plan as an organization. I suspect we were a challenge for her significant skills in problem solving and achieving consensus. So many type A personalities volunteering to help the Chamber to establish its mission and vision. She worked with Grace and Professionalism educating us on what we needed to understand to achieve our goals and the held our hand guiding us through that process. I am eternally grateful to her and would recommend her services to anyone who does not have a plan or is in need of help relative to their vision. She can help bring, in short order, clarity and focus which will help in decision making for years to come.”

“Monica was the speaker at the recent Leadership Harrisburg Non Profit Conference in Harrisburg, I enjoyed her positive and upbeat attitude! Her expertise is very evident in Marketing, and non profit Leadership. She gave me some great information on email marketing that has really helped us quickly. Her ideas are refreshing and right on! If you want a true professional who can help quickly, I would say that Monica is your Lady! Kirt Barden, Director of Philanthropy for The Harrisburg Salvation Army 717-557-5299”

“I had the pleasure of hearing Monica speak. She certainly gave me much to think about, but more importantly, she gave me things I could use and implement immediately.”

“Monica was at the forefront of the emerging Innovation initiative at Whirlpool Corporation. She embraced the process and helped earn funds to pilot an exciting in-home cooking/appliance based program which held potential to be a spin off business. Monica combines strong strategic skills, deep analytical capabilities and incredible passion to 'make it happen.' It was a pleasure to be part of the management team which reviewed and approved her proposals.”

“Monica and I worked on several Leadership Development projects together. I found her to be a tremendous facilator and very connected with the group producing significate results.”

“Since Monica facilitated our Strategic Plan in the Fall of 2007 the entire company has had an increased focus on what we need to do in order to grow. Our people are more engaged, we are functioning more as a team. Implementing the plan and seeing it results in new business have energized everyone. We brought Monica back to perform Succession Planning, further engaging everyone in our future performance. I would recommend any small business invest in strategic planning with Monica - our plan has paid for itself many times over in just 9 months!”

“Monica was a wonderful asset to Olivia's House when creating our strategic plan. I would recommend her highly.”

“Monica is among the best! As one of an elite few women in Central Pennsylvania who have obtained their designation as a Certified Management Consultant, Monica demonstrates both outstanding professionalism and the highest ethical standards. Her range of expertise, knowledge and experience are unmatched and any organization or company that utlizes her skills is sure to succeed!”

“Monica delivers high quality, on target results every time. She is personable, expert, highly adaptable and very positive. I strongly recommend Monica as a business consultant and trainer.”

“I have hired Monica to support my company on three different large, high-profile client projects. Her energy, organization, and insights into project management, project tracking, and training have been invaluable. We hit every deadline and budget number while making the clients very, very happy. She has willingly represented my firm to the standards I expect of myself. I have full confidence in putting her in front of my clients.”

“Monica is an excellent speaker -- if you're looking for someone to really energize your audience and give them practical yet innovative tools for strategic planning -- I recommend her without reservation. She's fantastic!”