The role of a Board Leadership & Development coach is to accompany participating organizations as these organizations identify the Top 5 Action Steps for their board and begin to execute them over 6 months following the end of training. Coaches are independent contractors for the program and are paid by the Trust. They are partnered with 2-3 organizations per cohort and customize their coaching support to each organization’s unique mission, work, challenges, and goals. In addition to preparing the organizations before the training and journeying with them through the training sessions, coaches meet virtually or in-person with organizations for coaching following the conclusion of program sessions. These tenured coaches bring years of experience as nonprofit and for-profit executive leadership, board service, and coaching/consulting of other nonprofit leadership teams. Meet our fantastic team of Board Leadership & Development coaches below!
Board Leadership & Development Coaches & Faculty #
As Vice President of Programs & Partnerships, Kimberly oversees Trust initiatives to strengthen nonprofits and build partnerships across the Pacific Northwest. She leads a portfolio of capacity-building programs for nonprofit leaders, including work in board governance, executive leadership, and fundraising. Before joining the Trust in 2019, Kimberly served for over 20 years as Vice President at two private liberal arts colleges. Her executive experience spans organizational strategy, leadership development, and change management. She holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration, is an author and frequent speaker, and has served on both local and national boards. One of her greatest joys is mentoring emerging leaders across the nonprofit and business sectors.
Ed McDowell is the CEO of Warm Beach Camp Ministries. He also coaches and consults in the areas of Board Leadership and Development to bring fresh perspectives to perplexing situations. As a partner in the Alliance for Board Effectiveness, Ed believes that Boards control the bandwidth of what an organization pursues in response to its mission. He has 20+ years of experience working with Boards on issues of culture, governance, sustainability, and strategy. Ed is the author of a devotional series titled A Well-Planted Faith in an Uprooted Culture. The goal of his writing and speaking is to challenge people to have God’s word inform the way they live. Ed and his wife, Bev live on Camano Island, WA. To learn more about Ed’s consulting, or to contact him, visit: https://www.standpoint360.com.
Ron is a senior fellow at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and has extensive experience in both the business and nonprofit sectors. For twenty years he led Western Family Foods as its CEO. As well, he has held a number of leadership positions on nonprofit boards. King graduated from Washington State University and the Stanford Executive Program. He and his wife, Pam, reside in Cedar Mill and have two adult daughters.
Adam is a seasoned leader and executive coach with 20+ years of expertise in intercultural communication, organizational transformation, senior leadership, board service, and consulting across the nonprofit, faith-based, and business sectors. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Murdock Trust and a teaching pastor at a church in Springfield, New Jersey. Adam is also the founder and CEO of Culture Consultants, where he helps senior executives and organizations enhance performance, cultural intelligence, and team dynamics. He holds an M.A. in Intercultural Studies and an MBA. Previously, Adam served as Director of Covenant World Relief & Development, overseeing global initiatives with more than 30 international partners in 20 countries. Adam is dedicated to equipping leaders and strengthening organizations that advance the common good and promote human flourishing.
Alec Hill is president emeritus of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA. He has also served as dean of the School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University and as a Regional Director for World Relief. He holds a law degree from the University of Washington and has served on numerous boards. Alec teaches part-time at Regent College (Canada), mentors rising leaders, and is the author of two books (on business ethics and surviving cancer). He enjoys tent camping, loves reading history, and is a long-suffering fan of the Seattle Mariners (this could be the year).
Bob King is founder and a Principal at C.O.O. Services, LLC (est. 2008), which provides 3 primary services: fractional Chief Operating Officers to mid-market companies and nonprofits; retained executive search and exit/succession, planning. Previously, he served as President of a privately held national manufacturing company and prior to that he held senior leadership roles at Georgia-Pacific Corporation. Bob holds a BA from Middlebury College and MBA from Emory University, and is a Certified Executive Coach, Certified Management Consultant (CMC®), and Certified DISC Professional. He serves on boards for four private corporations and two nonprofits (Warm Beach Camp Ministries and Warriors & Quiet Waters). Bob and his wife Jeannie have been married 43+ years and have three, married, adult children and eight grandchildren. He is an avid fly fisherman, ski mountaineer, hunter and general outdoor lover.
Dan Wolgemuth served as the 9th President of Youth For Christ USA from 2005 until becoming President Emeritus in 2021. Prior to YFC, he spent 28 years in corporate roles spanning financial services, manufacturing, publishing, and technology consulting, including eight years at General Electric. Dan has been a Trustee of Taylor University since 2006 and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Huntington University in 2012. An accomplished writer, he pens the weekly devotional "Friday Fragments" (www.FridayFragments.com) and has published three books: The Monday Memo.Com (2000), Fragments (2010), and Give Life (2014). Dan is a member of Colorado Community Church in Aurora, Colorado. He and his wife Mary have three married children and eleven grandchildren in the Denver metro area.
Dr. Jay A. Barber, Jr. is President Emeritus of Warner Pacific University, where he served twelve years as president after holding various VP roles. He earned his bachelor's degree from Warner Pacific (1964), master's from University of San Francisco, and honorary Doctor of Laws from Anderson University. Jay served as senior pastor at Red Bluff, California First Church of God for sixteen years, including two terms as mayor. Before returning to Warner Pacific in 1996, he directed the OHSU Foundation. In 2008, he became the first Senior Fellow with the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and served on Seaside, OR City Council, including as Mayor. Jay now serves as a Senior Fellow with the Murdock Trust and also provides consulting services to Northwest nonprofits in strategic planning, fundraising, board development, and executive coaching, drawing on 40+ years of leadership experience. He and his wife Jan live in Seaside, Oregon.
Jennifer brings nearly three decades of domestic and international nonprofit leadership and board experience to her roles as Executive Director of Kijabe Children's Education Fund and Managing Partner of Ambactus Global Solutions, which harnesses the power of connection to solve complex problems in governance, international development, and education through trust-based solutions. She is co-author of The Culturally Conscious Board: Setting the Boardroom Table for Impact and served as Vice President for Student Life at Gordon College (2013-2019). In Rwanda, her family co-founded Karisimbi Business Partners, a management consulting and private equity firm. She has also served as Founder / ED of The Vine and held positions with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and as assistant to the religious liaison for the U.S. President. Jennifer holds a Ph.D. in Global Leadership from Pepperdine University, M.A. in Theology from Fuller Seminary, and B.A. from Gordon College. She lives in the Boston area with her family.
Nina Byrd works as a Strategist with EXP Consulting in Portland, OR. She has worked with hundreds of clients to grow and scale their initiatives. From fortune 500 clients to startups, her direct and engaging approach helps organizations unlock their hidden potential. Through empathy and analysis, her skills span the gamut of business advisement and holistic growth strategies. Nina's experience integrating cross-functional teams enables her projects to produce high-impact results. Her goal is to foster organizations to become more human.
For more than 30 years — College President, Dean & Professor, Impact Strategist, Executive Coach…and even Marine Drill Instructor for Officers — Russ has partnered with work leaders to align efforts to impact. A certified executive performance coach, he facilitates C-suite decision support for AdventHealth teams across Tampa, Ocala, and North Pinellas. Russ is co-author of The Culturally Conscious Board: Setting the Boardroom Table for Impact and excels at cultivating empathic teams that leverage strengths for social impact. Known for scholarship exploring leadership as a conditioned reflex, he has founded companies and nonprofits while authoring numerous leadership development resources. Russ mentors emerging leaders and helps executives experience the velocity that comes from living life on purpose. If you can’t find him, he’s probably somewhere mentoring emerging leaders, revising a book draft or plotting the next big sailing adventure with family and friends.
Shannon Eckmann serves as Leadership and Executive Coach and Vice President for Coaching Services at Building Champions in Lake Oswego, OR. Known for strong listening, discernment, and coaching skills, she guides corporate and nonprofit leaders through organizational development, communication, conflict resolution, and team development. Shannon creates high-trust environments that enable deep, sustainable change by addressing underlying thought patterns and mindsets. She is TTI Success Insights DISC Certified and Leadership Circle Profile Certified, with expertise in organizational development, succession planning, strategic planning, and systems operations. Previously in higher education administration, Shannon is committed to board service and currently serves on the Board of SetPath, a nonprofit impacting America's future leaders. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Portland State University and M.A. in Counseling Psychology from George Fox University. Shannon enjoys working out, mentoring, family time, and winery adventures.