Adaptive Leadership

Presented by: Julia Classen, Aurora Consulting

Workshop Description: Today’s nonprofit managers are called to lead in turbulent environments with multiple challenges. With current economic times and budget pressures, more than ever it is critical for nonprofit leaders to analyze their work and strengthen their capacity to provide increased efficiencies and innovative approaches to solving organizational challenges. This tailor-made training is grounded in relevant research, practical knowledge, innovative ideas, revealing case studies, and hands-on solutions.

Target Audience: The target audience is existing and emerging leaders including board and staff members.

Bio: Julia Classen is Principal Consultant and co-founder of Aurora Consulting, a company specializing in providing performance management and evaluation, leadership and governance, and sustainability consulting to organizations. She has been a leader on nonprofit boards of directors for more than 30 years, serving organizations that are national, regional and local in scope.  Julia currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and Chair the Board of Directors of the New World Foundation located in New York City. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Children’s Alliance.

Julia has worked as a consultant in a variety of arenas, including board development, leadership development, research and assessment, facilitation, public policy formation, strategic management and planning, and performance management. She has conducted workshops, facilitation and trainings at state, local and national conferences. In 2011, Julia served as Senior Fellow for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits developing and leading the inaugural Performance Management Leadership Institute. Julia serves as the Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center’s Hubert Fellow in 2012 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Additionally, she has been a plenary or keynote speaker at statewide, regional and national conferences.  

In addition to her consulting, Julia is an adjunct faculty member at the University of MN, Humphrey School. Julia teaches Management and Governance of Nonprofits as a core course of the undergraduate major/minor in nonprofit management, and has taught the Nonprofit Board Practicum and co-taught Transforming Public Policy at the graduate level.

Julia authored Here We Go Again: The Cyclical Nature of Board Behavior in the Spring 2011 issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly. Julia has also co-authored with Sharon Anderson the Advocacy Leadership Vital Aging Field Book formerly used in the Advocacy Leadership for Vital Aging certificate program offered by the University of Minnesota. Additionally, she co-authored “Multi-Generational Governance: Is There Such a Thing” with Dr. Melissa Stone, which was presented at The Bloch School of Business, University of Missouri-Kansas City’s biannual Nonprofit Governance Conference in 2009. In 2008, Julia authored the report: Assistive Technology in Minnesota, 2008 Status Report, Submitted by The Minnesota State Council on Disability to the Minnesota Legislature Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee House Health and Human Services Committee.

Coffee, tea and breakfast pastries are being provided by Georgette’s Grounds and Gifts at 311 Conant Street, Maumee. Georgette’s is owned and operated by Sunshine, a nonprofit agency that serves people with developmental disabilities in Northwest Ohio. The coffee shop and fair trade gift shop also provide employment opportunities and job training to individuals with disabilities.