Sandy Henderson, PCC, Niagara Coaching Consortium 

A group of Niagara-based, ICF-Credentialed coaches (Sandy Henderson, Kimberley Mattinson and Sue Sheldon) formed the Niagara Coaching Consortium (NCC) with the sole purpose of giving back to their community and supporting not-for-profit leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCC partnered with Tamara Coleman- Lawrie, Director of Community Impact at United Way, Niagara, and provided coaching to several Executive Directors throughout this sector.

The main areas of focus for coaching included optimizing leadership; which ranged in topics from working more effectively with their boards, being an effective leader, navigating work-related challenges (including returning staff to work, post-COVID) and leadership presence. Career transition planning was another focus of the coaching provided.

Many executive directors expressed the same sentiments as described by this one testimonial:

“This was something that I wish I had utilized earlier on in my career as I found it to be extremely valuable. As an E.D. it is difficult to have that individual with which you can talk things through, bounce ideas off of and to not feel as though you are swimming in the pool all alone. I have felt many times, in my present job, the real meaning of that old saying, ‘it’s lonely at the top’! “