Tracy Morgan, Managing Partner
Dorothy Dillard, Ph.D. Consultant
Michael Gilmore, Consultant
Katherine Elder, Ph.D. Consultant
David Gates, Consultant
Kane Nakahara, Consultant
Illysa Izenberg, Consultant
Kate Rusch, Graphic Designer
Charlotte Shreve, Communications Specialist
Partners
SchellingPoint
Gates and Company
Talent Strategy Partners
Blue Blaze Associates
Delaware State University
Tracy Morgan
Tracy is an experienced executive dedicated to strategic planning, marketing, market research, organizational development, and financial analysis for organizations, including DuPont, the State of Delaware, General Electric, Saint-Gobain and Procter and Gamble. In recent years her focus has been on the execution of transformational changes. She also has extensive experience in niche market development, program implementation, and financial modeling. Her recent projects have been primarily in the chemical, health care, finance and IT industries, and with non-profit organizations.
Throughout her career, she has developed and implemented programs for organizations – large and small – that have reduced costs, conserved resources, improved quality, and increased revenues. She has developed, analyzed, presented, and implemented expansion, growth, or acquisition strategies for middle-market companies, Fortune 500 divisions, non-profits and alliances.
Tracy earned a chemical engineering degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University. She has published articles in industry journals and is a guest lecturer at business schools and conferences. Her book, “How to Conduct an Effective Strategic Planning Process with Minimal Effort” has been an Amazon top seller for nonprofit organizations.
Email: tmorgan@north-star-strategies.com
Dorothy Dillard Ph.D.
Dr. Dorothy Dillard is sociologist and consultant with expertise in substance abuse treatment, disparities in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, and offender programming. Dr. Dillard has over 30 years researching, evaluating, and teaching and is currently transition from the Chair of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department to the Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and Research at Delaware State University. She has served as Co-Principal Investigator on several large NIDA funded research grants, including an effectiveness study of a prison based therapeutic community continuum of treatment (Key-Crest). In 1994, after leaving the University of Delaware’s Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies as the Associate Director she initiated a consulting business working with federal and state governments as well as nonprofit agencies. Over 15 years, she leveraged over $12 million in federal funds to assist Delaware social service providers improve and expand programs. More recently her consulting has focused on organizational development, including guiding agencies and government divisions in developing quality improvement programs, key performance indicators, and dashboards. Recently, Dr. Dillard completed a project with the Delaware Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services inventory and assess process and outcome measures and to develop a Division dashboard. In this project, effectively integrated her research and service program evaluation skills with her organizational management skills and experiences to produce a sustainable and flexible accountability systems that allow for data-driven decision-making.
Currently, Dr. Dillard is the project manager for a two-year $170,000 project assisting the Court Supervision and Offender Services Agency in Washington, DC assess and realign business practices at its residential program. As her references will attest, she is proficient in developing and managing data bases, accessing data from shared databases, and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data.
Dr. Dillard has 30 years of experience working with the Delaware Department of Correction in a number of capacities, including assisting with the development of several behavioral and medical health services RFPs and facilitating proposal reviews and provider selection.
Dr. Dillard has published numerous articles and has a national reputation as an expert in social service program evaluation, minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice systems, integrated behavioral health services, and TC development and assessment.
Email: ddlilard@north-star-strategies.com
Michael K. Gilmore
Michael Gilmore is an experienced strategy consultant and business executive. Michael works with leadership teams and their organizations to design, then translate, strategies into action, improving operating efficiency and service delivery. Michael has a proven track record of developing strategies to build organizational capabilities, improve quality, and deliver operating efficiencies. He is a collaborative leader of cross-functional teams, directing innovation program, service model design, and process improvements. Throughout his career he has been a trusted advisor to senior leadership, recognized for making strategic decisions with the use of external insights and analysis. His areas of expertise include environmental and organizational assessment, gap analysis, opportunity identification, strategy design, and execution planning.
Prior to consulting, Michael was Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Relang International LLC, the North America marketing and distribution subsidiary of a leading global manufacturer of surfacing materials for the construction industry. He led the company from start-up, delivering strong volume growth through the execution of a differentiated product design and functionality strategy. Prior to joining Relang International Mike held global leadership roles in business management, strategic planning, channel management, and marketing with DuPont’s Building Innovations business unit. He directed the renewal of the Corian® Surfaces business strategy, resulting in improved operating margins and year-on-year profit growth. Michael’s early career experience includes a privately-held biotechnology company, DCV Inc., where he led the commercialization of a proprietary pest control technology, as well as DuPont, where he held positions in sales, business development, and operations.
Michael is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Champion. Michael has an MBA and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineer, both from the University of Delaware.
Email: mgilmore@north-star-strategies.com
Dr. Katherine Elder
Dr. Elder provides direct clinical treatment and evaluations to children, youth and families. Areas of specialization include: personality disorders, major depression, phobias, anxiety, substance abuse, co-occurring disorders, eating disorders, parent-child relationships, ADHD, severe behavioral challenges in children and issues related to teen development. She is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) as well as Level 1 Trainer for PCIT. Dr. Elder has expertise in a variety evidenced-based practices.
Dr. Elder performs psychological evaluations for bariatric surgery clearance, court-ordered assessments, child custody evaluations, forensic evaluations, and academic testing. She provides consultation and program evaluations to correctional treatment organizations, as well as professional training to behavioral health providers in topics related to personalities, ethics, trauma, substance abuse and working with resistant clients.
Dr. Elder has a PhD in Psychology and has a Master of Science in Counseling. She is a Licensed Psychologist, a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor, practicing in the state of Delaware. She has practiced in the behavioral health field for 15 years, specializing in serving adults, couples, children, youth and their families. Dr. Elder is the owner of a behavioral health clinic Delaware Psychological Services located in Lewes and Wilmington, Delaware. She is passionate about the field of psychology and offering high quality results in treatment and evaluations.
Email: kelder@north-star-strategies.com
David Gates
David Gates is a results-oriented, problem solving, and visionary leader with extensive senior management, strategic/tactical planning, operations, and business development experience in entrepreneurial and major corporate environment. David is a team builder with recognized leadership, communication, financial, research, and creative problem resolution skills.
David spearheaded early-stage operations and turned around organizations facing significant competitive and financial challenges. After eight years of increasing responsibility in a variety of business units within the DuPont Company, he acquired, grew, and sold an early-stage technology company. He was then Executive Vice President at a middle-market electronics technology firm. In 1999, Mr. Gates founded Gates and Company. He was co-founder of Diamond State Ventures (now Mid-Atlantic Diamond Ventures); was previously on the Advisory Board for Junior Achievement of Delaware and on the Board of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra; is currently on the Board of First State Innovations and Technology Forum of Delaware. Mr. Gates is a frequent guest lecturer at the MBA programs of Temple University, Drexel University, University of Delaware, and The Wharton School. He was a judge for DuPont’s Value Proposition Shark Tank business plan funding event.
David has an MBA from The Wharton School; an MS in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University; and as BS in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Tulsa.
Email: dgates@north-star-strategies.com
Rachel Becker-Klein
Rachel Becker-Klein, Ph.D., received her doctorate in Community and Developmental Psychology from New York University in 2003. Since that time, Rachel has worked as a researcher and evaluator. She also has experience teaching graduate level courses as an adjunct faculty at Antioch University (courses on Human Development and Research and Evaluation) and Union Institute and University (courses on Community Psychology and Qualitative Research). She brings her expertise in systems thinking to all phases of evaluation, from planning and organizational strategizing to identify and clarify program goals, to developing data collection tools, administering those tools, data analysis, and reporting. She has considerable experience facilitating and using participatory monitoring and evaluation tools and methods. Rachel also has expertise in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research.
Her Master’s degree project was, “Long-term associations of homelessness with children’s well-being.” It was published in the American Behavioral Scientist journal in 2008.
Email: rbeckerklein@north-star-strategies.com
Kane Nakahara
Kane Nakahara has over 20 years of experience in the areas of strategic planning and operational improvement at companies of varying sizes in electronics, medical devices, advanced materials, beverages, and industrial controls industries.
Mr. Nakahara has significant experience in evaluating new market opportunities, including assessing market segments and dynamics, competitive environment, emerging technologies, business risk, and fit with current operational capabilities. As a senior manager at a market leading electronics firm, Mr. Nakahara oversaw major new product introductions, which included evaluating financial, marketing, engineering, and operational aspects of each project. He has led and implemented major supply chain improvement initiatives, including reconfiguring operational networks, increasing plan capacity, and reducing lead-times, resulting in significant financial and service performance improvement. Recently, Mr. Nakahara assisted a medical device component manufacturer in the successful implementation of a major capacity improvement initiative, resulting in the avoidance of an additional facility.
Mr. Nakahara earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and an MBA in Finance and International Business from Columbia University.
Email: knakahara@north-star-strategies.com
Harold Stafford
Harold Stafford’s practice as a North Star Strategies consultant is based on his exemplary career of service and leadership in Delaware State government directing large departments, and managing administrative support operations over the past thirty-one years. He has a strong background in public policy and strategic planning. Because of his strong interpersonal skills, he has a reputation for being a consensus builder who enables diverse groups to reach pragmatic solutions to complex problems.
He has extensive business development experience, which was evident through his tenure as administrator and acting director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. Mr. Stafford is known as a visionary in the public policy arena in part because of his track record of integrating technology with internal processes to improve operational efficiencies and customer service. This was particularly true while he was serving as administrator and secretary of the Delaware Department of Labor.
Mr. Stafford has been described as an adaptive leader. While at DOL he was one of the few administrators in Delaware State government who integrated the Baldrige Quality Criteria with the Balanced Scorecard. This linkage enabled him to place greater emphasis on accountability and results to meet citizens’ expectations for public services and products. This demonstrates not only his skill but his passionate concern for the citizens of Delaware.
Mr. Stafford earned an MS from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and a BA in Sociology and Political Science from Henderson State University.
Email: hstafford@north-star-strategies.com
Illysa Izenberg
Illysa is a professional-development educator and business strategist, conducting culture audits and needs analyses, devising strategies and action plans, and facilitating diversity, harassment prevention, implementing change, coaching employees, leadership and management, and inter-group communication workshops. Ms. Izenberg works with clients to better understand their employees, customers, and other constituents for a more productive and profitable future.
She has consulted to corporations, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. She has presented to or trained over 10,000 employees — from front-line production workers to highly-educated professionals — managers/supervisors, and executives in a broad range of industries including technology, health care, financial services, and retail and is a frequently sought speaker and writer on business issues. She serves as President Elect and Programs Chair for the Howard County Human Resources Society (HoCo HRS), an affiliate of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Ms. Izenberg has over 15 years experience in strategic planning and implementation. She is trained and certified by the Minds At Work Immunity to Change Institute, A World of Difference, and the National Conference Dismantling Racism Project as a workshop facilitator.
Ms. Izenberg draws upon her MBA education and management experience, including profit-and-loss responsibility with a Fortune 500 multinational firm, to understand corporate perspectives and business needs. Additionally, she has assisted several government organizations to work toward greater inclusion—both as a citizen selected to a city government task force that tackled community-wide ethnic diversity challenges a well as a paid consultant and workshop facilitator.
Out of the combination of business education and experience comes her belief that utilizing and valuing the great diversity of the employee and customer base is part of a sound organizational development strategy.
Illysa teaches Management, Communication and Leadership and Leadership and Team Building at the University of Maryland. She has a B.A., English & American Literature, from Brandeis University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Graduate School of Business.
Email: iizenberg@north-star-strategies.com
Kate Rusch
Kate is a graduate of Hampshire College with a B.A. in Biochemistry and Middle Eastern Studies. She is also a graduate of Cab Calloway School of the Arts where she majored in technical theater and visual arts. Kate is an graphic designer for North Star Strategies and has been doing volunteer and professional graphic design for over ten years. She is also an Emergency Medical Technician.
Kate designs logos, banners, cover art, and report layouts.
Email: krusch@north-star-strategies.com
Charlotte Shreve
Charlotte Shreve is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Sociology and Linguistics. She is also a graduate from Cab Calloway School of the Arts with a major in communication arts and a concentration in creative writing. Charlotte is a research and communications specialist for North Star Strategies.