Jaime Hoard
Principal
Jaime Hoard has over 25 years’ experience in the public sector. Jaime contributed to the creation of nonprofits, designed, and launched new programs, led and strengthened an organization as Executive Director, and supported the scaling of large global programs. Jaime began her career in urban planning for the City of Seattle, held senior leadership roles at NPower, a nonprofit that provided technology support to hundreds of nonprofits in Washington state and across the U.S., and went on to spend 16+ years in various leadership roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where she was often the intrapreneur as strategist and tactician combined.
Jaime has a robust skill set that encompasses the alignment of diverse interests, can execute high-impact initiatives, and has a strong ability to lead transformational change in complex organizational landscapes. Jaime brings a unique blend of inclusive leadership, humility, and humor to every endeavor. Jaime’s passion for cultivating collaboration, paired with a keen strategic acumen, defines her approach to leadership and sets the stage for meaningful and sustainable successes across many types of groups be it community organizations or senior leadership teams. Jaime’s expertise lies in the design and launch of new endeavors, navigating intricate global operations, streamlining decision-making processes, and optimizing support models across diverse regions and functions.
John Smith
Principal
John has 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience. He has served as Board Chair, Director, Program Analyst and Capital Campaign Co-Chair. He has worked on health, human services, environmental, arts, youth and philanthropy organization projects. John’s leadership and group facilitation skills, combined with his strong analytical and project management skills, enable him to help his teams, and his clients, to ask the right questions and implement solutions quickly and effectively. John is effective at helping organizations hone business strategy toward their desired impact in the world. John leads at the intersection of strategy and technology and enjoys synthesizing complex information into coherent strategies that are simple and concrete. John’s passion is empowering nonprofit leaders, through effective business and market strategy, to deliver innovative products and services that create a better world.
John is currently Principal and Managing Partner at Luma Consulting, helping nonprofits and foundations with strategic and business planning, executive transitions, mergers, and market planning and research. John was President of JLS and Associates, where he provided nonprofits and foundations with strategic advice and guidance. John has a background in IT as Director of Technology Consulting for the nonprofit NPower Seattle, where for five years John led a team that delivered high impact technology consulting to nonprofits in the Puget Sound. John also has a background in corporate information technology for Immunex (Amgen), State Street Bank and Polaroid. John has been a guest lecturer at University of Washington Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Washington. John is a volunteer for the Greenwood Senior Center and for Ballard FC soccer club.
Joan Fanning
Founder; Senior Advisor
Joan Fanning brings deep experience in the nonprofit sector to her work at Luma Consulting. Over 20 years, she has served in a number of leadership roles, including CEO and CIO. She was the founding CEO of NPower Network, a national organization that helps nonprofits use technology to enhance their impact. Prior to her time at NPower, Joan worked with a number of social service organizations with a focus on leading IT and direct service change management initiatives. Her previous work includes experience as a program manager, analyst, direct service provider and fundraiser.
In her current role as Principal at Luma Consulting, she helps nonprofits and foundations with strategic and business planning, change management and impact analysis. She works with clients to balance aspiration with practicality; identifying opportunities, articulating a clear vision, and building compelling and sound business plans in support of that vision.
Joan has taught at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs and has served on the advisory and governing boards of several local and national nonprofits. She’s been recognized as a leader by Fast Company (“Top 50 Social Entrepreneurs of 2002”). Joan has an MPA from the Evans School at the University of Washington and a BA in Business from Washington University in St. Louis.
Erin Daly
Strategic Advisor
Erin is a versatile organizational leader with a proven record of guiding teams through transformational change across organizations, technology, culture, and operating models.
She began her career in organizing and fundraising for candidates and causes, giving her a deep understanding of what it means to be a catalyst for change. After holding practice leadership roles in several consulting firms, she co founded and led 71 & Change, a boutique consultancy known for its practical, people centered approach.
Over her 25+ year career, Erin has partnered with clients across technology, the public sector, healthcare, retail, financial services, and non profits—bringing a strong ability to tailor solutions to diverse organizational environments.
She is known for delivering high impact solutions and building long term client partnerships by working closely with Leaders to understand their unique challenges and design tailored, actionable strategies. Erin helps leadership teams clarify, align, and activate strategic priorities, facilitating the conversations and decisions that move strategy from intention to execution. She equips leaders with the mindset and tools to navigate disruption with clarity and confidence.
Shelley Finlayson
Strategic Advisor
Shelley is a seasoned executive with over three decades of experience in the public sector. Shelley has influenced decision making at the state, local, and federal levels and has served in general counsel, chief of staff, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer roles. She has led a program affecting 2 million employees and been responsible for multi-million dollar budgets. She has been a strategic partner for Presidentially appointed officials and advised U.S. Senators. Shelley has led transformational change in complex environments, delivered high-impact strategic initiatives, ensured organizational legal compliance, developed federal information technology, training, and advice systems, established performance measurement, and led legislative and external communications.
Shelley is an adept problem solver, keen observer, and insightful planner who can deliver high-impact, transformational outcomes through strategic insights, innovative ideas, strong communication, inclusive decision-making, and analytic excellence. Shelley’s expertise lies in navigating complex legal and operating environments, bringing out excellence within and across teams, increasing efficiency and innovation, and delivering in tight timeframes.
Her prior service includes the United States Office of Government Ethics, the Congressional Budget Office, the Maryland General Assembly, the government of the District of Columbia, and in private legal practice. Shelley earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center, a Masters degree in Public Policy from Rutgers University, and a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside.
Jeffrey Ried, PhD
Senior Consultant
Jeffrey Ried, PhD, specializes in creating effective partnerships and collaborations. He brings over 15 years of experience in building partnerships and catalyzing change in complex, multicultural settings where sensitivity, consideration, and action are called for. He has held leadership positions in non-profit, philanthropic, and government organizations in the US and Africa including developing and managing projects for the Gates Foundation and as a member of the leadership team of the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency within the Government of Ethiopia. He has been director of a health center in Ethiopia, a foster parent, and co-founded and continues to operate with his wife Stephanie the Ethiopian Education Fund, an nonprofit organization that supports disadvantaged and marginalized youth in rural Ethiopia with a focus on enabling girls to remain in school.