Laura Pierce Consulting began as the independent consulting practice of Laura Pierce. As the business has grown, Laura has engaged a number of associates to work collaboratively with her to meet clients’ goals. We are pleased to be able to offer diverse skills and perspectives, as well as get projects done in the most affordable way. This page profiles Laura and several key associates. Please contact us so we can assist in matching you with the right person for your project.
Laura Pierce is the owner and principal consultant of Laura Pierce Consulting. Laura has worked in and with nonprofit organizations for eighteen years, including fund development, community organizing, and executive management positions. Since 1998, she has consulted with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, assisting with strategic planning, board development, organizational assessment and capacity building. She has also served as Interim Executive Director for seven Seattle area nonprofits.
Laura has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington with a concentration in nonprofit management. In addition to consulting, Laura teaches board roles and responsibilities, board development, philanthropy, strategic leadership and other nonprofit management topics at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs, UW Extension’s Nonprofit Management Certificate Program, Nonprofit Assistance Center, and United Way of King County.
Click here for Laura Pierce’s resume
Cory Sbarbaro is a Senior Associate with Laura Pierce Consulting. Cory brings more than a decade of leadership and management experience to his work as a consultant with nonprofit organizations and public agencies. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology; a Master of Public Administration Degree with an emphasis in management, budgeting, and organizational development; and extensive additional training.
Cory’s primary goal as a consultant is to improve societal conditions by working with organizations to maximize their impact in our communities. His areas of focus include organizational assessment, strategic planning, facilitation, organizational capacity building and program replication, performance measurement, and interim management.
Cory is actively involved in the Seattle community, serving as Board Vice Chair for the Fremont Public Association, as Board Treasurer for Education for Everyone, and as an Advisory Board Member for Eco Encore. Though a native of Northern California, he considers the Pacific Northwest his home.
Melora Hiller currently consults with nonprofit organizations, foundations and local governments in areas related to organizational development and capacity building. Melora is committed to working with clients that build strong communities and improve people’s lives. She draws on a rich set of work and volunteer experiences in a variety of organizational settings, including nonprofit, government, and higher education. She uses this unique combination of skills and perspective to help staff and board members think and act strategically.
Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Melora was a senior program officer for Impact Capital, managing the agency’s statewide capacity-building programs. At King County, Melora facilitated many planning processes with community groups, social service and housing providers, and elected officials related to housing and services needs of low income households. Melora’s work in higher education includes managing a cooperative education program and coordinating student activities at a community college.
Melora earned her Master’s degree in public administration at Seattle University’s Institute for Public Service. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards and school committees and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow.
Janna Rolland is a Senior Associate with Laura Pierce Consulting. She has eighteen years of experience in building the nonprofit sector, as an executive director, organizational development consultant and facilitator. Janna holds a “mid-career” Master in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, with an emphasis on leadership and management, and a B.A. in mathematics from Wellesley College
Over the years, Janna has worked with a wide range of local and national nonprofits and grantmakers, on planning, board and leadership development, transition management, and evaluation. She also holds expertise in environmental and environmental health issues and is committed to developing nonprofits’ and foundations’ capacity to address these issues in their communities and nationally. Janna is honored to serve on the national board of the Institute for Children’s Environmental Health and the planning board of the Master Home Environmentalist Program of the American Lung Association of Washington.
Mara Brain is the Operations Coordinator with Laura Pierce Consulting. Prior to moving to
Negin Almassi is an Associate with Laura Pierce Consulting, as well as serving as Program Manager for the Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation. She blends six years of community organizing and nonprofit experience with the research and analysis tools necessary for building healthy programs. At Laura Pierce Consulting she has assisted clients with grant writing, stakeholder evaluations, and Board development. Negin has the ability to listen and ask the right questions to guide nonprofit clients toward appropriate solutions.
Negin received her Masters in Public Administration degree at the University of Washington. She served as a rider representative on the Seattle Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride Coalition Steering Committee, the outreach & communications coordinator for the National Iranian-American Council (Seattle chapter), and a volunteer for Lambert House. She is also an active member of the women’s arts collective Sadaa-e Zanaan (Voices of Women).
Amanda Madorno is the Owner and Principal for Roam Consulting, LLC. Amanda specializes in developing leadership potential, as well as governance and fundraising skills in boards and nonprofit executives. With more than 20 years experience in the nonprofit sector, Amanda serves as an organizational consultant and facilitator, an interim executive and as an executive coach. Her firm helps nonprofits strengthen and sustain organizational achievement through coaching, vision and strategic planning, leadership development and renewal. Amanda speaks nationally on topics including succession planning and executive transitions, and the board-executive partnership. She has guest lectured at
Amanda currently serves on the board of directors for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Program. She received the 2007 Volunteer of the Year award from