In the early 1970s I'd been president of the American Conservatory Theater for about two years. I was learning a lot about theater; I was interested in the dynamic of the board; things were going well. But my commitment was on an intellectual level.

One night I went to see an ACT production. At the end of the play, the audience leapt to their feet and applauded wildly. I felt like an arrow had been shot into my heart -- it was a real physical experience. The words that came to me were "I helped to make this happen." It changed my life. I was hooked.

Thirty years later, I can still recall that feeling of enrichment, power, and gratification. And I realized that for me, coaching is all about "helping to make it happen."

Here's what brought me to coaching.

I like to see people move forward, develop, and evolve into happier, more fulfilled human beings. I believe, based on my own personal experience, that coaching is an effective way to make that happen.

Ten years ago, after a successful business career, I began to work as a consultant to community and nonprofit organizations, applying my business skills and knowledge to the nonprofit sector. I knew my expertise was making a helpful difference to those organizations and the people who made up the organization. However, I occasionally found that a person or organization was mired in a problem that, despite my background, I could not resolve.

A magazine article about coaching got me to thinking this might help me in my own work. I found the Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California. One class led to another, and another, until I became a certified personal professional coach.

My professional background

I am professionally certified by the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), a nonprofit educational institution that meets the expanding demand for professional coaching with a strong theoretical background and hands-on experience. I am a member of the International Coach Federation, and have served as vice-president of the Northern California chapter of the Professional Coaches and Mentors Association.

I bring impeccable credentials to my coaching work: an MBA from Harvard University and more than 30 years of experience coaching, advising, directing, and managing both businesses and nonprofit organizations -- including 25 years as a volunteer and 12 years as a professional in the nonprofit field. During my successful career in retailing and shopping center management, I worked with many arts organizations, educational institutions, and community organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere.