The Catalyst team asked poignant questions about what we really needed as an organization, made us more aware of what our true needs would be in replacing our long term leader, and helped our personnel committee build out a very nice succession plan. After developing a succession plan, our Executive Director announced her retirement and we seamlessly moved into the search process. Catalyst’s process to screen, assess, interview, and present candidates to our search committee really helped us narrow our focus on the right final candidates. They were flexible and available to help the committee through every step of the way.
- Tim Atkins, Board Member
Waverly Community House
We knew that we needed to bring on a professional search firm when looking for our next CDO, and I immediately thought of Catalyst. Michelle Turman took the time to understand the needs of the organization, the opportunities and challenges the new person would face, and the internal culture of the current team before starting the search. The Catalyst team met every milestone and deadline and kept us accountable for meeting our own. Every candidate they put forward was exceptional, which made the final decision difficult, but what a great problem to have. In speaking to our new hire, they remarked that Michelle was likewise wonderful to work with on their side and provided transparency and candor to the process.
Our internal team learned ways to improve our own processes during this time, thanks to Michelle taking the time to explain why she took the steps she did. Her love for the non-profit sector and her dedication to making sure that non-profit institutions hire and retain high caliber staff make her a fierce ally in this world.
- Sara Cole,President & CEO
Glazer Children's Museum
In a time of panic when the CFO I'd secured fell through days before the expected start date, Catalyst Consulting Services came to mind.
I'd heard of how helpful they'd been to other companies. I contacted Michelle Turman and she scheduled a meeting the next day to discuss my needs and options. Michelle and her team assisted in finding an Interim CFO quickly followed by helping create a title and job description that would attract exactly what I needed long term, which resulted in doing just that. In addition to the positive outcome, perhaps the most helpful aspect was CCS calmly and empathically reminding me that my situation was not unique and that everything would be okay. With the help of Catalyst Consulting Services Tampa Crossroads was able to get through an incredibly challenging time and find a candidate to meet all our needs.
- Gwendolyn Green, LMHC MCAPExecutive Director
Tampa Crossroads
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s board of directors engaged Catalyst Consulting Services for our search for an executive director to replace our founder. Michelle Turman was extremely professional and always positive throughout the entire process; telling our story, finding/evaluating candidates, and helping us build consensus to a decision. In fact, she went beyond our expectations, educating our directors who had never done a search before. She worked extremely hard to understand our culture, and her counsel supported our organizational growth during and after the search.
- John Collins, Founder and Retired Executive Director
St. Petersburg Arts Alliance
Throughout my career, as an educator, Wall Street executive, and nonprofit entrepreneur, I have experienced many pathways while seeking my next level of career advancement. The interview process in many instances was plagued by extended periods of the unknown, mixed signals from the hiring entity, and a sense of initial promise and passion…that slowly devolved into uncertainty about whether I even desired the position any longer. With a profound sense of professionalism, intellect, and empathy, I was delighted to work with Catalyst Consulting Services and Michelle Turman. Michelle understood my history and expertise from a deep level beyond dates of employment or job responsibilities. She understood what I could bring to the table from my varied background and achievements. The interview process was flawless, respectful, and timely. Michelle informed me every step of the way how the hiring was progressing. Any employer would be fortunate to have Catalyst Consulting Services represent them while searching for key talent. My good fortune made possible in great measure by Michelle is where I landed!
- Terry Marks, CEO
St. Petersburg Arts Alliance
Catalyst Consulting Services, LLC is one of the most outstanding boutique consulting firms I have come to know in our community. Recently, my Board of Directors and I recognized the demands of growth in our organization, Arts Conservatory for Teens, and the need to expand our capacity by adding a new C-Suite level position was critical. Therefore, we engaged in a search for the right firm that understands the organizational culture, employer-employee synergy, and the psychology of the search for the professionals that would be the best match for our growing organization, and I was introduced to Michelle Truman, the CEO of Catalyst Consulting Services, LLC. After meeting with Michelle over coffee and learning about her firm's selection processes, I immediately knew that Catalyst Consulting Services would be the ideal firm for our efforts. My Board of Directors and I could not be more grateful for the work that Catalyst Consulting did to identify the match for our organization's mission.
- Dr. Alex Harris, CEO
Arts Conservatory for Teens (ACT)
Michelle Turman and the team from Catalyst Consulting Services worked with members of the board of Neighborly Care Network as we searched for a new Executive Director for the organization and implemented a significant board restructure. It was pretty overwhelming for a small board, but Michelle and her team were there alongside us the whole way – helping us navigate the process and make the best decisions for the organization’s future. She kept us working proactively, encouraged us to think strategically, and inspired us to push ourselves. She has a unique way of shedding light on both opportunities and challenges in a changing nonprofit landscape. We were blessed to have her on our side during such a huge transition, and we could not have done it without her!
- Karen Griffin, Board Member
Neighborly Care Network
From the moment we engaged Michelle Turman, we experienced a full level of service and commitment to our Executive Director search. Catalyst Consulting Services is a firm that is exceptionally knowledgeable about non-profit executive search processes, potential candidates, candidate screening, and organizational assessment and documentation. Michelle took the time to connect with everyone in our organization, from the staff to the Board, to gain a complete understanding of where we are, the steps we need to take to grow to the next level, and the type of leader that was needed to make these changes happen. Her extensive and varied experience in the non-profit world is unparallel, and her commitment to excellence and passion is palpable. She performed an operational assessment, wrote an employee policy handbook, made recommendations to improve our board governance, recommended strategies for new board member recruitment, and conducted a successful executive director search. Michelle’s facilitation skills, communication, and non-profit knowledge provided a smooth and effective process that resulted in an extremely high caliber candidate. It is a daunting task to find a successor to a founder, and yet Michelle approached it with confidence and professionalism. We are grateful for Michelle’s assistance in recruiting a strong candidate to lead The Heart Gallery of Tampa to the next level.
- Nicole Deloach Hubbard, Board Member
Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay
I initially called upon Michelle Turman for assistance with a Director of Development search. However, after talking through our organization’s needs and our previous fundraising initiatives, Michelle suggested that an assessment of our development efforts might be the better place to start. Michelle culled through a myriad financial reports and data and had discussions with staff and board members to develop her recommendations and help us with an enhanced strategy moving forward. Our board was extremely impressed with Michelle’s presentation and recommendations. I am grateful to Michelle for the time she put into the assessment and her recommendations were right on target. Michelle also conducted a search for us for a Director of Advancement and I’m very happy with the outcome of that as well!
- Patricia J. Langford, Executive Director
Alpha House of Tampa Bay
We worked with Michelle Turman with the recruitment and selection of our Director of Development. Michelle took the time to understand our organization and our needs. She analyzed our current Development Department structure and made recommendations which helped identify the skill sets that would be needed to lead our department. Michelle was extremely professional, detailed, and enthusiastic throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend her services to other non-profit organizations.
- Stacey Efaw, Executive Director
The Humane Society of Pinellas County
Catalyst worked with Shorecrest Preparatory School as we embarked on strategic planning for the next five years. Michelle Turman engaged with the Strategic Planning Task Force and the Board of Trustees to help us navigate the process and articulate desired outcomes. Michelle’s experience with non-profit organizations facilitated Shorecrest’s analysis and identification of key priorities, strategies, resources, and timelines for implementation. We appreciated her accessibility, expertise and ability to understand the independent school culture. We were able to complete our Strategic Plan on time and greatly valued Michelle’s assistance throughout our process.
- Nancy L. Spencer, Head of School
Shorecrest Preparatory School
Catalyst Consulting Services guided SPCA Florida through a step-by-step review of leadership roles and responsibilities. Our collaboration included fiscal accountability, legal responsibility, administration, policy, and strategic planning. Catalyst provided timely and complete objectives while facilitating positive change. They adjusted to our ever-changing schedules and moved us forward, making the experience positive and the investment sound.
Thank you for taking our organization to the next level!
- Shelley Thayer, Executive Director
SPCA Florida
We worked with Michelle Turman on a Strategic Plan for our statewide nonprofit organization. Michelle was exceedingly professional and detailed throughout the process and knowledgeable regarding strategic planning specific to nonprofits. She developed a comprehensive timeline and budget, worked with our organization’s staff and board members, and took the time to understand our organization. Her experience and expertise helped guide us in creating a plan that will lead the organization into the future. We are very grateful for Michelle’s assistance and really pleased with the outcome and final product.
- Jillian Hasner, President & CEO
Take Stock in Children
Michelle Turman demonstrated a deep commitment to our mission and helped to shape the future of our organization. She devoted time, not only to get to know the organization but to individual board member. This relationally driven approach established the trust which in turn enabled Michelle to navigate onbikes through an operational assessment, improve our board governance program, develop a new board member onboarding process, and conduct a successful executive director search. Michelle Turman’s organizational skills and attention to detail is second to none; she is simply a top-notch professional in every sense of the word.
- Drew Weatherford, Founder
onbikes, Inc.
In my 30-year nonprofit career, I have worked with many consultants. I found Michelle Turman to be the most professional, bar none. She is always prepared for each phase of the project. She shares your enthusiasm for your "passion project" like it is her own, and follows up. I also found, even though the business model of my organization is very complex, she had an understanding that I found most consultants do not, which adds tremendous value.
- Barbara Beck, President & CEO,
Habitat for Humanity Florida (retired)
Several years ago, a group of citizens in Sarasota Florida got together to build a new facility for a local K-3 after-school reading readiness program— SOAR Learning Center. I have been the Board Chair of that center for almost three years. After construction, the school was off and running and has since completed two-and-a-half years of classes. But it all rested on a few people, and it lacked the building blocks of a strong, sustainable organization— a strong board, a fundraising plan, governance, succession, etc. That's when we called upon Michelle at Catalyst Consulting Services to come work with us. It was the best thing we could have done. Michelle is a model consultant, bringing a host of qualities to the task. She dug down to understand our culture, our current limitations, our strengths, the entire picture. Then, she developed a plan for meeting each of our challenges and using our strengths to build an infrastructure for success. Our policies, procedures, communications, all of these began to take shape month by month. As I near the end of my term, and look toward passing the baton, it's clear to me that it has been Catalyst's work that has made this succession possible. Even after our contract with Michelle is completed, I intend to call upon her in the future whenever we face a new challenge. For me, that's a given.
- David Rubin, Executive Director
SOAR Learning Center, Inc.
Michelle Turman of Catalyst was incredibly supportive and helpful as I transitioned to my role as Executive Director at Positive Coaching Alliance-Tampa Bay. She provided me tools I could use to help develop our Board and have guidance in how to make our organization more sustainable. She helped our nonprofit get well-established pre-COVID and that enabled us to successfully navigate some huge disruptions and transitions. PCA-Tampa Bay is certainly in a better position because of her work.
- Mason Cathey, Executive Director
Positive Coaching Alliance - Tampa Bay
Michelle Turman is a valuable resource for any nonprofit business. She has an amazing knowledge of the nonprofit world and shares every bit of that with you. Her ability to see your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities is unparalleled. But even better than that, she turns some of this “hard to hear” bits of news into turning points, and eventually successes, for your organization. Michelle has helped our organization advance to the next level through the organizational assessment process and gave us a road map for beyond. Thank you, Catalyst and thank you, Michelle!
- Lisa Demmi, Chair of the Board of Director
Solita’s House
The strategic planning process was fantastic from start to finish! Michelle was super organized, understood what we were trying to do and guided us through it so smoothly. There were lots of steps, but it felt so amazingly easy because it was all so planned out. Now we have an amazing plan that our board is proud of and excited to execute!
- Laura Moore, Executive Director
Girls on the Run of Greater Tampa Bay
I had the opportunity to work with Catalyst on two strategic plans for two different organizations. Michelle did her homework to better understand the culture of both organizations and came into the strategic planning process with a clear sense of the challenges and opportunities faced by both groups. As a facilitator, Michelle provided useful pre-meeting materials and the follow-up report was as timely as it was thorough. Most importantly, Michelle was an active listener who kept the sessions on point and encouraged participation from all committee members. In both cases, committee members felt their valuable time was respected and their feedback accurately reflected in the final strategic plans.
- Frank S. Wilton, IOM, CAE, Ret. Executive Director
American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) and Immediate past chair, Donate Life America (DLA)
Catalyst Consulting Services lead by Michelle Turman completely transformed the Pinellas Sheriffs Police Athletic League. The Board and staff went through a board roles and responsibility training and built strategic plan. Our board is fully engaged, our direction is set, and PAL is having our best years as an organization. Michelle Turman was the catalyst for our transition!
- Neil Brickfield, Executive Director
Pinellas Sheriff’s Police Athletic League
I have worked with Michelle Turman on several projects over the years. So, I was confident she would be the right fit to facilitate our strategic planning efforts. And, she was. Michelle’s vast and varied non-profit experience allowed her to ask the right questions to ensure the outcomes we needed. As a consummate professional, she employed a comprehensive approach to re-engage our stakeholders, refocus our fundraising efforts and re-energize our Board of Directors. Without hesitation, I would highly recommend Michelle to any non-profit organization seeking expertise in building capacity to achieve their mission.
- Angela Pottinger, Executive Director
Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring
Michelle was contracted to guide the Board through the process of developing tools and practices for future success. With her robust knowledge of governance, we were able to set and attain high goals. Michelle was instrumental in assisting LEITR through the process of recruiting top level CEO’s and community leaders to our Board of Directors. She has facilitated two annual Board retreats which resulted in the formation of a revitalized Foundation Board and elevated fundraising efforts and new financial donor relationships. With Michelle’s extensive experience in nonprofit practices, we are confident that we will be the leader in Eye Banking and Research through this decade and in years to come.
- Jason Woody, President and CEO
Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research
I am grateful to Michelle A. Turman, MA, CFRE, CEO of Catalyst Consulting Services for her assistance in helping get the Working Women Foundation up and running in 2016. Michelle’s in-depth knowledge coming from her many years of leadership experience in the nonprofit world was instrumental in putting us on a path of success. Since it’s creation, our organization has raised more than $30,000 for seed money and resources for women startups. Michelle’s guidance over the past three years has been essential to the growth and long-term trajectory of the Working Women Foundation. We couldn’t have done it without her.
- Jessica Rivelli, Founder
Working Women of Tampa Bay Foundation
Michelle Turman demonstrated a deep commitment to our mission and to governance in our community. She was able to analyze our organization’s issues, balance the talents and personalities of our leaders and build consensus among the board and staff. The result was an inclusive strategic planning process that culminated in a plan that will keep the agency a leader among Early Learning Coalitions in the State of Florida.
- Aakash M. Patel, President
Elevate, Inc. & Board Chair of Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County
Michelle Turman has been a true gift to our organization. Her experience, passion, commitment to excellence and professionalism truly set her apart. She conducted an organizational assessment, Board of Director’s training, developed our fund development plan and is guiding us in creating a strategic plan. Michelle took the time to connect with many individuals in our organization to gain a complete understanding of where we are and the steps we need to take to grow to the next level. Michelle is a blessing and delight to work with and continues to exceed our expectations. Her insights and recommendations are helping to frame a very bright and promising future for the Dream Center of Tampa.
- Chris Davis, Executive Director
Dream Center of Tampa
I have worked with a number of consultants over the years but never one who delivered like Catalyst Consulting Services does. Michelle Turman’s level of professionalism raises the bar for all future engagements I might have with any consultant. She handled two executive searches, overhauled our board governance program and a provided a training session for new board members. In each case, Michelle was thoroughly prepared, kept me informed all along the way, delivered more than asked for and provided stellar results.
- John Harper, President & CEO
Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco County and Board Chair of Florida Medical Clinic – Foundation of Caring
Michelle successfully partners with organizations at their current stage to help them get to the next level. Her intuition and insights assist organizations with clear assessments of their strengths, areas of challenge and direction necessary to bring about transformational change. She does not direct but gently guides strategic planning so that the process grows organically. She is a top-notch consultant.
- Stephen C. Martaus, Executive Director
Early Childhood Council of Hillsborough County
Michelle’s attention to detail and creative forethought makes her an exceptional leader. Not only did she assist the agency in working towards best practices in governance, development and operations, but also spearheaded and successfully achieved our five- year accreditation. Her guidance and creativity helped us through a period of change and left us in a stronger, more responsive position for the clients we serve in Pinellas County.
- Gayla Larson
Lighthouse of Pinellas, Inc.
Collaborating with Michelle has brought stability and effectiveness thru strategic planning and creating procedural improvements that provided operational maturity and structure to the Lighthouse of Pinellas IT environment. Michelle’s unique industry ability helps to transform an organization’s outlook on technology which in turn provides those organizations with the right solutions and vendors in the best interest of the organization. ConnectWise IT will keep working together with Michelle now and in the future.
- Gene Pavliscsak, President
ConnectWise IT
In today’s marketplace it is not enough to have the vision of how best to effectively manage change. A strong leader knows how to communicate, delegate, and implement this vision into reality. Michelle worked extensively as a change agent for the Gulf Coast Museum of Art to hire and develop talented team members, curate many successful exhibits, enhance educational programming and increase museum attendance and fund raising. She sought out creative solutions that enabled the museum to deal with a shrinking pool of governmental support and her professionalism and competence exceeded the board’s expectations.
- David Sietsma, Partner
Carr, Riggs and Ingram, LLC
Past President of the Board of Directors of the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo
When I think of individuals with “big picture” thinking, Michelle comes to mind. Since 2008, my team and I have been blessed to work with her on a variety of non-profit projects, as well as being given the opportunity to help Michelle build her brand Catalyst Consulting and the launch of her first book, “Jumping the Queue”. She has entrusted us to assist her with branding, creative design projects, website development projects and more. If you are an organization looking for a company to help you get on track, explore efficiencies to implement your mission, or looking to further develop programs aimed to better engage your team or board, there is no one more qualified and proven than Michelle Turman and Catalyst Consulting Services.
- Chris Koch, Owner
C3 Media
Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) was first introduced to Catalyst Consulting Services through the Edyth Bush Institute at Rollins College, and we utilized them for a study. Michelle Turman was a great help throughout the entire process, and it was a pleasure to work with someone as patient and understanding as Michelle. She was always more than happy to answer any question we had, and she exudes confidence in the knowledge she shares. When it came time to understand the final report, Michelle offered many different options and solutions to help us get to our end goal.
- Abigail Tran, Executive Director
Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras
The Legal Aid Society engaged Catalyst Consulting Services to complete a capital campaign feasibility assessment. The final report thoroughly captured social sentiment, nuanced factors, and the challenges we face. Somehow, Michelle and her team managed to complete such a thorough assessment quickly, non-intrusively, and with constant connectivity. We absolutely know we will work with Catalyst again in the future and will recommend them to everyone.
- Bethanie Barber, Executive Director & Attorney at Law
Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc.
After a fire rendered our church sanctuary unusable, we began a Capital Campaign effort to reach out to over 600 church members, fund the rebuilding of the damaged sanctuary and our entire campus. With a project of this magnitude, the hurdles could have been daunting, but Michelle Turman and her team at Catalyst were instrumental in organizing and managing our efforts. They helped train our volunteers and staff on a multitude of items, such as the implementation of processes and procedures, donor database software, and fundraising best practices. She helped us execute our plan and kept us on task with frequent updates, conference calls, and meetings. Having Michelle hold us accountable has made the difference in our success thus far. We have raised over $7 million dollars and remain eternally grateful to Michelle for everything that she gave of herself through her efforts. Her professionalism added credibility to our team and gave us the roadmap we needed to succeed in this project. After seeing her in action, I have no doubt that she that she will continue to be an influential and welcome addition to anyone’s team.
- Anthony Saravanos, CCIM, CDP
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Capital Campaign Chairman
I’ve worked with many consultants in the past, but Michelle by far brings the highest level of professionalism and non-profit expertise than anyone else I’ve worked with. She is incredibly organized and is an excellent listener and communicator. She took the time to get to know our organization, the board, and our role in the community. She offered thoughtful, constructive, and useful insights and recommendations. We selected CCS due to their breadth and quality of experience working with nonprofits, outstanding recommendations, track record of success, access to resources and a fresh, more universal perspective.
- Karen Govern, Executive Director
STARability Foundation
We worked with Catalyst to conduct a fundraising assessment of our organization and to spearhead a search for a new Resource Development Director. Michelle took the time to really understand our organization and was constantly providing great perspective and guidance through her expertise and experience in non-profit. By the completion of the assessment, we were able to restructure the entire department and have begun to operate at capacity, enabling us to meet our goals and move our mission forward. As we moved forward with our search, Michelle helped us to identify several great candidates and eventually found the perfect fit for the position we created! Catalyst is nimble in their approach and does a great job at understanding the organization as a whole and can determine the ideal structures that will take you to the next level. During a time of tremendous growth, we have been able to stretch ourselves and our resources to improve upon providing services to more families.
- Angie Croft, Vice President of Development
Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County
The training conducted by Michelle Turman provided very useful information that will greatly benefit the Warrick Dunn Charities team. She helped to re-energize our board members and facilitate a healthy dialogue about how we can re-build an outstanding board and implement a fundraising plan that will better serve our organization.
- Warrick Dunn, Founder
Warrick Dunn Charities
Michelle Turman with Catalyst Consulting Services helped us lead our board development retreat and guided our volunteers through an educational board training program. Michelle takes the time to get to know your organization and works with you to understand your strengths and challenges. Her vast knowledge in the not for profit sector helped us develop our three year board development plan and future goals for our organization. She saved our organization a lot of time and effort by leading us in the right direction so we can have success within our planning process. I look forward to working with Catalyst Consulting in the future. It was an A+ experience for our staff and volunteers.
- Joe Mangione, Executive Director
After-School All -Stars
Attending this workshop really opened my eyes to what I expect from myself as a leader, and to what I expect from those around me. We often have our intuitions of how things should be but lack the language and framing to discuss it. I’m thankful for Catalyst and the presenter Kathryn for providing me the tools and confidence to start a conversation with my supervisor about how to be a leader of equity in our field.
- Josh Dunn, Senior Director, Operations and Community Partnerships
United Way Suncoast
I genuinely feel as if our training was a turning point for Staffing Resources Group. Since that time, the chemistry amongst our team has been the best that I have seen it and we are definitely getting more discretionary effort than ever before. Results are showing in our financials as a result. Last week were the highest sales in company history and we have been on an upward trend ever since we started implementation.
- Chris Elam, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations
Staffing Resource Group
Michelle is a great speaker and trainer on Leading Change.
She provided the support I needed to make changes within my organization to move it forward.
Michelle helped me to identify and analyze the causes of our organization’s complacency.
Michelle helped me to create a team to support the change I needed to make regarding our internal and external communications.
Michelle is a great speaker and knowledgeable about nonprofits. She provided an in-depth overview of what is needed to manage and launch a successful capital campaign. I look forward to having her come speak to my board.
Michelle was simply outstanding. I am so glad I took this training as it furthered my knowledge and has helped me move along in my career.
Michelle is incredibly knowledgeable and helped give us a better understanding of how we can enhance our volunteer program through the implementation of best and ethical practices to alleviate future potential issues and keep our volunteers accountable. Her training was well thought out, organized and executed.
Our organization benefitted by the resources provided so we can implement a more robust and effective volunteer program.
Michelle’s expert knowledge of the many struggles nonprofit organizations faces, combined with her strong belief in herself and the desire to orchestrate success, is the catalyst for the foundation of her business, Catalyst Consulting Services. Her initiative and tenacity continue to lead to meaningful change within the many organizations she serves.
- Deborah Barnes, Financial Advisor
Robert W. Baird & Co.
I have known Michelle for about 6 years. During that time, she has distinguished herself as a pioneering and energetic leader in Tampa Bay. While accomplishing high standards of success for her company, Michelle leads with respect and compassion and has made a significant difference in the Tampa Bay community. I have enormous respect for her philosophy and leadership skills in that she demonstrates the qualities of a natural leader: genuineness, intelligence, integrity, and vision.
- Ronald Christaldi, Attorney with Shumaker
Loop & Kendrick, LLP, Past Chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
A leader is defined as a person whose actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Michelle is an admired leader by the people and organizations she serves and with 24 years of experience catering to nonprofit organizations, she has positioned herself as the “got, turn-key” solutions for nonprofits.
- Jose E. Valiente, CPA
Past-Chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce