Janet joined The University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute in 2008 as a Senior Fellow after a successful career in nonprofit consulting and as an entrepreneur in the fields of marketing and employee communications.
Janet is a highly creative thinker and problem-solver, sought after by colleagues and external associates alike for her talents in conceptualizing, framing and resolving problems and issues. Her strong marketing background and nationwide network of contacts give her a unique perspective on nonprofit development and capacity building, including philanthropic capacity building.
Since joining Fanning, Janet has led projects in the areas of nonprofit capacity building, leadership development and strategic planning for clients including Atlanta Regional Commission, Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, and Voices for Georgia’s Children, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Spalding Community Collaborative and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. Janet also represents Fanning by service on the Leadership Council for the United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Ready by 21.
Initiative, the steering committee for OneGeorgia, UGA’s Child and Family Policy Initiative and the 21st Century Learning Community Advisory Board of the Georgia Department of Education. She is also a frequent expert speaker on these topics.
Over her career, Janet has facilitated strategic planning and implementation for more than 100 nonprofit, government and faith-based organizations. Janet’s past clients have included the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, where her company designed the volunteer training and recognition program, and BellSouth, BankSouth, and Greenville Hospital System, where she led teams that developed award winning communications programs to support human resources development for all employees. She also supported transformational strategic leadership initiatives for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Georgia State Tollway Authority, and the North Texas Tollway Authority.
Janet received her Bachelor’s degree in English with high honors from Emory University and her Master’s degree in Victorian Studies from York University/University of Toronto. She earned a PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University by completing doctoral research into the leadership experience of nonprofit executive directors. As Immediate Past Chair of the International Leadership Association’s (ILA) Public Leadership Member Interest Group, Janet is a highly regarded leader in this international network of scholars committed to enhancing the study and practice of leadership.
Publications
• On Being a Nonprofit Executive Director
• When Good Boards Go Bad
• Nonprofit Leadership: At the Crossroads of Competition and Collaboration
• Coalitions
• Collaboration: Process or Outcome
• Legacy & Letting Go
• Design for Collaboration in Public Broadcasting
