The Team
How it all started
Thriving communities require exemplary nonprofits, churches, faith-based organizations, and local governments. I want communities to thrive!
Carson Dean
Founder & Consultant
My Story
My career has revolved around helping others. I am a nonprofit professional and organizational leader dedicated to maximizing the impact that organizations have in the communities they serve. Having enjoyed a career steeped in leading and directing organizations and programs, I have compiled experience in a vast array of areas, including management, financial oversight, team and board leadership, fund development, and community engagement. While skilled as a strategist, administrator and communicator, I pride myself on being compassionate, with a vision of serving in tactical ways, helping others to focus on mission, members/targeted populations, and community impact. My experience, coupled with my passion to see people thrive, makes me uniquely qualified to offer guidance to organizations and organizational leaders.
I’m a husband, proud father, and life-long North Carolinian. Our family lives in Gaston County, North Carolina. In fact, we live across the street from where my wife grew up and where her mother still lives! We’re members of First Baptist Church in Mount Holly and love spending time in the mountains and along the coast. I’m a graduate of N.C. State (BA History) and Appalachian State (MA History) universities. I also have a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University. I’m an alumnus (inaugural class) of the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership’s Charlotte Leadership Gift School and Bank of America’s Charitable Foundation Neighborhood Builder Program (the nation’s largest philanthropic leadership development program for nonprofit executives). Prior to retiring in 2016, I was the executive director at the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte (now Roof Above).
My Values
My faith and my values influence everything I do – personally and professionally. They also keep me mindful of managing my priorities.
- Simplicity – keeping things simple is much harder than it appears; quality consultative work should make things easier for the client, not more complicated. Same goes for life.
- Relationships – much like simplicity, remembering that all consultative work is relational requires a commitment to maintaining quality relationships. It also requires practicing compassion – for others and for yourself.
- Equity and Inclusion – make sure those who need to be involved are involved and rightfully so. Know your own biases and your position (or not) of privilege and power, so that you may interact in ways that raise and respect all voices.
- Communication – quality communication requires consistency, timeliness, thoroughness, and respect. As a consultant, being intentionally proactive and appropriately responsive are the keys.
- Integrity & Accountability – do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it, how it is supposed to be done, and to the very best of your ability. Always.
Meet the Team
Angie Welsh
Consultant
Angie is a passionate, results-oriented senior-level nonprofit executive who now brings her proven experience and extensive knowledge of collective impact, resource investment, and strategic planning/implementation of projects to consulting engagements. Her strengths include strategic thinking, financial management, goal setting, nonprofit system enterprise, organizing, management, and speaking.
Amy Shoemaker
Consultant
Amy is a native Charlottean with over twenty years of experience in church finance. She has worked closely with church administrators and ministers to manage budgets, human resources, insurance, facilities, logistics, and food services. Amy and Jim have four adult children and five grandchildren.
“How can I help your organization thrive? By listening, employing best practices, and building relationships.”
— Carson
My Strategic Partners
blurFactor New Media is my go-to strategic partner for quality, affordable website development. Steve Brand is an awesome collaborator.
Patton McDowell, founder of PMA Nonprofit Leadership, has been both a mentor and colleague of mine for many years. More recently, we’ve collaborated on projects together including workshops and community engagements.
Stan, Beth and the entire team at Partners for Impact are the very best at what they do – systems change, evaluation, and strategic thinking. I learn something new each time I get the chance to work with them.
Janice Holly Booth has developed a tremendous resource for organizations of all sizes. I highly recommend The Team Building Kit.
Thriving Organizations in My Portfolio
