MARY L VARGAS FOUNDER
Mary is an organization effectiveness expert, and has an unwavering belief that by building on strength, teams/ leaders/ organizations can overcome thorny issues, imagine and create vibrant futures, deal with tough situations and decisions, and be stronger for the process. Mary has spent the last 25 years working with organizations in finance, telecommunications, governmental (federal, state, and local), legal, non-profit and faith-based organizations.
As a principal with a large consulting firm, a leader with a small consulting firm, and an independent consultant, Mary has focused on projects that drive business results through organizational readiness. She has led projects focused on strategic planning, succession planning, communication planning and execution, team development, executive coaching, large-scale change, organization redesign, process design, training design and delivery, online training design and development, needs assessments, business risk assessment, technology implementation, and appreciative inquiry.
At the very foundation of organizational success are the conversations we have together to create the future. Conversations drive relationships, relationships drive culture. It’s how we are together that ultimately determines our legacy and long-term future success. As a coach and consultant, Mary works with individuals, teams, and organizations to create and live into the cultures they say they want. She is passionate about conversations that open futures, illumine new possibilities, and lead people to build on their strengths.
Mary helps clients paint the big picture of a project by defining business and organizational needs, and then steps into that picture to bring the details to life with structure and process to manage and complete the actual work. She has an open, collaborative style and works closely with each organization to build internal capacity and to further future growth. Mary works with corporate and nonprofit leaders to change the way we engage, and with healthcare leaders and families to change the way we think and talk about end of life in America.
Mary lives in San Francisco with her husband, Jose.
Education
- BA – Political Science, French, St. Lawrence University
- MBA – Georgetown University
Certifications & Further Training
- LIFO Process Communications Certified Master Trainer
- Accountability Circles Certified Trainer
- CTT Level II, Barrett Values Center
- Appreciative Inquiry trained (with Cooperrider/Barrett)
- Certified Future Search Facilitator
- Certified Peer Support/Counseling
- Certified Emily Post Business Etiquette Trainer
- Certified Drexler-Sibbet Team Building Coach
Inspiration
Generative, invitational, and challenging conversations; learning something new; time spent in nature
ALSO MEET
KATHRYN SNYDER
Katie is passionate about building effective teams and helping individuals become purposeful, high-functioning leaders. For more than 20 years, she has worked with boards, leadership, and staff to develop strategic plans, to assess programs and to implement initiatives.
GAYLE GORMAN
Gayle has more than two decades of experience serving as an internal and external consultant, coach and teacher. She has also held senior management positions with strategic planning, operations, and communications duties in the financial services sector.
CHRIS HAIGH
Chris founded True Change Associates in 2015 after 20 years of working with academic institutions, corporations, and nonprofit organizations focusing on diversity and inclusion, equity and social justice, leadership development, and team building.
JANICE JACOBS
Janice holds a PhD in Psychoeducational Processes with a focus in organization development. She has been a professor and student of leadership for thirty years. Her career reflects her purpose: the holistic development of employees and the organizations they serve.