About

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Meet the Woman Behind the Success of Our Clients

Ruth Nicholson is an internationally-certified professional facilitator, graphic facilitator, and trained mediator in Snohomish County, Washington USA. She offers over 35 years’ experience in organizational development and non-profit organization management. Her experience in amateur and youth sports spans over four decades and includes professional work, playing, and volunteering. Ruth has provided training in North America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America on a wide variety of topics, including improving youth sports, developing facilitation skills, and preparing for professional certification. She has assessed and certified professional facilitators on three continents.

 

Planning for Organizational Success

  • Organizational planning and mediation for non-profit organizations

 

  • Strategic planning for at SunPacific Companies (California), Energy Capital Credit Union (Texas), and Emerald City FC (Washington)

 

  • Planning for organizational change, staffing, and operations for US Environmental Protection Agency and the Synod of Alaska-Northwest (Presbyterian Church) in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
  • Process design for growth and capital projects at the Southeast Family YMCA and Southern California Association of Governments

Demonstrating Effective Sports Management

  • Snohomish County FC Steelheads community liaison
  • Evergreen International Tournament staffing manager
  • Football Club Seattle stadium operations manager
  • Emerald City FC club operations and residence camp manager

Educating People Around the World

  • Facilitation skills instructor in Barbados, Canada, Germany, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and United States
  • Co-Developer of the 2019 GO! Raise Excellence International Think Tank to Improve Youth Sports
  • Creator of the GO! youth sports resource library that has engaged people in Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America
  • Workshop presenter at national and state association youth sports education events in California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington state, and Washington DC

Winning Awards for Helping Clients Succeed

  • Finalist for Innovator of the Year in Youth Soccer, 2018
  • International Association of Facilitators Hall of Fame, 2020
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  • Hanford Natural Resource Trustee Council assessing damages and Hanford Advisory Board advising on cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation

 

  • Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee Planning Group addressing river management in the Missouri River Basin

 

  • Clearwater Basin Collaborative working to resolve forestland management conflicts

 

  • Desert Conservation Program managing a 78-species habitat conservation plan and federal Endangered Species Act permit
  • Contributing Writer - MaxOne, Player Development Project (Australia), Working with Parents in Sport (UK), Soccer Today, Sports Engine Community, and Northwest Soccer News
  • Facilitator - TeamGenius international Youth Sports Roundtable series addressing the effects of COVID-19
  • Content developer - Webinar and article series on volunteer programs and tournament management for InitLive (Canada) and LeagueApps (USA)
  • Podcast guest - Dave Briglio (Making the Play and Playing in the Gray) and Glenn Crooks (The Coaching Academy)

 

  • Core Strength: Best Practices Are Not Good Enough. A Practical Guide to Developing the Core Competencies for Successful Youth Sports Organizations to be published 2021.
  • Make Meetings Meaningful, 128-page facilitation course workbook (2006, 2008).
  • Post-Agreement Conflict: A Reflection on the Causes and the Development of Skills to Address It, co-authored with James Christensen, 2006
  • When There Are No Easy Answers. A Facilitators Guide to Designing Complex Events. Booklet co-authored with Barbara J. MacKay, 2003

"Thorough in preparation; Flawless in implementation. Ruth's good humor and grace make difficult decisions seem easy to the casual observer. In reality, her seasoned facilitation skills help groups through the most difficult of situations."

Cheryl Chapman, Vice President, Louis Berger

Reach Out to Ruth

For more information about how Ruth can help you, contact her today. 

Get in Touch