Client: Higher Ground
Industry: Nonprofit; Multidisciplinary rehabilitation therapy for wounded veterans.
Scope of work: Founder, Chief Executive (current)
Website: www.hgvets.org

In fall 2005, when rebuilding Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, Tom had a vision to develop a novel program that would combine innovative and efficacious types of sports, family, and coping therapies to heal and restore the lives of wounded veterans and their spouses. The result was Higher Ground, the signature program of SVAS. In five years, Higher Ground has evolved into what many at the Department of Defense, VA Centers, and military medical hospitals around the country consider the gold standard program for therapeutic rehabilitation camps for wounded veterans.

Higher Ground was one of the first resort-based sports organizations to host therapeutic snowsports camps with military installations like Brooke Army Medical Hospital. It was also one of the first rehabilitation programs that identified the need to reach out to Veterans Administration hospitals and trauma centers to bring veterans to therapeutic sports camps after they transitioned back to their home communities. Higher Ground held the nation’s first snowsports camp for blind wounded veterans, and the first fly fishingcamp for veterans with traumatic brain injuries.

Higher Ground continues to pave the way to provide therapeutic rehabilitation for injured veterans. In March 2009, we hosted one of the industry’s first therapeutic camps for female wounded veterans, recognizing a lack of existing services available for the women who have so bravely served our country. The program took a lead role in including spouses and significant others as part of the therapeutic camps—and paying 100% of the cost for the wounded veterans and spouse to attend camps. And Higher Ground boasts the longest and most thorough follow up program for therapeutic sport camps in the nation—three years!

Tom continues to break ground for wounded veterans and their rehabilitation. His latest work and vision include hosting a best practices summit, advocating legislation, and building a multi-million rehabilitation center for wounded veterans in Sun Valley. Tom also provides consulting services to help start and mentor rehabilitation organizations for wounded veterans.

Client: Sun Valley Adaptive Sports
Industry: Nonprofit; Recreational therapy for people with disabilities.
Scope of work: Executive Director (current)
Website: www.svasp.org

In September 2005, hired to transform and manage a struggling nonprofit. Rebuilt all primary operational structures: accounting, fundraising, programs, administration, database systems, tracking, and reporting. Increased annual fundraising from $150,000 to $2,000,000 in 5 years. Increased number of volunteers from 5 to 325, added 600 new donors and 30 new foundations. Increased program participation hours by 150%. Refined the mission, goals and core values.

Created first-time procedures and policies for: investments, fundraising, accounting, programs, board committees, employees, volunteers, and strategic planning. Created a mentoring program for staff and volunteers. Established assessment and evaluation worksheets and protocols for programs and participants. Create pioneering efficacy modeling in partnership with universities and the Department of Defense. Launched a public relations campaign to create a leading brand image in the community and around the nation. Designed more than 100 collateral pieces. Helped restructure board and provided guidance for board development.

Secured 75 major strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Department of Defense, Pentagon, Military Severely Injured Center, Military One Source, Transportation Services Administration (TSA), University of Idaho, Brooke Army Medical Center, Palo Alto Trauma Center, Navy SEAL Warfare Foundation, Blinded Veterans Association as well as dozens of other adaptive sports organizations, major military medical centers, VA medical centers, and military bases across the country. Local partnerships include the Sun Valley Company, Resort Quest, Avis, Delta Airlines, and Sturtevant's.

Working with the Defense Department's Military Severely Injured Center to develop a model that will allow other non-government organizations to work with the Center to provide sports and recreational rehabilitation services directly to Service Members. This model will be the first of its kind. It is significant because it will eliminate the hassle that service members face in finding sports-related rehabilitation services. (Currently, there are more than 30,000 men and women who have been severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.) It will also benefit medical DOD case managers who help wounded service members find sports-related rehabilitation organizations.

Number of staff: 10 Summer staff: 10 Board members: 11 Volunteers: 325

www.svasp.org

Client: Sundt Memorial Foundation
Industry: Nonprofit; Drug and alcohol awareness and prevention.
Scope of work: Business development; fundraising; business writing.

Hired to transform a small nonprofit into the nation's most recognized brand among teens for drug and alcohol prevention. Spearheaded marketing and business development initiatives to distribute the Foundation's prevention video to every school in the country free of charge - 114,000 schools. Worked with the board to reposition the Foundation's marketing and strategic planning endeavors. Wrote and designed more than 100 documents including partnership agreements, business plans, press releases, marketing collateral, resource material, research documents, and teaching aides.

Designed and wrote text for all brochures, DVD authoring, and two websites: DrugFreeWave.com and SundtMemorial.org. Designed print and video PSAs. Secured partnerships with Nationwide Insurance, Red Bull, ESPN, FUEL TV, Hobie, Case Logic, VAS Entertainment, ONDCP, SAMSHA, and many others. Helped organize fundraisers, and raised more than $220,000 from sponsorship sales and in-kind service offerings.

Client: Ener~Chi
Industry: Retail; Branded consumer products; Internet
Scope of work: Business consulting; business writing.

Hired to write an executive summary of the story and the person behind a lifestyle company that manufactures chic sports apparel. Provided business development consulting services centered on growing a small business with limited capital. Gave specific advice on how to refine a business model, create a business plan, raise capital, and position a product.

Client: Blaine County Hunger Coalition
Industry: Nonprofit; Hunger
Scope of work: Business development; fundraising; management; research.

Founded a countywide hunger relief organization. Currently, president of the board. In one year, created a food voucher and food box program that created a safety net of food security, so no child or family will be without food if they visit any social service worker or social service agency in the county. Conducted extensive research and published statistics on the state of hunger in the county. Spearheaded various initiatives including year-round food collecting at grocery stores, outreach marketing, and a pick-up and delivery service. Started a food bank. Designed a bi-lingual resource card. Helped raise $100,000 in the Coalition's first year of fundraising. Wrote the application that secured the Coalition's 501(c)3 nonprofit status. Wrote 50 pieces of collateral and the Coalition's annual report. Oversee 54 volunteers.

Client: Accerra
Industry: Technology; Software
Scope of work: Business development, special projects research, business writing.

Created a business development department targeting Fortune 1000 companies. Identified and researched strategic partnership opportunities. Negotiated partnership agreements. Conducted special project research that included competitive analysis, industry research, and quality assurance analysis. Wrote a sales plan, a marketing plan, and the majority of the company's sales collateral. Helped write business plans and private placement memoranda that secured $4 million in financing.

Client: ValueStar
Industry: Consumer services; Internet
Scope of work: Business development, special projects research, technical writing.

Created project management programs to manage mission-critical alliances. Managed all special projects research including competitive intelligence, new alliance integration, and product positioning. Performed company due diligence on all business development prospects. Designed department-by-department business strategies. Created a process to identify, collect, evaluate, and archive industry intelligence. Published two technical white papers. Wrote all business development collateral. Helped write business plans and private placement memoranda that secured $30 million in financing.

Client: Brennan Capital
Industry: Financial; Private investment fund
Scope of work: Investment strategy and research, capital management, trading.

Managed a small, speculative technology fund. Performed company due diligence, screened business plans, evaluated business models, and analyzed financial statements for more than 200 emerging technology companies. Identified and evaluated industry trends and emerging technology. Performed on-site company inspections, interviewed key executives, and wrote management profiles. Identified and executed investment opportunities for investors. Designed a software program to analyze historical business data and stock price data.

Client: Environmental News Network
Industry: Media; Internet
Scope of work: Business development, special projects research, business writing.

Created a business development and marketing department targeting the nation's largest environmental organizations. Negotiated partnership agreements. Performed company due diligence on all business development prospects. Managed all special projects research including competitive intelligence, new alliance integration, and product positioning. Designed revenue sharing and advertising business models. Wrote business development proposals, contracts, and term sheets. Wrote all sales collateral, advertising copy, and press releases.

Client: Copley News Corporation
Industry: Media; Print
Scope of work: Sales, market research, business writing.

Within 60 days, restored profitability to a regional and national sales territory posting revenue totals 30% to 40% below targeted goals. Identified new markets. Tested and evaluated various marketing, advertising, and promotional strategies. Designed annuity-type advertising programs to encourage small advertisers to advertise more frequently. Wrote operational protocol for implementing novel selling strategies. Designed and wrote a regionally distributed monthly newsletter.

Client: Nicolet College
Industry: Education; College
Scope of work: Special projects research, business writing.

Managed a special research project that included a college-wide investigation and report to help Nicolet retain a state appropriation it was in jeopardy of losing. In six months, designed questionnaires, conducted 135 interviews, examined procedure guidelines, analyzed budgets and financial statements, and cataloged more than 5,000 pages of documentation. Wrote department-by-department analysis reports, followed by a 40-page summary report that was presented to the State Board.

Client: Continental Bank/First Options Futures
Industry: Financial; Proprietary trading
Scope of work: Special projects programming, capital management, trading.

Managed a team of 10 programmers and 25 traders that designed and implemented a 24-hour global trading operation in London, Sydney, Tokyo, New York, and Chicago. Served as the chief Standard & Poor's 500 stock options trader. Wrote weekly progress summaries for the bank's board of directors. Functioned as team leader to diagnose and trouble-shoot technical and trading problems. Wrote a 65-page summary document about the Global Options system, plus a 48-page user's manual for traders and sales managers.

Client: Jordan Investments
Industry: Financial; Proprietary trading
Scope of work: Special projects programming, capital management, trading.

Designed and wrote a custom, state-of-the-art risk analysis program for stock option floor traders. The program analyzed market risks, priced stock options and index futures, and produced accounting reports for all types of stock option strategies for a variety of traded commodities. Wrote a 25-page user's manual for the program. Conducted workshops on how to use the program.

Client: CORE Trading
Industry: Financial; Proprietary trading
Scope of work: Stock options trading.

Traded Standard & Poor's 500 stock options for a personal trading account on the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Designed and wrote custom risk analysis programs to assess risk and manage trading portfolios. Successfully traded through the "Crash of '87" and never posted a losing month in four years of trading.