Susan Thaxton Email & Phone Number

Annapolis, Md, Us

St. Louis, Mo, Us

Promoted to transform overarching strategy, managing a 7-figure budget and 46 staff. Developed and executed strategic and operating plans, aligning resources to drive results. Leveraged communication and influence to nurture relationships with key stakeholders through organizational change. Led teams and individuals, providing professional development and leadership opportunities. Led strategic planning process, integrating all business units to establish specific plans, deliverables and measurable objectives, resulting in $10MM investment in support of strategic plan implementation.Handpicked to lead merger of three departments supporting operations in 40+ cities. Provided clear vision, executed a structured plan, and set measurable targets to ensure a smooth handoff to successor leadership.Created organizational structure, operating model, and systems to sustain organizational impact. During COVID, reduced staff by 44% to achieve $1.5M in savings while fulfilling stakeholder commitments.Established and implemented goal-based leadership approach to exceed organization objectives and key metrics. Drove 20% annual increases in volunteer engagement to restore post-COVID operations. Revamped organization budget process and resource allocation through financial visualization and data-driven storytelling. Enhanced budget owners’ financial literacy and decision-making resulting in 20% cost reductions.Facilitated technology project prioritization to focus resources and meet objectives. Oversaw implementation plan that enabled on-time delivery, accelerated project execution, and strengthened cross-team collaboration.

Annapolis, Md, Us

Recruited to transform organization’s sustainability by developing and implementing a three-year strategic plan. Managed $500K budget and a team of four, reporting to the Board of Directors. Created infrastructure and processes to facilitate growth while preserving program quality, improving constituent engagement, and ensuring financial sustainability. Achieved financial sustainability by aligning stakeholders with the business model, optimizing cost management, and driving a 20% increase in annual revenue through diversification.Led award-winning strategic planning process that increased program territory by 50%, expanding market access and continuing organizational growth.

Partnered with nonprofit leaders to spearhead business planning and strategy by identifying opportunities, developing a vision for change, determining priorities, defining realistic courses of action, and supporting implementation to drive growth. Clients included: Smithsonian Heritage Committee; The Next Step Charter School; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades National Labor Union.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

Served as trusted advisor to leadership teams to support small and large-scale business initiatives, funding and investment strategies, board development, and operational projects. Managed teams of 5-9 consultants. Doubled service capacity for a transitional housing nonprofit by creating an actionable strategic plan. Increased retail revenue for Friends of the National Zoo by redesigning an earned revenue model.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Led 10 supervisors and 250 assembly line employees in meeting production targets, problem solving and team building. Hired externally for predominantly internally recruited position to lead an experienced and established team of 10 supervisors. Led with servant leadership style and fostered culture of comradery while focusing on results.Exceeded corporate quantity and quality goals for two consecutive years despite numerous shutdowns, start-ups, process changes, and personnel reductions.Managed department execution of new car model launch by developing readiness tracking process, prioritizing problem-solving efforts, coordinating resources and motivating workforce despite significant challenges.

Alexandria, Va, Us

Developed potential Navy ship operational cycles, manpower requirements, and weapon systems configurations for conceptual National Missile Defense system.

Washington, Dc, Us

Planned, executed, and managed shipboard training and exercises. Led four major multinational at-sea simulation training exercises during overseas deployments. Effectively led the largest division of any junior officer onboard and consistently ranked highest among peers.

Mba

Ba, Political Science