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Nancy Stetson

Nancy Stetson

Nancy E. Stetson, Ed.D., was the founding president of Company of Experts.net (COE.net), a highly successful firm she founded in 1989 primarily to serve the professional and organizational needs of colleges, community colleges, schools and universities. She and her business partner, Charles R. Miller, sold the business to COE.net principals Jim Pulliam and Kathy Becker in 2005. While mostly retired, Nancy occasionally serves as an Expert on Call for COE.net.

Since 1979, Nancy personally has provided hundreds of consulting, executive coaching, facilitating, keynoting, and training services to more than 125 organizations-corporations and businesses, educational organizations, governmental organizations, and non-profit organizations-and, within those organizations, to many groups and individuals.

Nancy has made more than 100 presentations at international, national, and state conferences. She also has published dozens of professional articles and monographs. She is the co-author, with Miller, of Appreciative Inquiry in the Community College: Early Stories of Success, published in 2004 by the League for Innovation in the Community College; and author of Stories of Positive Change in the Community College: Appreciative Inquiry in Action, published in 2008 by Company of Experts.net. Her publications also include light verse, poetry and short stories, and she is currently seeking an agent for several “picture” books for preschoolers.

While working as a part-time consultant, Nancy also worked full time from 1972-91 for several colleges, holding a variety of executive-level management positions including Vice President for Planning and Development and acting Vice President for Student Services. From 1991-97, she taught college courses full time. From 1997-2001, she taught many part-time undergraduate and doctoral-level courses in business, communications, education and leadership/management/supervision, face-to-face and online, at six different two and four-year public and private colleges and universities. She continues to be a Mentor/Assessor in Walden University’s Ph.D. in Education online program, specializing in Community College Leadership.

Jane Magruder Watkins and Ralph Kelly of Appreciative Inquiry Unlimited trained Nancy as an Appreciative Inquiry practitioner. She holds a doctorate in higher education from Nova Southeastern University, and did post-doctoral work in higher education on classroom assessment at University of California at Berkeley with K. Patricia Cross and Thomas A. Angelo. Nancy earned a Master of Science degree in individualized studies/organizational behavior from Central Washington University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing and development from The Evergreen State College, and an Associate in Arts degree from Wenatchee Valley College. She also attended Swarthmore College for several years before taking a 13-year break in her education in order to be a full-time parent to her two daughters, Laurel and Nancy Lee. She is the proud grandmother of Laurel’s two sons, Connor and Brendan; and pays motherly and grandmotherly attention to some of her former husband’s children and grandchildren.

Nancy’s honors and awards include:

  • 2008 – Marquis Who’s Who in America; 2001 – International Who’s Who of Professionals; 1990, 2007 – Marquis Who’s Who of American Women; 1993, 2007 – Marquis Who’s Who in American Education [Marquis Who’s Who is the definitive biographical resource of top professionals. Selection is based on leadership positions, educational attainments, significant publishing or public speaking experience, or contributions to the communities]
  • 2003 – Lorraine Barry Individual Leadership Award from the California Community College Council for Staff and Organizational Development (4C/SD)
  • 2002 – With Charles Miller, Western Region John Fry Individual Merit Award from the National Council for Staff, Program, and Organizational Development for outstanding contributions to staff, program, and organizational development at the regional and local level 
  • 1998-2002 – Executive Board Outstanding Service Award from the California Community College Council for Staff and Organizational Development
  • 1997-98 – National Leadership Award from the National Council for Staff, Program, and Organizational Development for outstanding contributions in writing, research and advocacy that promoted the goals of staff, program, and organizational development at the national level
  • 1997 – Commendation Resolution for 15-1/2 years of dedicated service to the students and staff of College of Marin, Marin Community College District Board of Trustees
  • 1993-94 – Certificate of Appreciation for service on Commission on Trustee and Staff Development, Community College League of California
  • 1990-91 – Certificate of Appreciation for service on Commission on Research, Community College League of California
  • 1990 – Practitioner’s Hall of Fame by Nova Southeastern University for excellent contributions leading to the improvement of educational practice (shared governance work at College of Marin and state-wide publications in shared governance)
  • 1983 – Certificate of Appreciation, The Small Business Center, College of Marin
  • 1982 – Board Service Award; 1983 – Vice President of Programs Award, National Council for Resource Development
  • 1979-81 – City of Wenatchee for service on Parks Board
  • 1980-97 – Recognized eight times by the student governments and honor societies at Wenatchee Valley College and College of Marin for outstanding service and dedication to students
  • 1979 – Individual Supporting the Arts award from the Allied Arts Council of North Central Washington
  • 1977 – Co-chaired a Bicentennial year project that roofed the courtyard of a building at Wenatchee Valley College for which the Allied Arts Council of North Central Washington received the Washington State Governor’s Arts Award
  • 1954 – Edwin S. Fulop Public Speaking Award for commencement address at Union High School (NJ)

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Specialties:

  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training
  • Appreciative Process
  • Change Management
  • Consulting
  • Creative Thinking
  • Enneagram
  • Executive Coaching and Counseling
  • Goal Setting
  • Institutional Effectiveness
  • Keynote Speaker
  • Management Consulting
  • Organizational Development
  • Social Styles
  • Process Consultation
  • Strategic Planning
  • Teaching Effectiveness
  • Team Building
  • Trust Building
  • Vision