Who We Are

Michael A. Wright, M.A.
Managing Partner

Michael draws upon an extensive background in management, including experience leading organizations through rapid growth and fundamental change. His consulting specialties include:

• Managing change
• Strategic planning, implementation, and performance measurement
• Organization redesign
• Executive and management coaching

Working closely with clients in a collaborative effort, Michael develops an understanding of the organization’s situation and culture. Yet he also provides a fresh, independent perspective. This helps organizations clarify their strategy to fit their changing environment and their internal needs. He also taps into the organization’s greatest strengths to help leadership, management, and staff work together to break through barriers and achieve unprecedented results.

Michael has also been asked to bring some of the best ideas from the private sector to California State Government, where he has worked with more than 25 agencies and departments.

Michael holds a Master’s Degree in Organization Development and is a member of the Bay Area Organization Development Network, the Society for the Management of Organization Design, and other professional organizations.

Some comments from his clients: "Michael’s insight led us to new realizations." "He got our group to work together more effectively, and his sense of humor kept us going through the difficult parts."

Rick Brown, Ph.D.
Managing Partner

Dr. Brown has been a Managing Partner with The Results Group since 1994 and an organizational, management, and planning consultant and facilitator since 1980.

Dr. Brown has worked as a consultant to a wide variety of public sector, non-profit and business organizations, including: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), Kaiser-Permanente Medical Care Program, Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Enterprise Foundation, Golden 1 Credit Union, California School Employees Association, Agilent Technologies, Hewlett Packard and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District. Dr. Brown specializes in helping groups and organizations manage the turbulence of changing external environments, with a specific focus on balancing the demand for innovation with the need for stability. More specifically he has worked with all levels of administration and staff on issues such as:

• Strategic planning and large scale organizational change
• Mission critical leadership development
• Community outreach and public participation
• Human resources and labor relations strategy
• Organizational restructuring and redesign
• Performance incentive and management systems
• Business strategy and policy
• Board governance and development

Recently he focused on the Board/Administration interface on issues of organizational governance and stakeholder and employee involvement. In addition, Dr. Brown has developed a specific expertise in applying principles of "interest-based negotiations" to large scale organizational change initiatives. Growing out of a recent sabbatical he has been involved in the start-up of a citizen peace-building initiative throughout Africa (CONTACT Africa) aimed at early intervention and reconciliation in national and cross-border conflicts. Finally, from 1992-1998, he was a Board member with the Twin Hills School District Board of Trustees (two years as President) in Sebastopol, California, and has a Doctorate in Group and Organizational Psychology. He is married and the father of two daughters.

Sara Tickler, Psy.D.
Senior Partner

Sara Tickler is a Senior Partner with The Results Group. She brings to her work a depth of experience and expertise in organization development, change management, group facilitation, business process improvement, and conflict resolution. Sara has worked with a wide variety of government and private clients, using her skills to provide:

• Improvement, standardization, and implementation of business processes
• Training development and change management support for Information Technology Systems implementation projects
• Organizational and interpersonal problem-solving and conflict resolution
• Design and implementation of cross-functional, self-managed work teams
• Operations Manual design, development, and production

Sara holds a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Psychology, a Master's Degree in Organization Development, and a certificate in Executive Coaching from the Center of Executive Coaching.

Steve Ekstrom, M.A.
Senior Partner

Since 1991 Steve Ekstrom has consulted with a variety of public sector organizations in California, Washington, Oregon, and Japan.
He has assisted numerous organizations with:

• Strategic planning and implementation
  
• Developing effective change management strategies
  
• Developing effective communication systems
  
• Problem solving and conflict resolution
  
• Coaching leaders in organizational improvement strategies
  
• Team building within and across functional units
  
• Meeting facilitation

Organizations Steve has worked with include: CA Department of Mental Health; CA Department of Rehabilitation; CalEPA; State Water Resources Control Board; CA Integrated Waste Management Board; Contra Costa County Health Services Department; County of Marin; Chancellor's Office-California Community Colleges; Office of Public School Construction; Division of the State Architect; numerous county mental health departments throughout northern and southern California.

In addition to his consulting experience Steve was the CEO of a nonprofit organization in Sacramento, CA, for 11 years. Following an extensive strategic planning process he led that organization through a major re-design effort in the late 1980's that resulted in improved performance, increased customer satisfaction, and national recognition.

When consulting in organizations, Steve creates an atmosphere of trust and respect that leads to improved communication and increased organizational effectiveness.

Steve received his M.A. in Organizational Transformation from Antioch University. In his thesis he examined personal and organizational transformational processes and the development of the capacity to induce transformation. He is married and has two daughters.

Stephen R. Thomas, M.A.

Partner
 

Steve Thomas has been a student of leadership, management, human systems and organizational change since 1983. He brings extensive public-sector management experience and a reputation as an insightful and caring individual with a high degree of integrity. He is well versed in the principles of interest-based negotiation, developing sustainable systems change, and the co-creation of new realities from disparate points of view. He especially enjoys: 

• Developing partnerships and collaborations between a wide variety of vested stakeholders with synergistic results.
• Assisting others with understanding the intricacies and nuances of change.
• Developing/coaching Executive Teams.
• Creating productive workplace environments through authentic dialogue, interpersonal skill development and an understanding of human systems dynamics.

Steve has been a past chair of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Leadership Division responsible for the Leadership Santa Rosa and Tomorrow's Leaders Today leadership programs. He is a graduate of Command College Class 29, a State of California Peace Officers Standards and Training post-graduate level futures based leadership program. He is also a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Management Institute for Police.

Steve is experienced in the development of strategic plans for local public safety agencies and city general plan updates. He has provided team building and assisted in improving work processes and workplace relations for international and regional corporations, government agencies and presented training seminars on leadership and diversity. He has been actively involved in the creation of a Community Multi-cultural Board to address the needs of minority communities and worked closely with representatives of the health and education professions in developing initiatives aimed at improving health and quality of life.  Steve was selected as a “Public Health Champion” for the County of Sonoma in April of 2004.  Most recently he presented a workshop on “Changing Police Culture” to a national association of law enforcement executives.

Steve Thomas has a BS degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco, and an MA degree in Organizational Development from Sonoma State University.

Allen Paul Goldstein
Partner

Allen is a partner with The Results Group. He specializes in:

• Public agency assessments and program reviews.
• Strategic and project planning.
• Project management, including design and construction oversight.
• Executive coaching.
• Organization development and team building.

Allen brings a unique combination of public and private sector experience to his consulting work.  Allen’s public sector experience includes over 25 years of service with the State of California, including executive-level positions in the administrations of three Governors. He served as the Director of the Department of Personnel Administration, as Deputy Secretary in the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency, and most recently as an Assistant Executive Officer for the California Public Employees Retirement System.  His work included the following:

• Responsibility for managing several unique construction projects, including the design, construction and operation of California’s Pavilions at the 1986 World’s Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia and the 1988 World’s Fair in Brisbane, Australia, establishing the State of California’s London trade office, as well as coordinating State government support for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
• As the Director of the States Department of Personnel Administration Allen negotiated labor agreements for 19 collective bargaining units and authored several reports which led to important changes in the States personnel management practices.
• Led a revamping of the CalPERS Health Benefits program bringing a longer-term strategic focus to its policy deliberations. Allen also provided the leadership for the CalPERS enterprise-wide strategic and business planning processes.

In the private sector, Allen also served as the Executive Director of the Structural Engineers Association of California, and as Vice President for Project Development for Rathe Productions, a New York City based exhibit and design company.  Allen’s projects included:

• The 1990 World’s Fair in Osaka Japan.
• The 1992 World’s Fair in Seville, Spain.

Prior to joining The Results Group, Allen was the principal in his own management-consulting firm whose clients included government agencies, not for profit organizations and private corporations.

His clients included: World Gold Council, California State Teachers Retirement System, California State Resources Agency, California Pubic Employees Retirement System, Lend Lease Real Estate, Sutter Hospitals, The California Mountain Lion Foundation, and MMA Financial, California Department of Conservation, California Association Health Facilities, The Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, The County of San Mateo and The California Department of Corporations.


Kara Vernor, M.A.
Staff Consultant

Kara joined The Results Group in 2006, bringing with her over eight years experience in training, facilitation and program coordination within various public and private sector organizations. She has assisted organizations with:

• Business process improvement
• Evaluation design and implementation
• Organizational analysis and development
• Group problem solving
• Training design and delivery, especially on particularly sensitive topics such as sexual harassment and diversity
• Team building
• Individual coaching

Organizations Kara has worked with include: California Department of Social Services, Northwest Information Center, Holiday Inn Golden Gate, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, United Against Sexual Assault of Sonoma County, OhioHealth Hospitals, Pain and Rehabilitative Consultants, the Netcare Corporation, The Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center, Columbus YWCA, the Arlington Police Department, the Puffin Foundation, and various public and private middle schools, high schools and colleges.

After receiving a secondary teaching credential with an emphasis in Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development, Kara received her M.A. from Sonoma State University in Organization Development.  She is also certified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Community service has always been an important part of Kara’s life; she has volunteered her services to many non-profit agencies and is particularly proud of her efforts in the development and implementation of a conference for Caucasians interested in becoming better allies to people of color.  Kara has lived and worked in Costa Rica, Ohio, and California.

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