Deb Maher is a Portland-based facilitator, creative strategist, and organizational guide working at the intersection of music, art and culture, community development, and belonging.

With decades of experience in organizational change, cultural revitalization, place-based strategic frameworks and leadership development she partners with nonprofits, foundations, and creative collectives to build equitable, vibrant, community-rooted futures.

DFM Consulting Highlights

• Organizational transformation consulting for state and local agencies and nonprofits organizations included Arizona Child Welfare, Washington D.C. Courts, Coos Bay, Oregon Public Health, Catholic Community Services of Salem, Oregon, Tucson, Arizona; Chamber of Commerce, Greater Tucson Leadership, and Southern Arizona Girl Scouts
• Interim Nonprofit Executive Director for the Community Center for the Performing Arts/WOW Hall, Eugene, OR, and We Care, Tucson, AZ
• Workshop Design and Facilitation included Coos Bay Public School System. Portland Metro, Music Portland, Oregon Rural Development Initiative, Chinook Institute, Springfield, Oregon Chamber of Commerce
• Leadership Coaching provided for corporate leaders, local government teams, Oregon state agencies, Tucson nonprofit leaders.
• Current work: Founder, Women in the Performing Arts/ Portland a network that recognizes the simple truth that when women across genres, cultures and creative traditions come together, extraordinary things happens through connection and shared purpose.

Professional Experience Highlights

• Organizational Development Consultant (Washington D.C. and San Francisco) Led teams to support government and corporate organizations on major organizational change initiatives. Firms included: Ernst & Young, Touchstone/SRA, Robbins Gioia, Keane Federal Systems
• Executive Director  for nonprofit organizations. Designed and implemented organizational change initiatives to support boards, staff, and new systems to strengthen sustainability and deepen community engagement. Organizations: Community Center for the Performing Arts/WOW Hall, Eugene OR, We Care, Tucson, AZ
• Senior Program Officer, NeighborWorks America (Washington D.C.)
  Worked with nonprofit neighborhood organizations nationally to identify community-based reinvestment models for national replication. Oversaw grantmaking, provided coaching and implementation support as needed.
• Director of Partnership Development, Baltimore Development Corporation
  Created cross-functional teams; collaborated with developers, architects, city planners, artists, and governmental leaders at the local, state, and federal level to move complex downtown projects from concept to completion.

Education

• MBA, Loyola University Maryland
• MPA, San Diego State University

Certifications

• Leadership Coaching (ICF and CTI)
• Project Management (PMP)
• Board Governance (BoardSource)
• Positive Organizational Change (Case Western University)
• Meeting Facilitation (Vitalist Foundation)
• Graphic Facilitation (Grove Associates)