Pat Libby is a management consultant to non-profits and philanthropies who views the work of nonprofit organizations through the kaleidoscope of her experiences as a long-time CEO, board member, academic and consultant to innumerable organizations. Her 21-year consulting practice involves working with organizations to recruit executives, think and plan strategically, and find practical solutions to complex problems. For 14 years until July 2015, she served the University of San Diego as the founding director of its Nonprofit Institute which comprises nonprofit-focused graduate programs, a research center and community education programs serving hundreds of people and organizations each year. The Institute is frequently cited as one of the nation's premier academic centers dedicated to advancing the work of philanthropic organizations. In creating the Institute, Pat realized a vision for an academic center that would interweave research, theory, and practice. Her extensive executive management experience also includes 8 years as president/CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations. While there, she transformed a financially bankrupt organization into a nationally recognized model for statewide CDC associations, leveraging nearly $200 million for Massachusetts community development efforts in the process. Pat is also the author of two books. The Lobbying Strategy Handbook (SAGE Publications, 2012), an engaging how-to guide for nonprofit practitioners who are seeking a simple blueprint for learning how to take part in the legislative process, and, with Laura Deitrick, Cases in Nonprofit Management (SAGE 2016). A Boston native, Pat holds a graduate degree in Urban Planning from MIT and a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Sociology from Tufts University.