Client Testimonials

“Elisa knows associations inside and out and has an amazing ability to identify challenges and give voice to member needs. Not surprisingly, she exceeded all our expectations for strategic planning. I was impressed with how she quickly secured input and buy-in not only from the decision-makers (in our case our Board of Directors) but, more importantly, from the association staff. Her facilitation was expert, intentional and enthusiastic. It was clear, very early on, that she had gained the respect of our Board and they, in turn, were energized and unified by the process. Most importantly, the end product was a realistic roadmap that both Board and staff could rally behind.”
Richard Hedgecock, CAE
President, Indiana Constructors Inc.
“Elisa is one of those rare people who bridges strategic thinking with relentless execution. Delightful to work with, very engaged and focused on the desired outcomes. She’ll make you think, often brings interesting perspectives to the conversation, and really understands how to engage and influence her various stakeholders. At the end of the day, she’ll move any organization she works with forward.”
David Nour
Chief Executive Officer, The Nour Group, Inc.
“Elisa stepped during a period of transition [and] delivered a re-envisioned Client Solutions Center, mapped the member experience, and identified opportunities for greater relevance and service. She was able to stabilize the department and help me usher in a new member-focused approach to affiliate and member support. Elisa is creative and energetic and uses great insight to identify issues and solve problems. I highly recommend her services.”
Kevin Madden
Chief Financial Officer, National Council on Aging
"Elisa knows how to bring a group of passionate executive board members (who like to get into the weeds)to a perfect consensus while keeping them strategic and focused on the possibilities. Elisa's style complimented our PSHRA Board and made a long day interesting, lively and worth every minute. A++"
Amy C. Blake
Executive Council Member, Public Sector HR Association (PSHRA)
AGC of Western Kentucky recently hired Elisa Pratt with Brewer Pratt Solutions, LLC to conduct a strategic plan for our association. "At a time of important transition within the chapter, Elisa’s experience, and ability with planning for non-profit trade associations truly shined through. Her leadership in the process provided our board and staff with the tools and guidance needed to keep our chapter relevant in a time of great change. As one board member commented afterwards “look forward to seeing you again in three years” perfectly described the feeling of all in the room."
Chris Nelson
Executive Vice President, AGC of Western Kentucky
"We had hoped to complete our strategic planning process in-person but were forced to move to a virtual format due to COVID. Elisa quickly pivoted to a series of strategic sprints, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how the work has been progressing. The board has been fully engaged both during and in between sessions and despite the tendency for virtual meeting fatigue at this point in the pandemic, the group is full of creativity, and having fun! I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job at facilitating this group and this process virtually and look forward to the resulting strategic plan."
Molly Apter Georgakis
Executive Director, Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics
"I recently wrapped up a strategic planning / lean facilitation session with Elisa Brewer Pratt. As the Executive Director of a growing association, I needed help identifying what our core mission, messaging, and corresponding offerings should be for our members and prospective members.[]Our workday was fun, engaging, and most of all, productive! Elisa was straight forward with me throughout our session. Sometimes the conversation got tough, but that is what we needed… someone to help us clearly see where one wrong decision could lead down a rabbit hole of distraction and delay. Elisa helped us to identify our areas of strength and opportunity, while at the same time, helping us to understand the threats that exist that will impede our growth if we are not careful. By the close of our session, we were clear on what our organization’s focus needs to be for YR 2020 and we are now implementing it, with purpose."
Tamika Carter
Executive Director, International Group Travel Agents Association (IGTAA)
"TEXO could not be more pleased with Brewer Pratt Solutions and the outcome of our annual strategic board retreat and orientation! Elisa guided us through the process leading up to the retreat and did a tremendous job facilitating. The orientation portion was delivered in a thorough but concise manner for our volunteer board. We will definitely work with Brewer Pratt Solutions again!"
Meloni Raney
President & CEO, TEXO
"Elisa was brought in to provide interim support in business development for our association management services program, but we ended up capitalizing on her strategic thinking, project management and change management skills in unanticipated ways. She performed an environmental scan, a SWOT analysis, for our program and led the creation of a comprehensive business plan to move the program forward. She challenged our status quo, providing much needed excellent insights and fresh perspectives along the way. She engaged staff at a new level and was an excellent sounding board for me. Elisa really delivered, and I would highly recommend her."
Jennifer L. Pesanelli
Executive Officer, Biophysical Society
"I recently worked with Elisa on an executive search. She was hired to help fill the position I was leaving at a not-for-profit trade association. Although not directly involved in the search, I had recommended her to the board of directors. Throughout the months long process, she was thorough, very professional, and kept the directors on task. Always careful and confidential in her approach, she worked hard to deliver the best results. Our organization was very pleased with the outcome and would enthusiastically recommend her for your next executive search!"
Doug McMurry
Former Executive Vice President, AGC of San Antonio
“Highly organized planning. Great capability to gather data and discern information from it quickly. Excellent facilitator.”
Don Greenwell
President, The Builders Association
"I serve on Community Association Institute's Board of Directors. Our non-profit had a 2 day planning session for 2023 and beyond. It was facilitated by Elisa Brewer Pratt. This was clearly the best planning meeting I have ever participated in. We stayed focused, had great discussions, and were very successful in our planning. I highly recommend Elisa and will be looking forward to her helping us again next year!"
Andrew Bateman
Client Executive, TriSure Corporation
"Participated in a strategic planning session recently conducted by Elisa. It was so well organized from the preplanning, to the on-site meeting and post follow-up. Her energy was amazing. Most impressive to me was the time she spent learning about our industry, it’s business ebbs and flows and previous successes and failures prior to our gathering. Was skeptical as to how she would coral a room full of Type A personalities, but more than pleasantly surprised with the conversations and results! Excellent time spent!"
Linda Jovanovich
Executive Vice President, Hardwood Manufacturers Assn.
"Elisa's approach to strategic planning was exactly what we were looking for. Throughout the process, she has demonstrated a commitment to understanding our organization and crafting a unique strategic plan that fits our style, our constituency, and our bandwidth. Before we ever sat down, she did her homework and came prepared with specific questions to help her get a handle on exactly what we were looking for. [] She gave suggestions on ways to achieve our goals without breaking the bank. When it came time for our actual planning session, Elisa's approach to the day was a hit with our Board and staff alike. She did a great job keeping everyone on topic and ensured that we were able to come away with an initial draft that covered our priorities and gave us an effective starting point. What really impressed us was what came after that. She didn't just polish the draft and call it complete. She worked with staff over the course of several weeks to review and refine the goals and objectives that were articulated by the Board. She then joined us at our next Board meeting to walk the Board through the revisions that were suggested by staff and to secure buy-in from everyone involved. I am confident that the strategic plan that resulted from this approach is one that we will all be able to work together toward achieving over the next few years. I would highly recommend Elisa to anyone looking for a strategic planning consultant, but I would especially recommend her to smaller organizations with active Boards. Elisa's approach made sure everyone was heard and felt like they had a hand in arriving at the final product."
Mike Bober
President & CEO, Pet Advocacy Network
"Elisa brought a very complex coalition of industry associations to agreements on their mutual goals and objectives in just 1.5 days after years of tension and conflict. We have a well needed new start to address a set of old problems. She is an excellent strategic planner- direct and very good at her job. I would highly recommend Elisa for any similar engagement in your organization. "
Michael Martin
President & CEO, National Wood Flooring Association
"From a staff perspective, I appreciated inclusion in the strategic planning process with Brewer Pratt Solutions. It was clear from the start staff concerns and ideas were being heard and addressed. Collaborating with Elisa during the process was easy. She tailored every stage of our strategic messaging to our organization and used our voice, so all I needed to do was copy/paste. After the surveys and Board retreat, she followed up with staff on findings, goals, objectives and set us on the path to success!"
Andria Hine
Communications & Technology, Indiana Constructors, Inc.