Christian W. Dame, M.C.P.

Over 35 years of public and private sector experience has made Chris Dame an accomplished change management consultant.

Former Project Director for the Massachusetts Port Authority’s $350 million Logan South development at Boston’s Logan Airport, he has been an independent consultant since 1986 when he founded The Project Management Group Incorporated. Throughout the northeast and internationally he completed a wide array of projects for clients like The Massachusetts Port Authority, The Druker Company, Legal Sea Foods, and The New England Council. Chris taught at his alma mater – the Harvard Graduate School of Design - and is a frequent public speaker. He holds a Massachusetts Real Estate Broker’s license, and is a trained professional mediator.

In 2005, as a result of personal experience Mr. Dame founded Non-Profit Transitions LLC to consult to community organizations in interim executive leadership and implementing change. In 2003 in the midst of a severe financial crisis Mr. Dame was asked by the Board of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans to step in as interim leader of this $6.2 million agency. In four months the Board was re-organized, state funding was restored, staff was reduced, public confidence restored, and a new CEO selected – all without turning away a single veteran. Mr. Dame then served as Chairman of the Board for 12 months. A year later the Board turned to him again. As interim CEO over the next eight months he rebuilt the development program, prepared staff for the transition to new leadership, and assisted the new CEO to assume leadership smoothly. Today the shelter is operating better than ever.

Since then Chris also served as interim ED for Progreso Latino, Rhode Island’s largest Hispanic social service agency, and interim operations chief for an national education non profit. He helped the Board of John Hope Settlement House examine factors which led to a failed presidency, coached the  headmaster of a private school, made work-out recommendations to United Way of Mass Bay for a failing community organization in Roxbury, helped start new non profits in Arizona and Wisconsin, coached the artistic director and CEO of Providence’s black theatre company to evolve a strategic growth plan, made succession planning recommendations to the Board of a highly successful housing non profit on the retirement of their founder after 25 years, and provided governance advice to organizations as diverse as choral groups and religious associations. Throughout he’s also directed NPT associates in development, finance, human resource, and interim leadership assignments.

In September 2007 the President of The Rhode Island Foundation asked Chris to assume leadership for the research and development of a Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Over the next six months Chris investigated national models and created a detailed multi-million dollar program to increase the capacity of the state’s non profit sector, culminating with RIF’s formal establishment of the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence in April 2008 and the selection of a permanent program director.   

Chris is active in civic affairs in his home community of Newton, Massachusetts, including serving as Chairman of the Newton Planning and Community Development Board. An avid mountaineer, he’s climbed in North America, South America, and Nepal and has the scars and photos to prove it. He graduated from Duke University and served as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam.