Other Services and Testimonials

What people say about working with Jane.

CEO and Interim CEO work

"As the new CEO of Mental Health Connections, I had the privilege of stepping into an organization that was exceptionally well-prepared for my arrival, thanks to the incredible work of Jane Fischberg as our Interim CEO. Jane’s ability to bring structure and organization to our nonprofit was incredible.

Jane ensured that all critical business documents were organized and easily accessible, which has been invaluable in day-to-day operations. She also cultivated key relationships with new banking partners, and helped structure the governing board to support long-term goals and success.  Jane served up everything I needed on a silver platter!

Jane’s strategic and thorough approach ensured that the organization was fully prepared for a permanent CEO. Because of her efforts, my first 90 days were remarkably productive, allowing me to focus on driving the mission forward rather than spending time on foundational setup.

I can confidently say that Jane’s leadership was instrumental in positioning Mental Health Connections for success, and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to any organization in need of a CEO who can drive meaningful, lasting impact.” -- Michael Dunn, CEO, Mental Health Connections (Contra Costa County)

"We are immensely grateful to Jane, who served as Interim CEO for nine months, paving the way so that our incoming CEO will be successful.  We knew we had outgrown our organizational structure and she transformed the organization, helping us learn how to operate as a governing Board of a mature organization, no longer in start-up mode.  We moved from being a Board focused on operational details, to being a purpose-driven Board.  It wasn’t always easy because it can be hard to change old habits, but the result was that we came to see what was possible for our organization with a CEO.  This included lifting our gaze from everything from our expectations of business partners, to having a new framework for our programs.  We had seen our programs as independent organizations and came to understand that their collective social impact is greater than the sum of each individual one.  We are a stronger organization, with a more developed infrastructure, poised to have additional community partnerships, and in turn we are more sustainable.  Without Jane’s leadership, we would still be thinking small and not focused on how we can help strengthen the entire support system for the communities we serve." -- Betty McCabe, Board Chair, Mental Health Connections

"I've experienced Jane bringing illumination and energy wherever she has shown up. We are thankful to her for her steady, caring, careful work with the Board team this year. We have felt her partnership. She has helped to bridge EBC from one precious phase to another, and helped us to turn in more focused ways toward our mission, values and vision."  -- Holly Delany Cole, Ella Baker Center Board Chair, and Program Director, The Leaderstrust (former)

"Working with Jane was a dream.  I could show up as my full self, share thoughts I couldn’t express elsewhere, and she helped me think through options and scenarios with caring and without judgment.    She helped me navigate during a critical time of change and transition at Ella Baker Center and she supported me to have the space to think expansively and creatively. I learned so much from her and I regard her as a true thought partner.  I never would have imagined someone could step in to the organization and ‘get us’ so soon and support us with such generosity and curiosity.  She brought to the organization everything she said she would, and more."  -- Marlene Sanchez, Executive Director, Ella Baker Center

"It’s been a pleasure and an honor to work with Jane since I joined the Board in 2004 and as Chair of Rubicon's Board. She is a model for leadership: visionary, tenacious, thoughtful, caring, willing to take risks, and motivated by all the right values.

Rubicon would not be the organization or partner it is today without Jane’s visionary leadership. She has forged countless community partnerships, raised significant funding and other resources to support our programs, and led the organization through phases of significant growth. With Jane’s unwavering leadership and support, Rubicon adopted a new theory of change, implemented innovative new service models, advocated for policy changes, sharpened our focus to end poverty in the East Bay, and reaffirmed our values of hope, justice, and equity. Jane has been steadfast in values but willing to take big risks to advance our goals of economic mobility and racial equity, all with grace, assurance and inclusion." -- Paul Leonard, Board Chair (former), Rubicon Programs

Coaching and Other Engagements

"I had known Jane for many years as CEO of Rubicon, and sought her out on numerous occasions as a mentor, admiring her commitment to racial justice, her leadership role in the County nonprofit sector, and her managerial acumen.  Since her transition as a CEO in 2021, I have called on her a couple of times as a consultant.  The most recent engagement was when I reconfigured my executive team.  I asked her to support me and the team in working together in new ways.  Jane proved herself once again to be an incredibly good listener, and excellent at synthesizing multiple voices and ideas.  With other consultants, I sometimes feel they give too much prep work or rush us.  Jane provided just the right number of tools, all of which were highly relevant and practical.  The agendas were well thought out, and even though they were ambitious, we ended on time – which I always appreciate!  Jane more than delivered on the work for which we engaged her and I highly recommend her as a thought partner in a staff leadership role, or as a consultant.  She has the agility and people skills to excel in either capacity." -- Susun Kim,  Executive Director, Family Justice Center (Contra Costa and Solano Counties)

"I appreciated learning how to have hard conversations and embrace it.  I've learned other ways to manage staff and more about inclusion.  In our time together I appreciated the space to heal some of the way and move on past prior hurts and injury. " -- Tamara Hunter, Chief Program Officer, Mental Health Connections

"I was lucky to get to work with Jane as a coach. She is exceptionally smart and intuitive -- Jane knows how to read between the lines and get to the heart of your issues. Then she knows how to offer sage advice to help you formulate your best options. I highly recommend working with Jane for you and your nonprofit's most pressing questions."  -- Jamie Stark, Co-founder and former Executive Director, Farming Hope

"I have greatly appreciated working with Jane.  Through our sessions, she has helped me see how to expand ownership of building an inclusive organizational culture, moving beyond an individual / leadership focus.  She also supported me to think about how to better support power building of BIPOC staff in the context of succession planning in our organization, especially given my position as a white leader committed to racial equity." -- David Sall, Deputy Director & COO, Conservation Corps of Long Beach

"If ever you’re in a foggy place while navigating your professional goals and responsibilities, I’d recommend Jane being by your side while you figure things out. She is an expert listener and has a discerning ability to ask the right questions. During our sessions, Jane supported me through a myriad of things, big and small. But no matter the size, I always felt that my concerns and worries were held with care. Jane helped me to produce culture building and engagement tools, manage my time better and prepare for tough conversations that may have otherwise ended in conflict. I'm grateful to Jane for her support, guidance and understanding. She truly is the best!" -- Dominique Fernandez,  former Operations Manager, Just Cities