Experience

Francine Christiansen

Consulting Practice: For over a decade, Francine Christiansen has helped non-profit clients set priorities, build a stronger Board, cultivate meaningful relationships and develop strategies to be sustainable and achieve mission impact.

Current Boards: Elizabeth Park Conservancy (Hartford, CT) and The American College of the Building Arts (Charleston, SC). Other: Advisory Board, Greater Hartford Arts Council Board (Growth/Finance and Development Committees), Elector, Wadsworth Atheneum and Village for Families and Children. Awards: 2017 Woman of the Year by the Village for Families and Children.

Past Board Leadership: Chair: Village for Families and Children, Friends of the Family, Stanley-Whitman House, Junior League of Hartford, Catalyst Endowment Steering Committee (of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving). Founding member: United Way Women’s Leadership Steering Committee.

Fundraising Leadership: She guided organizations in initiating annual funds, major gifts programs, capital campaigns and helped found several signature events and initiatives e.g.: Dine Around the West End and the Stowe Prize.

Certification and Professional Development: Credentialed as a BoardSource CGT: Certified Governance Trainer and a Results-Based Accountability trainer. Executive management programs at Harvard University—Governance for Non-profit Excellence and Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Non-profits.

Prior Experience: Includes teaching on the secondary and college level and managing PR and marketing projects in the private and non-profit sectors.

Education: BA (Humanities), Douglass College MA (English), Claremont University Completed two executive management programs at Harvard University—Governance for Non-profit Excellence and Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Non-profits Completed certificate program from the Charles Morris Price School of Advertising and Public Relations in Philadelphia.

Unique Perspective: This work, coupled with her active community involvement, multi-faceted credentialing and experience as an executive director, Board chair and funder provides her with a unique and multi-faceted perspective.

Stephan Christiansen

Stephan Christiansen has recently joined Christiansen Consulting, lending support on cultural, heritage and economic development projects. His professional experience, in venture capital, strategic alliances and business development, adds particular value.

Over the last 30 years, Stephan Christiansen has worked primarily in the for-profit sector as a strategic consultant, private equity investor (in more than 20 early stage companies), and manager of a research and consulting business. He has served on more than a dozen boards in both the private and non-profit spaces, including roles as chair and roles in finance, audit and investment committees. In his consulting activities, his services focused on working with boards on strategic business planning, providing research on strategic trends in the insurance and finance space, and supporting merger and acquisition opportunity development. Prior to this, he had management roles in product development, finance, strategic planning and actuarial management in the insurance industry.

Current Boards: Hartford Art School Endowment Inc. (Finance and Acquisition Committees) and Music at the Red Door, Inc. (Treasurer). Other: volunteer with the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut (including as a member of the Community Investment Steering Committee and Hartford’s Working Cities Challenge Grant), Investment Committee of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and the Finance and Investment Committee of the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston.

Past Board Leadership: Chair of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Board and provided strategic vision for the annual Stowe Prize.

Education: He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Mathematics and is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.

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