You can read more about Chris' dedication to helping those in the St. Louis area by visiting his LinkedIn profile at: 

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christopher-blake/13/469/530

Some of his highlights include:

Vice President St. Louis Non Profit Consulting Group, LLC

March 2010 – Present (4 years 9 months)

Comprised of seasoned non-profit Executives and nationally recognized independent consultants, the St. Louis Non-profit Consulting Group was founded to provide a full array of cost-effective, coordinated management, capacity building & consultation services to non-profit organizations seeking to elevate their agencies to a higher level of mission effectiveness, financial success and long-term growth & sustainability. Working together, through careful analysis and a well coordinated delivery of services, NPCG provides unrivaled expertise in a wide array of non-profit management & leadership services including Program Assessment, Evaluation & Outcome Measurement, Staff Training & Team Building, Executive & Leadership Coaching, Community & Stakeholder Engagement, Developing Collaborative Alliances & Partnerships, Public Relations, Marketing & Media Communications and Strategic Planning.

Executive Director Downtown Children's Center & Nestle Purina Child Development Center November 2008 – December 2009 (1 year 2 months)

(Multi-site facility serving 120+ children annually with a budget of 2.6M) 
Stabilized the parent-organization after recurring program deficits and an unplanned Executive transition. Primary responsibilities were transformational and entailed a comprehensive Staff & Program assessment, managing the process of internalizing all AP, AR & Payroll functions, developing & maintaining a balanced budget, improving overall fiscal management, increasing fiduciary oversight, fostering customer & community engagement, expanding fundraising & marketing efforts, developing Operational and Accounting Policies & Procedures and initiating Board Development & Strategic Planning efforts.

Executive Director St. Vincent Home for Children & St. Vincent School May 2003 – January 2008 (4 years 9 months)

(Single-site 20Acre facility serving 140+ children & families annually with a budget of 3.4M)
As the fourth lay-person to serve in this capacity since it’s inception in 1850, I was initially tasked with successfully overcoming and subsequently reversing a protracted history of significant operational deficits in order to prevent certain dissolution of the organization and its’ remaining assets. During my tenure, I performed a comprehensive Agency enhancement and effectively transformed a persistent 6-figure deficit into one of sustained annual surpluses and programmatic growth. In parallel, I directed over 1M in physical plant renovations and worked with the Board to strengthen the Organization’s Governing Body and appreciably expand its’ philanthropic & volunteer support base.

Executive Director Father Dunne's Newsboys Home & Protectorate May 1998 – May 2003 (5 years 1 month)

(Multi-site facility serving 50+ children annually with a budget of 1.2M)
As part of the Catholic Charities of St. Louis Federation of Children’s Agencies, the role required a heightened level of spiritual sensitivity, political acuity and coordinated collaboration. Maximizing staff efficiencies, improving program outcomes and increasing fiscal accountability were primary responsibilities. In addition, my marketing, budgeting and revenue generation abilities were repeatedly called upon.