Bay Consulting Group




				BCG Principal Laurel Jones founded Bay Consulting Group in 1994 to bring together consultants from varied backgrounds and areas of expertise to best serve the individual needs of project engagements. Today, twenty or more advisors, artists and specialists join BCG project teams each year. The success of BCG reflects in part Jones's dual background as a consultant and as a leader and director of arts organizations. Jones has counseled BCG clients in organizational assessment and the design of programs supporting organizational development. Bay Consulting Group designed programs of operating support linked to capacity-building for the James Irvine Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts and Jones continues to perform organizational assessments for the Cornerstone Arts Program of the James Irvine Foundation. Jones has also overseen cultural planning efforts in the communities of Charlotte, NC, and Broward County, FL. BCG has worked with numerous arts organizations and communities in strategic planning and community cultural planning. Jones has designed and implemented a number of 'learning forums' including the Mellon Forum in 1998 and the NEA Colloquia re Support for Arts Organizations in 1999-2001 (www.arts.endow.gov/explore/Colloquia/contents.html). Jones first designed a national program of organizational development when she was appointed Managing Consultant for the $1.8 million NEA Advancement Program (1994–1996). In that role, she directed organizational assessment, strategic planning, and technical assistance for 66 arts organizations, and designed a series of national and regional seminars for participants. For the NEA, Jones has created a website about strategic planning- Lessons Learned: A Planning Toolsite (www.arts.endow.gov/pub/Lessons). Before beginning her consulting practice in 1990, Jones worked for 14 years in senior management positions in museums and the visual arts. Her positions included Vice President for Advancement at the San Francisco Art Institute, Director of the Aspen Art Museum, and Administrator for The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she served a two-year term as board president of The Mexican Museum, San Francisco. Jones, who holds a Masters degree in Business, began her consulting career at Andersen Consulting.