All About Noonmark
Located in Burlington, Vermont, Noonmark has many years of experience leading nonprofit organizations, spanning the globe from Tokyo to Kabul to Port au Prince. Since our founding, Noonmark has worked in a variety of capacities with numerous nonprofits and public agencies in Vermont and Internationally. With our considerable experience understanding and filling the capacity, policy and sustainability needs of nonprofit organizations, while also fitting into their timeframes and budgets, Noonmark can give your organization the edge it needs to make a big splash in the nonprofit sector!
What is a Noonmark?
A Noonmark is a sundial. If you are lucky enough to find yourself on an old New England farmstead midday, look at the barn wall or the parlor window and you might find a noonmark - so called because as the noon sun reaches the mark, it casts a shadow.
“Thank you so much for your work to prepare and lead us in a very rich and helpful discussion. I think it was a productive and meaningful experience for us as an organization and I look forward to seeing how many of these changes will come to fruition over the coming months! Thank you for taking the time to summarize the retreat notes as well. It was a pleasure to work with you!”
Dr. Jane A Van Buren
Dr. Jane A. Van Buren is the founding director of Noonmark Services. Her extensive experience in nonprofit management and consulting has spanned decades, focusing on many crucial aspects of organization development including board governance, executive leadership development, organization start-up, nonprofit regulatory compliance, human resources, strategic planning, mergers, qualitative and quantitative survey research, and organizational assessment.
Although she has lived in Vermont for most of her life, Jane has made tremendous inroads internationally, having worked in Botswana, Swaziland, Russia, Japan, Haiti and Afghanistan with NGO's in a variety of different consulting, teaching, and training capacities.
Academically qualified, Jane earned a Master of Public Administration from Northeastern University and a Doctorate of Business Management from Case Western Reserve University. In practice, Jane’s knowledge of nonprofit-specific management issues is extensive; matched only by her intimate knowledge of Vermont communities, nonprofit professionals, and the resources they offer.
In addition to her skills as a nonprofit practitioner, Jane has conducted extensive research on the process of nonprofit executive transition, presenting her research at the Academy of Management in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Her work was also accepted for presentation at ARNOVA in 2005, and at the National Council of Nonprofit Associations in 2004.
Along with her work at Noonmark, Jane has taught graduate classes in Organizational Change (online) and Nonprofit Administration at Champlain College and the University of Vermont.
Rebecca Gurney
Rebecca Gurney brings more than 20 years of experience in public health and nonprofit administration and leadership toward the expansive, strategic, efficient fulfillment of mission and vision. Rebecca is skilled in using public health and social change tools to advance community change by working within and across systems, and through diverse stakeholder partnerships to increase visibility, generate new investments, and increase organizational capacity. Rebecca’s strengths are in facilitation, public policy advocacy, planning and evaluation, fund development and creating collaborative partnerships. She holds a Master of Public Health from Ohio State University with an emphasis on evaluation and public policy. Rebecca is a member of the American Evaluation Association and the Vermont Evaluation Network.
Marissa Barbieri
Marissa Barbieri is a strategic thinker with a passion for facilitating conversations that spark connection and deepen alignment across systems. Building on her decades-long experience with and love of designing dynamic learning environments, Marissa consults primarily with individuals, organizations, schools, and school districts to help cultivate a culture of equity. Adept in School Reform Initiative collaborative practices and organizational assessment, she has partnered with folks ranging from middle school students to nonprofit leadership in creating opportunities for transformative change. With a master’s degree in Leadership for Sustainability from the University of Vermont, Marissa’s practice is rooted in the knowledge that communities small and large can thrive when the strengths, skills, and perspectives contained within them are known, appreciated, and called upon.