Learn more about working with Liz Falco:
“We were very impressed with Liz from start to finish—her help in designing our event was invaluable. In addition to helping us clarify what we wanted from our retreat and developing a clear action plan together with our staff, she also pointed us toward useful outside resources that helped us achieve our goals. On the day of the event itself, her positive, energetic, bilingual leadership helped the day move forward efficiently with no hitches. Liz’s outstanding reliability and professionalism shine through in her work, and we recommend her highly.”
– David I. Waddington, Co-Director, Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University
“Liz worked as a consultant helping Continuing Education Business Training Services develop a new initiative at John Abbott College for non-profit leadership training. She was able to devote time to do research and coordinate the development of the content. She was a true professional that brought insights and support. She was able to grasp the scope and context of the project quickly and pull the team of professionals together towards a common goal and objectives. Her coordination and leadership skills gave us what we needed to launch the project and offer the program in a timely fashion.”
– Sylvie Boucher, Manager of Business Training Services, John Abbott College Continuing Education
“This year, Liz Falco and I began working with a high school that is participating in the NEXTschool Initiative. As co-facilitators of eight “lab days” over the course of the year, we provide support to teachers and students as they work to transform their school structure and culture so that students may become more deeply engaged in their learning. What became evident early on is how comfortable and knowledgeable Liz is at facilitating groups. No doubt shaped by her deep background as an educational leader, she seems to intuitively know how to lead so that others feel comfortable and valued, all the while drawing out the very best in everyone. While Liz seems to have no end of strategies and tools that she uses effectively, it is her thoughtful, sensitive leadership that most characterize her, in my mind. Her detailed preparation and reflection, understanding of the big picture while simultaneously attending to details, and strong moral fibre are invaluable traits that she brings to her work. I am learning every day leading alongside Liz, and very much look forward to our continued journey.”
– Mary Stewart, Ph.D., Project Manager, NEXTschool; Managing Editor, LEARNing Landscapes Journal
“I had previously worked with Ms. Falco on an e-learning project and already knew of her expertise and professionalism. Starting in January 2018, Ms. Falco was contracted to assist us in our NEXTschool Initiative, a complex educational endeavour, requiring a deep understanding of school dynamics, design thinking and deep learning. Ms. Falco is a thoughtful member of our advisory committee and a dynamic facilitator of the design thinking process in one of our EXPLORE schools. In addition, she is the Initiative’s official blogger. Not only has she handled these responsibilities in an exceptional fashion, she has undertaken them with a fervour and passion that is both inspiring and motivating for all involved in the project. I would be remiss if I did not mention what a pleasure it is to work with her. Friendly, collaborative and forthright, any organization could only benefit from Ms. Falco’s involvement in their projects.”
— Michael Canuel, CEO, LEARN
“Liz is a consummate professional – well-spoken, self-motivated, intelligent and committed. I had the great privilege of overseeing Liz as an independent contractor building relationships for our organization in Quebec. With her leadership, we were successful in building new partners in the province.”
— Michael Cooper, Director of Development and Government Relations, The Learning Partnership
“A good facilitator is hard to find. A really exceptional one is even more rare. Liz Falco is among the latter, a truly gifted facilitator whose skills never fail to amaze me. By nature Liz is a natural facilitator. Her calm demeanor, her nonjudgmental manner and her obvious genuineness allow for meetings characterized by open communication and sharing, even when people disagree. In addition, she possesses and fluidly employs a variety of protocols that actively engage participants in respectful and deep dialogue. During meetings, Liz employs a number of strategies that enable participants to process new information from a variety of sources. The net effect is that delicate and potentially contentious meetings move smoothly, all voices feel honored and heard, participants feel ownership of the process, and group problem solving is enhanced. Liz prepares extensively for meetings. She is a tireless and resourceful researcher. At the conclusion of a meeting she provides detailed and accurate notes, follow-up information and thoughtful suggestions. I have worked with many facilitators over the years. I can say with 100% confidence that Liz Falco is in a league of her own.”
— Veronica McDermott, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools (Retired); Regional Director of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (Retired); Author, Aim High, Achieve More: How to Transform Urban Schools through Fearless Leadership (ASCD) (with Yvette Jackson, Ed.D.)
“During the past few years, Ms. Falco has become the “go to” person whenever St. George’s has sought out the competent expertise of an external consultant. In the Fall of 2012, and in partnership with LEARN Quebec, Ms. Falco was hired to research and analyze the feasibility of establishing a possible Virtual School/E-learning platform for St. George’s. In this regard, Ms. Falco consulted with several members of the St. George’s Leadership Team as she presented wide ranging research and potential models and prototypes. Her preparatory work was most impressive and it allowed us to work through a decision-making process and eventual presentation to our Board in a timely and thorough fashion. In the end we decided not to proceed with the establishment of a Virtual School. We did so with the full confidence that we had completed a thorough and complete consultative process, thanks to the professionalism of Ms. Falco.
More recently, St. George’s engaged Liz Falco Consulting in the Fall of 2013 to work with the Head of School,, The Leadership Team and the Board to assist with the development of a Strategic Thinking Roadmap. The process involved research, retreat facilitation (Jan 2014, with staff, students, board, alumni) and ongoing meetings with the Core Strategic Team to develop a model, identify priorities and work toward a final product that reflects the true essence of the school’s vision and mission and makes strategic choices to ensure sustainability/thrivability. Throughout this rather exhaustive process, Ms. Falco provided an outstanding level of support and direction.
To conclude, Liz Falco is a most impressive consultant / facilitator. She is a “fast study” who quickly brings an inclusive and rationale process forward. She is bright, witty and a most pleasant person to deal with. Within moments of her engagement she is able to inspire an immediate, high level of trust and “buy in” to any discussion. St. George’s was very well served by Ms. Falco’s engagement.”
— James Officer, former Head of School, St. George’s School of Montreal
“Liz worked as a consultant for our organization on a project which was critical to both our organization and a private school partner of ours. Asked to research the business and educational potential of an e-learning project, she addressed the matter in a thorough, effective, and timely fashion. Liz explored and examined the project though a variety of lenses and when completed, the result was a report which was both succinct and on target. I would endorse Liz as an educational consultant without hesitation.”
— Michael Canuel, CEO, LEARN; Chairman of the Canadian e-Learning Network
“Liz is the ultimate professional. I recently engaged her to undertake some research and analysis for St. George’s, supporting us in developing a vision and long-term plan for the future of boarding. She was a pleasure to work with—intelligent, thorough, committed and able to work independently and collaboratively. She did an excellent job in completing the research in a timely manner, and I was delighted by the high quality of the report. The fact that Liz knows independent schools and understands their culture is a huge asset. I highly recommend her to other schools and Heads.”
— Dr. Tom Matthews, Headmaster, St. George’s School
“Liz worked with our Board and Management Team to facilitate our thinking about future directions for our organization. She did her homework thoroughly, using her excellent listening skills to get to know us and to understand where we’ve come from. Her gentle yet firm facilitation style kept us moving through our agenda and searching for solutions and opportunities. She involved us in a creative exercise that pushed some of us beyond our ‘conservative’ boundaries, to thinking outside the box! We enjoyed working with Liz and will use her services again.”
— Ardeth Staz, Chair of the Board, Learnography (formerly Curriculum Services Canada)
“We hired Ms. Falco to undertake background research for an important strategic initiative because none of our Senior Management Team could devote the time required to do a thorough job of this. Her experience as a head of school and her academic background enabled her to quickly grasp the scope, context and objectives of the project. She provided us with a comprehensive report in a very timely manner and with minimal guidance. Her work has given us the confidence and knowledge needed to proceed with the initiative.”
— William Jones, Head of School, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School
“Liz Falco approaches consulting projects with great care for the client organization and its ability to serve its constituencies well. She’s an excellent listener, brings outstanding analytical skills, is thorough in her research and not afraid to question and provide alternative solutions. Liz is able to put herself easily into the shoes of the CEO and is results-driven, highly professional and passionate about the future of education. I highly recommend Liz, as she would be an asset on any project in an educational setting.”
— Anne-Marie Kee, Executive Director, Canadian Accredited Independent Schools
“Liz has a breadth of leadership experience and a strong understanding of what makes independent schools unique. Her professionalism and attention to detail are hallmarks of excellence that can help schools manage complicated projects or challenging issues. It is a pleasure to collaborate with Liz.”
— Christopher Shannon, Headmaster, Lower Canada College
“Working with Liz Falco for six years –three as a Board Member and three as Board Chair – was a rewarding and stimulating experience and gave me an understanding of the complexity of running a school. Dynamic and inquisitive, Liz is an exceptional professional with tremendous personal integrity. She wholeheartedly believes that education is an essential vehicle for promoting transformational change in a young person’s life and in our communities and she demonstrated a deep commitment to the development of the potential and promise of each individual child. At The Study, Liz was a change agent. With the active involvement of the Board of Governors at our school, Liz spearheaded the strategic planning process and successfully led its implementation, achieving far beyond what we ever dreamed possible. Liz just gets it when it comes to students and schools. She has lived the ups and downs of being a Head of School and this makes her an invaluable ally with and consultant to any Head or any school she works with.”
— Alice Goldbloom, former Board Chair, The Study