Meet the Due East team.
We’re a full-service management consulting firm trusted by nonprofits, businesses, foundations, and public agencies.
Due East Partners is a purpose-driven company teaming with organizations whose vision we share — those passionate about improving lives, strengthening communities, and protecting our environment.
We intentionally work with nonprofits, companies and public agencies of all sizes in our backyard and across the globe.
We guide leaders and communities to transform good intentions into great results.
We build organizational capacity for growth and contribute to collective social and environmental impact.
We offer big-firm capacity with small-firm attention. It’s the best of both worlds.
The beginnings of Due East.
Bess Langbein and Lauren Maddox founded Due East in 2014. Then and now, the Due East vision is to equip organizations and collaboratives with:
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BUSINESS
SKILLS
CREATIVE
STRATEGIES
PRACTICAL
TOOLS
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Almost ten years in, Bess and Lauren are joined by a phenomenal team of professionals committed to adding real and measurable value to our clients.
Expertise and strengths.
Partners & Coaches
Our Due East advisors have led businesses, foundations, and nonprofits and know the very real challenges organizations face in trying to grow.
We serve as an extension of your team, bringing proven experience, customized guidance, and practical, transferable know-how to every project.
Systems Engineers
Organizations are coming together from across sectors and systems to solve a variety of complex problems facing our world.
We bring people who are directly impacted by these challenges to work alongside decision makers and advocates to design collaborative solutions for equitable change that lasts.
Possibility Thinkers, Practical Doers
Growth does not happen by accident.
It is the result of having a compelling and inclusive vision of where you are going and a realistic roadmap to get you there.
We embed innovative and best practices into every client engagement, adapting to your unique needs, diverse constituency and local context.
Capacity Builders
One of our greatest strengths is helping others to see theirs, and build the capacity, courage and confidence to be effective leaders.
Through each process, each partnership, we share and pass on the knowledge, skills and expertise that individual leaders and teams need to effectively guide strategic growth.
Meet the Due East team.
Adrianna Weissburg, Senior Advisor
In a Word: Versatile.
Past: Guided individuals and businesses in making meaningful philanthropic impact. Adrianna led grant and scholarship programs at the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County and gained direct experience in the nonprofit sector providing wraparound support at an emergency and transitional housing shelter.
Present: Works across sectors to design and facilitate opportunities for targeted, measurable community-centered impact. Focuses on building Corporate Community Engagement programs.
Happiest When: In the mountains or on water with family, friends, and her dog, Remi.
Personal Cause: Ensuring everyone has opportunities to experience the benefits of connecting in nature and exploring the outdoors.
Bess Langbein, Partner
In a Word: Focused (with a dash of fun).
Past: Leading, building and growing organizations making a real and lasting impact on our communities and environment.
Present: Working with leaders and communities to amplify their vision and voice.
Happiest When: Playing outside with my family, running with my friends and reading.
Personal Cause: Giving every kid the opportunity to benefit from sports and recreation.
Brandon Harris, Consultant
In a Word: Innovative
Past: 8 years of Higher Education experience working with college-aged students, and a background in early childhood education including being a past Americorps member.
Present: Work with social and service organizations in a college setting by advising them, along with teaching/facilitating student groups based on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Happiest When: Riding my Peloton, playing with my fur-son (Louis), listening/watching Beyonce, and connecting with friends in intimate settings.
Personal Cause: Bringing awareness and being an advocate for Black Queer and Neurodivergent folx.
Carolyn Hill, Advisor
In a Word: Resilient.
Past: More than two decades of experience working with national and international businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations as a Consultant, Director of Grants and Programs, Director of Tour Operations, Creative Director, Event/Meeting Planner and President/Owner.
Present: Advisor for Due East Partners, helping nonprofits and social impact organizations make the social, environmental and economic difference they seek.
Happiest When: Exploring new places with friends and family, creating fused glass art, walking along a wooded trail, snorkeling in warm turquoise waters, reading a great book, and watching Outlander or Game of Thrones!
Personal Cause: Environment: volunteering at Project Clean Stream & Unity Gardens Board Member.
Dr. Jasmine Lee, Strategic Advisor
In a Word: Northstar.
Past: Values driven and people focused.
Present: Listen, learn, offer empathy, joy and laughs.
Happiest When: I am sharing deep belly laughs with friends.
Personal Cause: Creating spaces where people feel loved.
Kaila Hodge, Advisor
In a Word: Tenacious
Past: Interned at the Maryland General Assembly to conduct research and draft testimony. Piloted and co-created a paid internship program that exposed youth to the inner workings of local government at the Anne Arundel County Executive's Office.
Present: Project Manager for Due East Partners, helping nonprofits and social impact organizations make the social, environmental and economic difference they seek.
Happiest When: Traveling with friends, in the presence of family, relaxing on a beach and enjoying Scandal!
Personal Cause: Food insecurity: volunteering at local Salvation Army.
Kitty Thomas, Communications Strategist
In a Word: Motivated.
Past: Leading teams to make meaningful gains in conservation and build the politics for progressive change.
Present: Working with great organizations to tell the story of their work, inspire action and support, and help them reach new heights.
Happiest When: I’m with family and friends, outside enjoying nature, at an art museum.
Personal Cause: Ensuring that Maryland is a leader in the fight against climate change.
Lauren Maddox, Partner
In a Word: Visionary.
Past: Powering individual and collective agency for a better world.
Present: Listen, learn, offer insight and guide strategic action.
Happiest When: A quiet snow day at home with my family or dreaming up ways to lift up the world with my own personal Atlas, Bess.
Personal Cause: Individual and collective agency: inspiring dreamers to do.
Mo Baldwin, Leadership Coach
In a Word: Sherpa.
Past: Partner with colleagues and stakeholders both within organizations and as a consultant to help drive creative, effective change.
Present: Coach for executives who want to step more fully into their own leadership style and lead with confidence.
Happiest When: In the middle of a really good book.
Personal Cause: Helping people recognize their superpowers – something no one can take away from them.
Sarah Lohnes, Writer, Editor, Podcaster
In a Word: Precise.
Past: Shaped advocacy, fundraising, and communications efforts for education, health, and criminal justice causes in the nonprofit and public sectors. Sarah served as the CEO of the National Summer Learning Association and the Deputy Press Secretary for the Mayor of Baltimore.
Present: Creates compelling content that generates support for important causes. Sarah helps our clients get to the root of why their work matters and communicate that value effectively across multiple channels.
Happiest When: On a new adventure with her husband and son.
Personal Cause: Meaningful out-of-school activities for all young people.
Sarah Ramsey, Advisor
In a Word: Optimistic.
Past: Before joining Due East, Sarah served as an Outreach Coordinator at the Maryland Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) where she worked to bring awareness to the ACP and train advocates to protect survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Prior to the ACP, Sarah worked as a Team Lead at Connections Academy, a nation-wide charter school, where she assisted families in enrolling their children in school throughout the U.S.
Present: In her role at Due East, Sarah plays a critical role in supporting our clients, Partners and Senior Advisors in managing and advancing projects, creating high-quality deliverables and assisting in managing internal operations.
Happiest When: Outside playing and exploring with my daughters.
Personal Cause: Empowering Girls and Women: contributing to Girl Up.
What do we believe?
Due East was founded on a set of shared values that our team aspires to live every day, in everything we do. If we had a “secret sauce” or formula for making the world a better place, this would be it.
Equity
Belonging
Agency
Community
Purpose + Equity = Agency
All of us are born with our own gifts and the ability to make a unique contribution to the world. This is our purpose.
Purpose, shackled by injustice and inequity, is nothing short of a tragedy.
Purpose enabled by equity ignites our own personal superpower - agency. We think of agency as having the internal drive and external freedom to become the best version of ourselves.
Agency + Belonging = A better world
Through our work and in our lives, we are committed to sowing the conditions for every person on our planet to experience agency and belonging, early and often, throughout their lifetime.
Without a doubt some of those people will use their superpowers to one day find a cure for cancer, help us to adapt to climate change, eradicate racism and figure out ways we can live in harmony with our planet and each other.
That’s what real success looks like to us …
and we’re just getting started.
Inclusion + Community = Belonging
We all want to belong to someone, something. It’s part of being human. To truly belong we need to be able to show up fully, as our authentic selves, and then be seen, heard and accepted by others.
Being embraced by a community of others affirms that we belong.
We all need that regular reminder. The opposite of belonging is alienation, which creates fear, loneliness, insecurity and hatred.
Many of the world’s ills stem from alienation, “othering” each other and sometimes even ourselves. Belonging is a ready cure.
Investing in Women & Girls
We believe in agency: the act of engendering or exerting personal power to improve the human condition and environment.
As a women-owned firm, we are committed to giving women and girls the confidence and tools to shape their environments, ensuring their needs are met and enabling them to meet the needs of others.
We give time, talent, and money to organizations in our home community (Annapolis, MD) that help low-income women and girls build agency through programs that foster confidence, leadership, and economic independence.
Open position: Consultant & Project Manager, Client Advisor
Are you a self-starter who is passionate about making a difference in the world? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment? Are you excited to learn new skills and work on a wide variety of projects? Are you a natural at building relationships and communicating with lots of different people? If so, consider joining our team at Due East Partners.
Position Vital Stats:
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Benefits: Competitive package, paid time off, including health care, retirement, and 1 day per week remote (with potential for 2 days)
Hours: Full-time, Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm
Office Location: Annapolis, MD
Start Date: Winter 2024
Job Summary:
Our Advisors play a critical role providing direct support to our clients and supporting our Partners and Senior Advisors in advancing projects, analyzing and summarizing qualitative and quantitative data, creating high-quality client deliverables, facilitating meetings, managing teams of staff and contractors, and helping to improve internal operations.
This role, ideal for a junior/mid-level professional, requires strong time and project management, analytical and communication skills, great attention to detail, and the ability to juggle a variety of duties and assignments while closely communicating with Partners, team members, and clients.
In short, our Advisors are strategic thinkers and enthusiastic problem solvers who know how to leverage and deploy capacity and resources to get to a shared outcome.
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—Manage multiple, diverse client projects and relationships
Adjust project timelines, activities, and strategies based on the ongoing relationship with the client
Develop and manage communications with client
—Plan and manage project workflows and project management platforms including coordinating a team of staff and contractors. Oversee the following with the assistance of support staff or team:
Client meeting scheduling
Producing concise and well-written meeting summaries or “captures”, client presentations, reports, and other deliverables
Refining current and developing new innovative tools that improve project management and ease of use
—Gather, analyze, and summarize qualitative and quantitative data collected through input gathering and secondary research
—Facilitation with the Partner or Senior Advisor of client meetings including brief tag-ups, multi-hour planning sessions, focus groups, town halls, and listening and engagement sessions
Supporting meaningful engagements for clients and their constituents
Organizing and coordinating in person and virtual meetings
Preparing or overseeing preparation of meeting materials and tools
Prepping the support team
—Collaborate with staff and contractors to develop ideas, approaches, deliverables, and recommendations for clients
—Work closely with Partners and Senior Advisors to develop strategic plans and narratives for clients
—Demonstrate a commitment to Due East’s values - equity, belonging, and agency - in all communications, interactions, engagements, and collaborations and support the team as we work together to advance equity in all of our practices and policies
—Support Due East’s strategic planning and contribute to maintaining efficient and effective internal operations on behalf of our team
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Bachelor’s degree
A minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience, preferably including experience working with the nonprofit or public sector and/or a consulting firm
Experience managing and working with a diverse team to design and effectively execute a project or process
Experience working directly with or in spaces that serve individuals who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suite platforms (Docs, Sheets, Slides), commonly used social media platforms, virtual conferencing and facilitation tools (Zoom, Teams, Jamboards, Google docs) and cloud-based project management and communications software (Monday.com, Basecamp, Slack, Hubspot)
Excellent written/verbal communication skills and ability to support client relationships
Enthusiastic, self-starter – anticipates what’s needed, what’s next and enlists help in a timely fashion
Great collaborator who is eager and willing to work with team members and clients to support projects and generate ideas and innovative approaches
Strategic thinker and creative problem solver
Excellent organizational, administrative, and analytical skills
Keen attention to detail and ability to prioritize while handling multiple projects
Ability to meet deadlines while juggling multiple assignments
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Interested applicants should send a brief (maximum 2 pages) résumé or professional bio and cover letter to sarahramsey@dueeastpartners.com by February 23, 2024.
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Salary Range: $50,000 - $70,000 (depending on relevant experience)
We are looking for someone with a passion for making a difference. The ideal applicant will be motivated by helping others and improving lives.
This position provides ample opportunity to utilize your skills and talents to create positive change.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Due East Partners is a women-owned business and an equal opportunity and anti-racist employer. Applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin or citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital, parental, veteran or military status, unfavorable military discharge, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.