“Jean has been a dedicated and hard working doctoral student while also caring for an already full life. She has a high degree of persistence, is very responsive to changing situations, and approaches every assignment in a collaborative manner. I admire here intelligence, use of resources and responsibility for delivering on all promises.”
John Adams
Professor, Saybrook Graduate School
*****
“Jean is a bright, engaging and talented teacher and consultant. I worked with Jean to design management training for a Portland, OR, research firm. The training was very successful. Jean is skilled as a leader, as a teacher, and as a business consultant. She is working to encourage more businesses to adopt the approach of positive organizational development and change. She is a change agent! Hire her.”
Sherold Barr
President, Extraordinary Work Group
*****
“Jean Meeks knows how to effectively employ the tools of transformation to any company culture in an astoundingly positive manner. I would recommend Positive Eye Constulting to anyone ready to take their business model to its highest potential.”
Karyn Clark
Project Manager, Structure Home
*****
"Jean brought a much-needed, fresh perspective to our organization. She quickly understood our company and our needs and helped us to make some critical growth decisions. The process was extremely positive and focused. She taught us new ways of thinking about ourselves, our company and how we wanted to change and grow moving forward. Plus we also greatly appreciated her eye clearly on our bottom line profits."
Amy Daniel
Owner, Pleasant Hill Nursery
and Daniel & Company
*****
“The most rewarding part of the process was watching my staff catch fire; watching their energy change…I see my organization moving on the path it’s supposed to be on… It’s an invigorating opportunity to work with Jean Meeks and positive eye… Jean is phenomenal at her craft. It’s about transformation and looking at things in a new way. It has opened up dimensions for me personally and Mecca’s Place as well.”
Stephanie Franklin
Founder, Mecca’s Place, Inc.
*****
“The combination of interacting with Jean and completing the strengths based class assignment enabled me to successfully propose this kind of content as a valuable tool for chemistry graduate students…The workshop was well received and students continue to explore and share their strengths with faculty and colleagues…The impact of this tool is now extending to green chemistry research centers across the country.”
Julie Haack, Ph.D
Assistant Department Head and Senior Instructor, Department of Chemistry
University of Oregon
*****
"Jean is a skillful and insightful strategist and facilitator. She was invaluable in helping us develop a productive off-site retreat that also ended up being a good team-building activity. Jean's expert knowledge, as well as enthusiasm and energy, is impressive and thought-provoking. Her sensitivity to individual skills, strengths, and work styles gave us a unique snapshot of our current organization and insight into our where we can grow as a team and as a business."
Jason Halstead
Principal and Creative Director, View Design
*****
“Jean has developed and taught classes through the Oregon Health & Science University Center for Professional Development. She has also made presentations to our HR & OD Forum. Jean brings deep knowledge, great energy, and the ability to connect with her audience to everything she does. Her classes and presentations have been very well received, and we are very pleased to be working with her. She is committed to doing everything she can to make sure that her students/clients get the results they are seeking. We are looking to have a long and productive relationship with Jean.”
Dr. James Huntzicker
Associate Dean, Oregon Health & Science University
Center for Professional Development
*****
"Your commitment to helping us with our project is sincerely appreciated, and very generous. We learned so much from the trainings, and intend to follow up immediately. Thank you for your generous support, as well as these fabulous trainings you put together. The work you did with us is already having an impact, for which we are all very grateful."
Isbel Ingham
Development Director, Next Step Recycling
*****
"I have never seen a [change] model that is as effective as Jean’s… It really helps you define your goals and you will maximize your time and resources tenfold… Jean is encouraging, develops rapport with individuals and groups quickly, and is an incredible problem solver. She goes above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of others and to build upon their individual strengths. She is someone who truly understands her role as a leader, a facilitator, and a servant to the people with whom she works."
Christine Ivie
Paragon Charter Schools
*****
"Jean is an outstanding trainer and an excellent collaborator. She is encouraging, develops rapport with individuals and groups quickly, and is an incredible problem solver ... She goes above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of others and to build upon their individual strengths ... She presented the tasks, discussions, and the questions on which the group worked in a way that was not threatening and promoted a level of trust almost immediately ... She is someone who truly understands her role as a leader, a facilitator, and a servant to the people with whom she works."
Christine M. Ivie
Former Director of Education, NASA AMES Research Center
*****
“From the moment my client began talking about Jean, it was clear she was something unique and special. My client told me Jean had helped them restructure not just their business, but the way they looked at business. That was revolutionary. When I finally met Jean, I understood what they were talking about. I've worked with other business consultants in the past, but Jean has a way of drilling deeper and providing more sound, more actionable insights that change things in ways far beyond the obvious. Her philosophy runs counter to the norm: instead of asking ‘what's wrong?’ and trying to fix it, she asks, ‘what's working?’ and expands on it. Now doesn't that make sense? In short, I recommend Jean to any enterprise looking for change - and who's not!”
Dan Katz
Consulting Creative Director, Dan Katz, Inc.
*****
“Jean has been a wonderful resource for Structure Home...guiding us in all aspects of our organizational structure, helping our company transform toward its highest potential. Her knowlege, experience and energy has enabled our firm to put many great ideas into an organized pattern of effective actions.”
Robert Kleiman
Co-founder, Structure Home
*****
“Jean takes the time to get to know your industry so that her workshop is perfectly tailored towards their needs.”
Aimee McAuliffe
Executive Director, Oregon Association of Nurseries
*****
“It has been a pleasure having Jean work with us. Her deep and detailed knowledge and ability to strategically guide us through the process has been incredible. We have grown tremendously as a group and I would highly recommend Jean and her company to anyone.”
Cindy McClure
Project Manager, Structure Home
*****
"I asked Jean to come work with our team back in November of 2006 after a brief encounter with her at an executive luncheon. Since then, Jean has broadened our vision, expanded our understanding of one another and most important, created harmony within the difficult environment of reoccurring change. I can't express how much of an asset she's been to our operation, and I hold her in the highest regard."
Patricia Rappa, Director of Marketing & PR
Dart Marketing and Advertising, Inc.
*****
“Jean is a great listener and a tireless worker. While I have never been a student of hers, I have worked with many students who have taken her class at the University of Oregon. All of them love Jean, and found her class to be a good learning experience. I have personally sought out Jean's counsel for professional development advice, and she was helpful. She has a patient, congenial, and insightful way about her.”
Jumane Redway
Student, University of Oregon
Charles H. Lundquist College of Business
*****
“Jean is an extremely passionate and compelling presenter. Her workshops are relevant and timely. After attending Jean's workshop at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) I now use a strengths-based approach and appreciative inquiry (AI) methods effectively for teaching, meetings, and strategic planning – it helps me build on the strengths of others instead of dwelling on areas of weakness. Jean is so passionate in her approach; you can’t help but join in her enthusiasm and adopt her concepts.”
Ron Sakaguchi, DDS, MS, PhD, MBA
Associate Dean for Research & Innovation and Professor
Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry
*****
“Jean Meeks was invited to speak to Oregon Organization Development Network members and guests on April 22nd, 2009. Her topic was titled: "Co-Creating Change: Organization Systems Meets Organization Development - Strategies for Transformational Change."
Here is what our members said about Jean's presentation style:
- "Her passion for her topic and for teaching was clearly evident with our group."
- "We enjoyed Jean's vibrancy and engaging style."
- "The presenter created an interactive experience."
- "Very engaging; appreciated how much Jean illustrated the relevance of OD/OS working together."
- "Prepared, engaging, expert."
- "Very great to have a rare expert on Organizational Systems."
Tom Schmitz
Oregon ODN Program Committee
*****
"Jean had an audience of professionals who were well versed in Appreciative Inquiry, which made it even more of an opportunity to demonstrate her skills ... Her style was crisp and enthusiastic while pacing the audience to make sure we were still following and involved. I look forward to attending future sessions lead by Jean as my schedule allows."
Janaki Severy
Management Dynamics
*****
"I recently attended a 2 day conference in Vancouver, BC on Appreciative Inquiry ... I attended 4 workshops there, of which, Jean's was one. Jean's workshop was the most valuable I attended; she did a very good job of articulating how the human side of change from an AI perspective could be linked to the business side of measuring results and holding people accountable for those results. Jean is now engaged as a consultant to help us accomplish some very aggressive objectives that will require significant changes in our internal practices and organizational structure. I would strongly recommend her as a consultant for organizations faced with substantial change management challenges."
Michael C. Stalker, CFA
MCS Financial Advisors
*****
“Jean is smart and experienced with making organizational change. Just what the Doctor ordered. I would use her again, there isn't anyone better if you truly are ready to change and excel.”
Dan Strasser
Executive Director, Riverside Center
*****
"Twice I have had the privilege to be a participant in a workshop with Jean Meeks of positive eye consultingTM . Both times I have been most impressed with her presentation and the results. I left feeling that we had done good work, and I have the start for a specific and tangible plan with which to proceed ... It was the best process for strategic planning I have ever encountered."
Reverend Inge Tarantola
United Church of Roseburg
*****
"What sets Jean apart from many trainers/facilitators is the fact that she has 'been there, done that.' She has been in business and comes from a business/industry background, with experience as an accountant as well. Thus, she comes to academe with 'fresh eyes' and doesn't seek to continue the status quo. At the same time, because she both believes in and lives Appreciative Inquiry, Jean is able to help an organization identify its strengths and avoid the negativity that sometimes occurs when an outside expert is brought in to 'fix' things."
Stuart B. Tennant, Ph.D.
Former Chief Postsecondary Academic Officer
Idaho State Board of Education
*****
"[Jean] was organized and concise and provided hand-outs that reinforced her points and gave additional resources. In addition to the valuable information she had to share, Jean was an engaging, positive, and enthusiastic speaker. Her extensive and varied business, education, and personal background allowed her to empathetically respond to most everyone in the audience. In fact, Jean was so engaging and convincing about her topic that the club president has arranged to have her lead a ½ day seminar for club members in May.”
Beth Walsh
Senior Development Officer, Northwest Christian College
*****
"Thank you is too simple but very sincere for a wonderful program. We COULD NOT have done with without you. Thank you for your generosity of talent, time and treasure. All my best and I hope our paths cross often."
Clarice Wilsey
Career Center,
University of Oregon
*****
“Jean is a skilled consultant, able to skillfully apply Appreciative Inquiry to meet the challenges of executives, teams and whole organizations. She is highly innovative, results oriented, and committed to supporting her clients in the creation of positive change. She brings a can do attitude, fresh ideas and a big heart to all that she does.”
Diana Whitney, Ph.D.
President, Corporation for Positive Change
*****