Guiding Organizational Change

How do you achieve a truly inclusive workplace?  One that sees diversity at every level within the institution...where the many cultures, traditions, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles that are prevalent in both the workforce as well as in consumer populations are respected without judgment?  In today’s highly diverse organizations, the ability to work with people having varied values and cultures is extremely important...and simply hiring people of different races and hanging a training certificate on your wall isn’t going to get you there.  

Group of people at an indoor event, many wearing yellow shirts with 'Force' printed, holding yellow balloons, with a few women in purple and gray jackets, in a room with beige walls and exit door.

The Guiding Organizational Changes Initiative, led by Dr. Gary Lyon and Kim Hopkins, LICSW, is a Centerboard program dedicated to helping organizations enhance their cultural competency, social identity and belonging training initiatives, and overall organizational leadership. With decades of combined experience in nonprofit leadership, cultural assessments, DEI programming, and organizational strategy, our initiative provides tailored solutions to support organizations in fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Why Centerboard?

11 years of participating in social identity and belonging training within the organization via outside consultants trained in the VISIONS model.

  • Experience in the implementation of social identity and belonging work within a nonprofit organization using storytelling as a road map since 2010.

  • In FY26, we worked with 12 non profits, including DCF, providing more than 70 hours of professional development and support.

  • Trained in Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model; International CPS Trainer on staff

  • Certified trainer in the VISIONS, Inc. model of social identity and belonging on staff

  • Staff that serve on the Providers’ Council’s Race, Diversity & Inclusion Committee

  • Success in making effective change within an organization, for example, improving the retention and promotion of people of color by

    • Utilizing a multicultural lens when revising policies, such as our dress code and drug/alcohol use policy

    • Strengthening employee support procedures and turning to the cooperative process when an issue arises

The Guiding Organizational Changes Initiative is committed to driving meaningful change by equipping organizations with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to build inclusive and high-performing workplaces. Whether through cultural assessments, social identity and belonging programming, leadership training, or project management consultation, we provide customized solutions that align with each organization’s mission and goals

  • "The cohort gave my new ways of understanding the DEI work that we are doing in my organization and practical tools to implement at the workplace. Sharing this experience with 3 other members of my organization helped to nurture our relationships as we learned much more about each other."

    —Workshop Participant

  • "Kim and Gary were great. They led with strength and compassion. I was impressed by their commitment to create a safe space for open dialogue. They also set boundaries while allowing for people to experience the learning curve without judgement."

    —Former Client

What we offer.

Ready to do more than hang a certificate of training on your wall?  Ready to roll up your sleeves and dive in?  Great!  Our work with you is based on the understanding that we all must first build awareness of unconscious beliefs, assumptions, and behaviors…and then the stage is set for a conscious and lasting shift in those behaviors without shame or blame.  

What you won’t get from us: shame, blame, guilt, confrontation.

What you will get from us:

  • Practice applying evidenced-based tools for doing real social identity and belonging training work as it relates to situations you are encountering

  • The knowledge to have courageous, necessary conversations about differences

  • Setting the stage for all to speak their truth

  • The support and constructive feedback to keep on keepin’ on when the work gets messy 

  • The development of internal capacity to put new knowledge and insights into practice on a daily basis organization-wide

  • Sharing of resources, including two slots for your staff to attend Centerboard’s social identity and belonging training orientation

Consulting Areas and Objectives

1. Cultural Assessments

Our cultural assessment services help organizations evaluate their workplace culture, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and develop actionable strategies for fostering inclusivity and belonging.

2. Social Identity & Belonging Training

Our DEI programs are designed to foster awareness, education, and skill-building in areas of social identity and belonging. These interactive training sessions help organizations build a culture of belonging and equip leaders with the tools to address systemic challenges. Can be in small groups or large and be ongoing for deep understanding and implementation

3. Organizational Leadership Training

Our leadership training programs focus on developing inclusive, effective, and culturally competent leaders. We provide strategies for strengthening leadership capacity, enhancing decision-making, and promoting workplace equity.

4. Project Management Consultation

We provide project management consulting to help organizations streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and execute social identity and belonging-focused initiatives with measurable impact.

Five women in a conference room, some sitting and some standing, with framed pictures on the wall behind them.
Group of eleven diverse people posing in a conference room with framed pictures on the wall, some sitting and some standing, with a table in front holding drinks, a tissue box, remote controls, and a water bottle.
Group of five smiling people sitting on bleachers inside an indoor sports facility, with a netted field in the background, including a person in a red Ohio State football jersey.
Group of diverse people posing together on an indoor football field, some making peace signs, flexing, or raising their hands in celebration.
Group of smiling women gathered around looking at a phone at social event
Group of people sitting at a blue table, with some raising their hands, in an indoor gymnasium.

Gary Lyon, Ed.D.

Gary Lyon, Ed.D. joined Centerboard in 2013. Native to North Carolina, Gary brings his southern charm along with nearly 20 years of nonprofit managerial experience to Centerboard. As Director of Youth Services & Special Initiatives, Gary is responsible for the overall operations of Youth Services at Centerboard with the support of his leadership team. In 2020, Gary obtained his doctorate in education specializing in organizational management. He completed his dissertation on social identity and fostering inclusion in the workplace. Gary spearheads Centerboard’s social identity and belonging training work, overseeing and implementing strategies to support continuous quality improvement for the organization. Gary is also a consultant at VISIONS, Inc. where he teaches and trains core concepts around culture and identity with VISIONS’s tools and guidelines to assist others in embracing, utilizing, and understanding differences.

A man wearing a dark blue suit, matching shirt, and a light beige tie, with a bald head, beard, and a friendly smile, against a plain gray background.

Kim Hopkins, LICSW.

Kim Hopkins, LICSW, has more than 20 years of experience working with youth and families in a variety of settings including residential programs, foster homes, special education day schools, public schools, and outpatient clinics. Kim has been a Collaborative & Proactive Solutions trainer with Lives in the Balance since 2007, and has brought her expertise to Centerboard. Kim brings ten years of experience in social identity and belonging training work.  She also has a Certificate in Professional Fundraising and is involved with our quality assurance, program development, and grant writing initiatives.

A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, smiling, wearing a purple and blue paisley patterned dress and a silver necklace, against a dark background.

Contact us.

For a free phone consultation contact Kim Hopkins, LICSW.


khopkins@centerboard.org

16 City Hall Square

Lynn, MA 01901