Robert M. Sheehan, Jr., Ph.D.

Rob Sheehan has more than twenty-five years of executive management experience, including eighteen years as the CEO of two different national nonprofits. His Ph.D. research focused on organizational excellence and he is a published researcher on organization effectiveness. His background and experiences have included serving as CEO of LeaderShape, Inc. from 1992-2001 and CEO of the Alpha Sigma Phi Educational Foundation from 1981-90. As Principal of Sheehan Consulting, Rob provides consulting services in strategy development & implementation, leadership & teamwork development, board development, succession planning, and executive coaching for businesses, nonprofits, and government entities. 

Rob also serves as an Executive Education Senior Fellow at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland-College Park. In this capacity he serves on the Faculty of Management & Organization, with global responsibilities (College Park, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Zurich, Tunis) within the Executive MBA and degree programs and for custom-designed executive education programs. 

Rob’s clients, through consulting and executive education work, have included NeighborWorks America, Nextel, National Conference of State Legislators, Council of Independent Colleges, Academy of Optometry, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Goldseker Foundation, McCormick & Company, National Cancer Institute, Public Education Network, Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, Black & Decker, National Urban Fellows, and more.

The organizations that Rob has served as CEO have produced exceptional results during his tenure:

LeaderShape, Inc., CEO, 1992-2001. This nonprofit provides ethics-based leadership programs to young adults all across the country. The number of students attending LeaderShape's six-day program, The LeaderShape Institute, increased from just more than 200 per year in 1992 to more than 2,200 per year in 2001. During this time a Kellogg Foundation evaluation study named The Institute an "exemplary program." Funding partnerships were created with many of the nation's leading corporations (e.g., Procter & Gamble, Motorola, United Technologies).

Alpha Sigma Phi Educational Foundation, CEO, 1981-1990. In 1981 the foundation had an endowment of $30,000, an annual fund of $40,000 per year, and no comprehensive development program. By 1990 the endowment had reached $6.8 million and the annual fund was raising $170,000 per year. A development program including a successful capital campaign, planned giving, telemarketing, and major gifts solicitation was created.

Education
Rob received his Master's degree (1989) and Ph.D. (1994) from The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, he directed The Excellence in Philanthropy research project, which became the basis for his dissertation "Mission Accomplishment as Philanthropic Organization Effectiveness." The study focused on the operations of a cross section of more than 100 nonprofits in Central Ohio and how they determine mission accomplishment. His BA is from Westminster College, PA (1979).

Professional
Rob has been an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (formerly National Society of Fund Raising Executives) since 1986, when he attained the association's CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation. He has served as President of the Central Ohio (1989) and East Central Illinois (1996) Chapters of NSFRE, and is currently a member of the Washington DC Metro Area and Maryland Chapters of AFP. He is a regular speaker at AFP Regional and International Conferences and has served as a speaker for numerous local chapters.

Community Service
In addition to his work and professional activities, Rob has served as a volunteer leader for numerous non-profit organizations.

HOME |  CONTACT
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK  |  RESOURCES |   ABOUT ROB SHEEHAN