Mike Ferguson

COFFEE SOLUTIONS                                                                                                                           Present

Senior Consultant                                                

 
ZOKA COFFEE ROASTER & TEA COMPANY – SEATTLE, WA                                               2007- 2008

Director of Operations
Provide planning, direction, and leadership for the daily operations of Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company. Formulate policies, manage for efficiencies, and coordinate the use of materials and human resources.

SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA — LONG BEACH, CA                            1998 - 2007

Chief of Staff (2005 – 2007)

Part of the executive management team along with the executive director, handling a wide range of matters of institutional importance on behalf of executive director, and overseeing all non-financial operations of the association headquarters, including management of staff, administration, policies, and procedures. Directly supervise 12 employees and numerous vendors while staffing the association’s board of directors. Selected responsibilities and outcomes:

• Established new internal control polices and procedures relative to separation of duties, disbursement of funds, and expense management, and actively managed the interface between controls and staff.

• Executed successful crisis management plan during a severe cash reduction, significantly reducing operational costs across all functions, directing limited resources, counseling staff and overseeing ongoing communications among a wide variety of stakeholders.

• Continued to function as Chief Communications Officer.

Chief Communications Officer (2003-2005)

Marketing Communications Director (1998-2003)

Responsible for strengthening the association's communication effectiveness with its membership through both internal and external communication tools; overseeing the association's membership development efforts through marketing of the association's services, programs, and products to the coffee trade; and establishing the association as the leading voice of the coffee industry for technical, marketing, and consumer information on all aspects of specialty coffee through external media strategies. Directly supervise five employees and numerous vendors while staffing the association’s board of directors. Selected responsibilities and outcomes:

• Created and hired a membership development position and oversaw an increase in association membership from 2,400 companies in 1998, to 3,000 in 2005.

• Played a key role in increasing the association’s total revenue from 2.5 million in 1998, to 4.2 million in 2005.

• Oversaw the restructuring and revitalization of the association’s brand, including a new logo, the introduction of brand-discipline, and the complete redesign of all key communications, including newsletter and website.

• Responsible for stewardship of the association’s strategic plan, keeping all stakeholders on task and within the parameters established by an extensive strategic planning process.

• Increased daily press contacts from an average of one a day to the current average of three a day. Quoted hundreds of times in trade and consumer media, including each of the top 10 daily newspapers.

• Substantially increased the association’s presence in the trade media without a corresponding increase in ad budget.

• Published articles in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, Fresh Cup Magazine, Specialty Coffee Retailers, and Gourmet Retailer. Authored the preface to “Effective & Essential Marketing for the Specialty Coffee Retailer” by Bruce Milletto.

• Established the association’s comprehensive library and information services programs, including the hiring of a professional librarian.

• Played a critical role in planning and marketing for eight profitable coffee trade shows, the largest gathering of coffee professionals in the world.

• Implemented improvements in the design and execution of the association’s sponsorship programs, resulting in an increase in conference-related sponsorship revenue from $60,000 to $185,000.

• Initiated and/or played key advisory role in start-up and growth of numerous association programs.

 

OPUS UNLIMITED — LOS GATOS, CA                                                                                      1995 - 1998

Consultant, Self-Employed

Provided writing, editing, general creative and project management support services to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Services included proposal writing, funding research, creation of internal procedure and process manuals, policy review and updating, development of marketing materials, research design and analysis of results. Client list included United Way, San Jose State University, Aspen Health Services, Role Model Program, College Health Enterprises, Awareness Films, Social Model Recovery Systems, and Planet Records.

 

UNITED WAY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY — SAN JOSE, CA                                               1995 - 1996

Allocation and Evaluation Specialist

Responsible for liaison activity with United Way agencies. Involved in policy review and development, and served as a policy advisor to committees and board.

 
THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF ORANGE COUNTY — SANTA ANA, CA           1991 - 1995

Director of Programs (1994-1995)
Homeless Program Coordinator  (1993-1994)
Volunteer and Vocational Programs Coordinator (1992-1993)
Homeless Program Counselor  (1991-1992)