Client Testimonials
Check out Craig’s list of over 300 clients here.
Below, check out what they have said about our work.
If you have a comment about our work, we’d like to hear it. Please send us an email.
Caroline Oliver, CEO, International Policy Governance Association, 2015
“Working with Craig on our Annual Conference was a joy. In preparation and follow-up he was efficient, professional and always thinking about how best he could serve our participants. In delivering our keynote he provided practical value in a human and inspiring way. On the day, and in our post-conference evaluation, our participants made it clear – Craig was a great hit!!”
Diana Scully, Executive Director, Maine Bar Foundation, 2015
“Craig’s Endnote speech helped us reflect on the day as a whole, and helped us draw out key insights and leave the conference with a sense of the main takeaways. It was also great to have a chance to hear directly from other audience members about how they were inspired to take action as a result of what they learned. A fitting end to an encouraging day!”
Anonymous evaluation from a Kieve-Wavus Education meeting, 2015
“Craig kept us moving and everyone had some airtime. No one voice dominated and we settled on desired changes as well as next steps so quickly.”
Anonymous evaluation from a Nature Conservancy Board and Staff Meeting, 2015
“Craig helped us to have a respectful, constructive and inclusive session.”
Anonymous evaluation from a Bates College Athletic Department Retreat, 2015
“Working with Craig was a tremendously helpful experience for our group. We brought clearer ideas back to work, and could not have done so as successfully without Craig’s facilitation and guidance.”
Anonymous evaluation from a United Way Board and Staff Retreat, 2015
“We went above and beyond our objectives with Craig’s facilitation. Not only did we generally address the issues on the agenda but went further and came out of the session with some exciting, concrete projects to pursue.”
Anonymous evaluation from a Justice Action Group meeting, 2014
“Mr. Freshley is a man of considerable skill. He can herd cats. Very impressive. I would hire him in a minute.”
Anonymous evaluation from a Maine Migrant Health Retreat, 2014
“I appreciate Craig’s facilitation skills in ensuring full participation, echoing our thoughts and ideas in a way that felt inclusive, thorough, respectful, clear and relatively succinct. I also enjoyed the good vibrations that emanate from a committed group of individuals working for a common goal and believing fiercely in what’s best for our clients, our people and each other.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Maine Community Foundation retreat, 2014
“I really enjoyed the energy and conversations and how everyone was encouraged to contribute.”
Anonymous evaluation of a RSU 16 School Board workshop, 2014
“Great facilitation by Craig to make the meeting efficient and focused.”
Anonymous evaluation of an APS Healthcare retreat, 2014
“It was clear that having a facilitator made a difference. You were able to compile key ideas on the spot and came very well prepared to allow us to make the most of our time together.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Royal River Conservation Trust meeting, 2014
“Good structure of meeting – good planning ahead – appreciate the ability of the facilitator to ‘hear’ and give it back in written form.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Casco Bay CAN meeting, 2014
“Incredibly well run meeting where we left with specific tasks. The demeanor of the facilitator was such that it created a safe environment to share.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Stantec retreat, 2014
“Very professional. Kept folks engaged and on topic.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority public meeting, 2014
“Brought out a lot of information quickly. Great meeting!”
Anonymous evaluation of a Lewiston Public Schools workshop, 2014
“Organization and presentation was exemplary. The notes alone are invaluable – great synopsis.”
Anonymous evaluation of a City of Portland workshop, 2014
“Very nimble facilitation – laptop and projector helped.”
Jack Healy, President, University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation, 2013
“I would like to recognize the great work done by Good Group Decisions – Craig, maybe it’s time for a name change to Great Group Decisions!”
Anonymous evaluation of a Facilitative Leadership workshop led by Craig, 2013
“Very engaging…I’m coming away with lots of ideas on how to improve decision-making at meetings.”
Anonymous evaluation of a meeting among administrators of the Ipswich Public Schools, Ipswich, MA 2013
“Craig was prepared, moved us through the process, and helped us to come to conclusions in an effective manner.”
Catherine Lee, Lee International, 2013
“I’ve received great feedback from people saying first, how terrific you are and second, how energized they felt leaving the meeting. Congratulations and I agree with all those who have told me that you are by far the best facilitator they have ever worked with.”
Anonymous evaluation of a retreat for the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, 2013
“Craig did a great job summarizing our work and moving the process along in a respectful manner.”
Anonymous evaluation of a meeting of the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association board, 2013
“Our facilitator was well organized, communicated well with us before our meeting, made sure all issues were explored, and made sure everyone had ample opportunity to speak. I’m glad we retained Good Group Decisions for our meeting and will probably do so again if the need arises.”
Anonymous evaluation of a retreat for Chalmers Insurance Group, 2013
“Many items were accomplished, based on what we as a group wanted to set for an agenda. Craig and Kerri were very helpful in keeping us on track throughout the day…. You helped to keep us moving and to set accountables – goals and people assigned to each goal and timetable. I’m glad we are working with you to help us with our conversation.”
Kristin Benedix, Executive Director, The Progress Center, Inc., 2013
“I cannot express enough my satisfaction with the facilitation of our retreat. It was a wonderful experience for myself and TPC staff alike! I have received so much feedback, which included that this was the best retreat EVER! I am going to take time to endorse the work of you, Craig, and Good Group Decisions publicly wherever I can and would most certainly recommend you to my colleagues!”
Anonymous evaluation of an advisory meeting for the Medical Reserve Corps, 2013
“Wonderful facilitation.”
Anonymous evaluation of a retreat for The Progress Center, 2013
“Craig is a great presenter.”
Kay Whitmore, Acadia Insurance, 2013
“You have an amazing capacity for synthesizing information and multitasking. We all very much appreciated your assistance Craig, and I hope we have a chance to work together again in the future.”
Elise Bolda, Associate Research Professor & Chair, Graduate Program in Public Health, Muskie School, University of Southern Maine, 2012
“Thank you for a stellar evening. The conversation continued after you left and as they exited students were saying things like ‘the best class yet’ ‘I don’t like those kinds of exercises, but that was great’ and ‘that was awesome!’… Needless to say you had an impact, we all learned a lot, and the group has a new rapport that will carry well into the future. You are a fabulous teacher who brings active learning to a new level! Thank you for bringing the group new tools, a new appreciation of team approaches and a broadened perspective on how groups can learn together.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Group Decisions Done Right Keynote, 2013
“The keynote was excellent. I just love Craig Freshley, he oozes with niceness!”
Sarah Kotzur, ND, President, Maine Association of Naturopathic Doctors, 2013
“Craig Freshley was a wonderful facilitator for our annual meeting and strategic planning session. He was well organized and kept our conversations fun and productive. We were able to discuss heated issues with respect and were able to make useful plans to move forward. I highly recommend Good Group Decisions to any organization interested in strategic planning.”
Anonymous evaluation of a retreat for the Maine Association of Naturopathic Doctors, 2013
“Precise, yet flexible. Focused, yet yielding.”
Anonymous evaluation of a retreat for Bangor Hydro Electric Company, 2013
“We exceeded my expectations. Well done. Our time was well spent.”
Anonymous evaluation of a board retreat at Sacopee Valley Health Center, 2013
“Meeting was well-facilitated with questions that directed our thoughts and organized what we needed and where we wanted to go.”
Wendy Tardif, The Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing, 2013
“Thank you for all your hard work; you did a fantastic job guiding our group on Friday!”
Joann Gagne, Maine Optometric Association, 2013
“It was great working with you. You made this the easiest planning session I’ve ever been involved it. I appreciate that!! I’ll be sure to suggest your company to others. I also think it was a very productive day and Craig’s guidance to narrow the scope of focus for the next few years was excellent!”
Anonymous evaluation of a staff retreat at The Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing, 2013
“Everyone had a voice and was welcome to engage in conversation and offer ideas and questions.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Maine Optometric Association Board Retreat, 2013
“Great professional help to really focus on the important and attainable goals.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Cancer Community Center Board Retreat, 2013
“I really appreciate Craig’s ability to list and synthesize the ideas that are given.”
Anonymous evaluation of a staff workshop at Tri-County Mental Health Services, 2012
Anonymous evaluation of a PACTS Policy Committee meeting, 2012
Organizer of a natural resources-focused stakeholder input meeting, 2012
Andrea Cianchette Maker, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLC and Consultant to Educate Maine, 2012
John Duncan, Director, Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, 2012
“Thank you for a great session. It was just what we needed! I have never seen live on-screen work like you did. That was quite effective.”
Anonymous evaluation of a meeting of the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society’s “More Maine Meat” project, 2012
“Always appreciate your ability to summarize and make words work into actions/next steps.”
Anonymous evaluation of a meeting of the Casco Bay Create Awareness Now (CAN) Coalition, 2012
“Great dialogue, great respect of participants. Craig is impressive in his ability to bring together a diverse group, and come away with a product and result.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention meeting, 2012
“Good moderation and mediation and kept us on time and moving forward.”
Anonymous evaluation of a nonprofit staff training in Portland, Maine, 2012
“This training gave me a lot of tools to do my job better.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Maine School Garden Network stakeholder input meeting, 2012
“This is my first exposure to a facilitated meeting and it is great to see how much it helps. Craig and Leigh, you are excellent and will be my primary point of contact for future needs in this capacity.”
Anonymous evaluation of a roundtable meeting convened by the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust and the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, 2012
“Facilitator brought the best out of the whole group.”
Mike Foley, METRO Greater Portland Transit District Chairman of the Board and Councilor At-Large, Westbrook City Council 2012
“Thank you again for your tremendous work on this! Our group appreciated it greatly…Hopefully we can use your services again soon!”
Anonymous evaluation of a Seniors Plus Board Strategic Planning Retreat, 2011
“Great, great facilitation—you lead well! You helped us stretch…”
Anonymous evaluation of a Strategic Action Task Force meeting for Accelerating Behavioral Health Information Sharing, 2011
“As usual, well organized and facilitated—wonderful to see the results of all our efforts; coming away with a ‘next step’ plan.”
Anonymous evaluations of a meeting of the Maine Medical Reserve Corps Statewide Collaborative led by Craig, 2011
“Craig is like a magician who can make an agreeable plan out of a lot of different thoughts and opinions.”
“I like how the facilitation team creates real-time results with the sticky board and with the computer/projector.”
“Craig is an excellent facilitator and does a nice job of naming issues without making people feel belittled or adversarial.”
“I wanted to let you know how much I’m enjoying your website and resources. I appreciate your generosity in sharing your insights and expertise with the rest of us.”
Janet Henry, President, Maine Philanthropy Center, 2011
“I just want to reiterate what we all agreed – you did a masterful job at facilitating the meeting, capturing the nuanced communication and helping us look ahead. Thanks again for a creative and productive use of time yesterday.”
“The best MANP training I’ve attended (there were 5 others). Great presenter!”
Lynne Seeley, Chair, Environmental Funders Network, 2010
Mary Sylvester, Special Assistant to the President for Community and Economic Development, University of Maine at Farmington, 2010
“It is impressive to see Craig work with a group. Yes, good group decisions were well facilitated by Craig this morning. Lovely to observe him in action.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Meeting Facilitation Techniques workshop led by Craig, 2010
“Excellent! Ability to think on his feet was amazing.”
Lee Karker, Executive Director, MCH, Coastal Trans, Inc., 2010
“We at MCH have always been more than satisfied with the meetings you have led for us. Our recent staff retreat is a good example…The evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. Our work with you over the past couple of years has been an important ingredient in a process of moving the organization forward that is already bearing fruit.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Conflict Management workshop led by Craig, 2010
“Very engaging with the entire group.”
Bart Beattie, State Executive Director, Providence Service Corporation of Maine, 2009
“Thanks for your help on Friday. Everyone I’ve spoken to agreed that your facilitation was extremely effective and allowed us to be highly productive regarding a challenging project. Thanks again!”
Chris Fogg, Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, 2008
“Craig is energetic and really does a great job at getting the most out of our participants by keeping them engaged in the discussion. Our meetings cover a lot of ground and Craig keeps us focused so we can maximize our time.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Meeting Facilitation Techniques workshop led by Craig, 2008
“Really a master of his craft – watching Craig work is just as instructive as listening to him.”
Anonymous evaluation of a meeting of RH Foster Energy, 2008
“I liked the links between the team building exercises and what we do on a daily basis – very valuable.”
Anonymous evaluation of meeting of the Maine Downtown Center, 2008
“Fantastic job, Craig. My expectations were exceeded by far!”
Judith Marden, Board Member, Androscoggin Land Trust, 2008
“I’ve experienced (and sometimes ‘endured’) countless facilitated strategic planning sessions over the years. This one was absolutely the best!“
Anonymous evaluation of a Meeting Facilitation Workshop led by Craig, 2007
“Craig did a great job of incorporating lots of information into a limited amount of time. He has great energy, great command of the information, inclusive teaching style.”
Stacy Benjamin, Director, Land Use Team, Maine State Planning Office, 2007
“Thank you Craig for your excellent work with us during the past year. We are all very impressed with your calm and thoughtful manner, and your professionalism.”
Marilynne Rodgers, Senior Project Management Consultant, TEK Systems, Inc., 2007
“I’m enjoying the book [Tips to make Good Group Decisions] immensely – it’s delightful to pick up, read a bit, think about it, then read some more. Perfect format!”
Chris McCabe, Maine Association of Nonprofits, 2007
“During board and staff meetings, I am using the skills I learned in Craig’s workshop. I have seen vast improvements in productivity and energy. Thanks, Craig!”
Martha O’Connor, Development and Community Relations Specialist, 2007
“I think Craig did an awesome job of truly facilitating our work together. Most times that I have been involved with similar activities as this, the facilitator did not step in as often to assist the group, and I think Craig did so with respect, insight and in such a way that was not invasive or disruptive to the work/process that was taking place.”
Leah Wright, Supervisor of Clinical Support Services, VNA Home Health Care, 2007
“I found Craig’s insight very helpful and he really helped to keep this group (which can easily go astray) stay on task.”
Rick Mageles, Facilities and Materials Specialist, VNA Home Health Care, 2007
“I really enjoyed the leadership retreat. Craig has a unique gift in that he could take all our comments and put them into a format that was clear, understandable and not just ‘fluff’ statements.”
Jane McGillicuddy, Director of Human Resources, VNA Home Health Care, 2007
“Thank you all for the wonderful retreat VNA had this past week. We all came back recharged and with a renewed sense of purpose and you really helped us accomplish a very aggressive agenda and made it interesting to boot!”
Colleen Myers, Principal, Next Steps Consulting, 2007
“I’m so glad I purchased the Tips book, Craig. In beautiful short statements you make plain how any group – from a family to a community to a large or small organization – can benefit from becoming aware of its process. You’ve applied the Quaker principle of non-violence to produce practical hints about taking responsibility for oneself and for the group’s dynamic. The Tips book deserves a wide audience, and already has a beloved place on our bookshelf.”
David Steven Rappoport, MS, MA, Senior Program Officer, Maine Health Access Foundation, 2006
“Thank you for your excellent work yesterday. Please extend my thanks to your staff as well – everybody was terrific. I can see why you’re rapidly becoming the standard for meeting facilitation in Maine.”
Brett Doney, President & CEO, Enterprise Maine, 2006
“Thanks Craig. Your help this morning was again priceless.”
Anonymous evaluation of a Communications Workshop led by Craig, 2006
“A+++ Great session! I learned a lot and will take what I learned back with me in my workplace and personal life.”
Vicki Purgavie, Executive Director, HomeCare Alliance of Maine, 2006
“Thanks Craig. Terrific job today. You have made my work so much easier and manageable.”
Rick Dieffenbach, Partner and Technical Director, Allure Creative, 2005 [Referring to Good Group Tips – click here to learn about them.]
“I like your tips. It’s probably one of the few e-newsletters I actually open and read. I especially like that it’s so concise and easy to digest. Others might write two pages of accurate yet unread information – what you are able to say in a paragraph or two.”
William Hart, Ph.D., Principal, Leominster High School, 2005
“Craig, the report you prepared from our meeting was wonderful. We all appreciated working with you in Maine. The document will be the glue that keeps the team on track for the next several years. Thank you again for your assistance with this very important work. I hope we get a chance to work again in the future.”
Dr. Erik Steele, Co-Chair, Maine Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports, Health and Wellness; Family Physician; Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, 2005
“Craig Freshley was a delicate but dedicated power tool to the success of our organization’s crucial strategic planning retreat. He helped us cut through issues that had been binding us up for months, issues which if unresolved, threatened our ability to stay together. He was warm, friendly, but task-oriented and goal-directed, and as a result we had a great strategic planning process. If you have organizational cats to herd in planning or other retreat processes, this is your guy, and he is proof that money spent on leadership of organizational change strategizing is worth every penny.”
Glen Cyr, Vice President of Finance, North Country Associates, Inc., 2005
“Thanks for everything. It was a great experience. Craig made us think of our organization in a whole new light. He was a pleasure to work with and we would not hesitate to hire him again.”
Suse Wicks, Camp Director, Wavus Camps, 2005
“It has been truly a gift to work together as ‘one.’ All of our personalities and spirit were beautifully woven. Creating good decisions today that create a positive, viable, valued future is very exciting work! Thank you!”
Susan Russell, Board Member, Kieve Affective Education, Inc., 2005
“Thank you for the documents, perfectly done as usual…..But thank you even more for so effectively facilitating our journey to get to this point. Your even-handed, practiced, sensitive, and patient guidance throughout all these months led us to a great achievement. Thank you, thank you.”
Silke Poes, Family Services Coordinator, Asset Management Advisors, Atlanta, Georgia, 2005 [Referring to Good Group Tips – click here to learn about them.]
“Craig, just wanted to let you know how right on I think these tips are. I so enjoy them when they hit my inbox.”
Valerie Landry, Commissioner, Maine Department of Labor; Chair, DHS/BDS Unification Council, 2003
“Craig, your handling of the meeting was flawless. I’ve not seen better.”
Robert Woodbury, Ph.D., Chair, Governor King’s Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care, 2001
“Craig was lead staff to a blue ribbon commission that I chaired. He organized the research, managed the consultants, arranged the meetings, handled all the public input, and guided publication of our final report. From start to finish, he did an absolutely outstanding job.”
Brenda Gallant , member of the Elder Issues Partnership and Director of the Maine Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, 2004
“Craig’s skilled facilitation of a diverse group of organizations has enabled us to forge a strong and unified voice representing the interests of Maine ‘s elderly. Not only does he facilitate the meetings, he and Amy also prepare minutes, maintain a website for the group, and manage our e-mail List Serve. Their package of meeting facilitation and secretariat services is really great!”
Bruce Fitzgerald, Maine Emergency Management Agency, 2004
“I have seen Craig facilitate several regional meetings…..where the goal was to achieve consensus among town managers, fire chiefs, and police chiefs. Craig did a great job with the very difficult task of moving the groups toward spending homeland security funds in the best interest of their region. I would recommend him for facilitating multi-stakeholder groups, even those historically unaccustomed to collaboration.”
Philip Harriman, Maine State Senator, 2002
“As a Republican member of the Maine Senate and the Maine Economic Growth Council, I often found myself in a vocal, yet minority position. As non-partisan staff Craig handled that very well, always making sure my views were heard and considered.”
Martha Kirkpatrick, Esq., Commissioner, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, 2002
“I have worked with Craig on sustainable development, smart production, the downtown initiative, and other issues over the past few years. In my experience, Craig is a highly creative and thoughtful individual who brings terrific experience, enthusiasm and new ideas to issues that are critical to the future of Maine. I’m sure that whoever hires him will find him to be quite an asset and I would recommend him without hesitation.”
Laurie Lachance, Maine State Economist, 2002
“For most of the nine years that the Maine Economic Growth Council has existed, Craig has served as its lead staff. He’s done a great job. He is a stickler for reporting data with integrity and maintaining a neutral, non-partisan posture. He is technically proficient and he’s a creative, innovative thinker.”
Hank Schmelzer, President, Maine Community Foundation, 2002
“Having served on a board of directors staffed by Craig, I know him to be extremely organized, diligent, and professional. He’s ambitious and delivers on expectations.”
Evan Richert, Director, Maine State Planning Office, 2002
“I have worked with Craig on several projects, most recently in his role as coordinator of the Maine Downtown Center. Craig researched downtown programs in other states and crafted a program for Maine that has proved very successful. He did the initial program planning, fundraising, and recruited a great board. Craig is results-oriented, practical, and easy to work with.”
Heather O’Bryan, Executive Director, Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce, 2003
“Craig, thank you for all the work you have done on our downtown plan. We have really learned a great deal……I think that the work you did was extremely professional and insightful.”
Cheryl Rust, Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Integrated Services for Children and Families, 2003
“Craig undertook a significant challenge when he was asked to begin facilitating our group. A diverse group, we were developing recommendations on how Maine should best serve its children and families. An aggressive and tight meeting schedule necessitated strong organization and preparation. Maintaining momentum required excellent summarizing skills. Craig did an outstanding job of identifying and providing a flexible plan with which to navigate this project. The avowed satisfaction of the many participants is testimony to the success of his efforts.”
Nelson Madore, Mayor, City of Waterville, 2001
“Craig served as lead staff on organizing a regional economic development plan among four municipalities. What a challenge! He facilitated a series of meetings and teased out our issues and aspirations. He brought us together on a plan we could all agree to. We were fortunate to have him on the project.”
Karen Boykin Peterson, American Agri-Women Leadership Chairman, 2002
“AAW members gained a better vision of our organization through the guidance and leadership of Craig Freshley.”
Janet Yancey-Wrona, Ph.D., Director, Maine Technology Institute, 2001
“As a brand new organization, we hired Craig to facilitate the opening full-day retreat of our board of directors. Craig worked with us to plan the agenda and then did a great job working us through it. At the end of the day we knew each other well and had made several decisions. For our second retreat two years later, we hired him again.”
John Melrose, Commissioner, Maine Department of Transportation, 2002
“A couple of years ago, Craig helped the Department research and publish an indicators report – a comprehensive overview of how transportation contributes to the Maine economy portrayed with simple graphs and brief paragraphs of text. Craig led the effort that realized an agreement on portraying 22 specific indicators. He made the graphs, wrote the text, and worked with the printer to publish a very useful report. I would recommend him for this type of work.”
Deb Burd, Executive Director, Western Mountains Alliance, 2002
“Craig is a friend of communities.”
Peter Morelli, Director of Planning and Development, City of Saco, 2002
“As coordinator of the Maine Downtown Center, Craig has helped us a great deal in Saco. He has understood our needs and worked to bring us useful, on-target expertise and resources. Craig has organizational savvy and is a pleasure to work with.”
Pamela Plumb, Member, Governor King’s Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care, 2001
“I was one of five people serving on a blue ribbon commission and Craig was the staff. I found him to be a hard worker with high standards. I know he is passionate about group process based on solid data and good staff support.”
