I am moving on from ONE/Northwest
Last Updated on Thursday, 20 May 2010 04:02 Written by Steve Wednesday, 15 April 2009 10:09
It is with a mix of sadness and excitement that I announce my departure from ONE/Northwest to join the Salesforce Foundation. I’ve had a great 4 years building out the CRM consulting program, and the time was right for me to take a very exciting opportunity. I get to work at the source of the force behind the growth of the Salesforce platform in the nonprofit sector.
It’s difficult for me to leave ONE\Northwest. It is hands-down the best environment in which I’ve worked. It’s an incredibly talented team that thrives on respect and shared purpose. It was a tough decision to leave such a great team, and such great friends.
I started at ONE/Northwest in 2005 with the goal of starting a CRM consulting program. The team is now 5 staff, cranking on 10 simultaneous projects. We have a very sophisticated set of consulting practices, some pretty slick code, and a track record of happy customers. I’m very pleased with where we’ve gotten to in the last 4 years. What a ride it’s been!
While I have been the most visible face of the ONE/Northwest CRM team, each member of the team is a strong performer in his/her own right. Most of our best code and practices were suggested and developed by my colleagues, not by me, and I thank them for the great years working together. I’ve learned a lot from these folks, and I’ll miss working with them every day. It has been a real joy.
I’m very excited to join the team at the Salesforce Foundation I’ve come to know over the last 4 years. If you’ve worked with them you know they are great people. I look forward to being able to work toward the mission of getting Salesforce into the hands of nonprofits around the world. That’s a reach I can’t really fathom quite yet.
I am the first overtly technical hire at the Foundation, so I’m sure they’ve got lots for me to do. There are a number of areas where technical expertise will come in handy–the Nonprofit Starter Pack, working with the NPSF community, working with partners who are looking to create nonprofit solutions, partnering with large NGOs who are pushing the platform to new places, and the list goes on. I can’t wait to get started!
To those of you who know me in person or on the web, I don’t suspect you’ll notice too much different. I’m staying in Seattle and I’ll be remaining active in all the fora I currently frequent. I look forward to seeing you there in my new role!
Thanks to everyone at ONE/Northwest who helped make the last 4 years a great experience, and to the folks at the Foundation who have given me this new opportunity! I’ll keep you all posted along the way.
Wow … I’m both sad and excited for you! What a GREAT opportunity, what a GREAT challenge! I know you’ll do well at the Salesforce Foundation, and I know you’ll be missed by the ONE/Northwest CRM team.
Good luck, we’ll see each other in all the usual places (Twitter, Dreamforce, NPSF), I’m sure!
Thanks JP! I’m really excited about the opportunity. I can’t wait to dig in! Indeed, I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places.
Awesome. Congratulations to you and to the Foundation! Maybe we will see you a bit more down in SF Bay?
Thanks Eugene! Yes, I’ll be making more trips down. We’ll definitely have to connect when I’m in town!
Steve, wow. I am very excited for you. The Salesforce Foundation does some really meaningful work and I am sure you have a lot to bring to that side of the equation. They’re lucky to have you. Best of luck in your new role.
Thanks Irene!
ONENW was lucky to have you, and visa versa. Glad to hear that you’re ongoing work will continue to benefit the progressive community. Best of luck, Mr Andersen.
-Dean
Great to hear Steve. They’re lucky to get you. And non-profits of the world are stoked.
Steve, congratulations! I look forward to working with you more closely in the future!
Thanks Dean. Very true. Look forward to seeing you in Ballard at the Verite branch office!
Thanks Brooks!
Same here Jon! You guys do great work–hope I can contribute in some way.
Exciting news, Steve – congrats! I’m sure those bridges with ONE/NW will stay in place, and can’t wait to see your work with the Foundation. Hope we get together in CA (or Seattle) once in a while!
Yes, this move definitely feels like a logical step from where I am now. I’m really excited to stay very connected to ONE/Northwest. We should at least get a coffee at Blue Bottle!
Congrats! Sounds like a fund project, and an excellent fit for you.
Thanks Amanda! I think it’s a great fit.
At Salesforce.com Foundation we consider ourselves extremely lucky and we are really looking forward to the next phase of our growth. Steve, thanks for taking the job.
Can’t wait to join you Steve!
Sigh… Grin… Sigh… Grin… Smile!
I know. Me too. I’ll miss working with you Drew! Keep up the good work–I’ll be in touch.
Dude, when do you start!?
Looks like May 11th.
Steve,
You and ONE\Northwest was always a perfect fit, I am sure you will thrive (and the world benefit) at SF.
Great work, and congrats.
Frank
Congrats Steve! You are the perfect person for this job. I look forward to working with you in your new role!
Thanks Frank!
Thanks Anand, I look forward to working with you!
Steve,
What a wonderfully bittersweet thing. It does seem like a very logical next step, and I, for one, am thrilled that you will be able to leverage your expertise to help even more nonprofits benefit from Salesforce! You have always been such a terrific resource to the community that the change makes sense on many levels.
I wish both you and One/NW the best as you embark on exciting new adventures!
Thanks Dean! Look forward to working with you!
Congrats, Steve. I can’t wait to hear about the great stuff you produce with the Foundation. You leaving Seattle?
Steve,
Congrats. I can’t tell you how excited we are to be working with you. It’s positively thrilling that you are joining our team.
Chris
Thanks Scott! I’m staying in Seattle and working out of my house.
Thanks Chris! Me too!
Congratulations! They made an excellent choice and are fortunate to get you.
I’m very happy for you!
andy
Thanks Andy!
Nice work Steve!
I’m sure you’ll be an incredible addition to an already incredible team.
Cheers,
Drew
Thanks Drew! It’s a great team, tis true.
Steve – very cool. Work from home, yes? I just started at Denny Mountain Media – all virtual – so if you’re ever looking for someone to meet for coffee and a wifi connection – there are a TON of spots between my house and yours!
Wow! Cool! Congratulations Steve! What a fun challenge/change for you and great news for the non-profit community.
Congrats Steve — has it been 4 years already? Best of luck in the new job, it sounds like a great fit. I’m hoping the org I’m working for now will get set up on Salesforce soon…. Have fun moving to the home office!
We’ll miss you…but anticipate continuing to see the benefits of your work. Keep in touch!
Hey Steve, great stuff! The folks at the foundation rock, you’ll be right at home. Bummer we didn’t get to meet up this time (I left for Boston today) but I imagine you’ve been busy!
Steve,
Congrats. I cant wait to see your blog posts on the Force.com or SF.com Daily blog. They got the right guy to take the Foundation to the next level. Perhaps we can offer some voice-services to your projects?
Congratulations Steve…
I’m sure you’ll be a great asset to the foundation. Good luck and we’ll see you at DreamForce.
congrats Steve!
Thanks everybody!
Congrats Steve – spectacular news for the Foundation and the NPSF community. You have built a really solid program at One/NW, and you leave it in good hands.
Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and code over the last few years – NPower and its nonprofit clients have been much more successful with Salesforce thanks to you!
By the way, I look forward to seeing all your 30+ “Ideas” implemented in Salesforce next year.
Thanks Evan! I’ve learned so much from you over the years–thanks for all the sharing. We got a look at your big national project on Wednesday–I was blown away. Nice work you you and V and your whole team. Awesome work.
I wish I had that kind of influence on the product roadmap…I suspect moving to the foundation won’t change that! I’ll try, though.
Congrats Steve! I have followed your blog for some time and have seen your level of involvement in the community. I am sure you thrive in your new position! John
Hey, congrats on the new gig Steve! My expectations for the Salesforce NPO templates just doubled
Congrats! Great opportunity for the world, having you there, Steve. I’m traveling through India and Sri Lanka now, visiting organizations all over. Many of them want me to stay and build Salesforce databases for them. Maybe we talk later.
We’re so looking forward to having you in the Foundation Steve, and that you’re a globally focussed resource! our International nonprofit users (of which there are now 1000) are also going to be very excited!! Isabel, International Director, Salesforce.com Foundation (based in London).
Boy, am I late to the party on this one. Congrats, Steve! VERY excited for you, and for the Foundation! Hope they know how lucky they are…
Congratulations on the new position! Your input to the salesforce community has been tremendous.
I missed this one when it first came out as I was on vacation and happily unplugged. Congrats on this transition, Steve. I’m looking forward to having you at the Foundation. And nice hearing more of the potential details from you at the NTC.
Congratulations Steve! It’s always interesting to hear what the smart people I worked with back in the Nickerson Marina days are up to..SF is lucky to have your brain joining the team!
Thanks Kris! Must have been the creosote in the water down there on Nickerson…
Hey Steve,
I’m so behind the times. I am very happy for you and hope the transition goes smoothly. I am sure Salesforce Foundation is excited about having you on board.
Congrats again!
Ashima
Best of luck Steve. I enjoyed working with you and am grateful for your help over the years. Go get ‘em!