Corporations and those who lead them have become the strong and vital patrons of our culture. They sponsor and advocate for our arts, education, hospitals, and our environment. Our community charities depend on our businesses, and our businesses depend on a good relationship with their community. This week host Bart Jackson invites Thomas Bakewell, author of Claiming Your Place at the Boardroom Table, to discuss how business people may plan charitable strategies that create a win-win for both givers and recipients. It’s all part of being a good corporate neighbor, and now, in this season of generosity, ’tis time to take pause and consider the best ways to use our resources for the benefit of all. As always, those who give and those given unto are each bless the other. Tom is a management consultant to corporate and nonprofit clients. He has led over 90 major engagements for boards and presidents nationwide in strategy, organizational transformation and effective governance.

Tom serves as CEO counsel to a number of leaders, especially when “it is not business as usual”. He is instrumental with leading their boards in frank discussion and direction, conducting in-depth interviews and analysis with their teams, and assisting with effective short-term and long-term strategic planning.

He has served on private company (retail and manufacturing) and nonprofit boards (education and health care) with annual revenues ranging from $40 to $800 million, and provided financial and legal counsel to public companies.

Tom has been active with the National Association of Corporate Directors for over a decade, writing and speaking on diverse governance topics including handling conflicts of interest at the board level, building private company boards and strengthening shareholder relations, effective nonprofit governance and handling nonprofit crisis.
Before consulting, Tom served as Senior Vice President Law and Government Affairs and Director of Financial Planning for one of the nation’s largest health care systems, Daughters of Charity (now Ascension). He began his career in clinic management, public accounting and law.

Tom is an attorney and CPA. He holds a BA from Lindenwood University; JD from the University of Memphis; MBA/MHA from St. Louis University; and MS from the Harvard School of Public Health.
When not at work, Tom enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with his family. http:// www.thomasbakewell.com