Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence

Rebecca Francis is an organizational and operations consultant, change management practitioner, strategist, facilitator, and founder of Ignite Change Solutions, LLC. With more than a decade of experience spanning education, government, nonprofit, and business sectors, Rebecca works with organizations to strengthen the systems, people, and strategies necessary to move from ideas to sustainable results. She partners with organizations at various stages of growth, transition, and transformation, providing support in organizational assessment, strategic planning, capacity building, change management, leadership development, organizational culture, human resources, and program development and evaluation.

Rebecca's approach brings together strategy, operational effectiveness, change management, emotional intelligence, and people-centered organizational practice. She helps organizations navigate change by considering both the systems required to implement new strategies and the people responsible for carrying them forward. She has designed and facilitated organizational assessments, employee engagement initiatives, leadership development experiences, strategic planning processes, workplace culture initiatives, and professional development for organizations throughout Illinois and beyond.

A native of Rockford, Rebecca remains deeply invested in the growth of her community. Over the past decade, she has served on several boards and committees supporting community, civic, and organizational initiatives throughout the Rockford region. She currently serves on the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Foundation Board, as a member of the Go Team for Go Rockford, as Vice President and Executive Producer of The SOAR Awards, and as Organizer of TEDxRockford, an independently organized TED event focused on elevating ideas and voices connected to the Rockford region. Rebecca earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Business and a Master of Public Administration from Upper Iowa University. She is also a SHRM Recertification Provider through Ignite Change Solutions, supporting continued professional development for human resources professionals. At the center of Rebecca's work is a commitment to helping organizations build stronger systems, develop stronger leaders, successfully navigate change, and create people-centered environments where organizations and the people within them have the capacity to grow, adapt, and sustain meaningful impact.

Rebecca's areas of expertise include:

• Organizational assessment, development, and capacity building
• Change management and organizational transformation
• Strategic planning, facilitation, and development of mission, vision, and core values
• Operations and process improvement
• Leadership development, coaching, and emotional intelligence
• Workplace culture, employee engagement, and people-centered organizational practices
• Human resources and organizational policy
• Program development, evaluation, and performance measurement
• Succession and sustainability planning
• Training and professional development