Susan Mogensen, President | Brown Dog Consulting

About Brown Dog Consulting

Brown Dog Consulting’s mission is simple: to bring clarity, confidence, and purpose to how your organization governs and makes decisions.

Whether you serve on a board of directors or hold a leadership position within an organization, we can help you to adopt and use good governance principles in ways that work best for you.

While adhering to the logic of Policy Governance principles, our training and coaching emphasis is always on clarity, simplicity, integrity, and engaging people wherever they are on their journey.

Susan Mogensen

Susan Mogensen, found of Brown Dog Consulting, is passionate about inspiring people to work together collaboratively and productively.

With over 25 years of experience in board governance and group facilitation, Susan brings deep insights and practical tools to every engagement.

Susan was personally trained by John and Miriam Carver at the Policy Governance Academy, and later served as CEO of the International Policy Governance Association (2004-2009). Her articles have been published in Board Leadership and other governance journals, and she has spoken at numerous conferences across North America.

Susan holds a B.A. (Honours) in Political Science from Carleton University, passed the PGP (Policy Governance® Proficiency) exam administered by Govern for Impact in 2019, and received the Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) in 2013.

Client Organizations

Brown Dog Consulting supports a wide range of organizations around the world, including:

nonprofits and charities (including 501(c)3 organizations in the USA)
membership associations and foundations
credit unions and cooperatives
educational institutions including school boards and college boards
faith-based, health, sporting, and environmental organizations
municipal and public bodies
family-run businesses

What Clients Say

“Susan is a fantastic facilitator. She makes Policy Governance fun and led us through to a successful path forward.”

“[Susan] energizes what could be a dry topic — and makes the concepts clear, simple, and inspiring.”

“Our board made it through our entire agenda with two hours to spare — proof that this works!”

“If your organization is ready to take its performance to a whole new level with a solid, theory-based framework for accountability and transparency, Susan and Brown Dog Consulting are for you.”

Clients appreciate Susan’s balance of deep thinking with practical tools and engaging facilitation that make meetings meaningful, productive, and — ideally — fun.

Why “Brown Dog”?

The name of our company reflects the qualities we admire in our canine companions, past and present: friendship, loyalty, sensitivity, playfulness, and intelligence. Like a trusted companion, Brown Dog Consulting walks beside your board or leadership team, helping you stay grounded, focused, and moving forward.

Susan Mogensen’s published materials and online resources include:

Ready to Take Your Board and Organization to the Next Level?

If your board is ready to clarify roles, boost effectiveness, and make meetings truly matter, set up a phone or Zoom call with us to explore options for taking the next step.

If you have not worked with us previously and would like a proposal for a facilitated in person workshop, please use our scheduling app to set up a Zoom meeting with us including both your CEO and Board Chair.

Ramsey

Ramsey (the “Brown Dog”)

The inspiration behind our company name, Ramsey was, well, a brown dog adopted from the Ottawa Humane Society and was named after the west-end Ottawa street where he was found. His friendship, loyalty, attentiveness, intuition, agility, and desire to understand, are all qualities and values that guide us at Brown Dog Consulting.

More Testimonials About Brown Dog Consulting

“Susan did a wonderful job and her knowledge is evident and complete.”

“[Susan] really makes the concept of governance accessible and understandable.”

“Excellent presentation. Very interactive.”

“Susan does a great job balancing deep thinking with practical implications/topics in her workshop.”

“I really like learning about the Carver Policy Governance model. It’s a revelation.”

“Very valuable experience. Very personable facilitator.”

“It was an excellent presentation. Keep on doing what you’re doing!”

“A helpful and energizing presentation to inform us of P.G. principles.”

“Susan is a very skillful facilitator. She guided us through the Policy Governance approach, ensuring we understood the framework and could work with and within in.”

“Accessible information grounded in Policy Governance, delivered in a way where there is an easily travelled distance between the group and the facilitator.”

“This was an enlightening learning opportunity.”

“Susan Mogensen explained Policy Governance clearly and simply and with very great enthusiasm!”

“Keep doing the great work! It’s difficult to liven up a ‘dry’ topic, but you did! Thanks!!”

“Incredibly life-changing!”

“If your organization is ready to take its performance … to a whole new level with a solid “theory-based integrated framework” for accountability, transparency, and “maximum direction with maximum protection” then Susan and Brown Dog Consulting is for you and your board. Her contributions have empowered us to make a more meaningful difference in the lives of our community members for a value worth the resources invested.”

“We had a great first meeting under the Carver model and made it through all of our agenda items WITH 2 hours to spare!! … Thanks again for guiding us through this process. Only good things to come moving forward!”