Meet the Team
We empower Christian leaders to create brighter futures faster for their organizations and the people they serve.
Robert K. Westervelt
Rob is a Stanford-trained innovator and strategist. Robert A. Sevier calls him “One of the most forward-thinking leaders in higher education today.”
Over his 25-year career, Rob has successfully led universities through the creation and adoption of new business strategies, new enrollment strategies and new university brands. Few higher education leaders have Rob’s span of expertise. He has successfully led departments including strategy, innovation, marketing, data analytics, IT, human resources, fundraising, legal affairs, enrollment, admissions, financial aid, institutional research, and PR.
More than 500 colleges have attended his webinars and presentations on strategy and innovation and his influence continues to reshape how colleges approach the marketplace.
Ryan J. Dougherty
Ryan takes ideas from conception to reality, and believes great teams and brands start with clarity and trust. He gets there through honest conversations while listening and asking good questions.
For 20 years, Ryan led teams at George Fox University that set enrollment records, built a new athletics brand identity, and delivered exceptional results. He spent a decade in executive management, including as vice president.
In that time, Ryan led traditional undergraduate enrollment growth by 26% and increased average freshman net tuition revenue by 15%. He launched the first NCAA Division III team dedicated to sports marketing and affinity marketing, and also overhauled admissions operations. He published academic research exploring the impact of athletics on enrollment at small colleges.
Nicholas J. Willis
Nick is a data-driven, analytical problem solver who turns his forward-thinking ideas into reality in church, parachurch and educational settings.
Nick has served as a builder in multiple Christian settings. Recently, he helped plant a church that grew from less than 40 to an attendance of 300+. In the last five years he helped found and grow a private Christian K-12 school in Newberg, Oregon, and served as chairman of the board. He uses data science and strategic thinking to help organizations get to their brighter future faster.
With a Ph.D. in theoretical mathematics from Texas Tech, Nick spent over 20 years teaching and leading in faculty settings. His recent leadership experience includes the role of Chief Learning Officer where he was tasked with vision casting the future of lifelong Christian education.
The world needs thriving Christian higher education more than ever.
OUR VISION: To strengthen the Church by adding 10,000 new students to conservative Christian institutions.
OUR MISSION: Brighter futures faster for Christian leaders and the organizations they serve.
OUR VALUES:
- Tell the truth – we build trusting relationships.
- Inspire confidence – we transfer our knowledge and insights.
- Challenge the status quo – we push for high performance.
- Forge deep partnerships – we engage in tight-knit collaboration with those we serve.
Key TG Three Differences
1
We think different. Our work isn’t status quo or pre-packaged solutions. We provide each client with original strategic thinking that fits their particular situation.
2
We have real-world experience doing strategy as practitioners, not just as consultants. We know how to help transform organizations because we’ve been there before.
3
We do the work. You’ll work directly with us, rather than a less experienced person, team or intern. We work directly with you on your strategy.
Here’s Our Story
TG Three uses strategy to help transform Christian institutions across the country. By applying strategic thinking, results are being achieved across specifically tailored engagements—executive leadership coaching, institutional strategic planning, enrollment strategy, financial aid strategy and brand strategy.
It all started with a turnaround.
In 2012 at George Fox University, a Christian college in Oregon, a drop in enrollment and a financial aid error resulted in an unexpected 1.7 million dollar loss to the university in the middle of the fiscal year. It was a sink or swim moment, and the situation required an immediate and aggressive overhaul in strategy.
Given the challenges facing enrollment, the new Enrollment & Marketing (E&M) division began to implement strategic changes with the sole purpose of increasing enrollment and getting financially healthy. Under the new leadership of Rob Westervelt and Ryan Dougherty, the E&M division leveraged a new brand promise – the Be Known promise – and established buy-in throughout the university. They implemented a solutions-oriented workplace culture and a TG3 mindset (tenacious go-getters with grit) in every team member. They analyzed mountains of data, upgraded business practices, and built new systems to address the uncovered problems.
Those who worked in the division at the time described the year as akin to laying down railroad tracks as the train was rolling across them. The stakes were high and giving up wasn’t an option. It was a year of exhilarating hustle, bold ideas and palpable energy.
The hard work paid off. George Fox blew its freshmen enrollment record out of the water (an increase of 181 paying freshmen in the fall of 2013) and did it with seven fewer staff members and a smaller budget than the year prior. The university brought in $7 million of additional net tuition revenue that year and soon went from Oregon’s best kept secret to the largest Christian university in the state. Over the next five years, the university brought in $65 million in additional net tuition revenue over baseline and maintains exceptionally strong financial health to this day.
That’s the power of strategy.