In August 2016, on behalf of our five families (from Williamsburg and Gloucester NAMI Affiliates), several of us (Tom Rideout and Allen Whitehead) put together a scope of work for an MBA Corporate Field Consultancy (CFC) Project with the College of William and Mary.

The Entire CFC Team

The project was extremely ambitious, but sought to have the 2nd year MBA candidate team become familiar with serious mental illness, needs of families and their loved ones, and cohousing, a form of neighborhood, then design a template for Hope Family Village, 25 families living on 25 acres on the Eastern State Hospital property that the state wants to sell.

The team was supported by two Executive Partners (former executive and senior management professionals) and a faculty advisor. All are pictured here. We thank them, from left to right: Issac Boateng, Pablo Otero, Petter Rapuzzi, Julie Campbell, Hayden Spencer, Brooke Waggoner, W. Corey Trench (the blogger, on behalf of an extensive client team), Chuck Owlett, and Kim Mallory.

What fantastic work they did. They worked very hard. We received three formal presentations from them and work products. The finale was mainly about economics. We were joined by 30 audience members, including NAMI families, United Way’s Home for Good Program, and Gateway Homes.

Now, we begin the work of design and development of this project. We seek stakeholders, more family participants, and funding sources. All will be much more realizable and sooner because of the work of this project team.

Best of luck with your future!! Your are going to change the world.