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Monica Fletcher Reflects on Strategy, Systems, and Strengthening Auberle’s Impact 

Q: Tell us about your career path and what brought you to Auberle.
A: I’ve spent over 20 years in organizational research, consulting, and operational strategy in the for-profit sector. I hold an MBA with concentrations in Analytics and Informatics, plus certifications including SHRM-SCP, PMP, and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What attracted me to Auberle was that they were specifically looking for someone with a strategy background. When I learned about their holistic approach to human services, I saw the vision and impact that model could make. Supporting the whole person rather than fragmenting services across disconnected systems resonated deeply with me. I joined as Director of Strategic Initiatives in February 2024 and was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer in December of 2025

 

We are stewards of a legacy, and that stewardship demands intention. It requires vision, the discipline to build sustainable structures, and the passion to keep showing up for the hard work.

I’m here for it. When I look around, I am surrounded by an inspiring and dedicated team of professionals who are here for it, too.

 — Monica Fletcher, Chief Administrative Officer, Auberle

Q: What are your early priorities in this new role?
A: My new role centers on three areas: strategic planning, technology, and human resources. Right now, we are in the initial phase of our strategic planning.  Concurrently, a major focus of my work is helping to guide the organization through the final objectives of our last strategic plan, working across our programs to strengthen our data strategy, and strengthening our human resources to ensure Auberle is attracting and keeping top talent.

Q: What makes a strong strategic plan?
A: Clarity of vision and operational agility. A good plan needs stakeholder voice, thoughtful data analysis, and clear implementation infrastructure. At Auberle, I’m using survey portfolios, key research publications, and measurement frameworks across departments to ground our plan in relevant data.

But the plan itself is only valuable if we build organizational capacity to execute it. That means clear accountability structures, progress metrics, the discipline to monitor, and the will to be adjust in the face of new information. Of course, we’re closely monitoring funding and policy changes. A good plan anticipates scenarios and builds decision frameworks. We’re prepared to be agile and strategic about it.

Q: How does working in a nonprofit differ from the for-profit world?
A: For-profit organizations have multiple “levers” when demand exceeds capacity such as raising prices or increasing production capacity. Nonprofits face a fundamentally different reality. Demand for our services consistently outpaces available resources, yet we cannot simply charge more. When I led the FY26 budgeting process as interim Director of Finance I saw these constraints up close. 

Also, what often goes unrecognized is that the infrastructure required to support our workforce mirrors that of any successful business. Quality service delivery depends on robust administrative foundations: skilled support staff, reliable technology systems, safe and functional facilities. These investments enable the frontline staff serving our communities to do their work effectively.
 

Staff here are deeply committed to the work and to one another. Auberle staff are experts in their fields — some staff have spent 30 or more years working closely with program participants as case manager or front line supervisors... that kind of passion is inspiring and contagious.

 — Monica Fletcher, Chief Administrative Officer, Auberle

Q: What do corporations have to learn from nonprofits and vice versa?
A: Nonprofits can benefit tremendously from corporate discipline: data-driven decision-making, performance metrics, operational efficiency, Six Sigma process improvement. The discipline of these approaches enables mission delivery.

Conversely, corporations often struggle with employee engagement and retention because work feels transactional. Nonprofits excel at creating shared purpose and inspiring people through mission. Businesses could learn a lot from non-profits on how to authentically connect their work to meaningful impact. Those that can are the ones that attract and retain top talent.

Q: What keeps people at Auberle?
A: Staff here are deeply committed to the work and to one another. Auberle staff are experts in their fields — some staff have spent 30 or more years working closely with program participants as case manager or front line supervisors. Their hearts are in their work, and that kind of passion is inspiring and contagious. 

Q: Where do you see opportunities to improve efficiency?
A: Auberle will always be a people-driven organization. The work we do here is deeply personal work. Our technology systems are designed to support staff capacity for direct service work by reducing friction points on routine administrative tasks. We use common tools from Microsoft’s platform and their AI system, Copilot to help facilitate efficiency. We are also evaluating other technologies that will enhance our information gathering and data analysis capabilities.

Q: How does Auberle demonstrate its impact and maintain support?
A: By pairing data with clear, compelling storytelling. Showing how our programs work and the difference they make is essential to sustaining support. We're creating next-generation impact. Communicating that impact effectively is critical.
 

Quality service delivery depends on robust administrative foundations: skilled support staff, reliable technology systems, and safe, functional facilities. These investments enable the frontline staff serving our communities to do their work effectively.

 — Monica Fletcher, Chief Administrative Officer, Auberle

Q: Auberle is focused on strengthening communities through holistic, generational change. What does this mean to you?
A: It means meeting people where they are and partnering with them on their path forward. It also means reducing the stress of navigating multiple systems by integrating services around their goals.

Auberle has always adapted to what communities need. Auberle started as an orphanage, offered a safe home for young people for decades, and now has the capabilities to serve the whole person. Auberle continues to adapt to new community needs. That ability to evolve and show up, whatever it takes, is what makes the dedicated work of our teams impactful.

Q: What’s it like stepping into a newly created role at Auberle?
A: It's exactly the kind of challenge I'm drawn to. It starts with stepping back to see the whole system. Organizations get the results they're designed to get. If we want different outcomes, we need to understand how the system currently works. Where it's breaking down, where the strengths are, what tools we already have. Then we can build intentionally from there. 

Q: How does Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) inform your approach?
A: DEIB is woven into everything we do. Our recruitment, development, and promotion practices actively recognize multiple forms of expertise. Our benefits structure considers diverse workforce needs. We provide training, reinforce the principles of inclusiveness, and ensure this is reflected in our programs and practices.

Q: What surprised you most when you joined Auberle?
A: The dedication of the staff. Here, people live the mission and values every day. It’s not just words. Today I had a mid-morning meeting with several members of our Housing team. I learned that through the night they had participated in the point-in-time count of those experiencing homelessness, then those same individuals arrive onsite by 5am to complete paperwork for a different deadline. And, then they met with me to talk about technology support. They serve as one example of the immense dedication that you see when you work here.

And, you have staff who’ve been here 15, 25, 35+ years — in a sector with notoriously high turnover, that’s remarkable.

Q: Looking ahead, where do you see Auberle in the next 5–10 years?
A: I want to see Auberle's holistic model replicated beyond our walls. We've seen what happens when services are coordinated around a person's actual needs rather than institutional silos. That approach works, and more communities deserve access to it.

Ultimately, though, I think of the organizational resilience that can ensure Auberle strengthens communities for the next 70 years with the same impact as the first by creating systems and infrastructure that outlast any individual leader or strategic planning cycle.

We are stewards of a legacy, and that stewardship demands intention. It requires vision, the discipline to build sustainable structures, and the passion to keep showing up for the hard work. I’m here for it and when I look around, I am surrounded by an inspiring and dedicated team of professionals who are here for it, too.

Connect with Monica at www.linkedin.com/in/monicafletcher.

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