About Us
West Coast Strategic is a consulting firm that provides tailored services to public and nonprofit agencies. The team has worked with dozens of schools and local education agencies, non-profits, city and county agencies, and large regional organizations. At West Coast Strategic, we team with experienced and skilled consultants as partners and affiliate specialists to meet the needs of our clients. Each organization and individual collaborating with West Coast offers diverse subject matter knowledge including program content in early childhood, K-12, and university settings, as well as STEM/STEAM, college and career planning, work-force development, and arts advocacy. Our client work includes evaluation and research, grant development, strategic planning, communications, and storytelling.
Our Team
Listed below are our lead personnel and collaborative partners and affiliate specialists that we have worked with and recommend for services.
Nada Djordjevich, Founder & CEO
Jessica Cogan, Communications & Program Expansion
Jessica Jones, Storyteller & Filmmaker
Gia Rauenhorst, Data Analysis, Coaching, & Board Development
Sherry Suisman, Professional Learning & Facilitation
Nada djordjevich
Nada Djordjevich has worked in education, research, and development for more than 15 years. Prior to West Coast Strategic, she was the Executive Director at Gibson & Associates, an Oakland-based consulting firm. A graduate of Harvard University and UC Berkeley, she crafted dozens of successful grants resulting in nearly $37 million to improve outcomes for children, youth and families throughout California. She facilitated strategic plans for nonprofit agencies and local education agencies, including three of the ten largest school districts in California. She designed outreach, evaluation, and technical assistance systems for city governments and municipal agencies. She led the evaluation of a $29 million Race to the Top District grant in California, as well as Local Control Accountability Plan evaluation efforts, and three National Science Foundation grants. She has also conducted several program evaluations of early literacy, science, and vocational training programs, and presentations on qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods at the California Department of Education and other events.
Nada Djordjevich’s work at West Coast Strategic is complemented by her deep commitment to arts and education. She serves on the board Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area and has published for their blog. She has won honors and awards for fiction and screenwriting, and has conducted several public readings.
She taught writing in numerous places, including as an adjunct faculty member of City College of San Francisco. She also taught history at The Packer Collegiate Institute in New York City, and served as Academic Dean for the Center for Talented Youth program for Johns Hopkins University. Early in her career, she was the Director of Auxiliary Operations for Teach for America.
Jessica Cogan
Jessica Cogan brings expertise in program start-up, development and expansion as well as marketing and communications strategy. Jessica has played a key role in the start-up of three national non-profit organizations and has extensive experience in program development and expansion – especially with programs focused on youth and workforce development. As a communications consultant, Jessica has worked with a wide range of clients, designers and writers to develop and execute highly creative, innovative and impactful marketing communications.
As the Executive Director of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Scholars, Jessica was responsible for launching, managing and growing the SEO Scholars Program in its San Francisco location. In this capacity, she oversaw all day-to-day management activities including site and program development, staff recruitment and management, fundraising and board activities and partner cultivation. Prior to SEO, Jessica was the Senior Program Manager at Year Up Bay Area and responsible for all aspects of the lifecycle of a student – from admissions through graduation. At Year Up, Jessica oversaw curriculum development, and the identification of instructional resources and training needs. She incorporated feedback from corporate partners and managed an annual program budget of $2.5 million.
Jessica Cogan received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego, and her master’s of arts degree from the University of Maryland.
Gia RauenhorsT
Gia Rauenhorst in an evaluation and assessment educational consultant, with more than ten years in program efficacy in PK-12 education systems. She recently served as the senior data analyst for the New Haven School District in Union City, Calif., where she focused on building statistical analysis skills and knowledge of assessments while supporting several projects, including conducting the data collection and analysis for both the $29 million Race to the Top District grant and a $3 million California Math and Science Partnership grant.
Prior to working for New Haven Unified School District, Gia worked at Gibson & Associates, an Oakland, California consulting firm. While there she worked in the evaluation of multiple nonprofit organizations, including expanded day programs, and literacy organizations, and STEM programs. Her work included qualitative data collection through observations, focus groups, and key informant interviews and quantitative data analysis and reporting.
In addition to her consulting and data expertise, Gia Rauenhorst brings a wealth of experience as an educator and nonprofit board member to her work. She has taught in multiple settings and grade levels in two states. She served on multiple nonprofit boards and understands the principles of nonprofit and board management. She has volunteered as a faith formation and catechism teacher at her parish.
Gia received her master’s in education degree from Marymount University and her bachelor’s degree in business administration degree from the University of Notre Dame. She currently lives in Incline Village, Nevada.
Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones leads our digital storytelling efforts to help nonprofits and agencies communicate their program. Jessica Jones is an Emmy® nominated Oakland-based filmmaker with a passion for creating powerful and engaging visual content.
Jessica has guest lectured on the documentary process at San Francisco State, Laney College, and San Francisco City College. In 2016, she received an Emmy® nomination for “Women Dancers Redefine Oakland’s Street Dancing Scene”, published on KQED Arts.
In 2016, Jessica directed this short film about TECA, a local nonprofit elementary school, with a focus on the arts and dual language programs.
Stemming from a background in psychology and the non-profit sector, her focus is on mission driven content. In the past Jessica has worked on feature documentaries, online courses, short documentary and video journalism, and short marketing content for non-profit organizations. She believes in the power of media to expose stories and truth, spark conversations, and break down barriers. Though a Texas native, she is proud to call Oakland home. When she isn’t working she is reading a biography, cooking a new recipe, running, or dreaming of future travels.
Jessica Jones received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a graduate certificate in documentary film making from George Washington University.
Sherry Suisman
Sherry Suisman is an experienced Bay Area educator with a consulting practice that focuses on facilitation, technical assistance, communications training, and curriculum development. Please visit her website for more information.
From 2012 – 2015, she provided technical assistance to community colleges across California as part of the team at Career Ladders Project and prior to that, supported instructional staff of Year Up Bay Area as the site’s first Director of Academics. Committed to helping educators and social justice organizations thrive, she facilitates day-long events and long-term projects, creating active, inclusive environments that set the stage for team growth and goal completion. Sherry has taught writing and reading at the college level for many years and currently co-leads faculty professional development for the Metro Academy’s Faculty Learning Community at San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco. Sherry’s approach to working with organizations and school-based groups weaves together her expertise in facilitation with an enthusiasm for visual communication, active learning, and storytelling.
In addition to Sherry’s career-long commitment to supporting educators, social justice organizations, and underserved communities, she is passionate about San Francisco’s local arts community. A print-making student and an occasional participant in live storytelling events, she served on the Board of Directors at SOMArts Cultural Center for eight years, leading as President for one term.
Sherry received her master’s of arts from San Francisco State University and her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in Saint Louis.
Our Location
Our location at The Hub, a vibrant co-working space in downtown Oakland, provides us with opportunities to engage with other mission-driven organizations in synergistic informal conversations. These lead to a deeper understanding of innovations in the nonprofit, philanthropy, and public sector community in the Bay Area and beyond.