What colleagues and clients say about working with Denise:
"Denise Montgomery is an intelligent strategic thinker and an effective implementer. Her warm personality and ability to get things done is an all too rare and much appreciated professional combination."
- Hugh M. Davies, former David C. Copley Director and CEO, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
“Denise Montgomery is one of the most talented individuals I have ever worked with. She possesses clarity of thought that reliably leads to good judgment, judgment that one can depend on. Using humor and analogy she can lead an audience, whether employees or the public, to where they need to be . . . [Denise has] a skill set seldom found in the management of cultural organizations, either nonprofit or government.”
- United States Senator John W. Hickenlooper
“Denise Montgomery is an extraordinary speaker whose confidence and subject matter expertise make her an invaluable asset in boardroom settings. Her ability to distill complex information into concise, compelling messages is remarkable. Her exceptional communication skills, combined with her strategic insights, enable her to effectively influence decisions and inspire action. Denise's ability to connect with audiences on both an intellectual and emotional level sets her apart as a truly exceptional speaker and presenter.”
- Elizabeth Yang-Hellewell, Executive Director and CEO, New Children’s Museum
“. . . Denise Montgomery proved herself smart and effective, a capable self-starter with vision and follow-through, but also an excellent collaborator . . . Her approach was creative and incisive.”
- Victoria Abrash, National Performing Arts Convention
“Denise is an outstanding manager and leader. As a manager, she encourages her staff in their professional development and always gives credit where credit is due. She is positive and kind - a wonderful example to her employees. As a leader, there is so much to say about Denise. Specifically, as a cultural leader, she is such an inspiration. She takes risks, is innovative and is whole-heartedly committed to advancing the arts . . . I've also always respected Denise's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). She was practicing EDI as a manager and leader before EDI was a thing. She actively sought to develop a diverse staff, mentored women of color in the arts and championed inclusive cultural programming.”
- Pauline Herrera, Executive Director, Denver Architecture Foundation
“In addition to the expertise and professionalism Denise brought to our work together, she shares our commitment to promote positive youth development and racial equity so all young people can thrive. This shared mission and values helped her connect easily to our work and deeply understand the ‘voice’ of our organization . . . Denise created an incredibly positive process with our key stakeholders through a focus group series to understand our strengths and opportunities and she presented her findings to the entire staff, with an eye toward actionable recommendations . . . The expertise that she continues to bring to our organization has been incredibly positive and productive.”
- Jane Aibel, CEO, Partnership in Education and Resilience (PEAR)
“Denise is strategic, visionary, and solutions-oriented. Her experience across sectors and knowledge of the youth development and arts fields are a valuable combination. I trust her as a thought partner and enjoy working with her as a colleague.”
- Matt D’Arrigo, Director, Creative Youth Development, The Clare Rose Foundation
“Denise Montgomery was the best boss I ever had. She brought intelligent and thoughtful leadership to our agency, and her example encouraged us to do our best work.”
- John Grant, former Director of Public Art, Denver Office of Cultural Affairs
“This research is an example of the deep and necessary connection between research and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. By partnering with the field, Denise Montgomery has produced timely and relevant information that is inspired by the voices of young people in Creative Youth Development.”
- Erik Holmgren, Program Manager - Creative Youth Development, Massachusetts Cultural Council
“Denise is insightful, meticulous and deeply thorough in conducting thoughtful research that leads to actionable strategies.”
- Peter Rogovin, Founder and Managing Director, NextLevel SMG; has hired Denise to work on five projects, including multi-year initiatives
“A giant thank you for the incredible breadth and depth of analysis . . . executed and delivered with excellence! The sheer volume of information you covered was astounding, and what was even more astounding was the ability to synthesize that information into clear and actionable insights.”
- Strategy and landscape analysis client
