Meet Dr. Stacy & the Team
Dr. Stacy Thompson
Founder & CEO
Dr. Stacy Thompson, the founder and CEO of Strategic Transitions Consulting, has more than 25 years' experience in higher education. As an educator, she has dedicated her life’s work to supporting education as a practice of freedom with a focus on addressing issues of
disenfranchisement and exclusion.
Dr. Thompson started her career in higher education teaching Early Childhood Development in 1993. She began as a tenured faculty member in Child Development in 1999 at Merritt College in Oakland, CA. After 10 years in the classroom, she became the Dean of Academic Pathways
and Student Success at Merritt College and served in that position for over six years. Dr. Thompson also served as the Vice President of Academic Services at Chabot College in
Hayward, CA for six years, providing overall vision, leadership, planning, and direction for the instructional programs.
As a consultant, Dr. Thompson specializes in supporting institutions with setting and achieving programmatic goals by facilitating the evaluation, creation, or enhancement of internal delivery systems. She also provides professional growth opportunities to faculty, classified staff and administrators, in groups or individually, who wish to advance their careers.
Dr. Thompson holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Mills College in Oakland, CA, a master’s degree in education and in Early Childhood Education from Mills College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR.
She enjoys traveling, experiencing new cuisines and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
Cheree Manicki
Executive Assistant
Cheree joined the team in 2021. She manages scheduling, office operations, directs projects and supports the team. She gathers and creates documents for meetings, creates presentations, and coordinates all company travel arrangements. Cheree’s attention to detail and understanding of the timeliness is remarkable.
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She concentrates on providing the CEO the opportunity to perform at her highest level of productivity while building the business and tending to client needs. Her vast experience as an Executive Assistant stem from successfully supporting Presidents and Vice Presidents at institutions of higher education.
​Cheree enjoys live music, spending time with her family and her two dogs.
Brandon Thompson
IT, Customer Care and Marketing Specialist
Brandon joined the team in 2021. He designs and coordinates the company website, leads graphic design work, and oversees the company’s online presence including social media. Brandon has a unique combination of skills that allows him to provide a variety of technical supports for the organization and to our clients when needed. He has a diverse career history that includes graphic/web design, hospitality management and cyber security.
Brandon is a soccer enthusiast. He plays regularly on an adult team, has coached boys soccer teams for the past 7 years, and is currently one of the club directors.
Chad Thompson
Director of Strategic Consulting and Special Programs
Chad joined the team in 2021. He has over 15 years of experience in higher education and provides expertise in the areas of holistic wrap around support services and categorical programs. Chad earned his Bachelors degree in Economics and Film Studies from Claremont McKenna College and his MBA from Claremont Graduate University.
He started his career in higher education teaching Macroeconomics at Merritt College in Oakland before transitioning into grant writing and program management with a focus on financial literacy and employment. He has
experience leading programs in the areas of vocational training, financial capability programs, scholarship, undocumented student support, career services, housing insecurity, and food insecurity. Chad believes that everyone should have access to education, as well as financial capability, basic needs and any other support services that they may need in order to succeed
academically, share their knowledge and create positive change in their communities.
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Chad has also been the Director of SparkPoint at Skyline College in San Bruno, California, since
2015.
