Building Excellence

Why I Launched Terrapin Operations Consulting

After more than a decade in mission-driven organization leadership roles—most recently as Deputy Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia—I founded Terrapin Operations Consulting with one goal in mind: to help mission-driven organizations build the operational strength they need to do their best work.

In every role I’ve held—from leading union negotiations and overhauling HR systems to designing equitable compensation frameworks and modernizing financial operations—I've seen firsthand how strong internal infrastructure unlocks impact. I’ve also seen how so many organizations struggle in getting their vital work done because they lack capacity.

Terrapin exists to fill that gap. We offer fractional operations leadership and consulting to nonprofits that are growing, evolving, or just trying to keep up. Whether you need to reimagine your internal systems, support a new operations leader, or bridge a leadership transition, we can help.

Over the years, I’ve built and led operations across nonprofits, schools, and public agencies. I’ve taught immigrants preparing for citizenship, served on community nonprofit boards, and even responded to crises as a Red Cross disaster volunteer and Army medic.

If that resonates with you—or if you’re staring down an audit, a management challenge, or a broken process—let’s talk. I’d love to hear about your work and explore how Terrapin can support it.

—Nathan Warner