Partner

Partner Lester Olmstead-Rose, MBA has a diverse background in nonprofit management and programs, for-profit business, politics, and government informs his consulting approach.

Lester’s work has been mostly focused on strategy development, but he has also facilitated mergers, provided executive coaching, and led training in a variety of areas. He has worked with a wide variety of clients, from small arts organizations, to emerging environmental groups, to complex statewide coalitions, to large national and international advocacy groups. He’s convinced that this broad mix of project type and client needs will keep his thinking fresh.

Lester joined La Piana Consulting after six years at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, most recently as Director of Government and Public Affairs. In this capacity, he managed a team that served as liaison between PG&E and community leaders; awarded charitable contributions to nonprofit agencies, and functioned as a local government lobbyist.

Before joining PG&E, Lester was Executive Director of Community United Against Violence (CUAV), a San Francisco-based organization committed to addressing issues of violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. His stint as Executive Director was a return to CUAV where he had served as Community Organizer from 1988 to 1990.

Before beginning work with CUAV as Executive Director, Lester spent more than three years as Legislative Assistant to San Francisco County Supervisor Angela Alioto. In that capacity, he researched and drafted legislation, handled constituent inquiries, and managed administrative tasks.

Lester’s understanding of nonprofit culture has been deeply impacted by his work on nonprofit boards. He is currently Treasurer of Chinese for Affirmative Action, a statewide advocacy and direct service organization based in San Francisco. He was founding Board President of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, past board Chair of Equality California Institute and Intergroup Clearinghouse, and a past board member of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR).

Lester received his MBA from Golden Gate University in 2002. He received his BA in Religious Studies from Stanford University. Lester also studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain; he is fluent in Spanish.

Lester starts most days with a vigorous workout with a local Master's swimming group, and he likes to top off the weekends by catching a ballet or modern dance performance -- something he learned to love from his mother, a former ballet teacher.