Sue Chen
CEO, Nova-Ortho Med, Inc.
President of Reef Check board of directors
Transition is not easy for any company or nonprofit that has a history. Reef Check has been around for 10 years and almost every board member is a diver. You can get kind of crusty — no pun intended — when you live in your own bubble. You can get tunnel vision.
When we began talking with fellow board member Regina Rubino about a new brand identity system, it's fair to say that we presented a challenge. So it was an interesting process to step outside of what we had lived and breathed for so many years and let other people present messaging and image ideas. For the presenter, that requires another level of understanding and patience.
Regina was incredibly gracious and very sensitive — she taught me how to listen. But she was also strong and clear and not afraid to communicate the changes that must happen so that the organization can enjoy the best results.
Regina and her team, Emily, Christy and Danielle, did a great job massaging the transition so that we, the board, could come up with goals and ideas for our founder Gregor Hodgsen to consider. Some businesses might think that they only need a face lift. What Regina gave us went much deeper. We came away with a more expansive appreciation of who and what we are. We embraced our history, the present and the future in new, enlivening ways.
It's wonderful when someone can put into words and visual tools something you know in your heart and mind. I have been such a committed member of Reef Check. But I know clearly communicating the truly innovative and effective work we do is challenging.
After going through several sessions and a lot of discussions — Regina's done it. I feel like we've come up with something that is spectacular. I can't wait to share it with the world. People just don't know the beauty that is in our oceans. But they will after seeing the new brand Regina and her IMAGE: Global Vision team created.
When you are so entrenched in your own company, it is hard to think outside of yourself. Regina made that happen with amazing grace and skill and generosity of spirit. It was an incredibly wonderful experience.
