The Nexus Institute is dedicated to expanding the strategic long-term capabilities of leaders and organizations facing unparalleled levels of change and complexity. The Institute develops and facilitates customized executive searches, education programs, conducts organizational and leadership needs assessments, and works with organizations to design and implement initiatives related to leadership, human capital development, performance improvement, and public policy.
The Institute was founded upon the following core set of values:
- Quality
Quality and continuous improvement are deeply held, fundamental priorities of the Institute. Our goal is to exceed client expectations in everything we do and to constantly seek higher levels of performance through our own learning and research.
- Integrity
We adhere to the highest ethical standards and promote integrity, accountability and transparency in all that we do.
- Customization
The Institute is committed to designing each program to meet the specific and unique needs of the organization. All aspects of a program can be customized including program venue, length, curriculum, learning format, and logistics. The Institute can assume responsibility for all or discrete parts of an executive education/organizational consulting initiative
- Collaboration
The Institute is dedicated to genuine collaboration with client organizations in order to ensure an optimal working relationship and outstanding program results. This includes regular and effective communication, and a spirit of teamwork.
- Global and Interdisciplinary Focus
While the Institute is based in Washington, DC, its scope and outlook are international. Also, our interdisciplinary commitment expands learning opportunities and helps program participants broaden their perspectives.
Dr. Nanette M. Blandin is a leadership scholar and practitioner. As President of The Nexus Institute, she works globally with a wide variety of public and non-profit organizations to recruit and develop senior leaders.
Nanette’s professional background spans all sectors. Most recently, she was an Associate Principal with Isaacson, Miller where she led searches for top positions in universities, professional associations, foundations, and advocacy organizations. Previously, she was Vice President of Executive Education at The Brookings Institution and held senior management positions in federal and state government.
She has taught masters and doctoral programs at a number of universities including George Washington University and American University. Courses included Organizational Behavior, Strategic Planning, Organizational Change and Organizational Learning. She has frequently presented papers on leadership and complexity at conferences and scholarly workshops including the Eastern Leadership Association and the Global Forum on Executive Learning.
Nanette is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, has served on the Board of Trustees of the Plexus Institute, the National Selection Committee for the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, the editorial board of Public Administration Review, has been a judge for the Louis Brownlow Book Award, and has held national and regional offices in the American Society for Public Administration.
She holds a doctoral degree in human and organizational studies from George Washington University. The title of her dissertation is "Re-conceptualizing leadership for an era of uncertainty and complexity: A case study of leadership in a complex adaptive system." She also received a masters degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelors degree with honors in political science and French from the University of California, Davis.
She has had extensive international experience including studying in Japan and France, living in Spain, and speaking at international conferences in Australia, China, South Africa, and France. She speaks French and has studied Japanese, Arabic and Spanish.
