This year marks an important milestone for the Center for Coaching in Organizations (CCO). We are celebrating five years of developing leaders, cultivating coaches, and building a cross-sector community grounded in curiosity, compassion, and connection.

Over the past five years, our small and mighty team has launched programs, hosted gatherings, built partnerships, and trained new coaches who are strengthening organizations and communities every day. As part of our anniversary year, we are reflecting on the impact of our programs and the people who make this work possible. One of the most meaningful pieces of that story is the Executive Coaching in Organizations (ECO) program.

A Note From the Program Director

As we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Center for Coaching in Organizations, we are filled with gratitude and pride for all that has unfolded since the program transitioned from the University of St. Thomas to the Executive Coaching in Organizations (ECO) program. In that time, ECO has graduated two cohorts of 19 extraordinary students who have carried forward our mission to unleash human potential through coaching in organizations.

Their impact continues to ripple across sectors, corporate and nonprofit organizations, learning communities, justice and equity initiatives, and faith-based environments where they are shaping cultures of growth, respect, and agency. Each graduate brings coaching to life in their own distinctive way, rooted in who they are and how they serve.

This fall, we were thrilled to welcome our newest class, Cohort 10, a vibrant group of 10 students representing nonprofit, local government, and for-profit settings. They share a deep commitment to honoring human individuality, worth, and development.

ECO and its students are showing up at a time when the world needs them most. The old ways of thinking, leading, and “solutioning” are no match for the complexity and uncertainty organizations and communities now face. ECO helps students find their own voice and power, and, in turn, they help others do the same. Through coaching, they help people think critically and stay connected to what truly matters, cutting through the noise, pressure, and overwhelm of daily life and work.

The coaching approach students learn in ECO is the direct opposite of what many people experience today. Coaching doesn’t tell, preach, or judge. It doesn’t create hierarchy or division. Coaching opens, expands, equalizes, honors, and calls forth. Coaching doesn’t allow us to hide or blame. Instead, it invites presence, reflection, possibility and inspires courageous ownership. Through this way of being, ECO graduates make an impact that is invaluable, needed, and deeply human.

Our graduates and current students shine lights of hope, courage, and generative energy as leaders and learners who bring curiosity, compassion, and consciousness to their organizations and communities. Their ongoing volunteerism and commitment to learning have infused new vitality into the broader CCO community and the coaching profession as a whole.

To our ECO faculty and CCO Board leadership: Thank you. Your time, talent, and discretionary energy have sustained and strengthened this program. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and stewardship.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce plans to launch our next cohort—Cohort 11—in the fall of 2026. Under the leadership of Tayva Banfield, a member of our extended board, we look forward to continuing this journey of cultivating exceptional, purpose-driven coaches who lead and serve with heart.

Here’s to five years of growth, connection, and possibility—and to all the lives yet to be touched through the work of ECO.

– Naomi Banks, ECO Program Director

Inside the ECO Retreat

A reflection from one of our Cohort 10 students:

Meet Our New ECO Faculty

As ECO continues to grow, we are excited to welcome three new faculty members: Chris Diller (ACC), Jennifer Johnson (PCC), and Jan Williams (ACC). Each brings deep coaching experience, a commitment to human-centered leadership, and longstanding connections to the ECO community.

We’re excited to have them onboard ECO Faculty this year! 

Jan, a Cohort 5 graduate, has supported ECO students for years and now leads our Student Coaching Program and peer coaching offerings for organizations.

Meet Our New Student Recruitment Lead

We are excited to welcome Tayva Bancroft (she/her) to the CCO Extended Board as our Student Recruitment Strategy Lead. A graduate of ECO Cohort 9, Tayva has been an active and caring volunteer, supporting recruitment efforts and in-person classes.

In her new role, she will lead a strategic and relationship-centered approach to student recruitment, expanding program visibility, building partnerships, and strengthening referral pathways to support a strong pipeline of future coaches.Thank you, Tayva, for your ongoing dedication to CCO. We are grateful for your leadership and excited for what’s ahead.

What’s Ahead for ECO Cohort 11

Enrollment for ECO Cohort 11 will open soon, and we look forward to welcoming a new group of coaches-in-the-making. Launching in Fall 2026, this next cohort represents an exciting chapter in our expanding community of leaders and learners. 

If you know someone who might be a great fit or an organization that could benefit from a trained internal coach, we would love to connect.

Inquiries and referrals: training@centerforcoachinginorgs.com

Celebrating Five Years of CCO

As CCO celebrates five years, we are honoring the programs and people who have helped our community grow. ECO has played a significant role in that journey, preparing coaches who bring curiosity, compassion, and clarity into their organizations and communities. To sustain this work and make coaching accessible to even more leaders, we launched our Five-Year Anniversary Giving Campaign.