Sarah Sheila Birnbach, LCSW-C is President of G B Associates, Inc. The company, which she started in 1981, designs and conducts seminars, workshops, meetings and retreats to enhance individual and organizational effectiveness. She has worked extensively over the last 18 years with chambers of commerce, associations and other volunteer-driven organizations.

Before beginning G B Associates, Inc., Ms. Birnbach spent 10 years in banking, where she worked her way from an entry-level clerical position to become the youngest Vice President in the bank's history. In that capacity, she managed an 82-person department. She has a proven record of success in motivating and developing people.

She holds an M.B.A. in Personnel and Industrial Relations from the American University and an M.S.W. from the University of Maryland. In addition to her work with G B Associates, Inc. she has worked as a family therapist in a juvenile court. She is involved in several professional associations and was named one of the "Outstanding Young Women of America" in 1980.

She is known for her pioneering concepts of staff development and human resource management. She has an outstanding reputation as a consultant to non-profit organizations and is sought after for the unique perspectives she brings. She has served on the faculty of the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management for 20 years.

She has authored several articles, including "Using Meetings to Facilitate Change" in The Executive Officer (Spring, 1994) and "Hiring Shouldn't Be a Gamble" in Rental Management (July, 1994), and a chapter entitled "Getting the Most Out of Meetings: Employing Quality to Plan and Conduct Them" in Adding Value to the Public Affairs Function: Using Quality to Improve Performance, Public Affairs Council, 1994.

She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, outdoor sports, scuba diving, and dancing.