The ABS Team

Fred Abbate is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Utilities Association, the organization that represents the investor-owned electric, gas, water, and telecommunications utilities in the state. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, a Master's degree from Boston College, and an A.B. from Fairfield University. Prior to joining NJUA in August of 1995, Fred worked for sixteen years in numerous executive positions for Atlantic Energy, the electric utility serving southern New Jersey. He has chaired and worked with leading key communications, customer research, and industry policy committees for the Edison Electric and the Electric Power Research Institutes. He is also a graduate of the Cornell University Executive Development Program and the Edison Electric Public Policy Institute, a certified Kepner-Tregoe trainer, and a Blessing/White program leader. Before joining Atlantic Energy, he taught philosophy at Rutgers University, Iona College, and in the New York City University system. He is currently Visiting Associate Professor at Drexel University.

As a loaned executive from Atlantic Energy in 1993-94, Fred served as Director of Leadership New Jersey, the state's best-known leadership program. For the past several years, he has conducted seminars for College Leadership New Jersey, and has consulted on and lectured in leadership programs for the Principals' Center for the Garden State and other educational groups. Fred has managed major consulting projects involving human resources, strategic planning, management development, and communications for many New Jersey and out-of-state business and trade associations, government agencies, and other organizations. He is the author of Preface to the Philosophy of the State and The Philosophic Impulse, and has published numerous articles on utility decision-making, politics, legal theory, educational reform, and strategic planning. His play, The Idea of Edison, was produced by New Jersey Public Television, and in 1992 he wrote, directed, and performed in Keeping Time, a play presented by the New Jersey State House Bicentennial Commission.

Fred has been active in a number of state and national associations. He is a member (and ex-Chairman) of the New Jersey Department of Labor's Employer Council, served on the Governor's Commission on Quality Education, the Arts Task Force on Core Curriculum Standards, and is former Chair of and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Thomas A. Edison State College. Fred also served as Vice Chairperson of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (where he also chaired the Grants Committee) and on the Board of Advisors of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

Additionally, he is a founding member of the Stockton Alliance, a unique partnership of New Jersey business executives and environmental leaders. He was the founding Chairperson of the Arts and Business Partnership of Southern New Jersey, as well as the Education Committee of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Fred lives with his wife, Rosemary, in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Prudence Shapcott, Market Research

Prudence Shapcott is a market research professional with over 20 years experience in delivering quantitative and qualitative research in business, professional services and education markets.

Her main goal is to help organizations achieve their commercial objectives by providing them real insight into their brands from their clients’ and market’s perspective. She consistently delivers practical and professional and market research.

Throughout her career, Prudence has worked with a range of businesses including large corporations, non–profits, and small business ventures.

Her career has spanned both ends of the spectrum of a seasoned research professional having worked for research agencies including one of Europe’s largest, NOP research, now owned by GFK, as well as holding in-house research consultancy roles. During her time at research agencies, she worked on global brands such as Pepsi, Philips and Dupont.

More recently, her in-house roles have involved leading market research and intelligence teams for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the College of Law of England and Wales, and a law firm, Russell Jones and Walker.

The ICAEW is a professional membership organization, based in England, supporting over 136,000 chartered accountants around the world. In her capacity as Head of Strategic Research, she facilitated the implementation of their premier relationship program – a key account management process. She led the research team and oversaw strategic projects, such as the brand research, stakeholder evaluation, member communications audits and employee research.

The College of Law is the UK's leading provider of legal education and training. Prudence was Head of Market Research at the College of Law. Under her leadership, she transformed the research team from being perceived as a cost centre into a business contribution function through delivering consistently high-quality actionable research.

The research program she implemented typically included curriculum development research, e.g. the implementation of a new e-learning model, student and faculty evaluations, and competitor analysis. She also delivered marketing training programs for admissions staff.

At Russell Jones and Walker, one of the UK’s top law firms, Prudence was Business Development and Research Manager. She facilitated their first major re-branding through research and developed their first client care program, which had a major impact on the firm’s culture and helped to drive major improvements in client service and new client account acquisitions.

Her market analysis for new services, led to the introduction of new volume-based services for the firm and the setting up of a new company, wholly owned by the law firm with a turnover of over $5m in its first year.

She was instrumental in setting up and running training programs for senior partners in bid management and business development - 9 in 10 partners rated these programs as excellent.

Prudence Shapcott has a Masters in Marketing and Product Management from Cranfield University and a Bachelor of Science Honors degree in Food Science from South Bank University.

Mark R. Wille, Resource Development & Board Governance

Mark Wille’s career spans 39 years in both the nonprofit and for-profit realms. A seasoned executive with diversified experience in the fields of resource development, public relations, and institutional administration, he brings a wealth of knowledge and talent to organizations striving to compete in today’s fast-changing—and often unforgiving—marketplace.

Mark’s consulting focus is nonprofit capacity building. Working closely with board members and administrative staff, he enables them to understand and holistically apply governance, strategic planning, fundraising, and public relations best practices. The end result: Nonprofits that realize their full potential and also have a lasting, positive impact on the people and communities they serve.

Following is a sampling of his consulting accomplishments:

Optimized a large United Way’s administrative, fundraising, and marketing capabilities by streamlining its board structure and providing governance training to all trustees.
Helped a well-established historical society dramatically enhance its overall operations by educating and revitalizing its Board of Directors, developing a comprehensive strategic plan, and launching an aggressive, first-time fundraising effort targeting area corporations and foundations.
Orchestrated a first-time major gifts fundraising effort for a human service agency, generating new funding in less than 18 months amounting to 30 percent more than the organization’s annual operating budget.
Conducted a national study for a prestigious health care organization, enabling it to defuse trustee conflict and determine how to effectively grow and manage its endowment.

Mark’s consulting work has been enriched by many years of service as a Development Officer, Development Director, and Executive Director with local, regional, and national nonprofit agencies such as the Boy Scouts of America, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (now Learning Ally), and Volunteers of America. He also has excelled in the field of marketing public relations as an account executive with Harshe-Rotman & Druck, Inc., an internationally renowned public relations firm.

A long-time member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Mark is Co-Founder of the New Jersey Nonprofit Consultants Collaborative. He graduated Cum Laude from Ithaca College with a BS degree in Communications.