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Strategic Consulting & Advisory

Strategy.
Leadership.
Execution.

Most strategies fail at execution. AAG closes that gap — building the plans, teams, and coalitions that actually deliver, in the situations most consultants won't touch.

Serving school districts, nonprofits, government agencies, and executives across the country.

Schedule a Consultation View Our Services
Current availability — Q2 2026Clifford takes on a limited number of advisory clients each quarter
What We Deliver
Sharpened FocusClarity
Shared AccountabilityOwnership
Realistic PlansResults
Sustained MomentumImpact
Built for Complex Work That Requires Alignment and Execution

We partner with educational institutions, community organizations, and leadership teams navigating growth, change, and operational complexity. Our work focuses on turning strategy into coordinated action through disciplined facilitation, systems thinking, and accountable implementation.

$140M+Education investments aligned
200+Leaders and stakeholders mobilized
$5M+Secured in public and private investment
Level 5TVAAS — highest Tennessee growth rating
A Child's Future Is Our Future
"A child's future is our future" — the belief that drives every strategy we build
Who We Are

Leadership Rooted in
Strategy and Systems Thinking.

Achievement Advisors Group was founded to help organizations navigate complexity with clarity, discipline, and collaborative leadership. We bring experience in education, stakeholder engagement, coalition building, facilitation, and organizational strategy to support leaders facing high-stakes operational challenges. Our work combines strategic insight with practical execution — helping partners move beyond ideas and into measurable, coordinated action.

Operational Alignment

We connect strategy to daily operations — ensuring that decisions at the top translate into coordinated action at every level of the organization.

Stakeholder Coordination

We build the structures and relationships that allow diverse stakeholders to move in the same direction — with transparency, trust, and clear accountability.

Sustainable Change

We design for durability — building organizational capacity and adaptive leadership so that results outlast our engagement.

"We don't pretend to have every answer. We create the conditions for leaders to act with clarity, confidence, and shared ownership."
What We Do

Our Practice Areas

Five integrated disciplines — each designed to address a distinct dimension of organizational challenge. Most engagements draw from more than one area.

🎯
Strategic Planning
01
Priority Alignment

We help organizations clarify priorities, align stakeholders, and develop executable strategic plans grounded in operational realities.

02
Systems Thinking

We conduct root cause analysis across people, policies, and processes — solving what is actually driving organizational challenges, not just symptoms.

03
Stakeholder Engagement

We design and facilitate processes that build trust, shared ownership, and the long-term collaboration required for sustainable outcomes.

04
Implementation Planning

We translate strategic plans into executable roadmaps with clear milestones, defined roles, and accountability structures that hold.

👥
Leadership Development
05
Executive Coaching

We support leaders in strengthening communication, decision-making, and organizational alignment — with frameworks they will actually use under pressure.

06
Change Leadership

We build leadership capacity for navigating complex transitions — including board governance, team restructuring, and cultural transformation.

07
Talent Pipeline Development

Deliberate pipelines that identify potential early and ensure the next generation of leaders is ready before organizations need them.

08
Team Performance

We design team structures and operating norms that produce high performance through clear accountability and disciplined coordination.

🤝
Coalition & Community Engagement
09
Cross-Sector Coalition Building

We design and sustain multi-stakeholder coalitions — aligning schools, nonprofits, government, and community leaders around shared goals and real accountability.

10
Facilitation

We facilitate high-stakes convenings, strategic planning sessions, and community engagement processes that produce decisions — not just dialogue.

11
Advocacy & Campaign Strategy

We equip advocacy campaigns and civic coalitions with the strategic infrastructure to build power, maintain focus, and drive policy outcomes.

⚙️
Implementation & Project Management
12
Project Management

We help organizations move from planning to execution through structured project management, accountability systems, and operational coordination.

13
Implementation Support

We stay in the work — troubleshooting in real time to turn plans into measurable outcomes and ensure fidelity to the strategy.

14
Programmatic Evaluation

Honest, rigorous evaluation of what is working, what is consuming resources without return, and what requires an immediate course correction.

🔄
Organizational Change Management
15
Change Strategy

We support institutions navigating transition, restructuring, or growth with practical, systems-focused change strategies built for the real world.

16
Stakeholder Alignment

Change fails when it is done to people. We build genuine stakeholder buy-in and make new ways of working stick — long after the engagement ends.

17
Organizational Assessment

We assess organizational challenges, stakeholder dynamics, and operational barriers to produce a clear-eyed diagnosis that drives action — not just insight.

Our Methodology

Our Approach

Every engagement follows a proven four-phase model — designed to move organizations from diagnostic clarity to sustainable execution.

01
🔍
Diagnose
Assess organizational challenges, stakeholder dynamics, and operational barriers. We enter with curiosity — and leave with a clear-eyed picture of what is actually happening and why.
Key Outputs
Organizational landscape analysis
Stakeholder mapping and dynamics assessment
Operational barrier identification
→
02
🧭
Align
Build shared understanding, leadership clarity, and strategic direction. Alignment is not consensus — it is coordinated commitment to a clear set of priorities and a defined path forward.
Key Outputs
Strategic priorities framework
Stakeholder alignment architecture
Leadership decision rights clarity
→
03
⚡
Execute
Implement disciplined systems, project structures, and accountability processes. Execution is where strategy either proves itself or collapses — we stay present to ensure it holds.
Key Outputs
Implementation roadmap with milestones
Accountability and progress monitoring systems
Real-time troubleshooting and course correction
→
04
🌱
Sustain
Strengthen long-term capacity through coaching, continuous improvement, and adaptive leadership. The goal is not dependence on AAG — it is organizational capacity that outlasts our engagement.
Key Outputs
Leadership and team capacity building
Continuous improvement systems
Adaptive leadership and institutional knowledge transfer
Executive Coaching

Ready to Start
the Conversation?

Whether you are navigating a complex strategic challenge, preparing for a significant organizational transition, or seeking a rigorous thought partner for high-stakes decisions — a 30-minute consultation gives you immediate clarity on your situation and a concrete path forward.

AAG takes on a limited number of advisory clients each quarter. Current availability for Q2 2026.

$150
30-Minute Strategy Session
30-minute phone or video call
Direct access to AAG's PriPrincipal Advisoriv>
Clarity on your most pressing challenge
A concrete framework for moving forward
Apple Pay & major cards accepted
Schedule Your Session →
⚡ Limited quarterly availability — book now to secure your spot
New Publication

The State of
American Education

Our white paper examines the systemic challenges facing K–12 education — from post-pandemic learning loss to the teacher shortage and achievement gap — and presents a practical framework for durable, equitable change.

70%
of 4th graders read below grade level
55K+
teacher vacancies nationally
$23B
in federal relief expired in 2024
01The Landscape: A System Under Pressure
02The Teacher Crisis
03The Achievement Gap
04A Framework for Durable Change
05The Imperative for Bold Leadership
Download Free
The State of American Education: Crisis, Complexity, and the Path Forward
Enter your name and email to receive instant access to the full white paper — plus future insights from Achievement Advisors Group.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Your information stays private.
Clifford Stockton III

Clifford Stockton, III

Founder & Principal Advisor

Leadership

Meet Our Founder

$15M+
Portfolio Led
200+
Leaders Mobilized
$140M+
Investments Aligned

Clifford Stockton III is an education leader, strategist, and founder with a track record of driving system-level change across K–12 education, philanthropy, and community coalitions. His work spans classroom instruction, nonprofit leadership, public policy, and executive advisory — with a consistent focus on improving outcomes for students and communities.

Previously Director of Strategy, Policy, and Community Coalitions at TNTP, he led cross-sector education reform in Birmingham, Salt Lake City, and Durham — mobilizing 200+ community leaders, securing $5M+ in investment, and founding EmpowerED Birmingham, a 40+ leader coalition that secured $1.5M in sustained funding.

As Board Chair of Beacon College Preparatory Charter School, he led a $2.5M facilities expansion and supported academic gains resulting in a TVAAS Level 5 — the highest possible state growth rating in Tennessee. Earlier, he served as Chief of Staff at the Memphis Education Fund, helping deploy $140M+ in education investments across Shelby County.

M.Ed. Leadership — Vanderbilt B.A. Sociology — Butler University Education Pioneers Fellow Leaders of Color Fellow New Memphis Embark Fellow
Ready to work together?
The fastest way to start is a 30-minute strategy session. Most long-term advisory relationships begin with a single conversation.
Book a Session — $150 →
In the Field

Real Work.
Real Impact.

From coalition rooms to conference stages, ribbon cuttings to city halls — we show up where leadership matters most.

Speaking at Beacon
Speaking at Beacon College Preparatory — leading community engagement and board governance
$2.5M Beacon College Prep facilities expansion — ribbon cutting ceremony
$2.5M Beacon College Prep facilities expansion — ribbon cutting ceremony
Strategic planning session with education and community leaders
National education leadership conference and strategic convening
Cross-sector coalition
Building broad, durable cross-sector coalitions for education reform
National education leadership conference and strategic convening
Strategic planning session with education and community leaders
Birmingham City Council
Cross-sector education coalition — Birmingham City Council
Measurable Outcomes

Our Work
By the Numbers

Every engagement is designed to produce results you can measure. Here is the record of what our work has delivered across school districts, coalitions, nonprofits, and government agencies.

0
M+
Secured in public & private investment for equity-focused education initiatives
0
M+
In education investments deployed across Shelby County
0
+
Parent and community leaders mobilized across three cities
0
+
Civic leaders united in the EmpowerED Birmingham coalition
0
+
Schools served through literacy coaching and leadership development
0
★
TVAAS Level 5 — highest possible Tennessee state growth rating
Where We Work
Client Sectors Served
K–12 Education
92%
Nonprofits
78%
Government
65%
Philanthropy
58%
Business
42%
How We Help
Top Services Delivered
Service Mix
Strategic Planning (36%)
Leadership Dev. (25%)
Change Mgmt. (17%)
Implementation (13%)
Other (9%)
Client Feedback
Post-Engagement Outcomes
Strategic Clarity94%
report clearer priorities after engagement
Team Alignment89%
improve cross-team coordination
Goal Achievement82%
meet or exceed their primary initiative goals
Leadership Confidence96%
of coaching clients report stronger decision-making
Serving Schools, Nonprofits & Communities
Real engagements — leadership trainings, coalition meetings, district partnerships, and community work
Leadership training
Leadership development training and presentation to district stakeholders
Fueling teachers, schools and communities
Fueling teachers, schools & communities — the mission behind every engagement
Cross-sector nonprofit leadership training and convening
School district community partnership and coalition building
National education leadership conference and strategic convening
Cross-sector education advisory — panel and stakeholder engagement
How We Work

Choose Your Engagement

Every partnership starts with a conversation. Most clients begin with a strategy session and grow from there. Here's how we typically engage.

Strategy Session
$150
Single 30-minute session
One conversation with AAG can change your entire frame. Walk in with a problem. Walk out with a strategy, a clear next step, and the confidence to move.
30-min phone or video call
Direct access to AAG's PrinciPrincipal Advisor
Clarity on your key challenge
Concrete next steps and framework
Apple Pay & all major cards accepted
Book Now →
Most Popular
Project Engagement
Custom
Scoped to your initiative
Most clients who book a strategy session with AAG end up here. A defined engagement — strategic plan, fundraising strategy, leadership program, or coalition design — with clear deliverables and a real deadline.
Discovery, design, and delivery
Tailored to your timeline and goals
Access to AAG's full methodology
Progress reporting and accountability
Priced by scope — not by the hour
Request a Proposal →
Advisory Retainer
Monthly
Ongoing strategic partnership
For leaders who want AAG in their corner every month — not just for a project. Strategic counsel, accountability, and a thinking partner who knows your organization as well as you do.
Monthly strategy sessions with Clifford
On-call advisory between sessions
Priority access and response
Ongoing implementation support
Priced based on scope and frequency
Let's Talk →
Our Track Record

Proven Across
K–12, Nonprofits & Government.

We bring the perspective of leaders who have operated inside the systems they sought to transform — not consultants who advised from the outside.

TNTP
Director of Strategy, Policy & Community Coalitions
$5M+ secured. 200+ leaders mobilized. Three cities transformed. Led cross-sector education reform in Birmingham, Salt Lake City, and Durham — founding EmpowerED Birmingham, a 40+ leader coalition that raised $1.5M in sustained reform funding.
Beacon College Preparatory Charter School
Board Chair / President
$2.5M expansion. TVAAS Level 5 — highest growth in Tennessee. Provided executive governance through a major facilities build-out and drove the academic strategy that produced the state's highest possible growth rating.
Memphis Education Fund
Senior Project Manager & Chief of Staff
$140M+ deployed. Thousands of students served. Managed grantmaking operations and aligned philanthropic investment to the highest-impact education initiatives across Shelby County.
ALLMemphis
Senior Program Director
13+ schools. Measurable literacy gains. Coached school leaders and literacy specialists, developed science-of-reading curriculum, and launched targeted interventions that moved the needle on student outcomes.
Cross-Sector Experience
We also bring global organizational expertise — having analyzed cross-functional systems, people, and processes at Autodesk and consulting with senior change leaders on organizational transformation during periods of significant strategic evolution.
School district community partnership and leadership
School District Partnerships
We have supported multiple districts in advancing literacy outcomes, strengthening leadership pipelines, and building operational systems that deliver measurable gains in student performance.
TNTP — Education Leadership
Nonprofit & Coalition Strategy
From EmpowerED Birmingham to statewide advocacy coalitions, we design the cross-sector structures that align diverse stakeholders around shared education and community goals.
School district and board governance work
Government & Policy Advisory
We advise public sector leaders on translating policy mandates into practical execution plans — direct work with city councils, school boards, and state-level agencies.
Who We Serve

Partners in Progress

We work alongside leaders navigating complexity across every sector — wherever there are big goals and the will to achieve them.

School Districts
🏫

School Districts

Building coherent strategies that drive student outcomes — even amid political pressure, competing priorities, and resource constraints.

Government
🏛️

Government Agencies

Translating policy mandates into practical, accountable execution plans — from city councils to state-level education agencies.

Nonprofits
🤝

Nonprofits & Coalitions

Aligning vision with resources, building cross-sector relationships, and sustaining the partnerships that drive long-term community impact.

Businesses
💼

Businesses

Navigating transformation, workforce challenges, and growth — building resilient strategies and high-performing teams that deliver.

Campaigns and Advocacy
🗳️

Campaigns & Teams

Equipping advocacy campaigns and political teams with the strategic infrastructure to move fast, stay focused, and win.

Communities
🌍

Communities

Building the leadership, coalitions, and strategies needed to achieve lasting, community-owned change at scale.

Demonstrated Results

Selected Impact

A record of strategic advisory, coalition work, and organizational leadership across education, government, and the nonprofit sector.

🎯
Strategic Planning & Facilitation
Cross-Sector Education Reform — Three Cities
Led multi-stakeholder strategic planning and engagement initiatives across Birmingham, Salt Lake City, and Durham — mobilizing 200+ community leaders and securing $5M+ in aligned investment to accelerate education reform at the systems level.
Strategic Planning Stakeholder Alignment Coalition Building
🤝
Coalition Building
EmpowerED Birmingham — Civic Coalition
Founded and sustained a 40+ leader cross-sector coalition that secured $1.5M in sustained reform funding, coordinated partnerships across schools, nonprofits, and government, and built the shared accountability infrastructure to outlast individual leadership transitions.
Coalition Design Fundraising Development Stakeholder Coordination
🏛️
Implementation & Project Management
$2.5M Facilities Expansion — Beacon College Prep
Provided executive governance and implementation leadership for a major facilities expansion at Beacon College Preparatory Charter School — coordinating stakeholder alignment, board governance, and project execution that resulted in the school's highest-ever academic growth rating: TVAAS Level 5.
Project Management Board Governance Implementation Support
💡
Leadership Support
$140M Investment Alignment — Memphis Education Fund
Served as Senior Project Manager and Chief of Staff, facilitating the operational coordination and strategic alignment required to deploy $140M+ in education investments across Shelby County — building the reporting, accountability, and stakeholder communication systems that sustained philanthropic confidence over multiple years.
Operational Alignment Strategic Execution Stakeholder Communication
📚
Organizational Change Management
Literacy Systems Transformation — ALLMemphis
Coached school leaders and literacy specialists across 13+ schools through a science-of-reading curriculum transition — building instructional capacity, facilitating leadership alignment, and launching the targeted interventions that produced measurable literacy gains in high-need communities.
Change Management Capacity Building Systems Leadership
🔄
Organizational Change Management
Cross-Functional Systems Analysis — Autodesk
Analyzed cross-functional systems, people, and processes during a period of significant organizational transformation — identifying execution gaps, clarifying decision rights, and strengthening coordination across functions for senior change leaders navigating complex operational evolution.
Organizational Analysis Execution Systems Change Advisory
Client Voices

What Our Partners Say

Specific outcomes, real organizations. This is what working with Achievement Advisors Group produces.

✦ Organizational Execution
Clifford operates like a Chief of Staff in complex environments. He engaged with our teams at Autodesk and quickly identified what most organizations miss: strategy wasn't the issue — execution systems were. He brings a disciplined approach to how work actually gets done, clarifying decision rights, strengthening coordination across functions, and driving accountability without formal authority. He cuts through noise and focuses on the behaviors and structures that actually move outcomes. If you are leading transformation and need someone who can align people, systems, and execution at scale — Clifford delivers.
Beth T. & Ariana W.
Change Leaders & Organizational Strategists
Autodesk
✦ From Ideas to Execution
I came in with ideas. I left with execution. Clifford didn't just coach me — he moved me into action. In five sessions, I went from vague plans to concrete results: a defined mission for my nonprofit, a new pricing structure implemented, a social media intern hired, a certification plan launched for my Haitian Blue coffee line, and a fully live website. What I had been putting off for months got done. He holds you accountable without pressure, asks the right questions, and removes the barriers that keep you stuck. If you're serious about building something and tired of spinning — work with him.
Miranda F.
Founder & CEO
The Bean Is Green
✦ Operational Transformation
Clifford doesn't just advise — he gets in the work with you. His engagement with Envision Operations transformed how we operate: clearer priorities, redesigned systems, and a team culture built on real accountability. We are measurably more effective. That's the only metric that matters.
Dr. Adrianna Butler
Founder & CEO
Envision Operations
✦ Board Governance & School Growth
Clifford's board leadership was the difference-maker in our most critical chapter. He guided our $2.5M facilities expansion with precision, strengthened our governance through rapid growth, and helped shape the academic strategy that earned us TVAAS Level 5 — the highest growth rating in Tennessee. He is the rare leader who combines strategic depth with genuine care for children.
Board of Directors
Full Governing Board
Beacon College Preparatory Charter School — Memphis, TN
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Ready to Turn Vision
Into Results?

Whether navigating a complex challenge, launching a new initiative, or scaling what's working — we're here to help you build the strategy to get there.

⚡ Current Q2 2026 availability — Clifford takes on a limited number of advisory clients each quarter

Book a 30-Min Session — $150 General Inquiries