The 501 Team
501 Consultants, Inc. is a balanced team of core talent and contracted partners. We have developed strong connections with select brand, marketing, design, direct mail, and organizational development consultants to better serve our clients. Our partners are engaged on an as-needed basis based on project scope, style, and requirements.
In-house Team
Sara has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including as an executive director. Her skills in planning, building infrastructure, program and project management, community outreach, and advocacy yield results. She has grown a fledgling community organization from $250,000 to $1 million and repeatedly earns the trust and confidence of those she serves. Sara has delivered successful management and development of policy issues at the state and federal level and regularly engages in consulting and facilitation work with nonprofit boards, government agencies, leadership teams, and staff. Sara listens to understand, and her ability to ask clarifying questions has repeatedly helped clients focus problem-solving energies on their most pressing issues. Additionally, Sara has experience in the broadcasting industry and stage management. She was a Marshall Memorial Fellowship finalist, earned her BA from Seattle University (Magna Cum Laude) and is a member of AgForestry Class 42.
Sara Higgins,
CEO/President
Tiffany Brine-Davies,
Fiscal Analyst Specialist
Tiffany is a central Washington native. Tiffany began her career in public accounting and after five years began working for private companies as an accountant, controller, and CFO. Gaining business experience led her to begin working as a consultant with client companies providing services in finance, marketing, and online media. She has a heart for community service and has consulted with and served on multiple non-profit boards. Tiffany's role with 501 Consultants is to help in serving internal and external clients with projects involving finance, analysis, and public administration. She graduated from Wenatchee High School and Central Washington University with her BA in Accounting.
Nathanial Helligso,
Operations Manager
Nathanial serves as Operations Specialist at 501 Consultants and the Washington Winegrowers Association and the Program Manager for Sustainable WA. Fortified by a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership and Management and over a decade of operational experience, he specializes in building the systems and structures that let organizations function at their best.
His work centers on a straightforward premise: most operational problems are structural. When an organization is underperforming, stalled, or scaling faster than its processes can handle, Nathanial's focus is on the framework underneath — how decisions get made, where accountability lives, and how to align people around shared objectives. He has applied that approach across multiple industries, managing cross-functional teams, complex logistics, and competing priorities simultaneously.
Where Nathanial adds particular value is in environments where multiple organizations or stakeholders need to work together but lack a common structure to do it. He builds the scaffolding, facilitates the alignment, and puts in place the accountability mechanisms that let capable people execute effectively toward a shared goal.
Julie Grenfell, Program Manager—Client Services
Julie serves as the Program Manager – Client Services, where she oversees client databases and directories, assists with membership inquiries and collaborates to develop stakeholder educational opportunities for clients. Growing up in a small family business in Skagit Valley, Julie understands the importance of relationship development, community involvement and servant leadership. She and her husband moved to Cheney in 2017, where they raise sheep and train working border collies to move livestock, traveling across North America to compete on a regular basis.
Lacey Miceli, Administrative & Operations Assistant
Lacey has been with 501 consultants since 2025 as our Administrative and Operations Assistant. Born and raised in southern Arizona, she spent most of her life in the southwest before moving to Wenatchee in 2019 where her and her husband are raising their two kids. She studied Psychology and Theatre at Northern Arizona University which uniquely situates her at the intersection of pragmatism and creativity; and with a background in retail leadership she feels most comfortable in environments that require adaptability, collaboration, and strategic thinking. Lacey currently serves on the board of directors at TEAMS Learning Center as their Development Chair where she oversees fundraising, community building, and grant research and coordination.
Deb Foley, Government Affairs Specialist
Deb draws on more than 40 years of experience working with Congressional members and staff on legislation for project authorizations and appropriations to provide insights and expertise in service to managed clients with advocacy objectives. She earned a Master’s degree in Management of Technology from Vanderbilt University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire, and an executive education certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School. Following her retirement, Deb pursued her interest in Washington’s wine industry and received an Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences degree in enology and viticulture from the Walla Walla Community College.