(pronounced Jer-got)
MBA, Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach (ACPEC) and Operations Consultant
It’s hard enough to fill the warehouse at a food bank. Emptying one, truckload by truckload? That’s a special skill.
A nationally recognized expert in operations, John Dziurgot has been a senior executive in non-profits, residential loan officer, adjunct college professor, and a food industry specialist. Now he’s blending his experiences, observations, and knowledge to help food banks across the nation better serve their communities.
It’s not about telling people what to do, he says. It’s about helping them achieve what they want to do.
Dziurgot – it’s pronounced Jer-got – launched his
career in food banking in Michigan when a mortgage client lured him away to become operations director at the Food Bank of Oakland County. A few years later, he helped implement a merger with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.
Across 12+ years, most of it as vice-president of operations, he helped one of the region’s most highly rated nonprofits double its annual assistance to hungry neighbors.
Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, taught business management as an adjunct professor at Baker College, and served on multiple nonprofit boards. Elected president of Michigan Volunteers Organized and Active in Disaster, he helped the area’s disaster relief organizations unify and coordinate their programs, melding their best to prepare for the worst.
A consultant to food banks and farms in 2013-2014, he returned to full-time food banking in 2015 as chief operations officer at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans & Acadiana.
His five years there brought new racking systems to improve efficiency, a barcoding system to provide better inventory management, and a successful integration of volunteers into every aspect of operations. The bottom line was a doubling of capacity for the organization.
Leading and learning at every step, Dziurgot has consulted with farms, food banks and other businesses. He holds an Advanced Executive Coaching Certification through the College of Executive Coaching and additional certifications as a food safety manager, forklift trainer, and hazard analyst.
In short, he’s qualified to advise or even step in at almost any level, helping organizations refine and achieve their goals.
Dziurgot is a proud father of three successful children with achievements in computer gaming animation, nursing and the U.S. Marine Corps. He attributes much of his success to his 23-year commitment to martial arts, with its focus on discipline, character and patience. He also enjoys playing cribbage and Go, gardening, and international traveling with his wife, Angela.
Advanced Certified Personal & Executive Coach
The 501 Coach
October 2020 to Present
Chief Operations Officer & Regional Director
Second Harvest Food Bank - Greater New Orleans & Acadiana
2015 - 2020
Vice President of Operations
Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan
2002 - 2014
Adjunct Instructor
Baker College
2012 - 2014
Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach
College of Executive Coaching, CA
Masters in Business Administration
Capella University, Minneapolis, MN
Bachelors of Leadership
Baker College, Auburn Hills, MI
The 501 Coach is certified by the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals as a Certified Food Manager.
What food safety certifications do they provide?
The 501 Coach is a certified forklift driver trainer.
My VIA strengths are: Fairness, Honesty, Humor, Spirituality, Gratitude.
The VIA Institute on Character is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the science of character strengths to the world.
Check out the MY SERVICES TAB for the current list of ways I may serve you or your organization.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.