Hugh Ballou

Kilgore Group associate Hugh Ballou is founder of SynerVision International, Inc., an international facilitation, consulting and training practice in Blacksburg, Virginia. For many years Hugh has been working with leaders in businesses, schools, churches, non-profit organizations and community groups, leading project teams to find consensus, even with very difficult decisions. Before his full-time work as facilitator, consultant and executive coach, he served as Director of Worship Ministries, staff strategist and facilitator in churches with 120 to 12,000 members.

In addition to managing project teams as a neutral facilitator, Hugh is also skilled in leading workshops, retreats and seminars on planning, reorganization and goal setting. Hugh has served in leadership roles as a business owner and chamber of commerce president, as a church musician, worship planner and worship leader in various church settings. He has had extensive experience in conflict management, staff relations, multiple staff dynamics, business plans, financial planning and budgeting, complex schedule issues, evaluations of programs and staff performance as well as goal setting.

Organizations in conflict and those desiring to move effectiveness to the next level are candidates for Hugh's services. In his major work with churches and other not-for-profit organizations, Hugh teaches teams how to build competencies and accountabilities into group process through synergy and consensus.

Hugh's desire is to make a difference in people's lives by teaching relational strategies resulting in a community of teamwork and unity of purpose.

He has published two books on Transformational Leadership: Moving Spirits, Building Lives: Church Musician as Transformational Leader and Workbook for Transformational Leaders (due, October 2006) and numerous articles on Transformational leaders.

Hugh holds a BMu from Georgia State University in Music Literature and a MMu from The University of South Florida in Choral Conducting. He regards facilitation as a skill related to conducting in that the leader mentors, guides and structures the building of harmonious, unified results while participants use their skills to provide the substance. His studies in facilitation include Compression Planning with McNellis Corporation and Solution Mapping with Professional Solutions, ToP Facilitation program with the Institute of Cultural Affairs.