John M. Bryson is the McKnight Presidential Professor of Planning and Public Affairs in the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and in 2011 received the Dwight Waldo Award from the American Society for Public Administration for "outstanding contributions to the professional literature of public administration over an extended scholarly career." He consults widely on strategic management with public, nonprofit, and business organizations in the United States and abroad.

Farnum K. Alston is the founder of The Crescent Company and has worked on hundreds of strategic planning projects for public, business, and nonprofit organizations.