OUR VISION
OUR HISTORY
Since 1996, Mission-Centered Solutions has pioneered transformative leader development across emergency response sectors worldwide. Founded by Lark McDonald, an expert in crew resource management training for flight crews, MCS expanded its mission beyond aviation to address broader operational challenges of ground-based operators.
A pivotal moment arose when Lark’s expertise was sought after a tragic wildland firefighter incident. Collaborating with retired U.S. Army veteran Mark Smith, Lark formed MCS to cultivate groundbreaking leadership programs tailored for high-risk environments. Today, MCS has a dedicated team of 35+ staff and consultants to assist clients with strategic planning and improving operational culture. MCS has trained more than 35,000 emergency response leaders globally, involving 250+ organizations.
Our legacy reflects an unwavering commitment to fostering resilience and excellence in operational cultures, transcending borders to enhance responder readiness worldwide.
OUR OPERATING VALUES
We aspire to live by the same Mission-Driven Values we promote with our clients.
MCS is dedicated to
Service for the Common Good
We always work towards solutions that benefit the greater good. We serve to enhance the organizations and people that further the protection and safety of society at large.
High Trust State
Trust is the foundation for all our work, bringing predictability and ease to all we do. We aim to build and maintain a high trust state within our team as well as with our clients, systems, and stakeholders.
Truth
Knowing the value of accurate and unbiased information, we seek fidelity and accuracy in the information we receive from others as well as in our words and systems.
Adapting for the End State
When things change, we are willing to reformulate, reorganize, or otherwise adapt our systems and thinking to realign our work to achieve the desired end state.
Disciplined Initiative
We empower our people with leader’s intent so that they can exercise judgment and retain the appropriate decision-making authority to resolve problems on the spot.
Continuous Improvement
Our cycle of operations begins with planning and ends with an assessment that influences subsequent plans. Our goal is to identify and learn from our performance and to incorporate improvements into the next iteration.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our core operating philosophy serves as our foundation for building long-term relationships and achieving positive results for our clients.
Solve the Right Problem. – While many consultants rely on narrow organizational experience to offer solutions heavily influenced by past bias and assumptions, MCS takes a different approach. We bring diverse expertise to the table to comprehensively understand your unique environment and challenges. Our goal is to have a clear grasp of the problem before providing analyses or proposing solutions.
Do it Right. – Quality matters. We go the distance to make sure that our course deliveries are high quality, consistent, and reliable – anywhere in the world. Spanning our history of 2,000+ program deliveries and 35,000+ trainees, we have never failed to deliver a course as promised.
Make it Easy. – We align to our clients’ needs and realities, working to build honest, predictable, and productive relationships that focus on successful outcomes.
