The Number One Facilitation Company in the U.S.

Sharing the power of facilitation with the world since 1993.

We believe results are unlocked through effective collaboration.

Leadership Strategies was established with a focus on helping organizations with strategic planning and facilitation. Starting with our founder, Michael Wilkinson, the company has grown to a network of our 600 facilitators, including 27 members of our Core Team, and an Atlanta-based headquarters.

Today, we exist to empower groups to achieve impactful results and provide services like onsite training and public classes to further support you and your growth.

Our Services

Over 30,000 trained in our flagship course

Over 600 facilitators under contract

More Certified Master Facilitators than any other organization in the world

row of people taking notes for a facilitation companyman working for facilitation company using notes to talk

What makes us different?

Driving better results and changing the way people execute meetings. You’ll receive world-class training that spans beyond the classroom.

  • Exceptional Experts

    Broad network of Certified Master Facilitators and professionals driving results around the globe.

  • Dynamic Methodology

    Leading groups strategically through practical, dynamic, and interactive sessions.

  • Tailored Solutions

    Helping groups of all types, from any industry, simplify and find a clear solution that delivers results.

Our Facilitators

Certified Master
Facilitators

Michael Wilkinson, CMF™

Michael Wilkinson, CMF™

Engaging, Dynamic, Impactful

Michael Wilkinson is a Certified Master Facilitator™ and the Founder of Leadership Strategies, Inc. His unique talent, skills, and passion for facilitation form the core of the company’s mission and are the reasons he is sought after as a facilitator, trainer, and speaker. Michael is the author of the best-seller The Secrets of Facilitation, The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy, CLICK: The Virtual Meetings Book, Buying Styles, and The 8 Core Practices of Facilitative Leaders. Michael is one of the nation’s leaders in the facilitation industry. He is a founding board member of the International Institute for Facilitation and founder of The Facilitator Database.

He has been awarded both the Certified Professional Facilitator™ and the Certified Master Facilitator™ designations for experience and demonstrated expertise in facilitation. In 2003 he was named Facilitator of the Year by the Southeast Association of Facilitators for contributions to the field.

Active in both the private and public sectors, he has provided leadership training and strategy development assistance to such diverse organizations as The Coca-Cola Company, Unisys, EPA, CDC, KPMG Peat Marwick, and the American Cancer Society. He has facilitated more than 200 strategy sessions for major corporations, large government agencies, and a variety of non-profit organizations.

Michael’s results-producing techniques and energetic style drive the pulse of the company and have won him clients from a wide range of public and private sector organizations, including The Coca-Cola Company, Sears, Unisys, KPMG Peat Marwick, the Government of Jamaica, the City of Atlanta, the United Church of God, The American Cancer Society, United Way Worldwide, and Centers for Disease Control. His work extends beyond domestic boundaries to include International assignments in Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Geneva, Glasgow, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Melbourne, Milan, the Netherlands, Oxford, Saint Petersburg, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sydney, Vienna, Warsaw, and Wellington.

Prior to Leadership Strategies, Michael spent eight years with the Information Technology Division of Ernst & Young’s Management Consulting Group. He is a high honors graduate from Dartmouth and resides in Atlanta.

Accomplishments:

Founding Board Member of the International Institute for Facilitation Founder of the FindaFacilitator database, with over 600 facilitators under contract Founder and Global Project Leader for the IAF Facilitation Impact Awards, 2013-2016 Author of six books: The Secrets of Facilitation, The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, The Eight Core Practices of a Facilitative Leader, The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy, Buying Styles, and CLICK: The Virtual Meetings Book Inducted into the International Facilitation Hall of Fame in 2016

Sample of Experience:

Facilitated the strategic planning process for the government of Jamaica which included over 120 industry ministers, private sector representatives, NGO officials, and community leads. Facilitated over 100 players, including architects, designers, landscapers, and electricians, who were involved in the $2.5 billion development of a new hospital complex, through a two-day partnering session to gain agreement on a set of goals, success measures, and operating standards. Led the culture integration and values development for the merger of two of the largest construction companies in Australia and the UK. Led the strategic planning process for a corporation with nine diverse business units to identify strategic opportunities for investment and critical internal barriers to success. Served as the master facilitator for a large urban city developing a 25-year strategic vision involving ten teams of 60-100 people, each focused on a key success area (e.g., housing, transportation, public safety). meeting monthly for 12 months.

Brandon Allen, CMF™

Brandon Allen, CMF™

We all know it’s about outcomes.  Brandon is a master of transformation, facilitating the gap between uncertainty and results, engaging leaders and teams to build and execute effective plans that move organizations into action. In the end, whether it’s a strategic plan, a business planning meeting, or team and leadership development, the goal is positive movement toward a better outcome, and Brandon delivers.   His confident, easy, and fun style puts leaders at ease while engaging all participants, maintaining control of the process with strong personalities and observers alike.  Bring him a challenge with diverse personalities, business pressures and uncertainty, and Brandon will deliver you a plan with buy-in, clear outcomes, and follow-through like you’ve never seen before.

Brandon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Finance, a Master’s degree in Human Resource Development, is a certified coach, is a Certified Master Facilitator and has been training and facilitating since 1999. He has worked with organizations spanning the spectrum from P&G, Ethicon, Kroger and GE, to Gorilla Glue, Northwestern Mutual, United Way, Xavier University, the Cincinnati Police and the IRS.  People walk out of Brandon’s sessions and say things like “That was the most productive meeting we’ve had in my 20 years at this company.”  Because he keeps things fun, engaging, and driven toward actionable results, your plans will not only succeed to be built, but will be built to succeed. Since an overwhelming majority of organizations ask for Brandon to come back, expect him to become a trusted and integrated partner in your business for strategic planning, organizational assessments, executive coaching, leadership development, and team dynamics.

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Michael Barrett, CMF™

Michael Barrett, CMF™

Prepped, Intuitive, Engaged

Michael is a Certified Master Facilitator™ and Senior Manager with Leadership Strategies. He has over 25 years of facilitation and management experience across a broad base of sectors including Hospitality, Manufacturing, Consumer Products, Health Care, Education and Marketing. Michael has in-depth experience facilitating sessions with senior level executives, cross-functional teams, clients, vendors/partners and staff in brainstorming, strategic planning and execution, executive retreats and many other high-stakes facilitation needs. Michael uses advanced planning, intuition and an adaptive style in the sessions he leads.

Earlier in his career, Michael was a Vice President with North Highland Management Consulting, where he managed strategic account delivery, profitability and growth. In his role as IT Manager at Georgia-Pacific, he led the vendor selection and transition of outsourced services for the end-user computing environment. In over nine years at Procter & Gamble, he became well-versed in Total Quality Management through increasing responsibilities across corporate, divisional and plant-based roles.

His client experience covers a wide range of public and private sector organizations including Intercontinental Hotels Groups (IHG), Marriott, The Coca-Cola Company, Centers for Disease Control, Thompson Publishing, Georgia-Pacific, Mariner Healthcare (now Sava), and over two dozen national and local non-profits. He has led several small-to-midsized clients through workshops designed to navigate the unique challenges they face at the various inflection points of growth.

Michael is a long-standing board member of eScholar, a market leader in longitudinal student data. He is a certified professional facilitator through the International Association of Facilitators and has taught facilitation for both internal and client organizations. Michael received his B.A. from the University of South Florida.

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Dorothea Brennan, CMF™

Dorothea Brennan, CMF™

Experienced, Insightful, Nimble

Dorothea Brennan is a core team facilitator for Leadership Strategies and a Certified Master Facilitator™ by the International Institute for Facilitation. Experienced in project management and process improvement and a former executive at large financial institutions, Dorothea is an award-winning facilitator, leader, and public service advocate. In 2013, Dorothea was honored by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) with industry awards for her facilitation achievements in the utility industry. She is also a Certified Process Master by Hammer and Company.

Highly experienced in various types of decision-making, problem-solving and team-building sessions, Dorothea has facilitated and co-facilitated large strategic planning efforts. Most notably, Dorothea worked with utility management and union members at United Illuminating to develop and implement a safety strategic plan. The approach and significant improvement in safety performance earned her the prestigious Platinum Impact Award by the IAF.

Dorothea’s management and facilitation experience spans several industries, including financial services, utilities, consulting, and the public sector. Her extensive banking background includes serving as a Senior Vice President at People’s Bank, now People’s United, where she managed Connecticut’s largest mortgage business and developed a profitability management system while in the financial division. Dorothea was also a Senior Consultant and Manager at KPMG.

Dorothea has served as a member of the Board of Directors for multiple federal, state and municipal boards, a non-profit hospital and numerous arts organization, including the State of Connecticut’s Board of Governors for Higher Education. Her involvement in community activities also includes facilitating and presenting to numerous corporate boards, cross-functional teams, vendors/partners, and staff.

Dorothea has written several articles in the banking industry and is an active member of her alma mater. She has served as a mentor for Fairfield University sophomores for close to a dozen years. She is a retired Police Commissioner, and a current Fire Commissioner of Fairfield, CT.

Dorothea holds a Master of Arts from Fairfield University’s Graduate School of Corporate and Political Communication and a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University of New Orleans, LA, where she graduated with honors. She spent her junior year at the John Felice Rome Center in Italy and has traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America.

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Steve Bush, CMF™

Steve Bush, CMF™

As a Certified Master Facilitator™ (CMF™), and experienced performance coach, Steve helps lead – fast paced meetings that engage teams, reach solid decisions, inspire action, and achieve real world results. His unique style and approach help leaders achieve their desired objectives while building team unity and camaraderie at the same time.

Steve is an executive himself, with almost thirty years’ experience with Fortune 500 companies in Financial Services. In addition to executive meeting facilitation services, Steve is a professional keynote and international conference speaker.

Steve is a former U.S. National Champion in speech and was nationally ranked in collegiate debate. He is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a Change Management Master Instructor, a certified Kaizen facilitator, and a Project Management Professional (PMP).

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area just outside Napa. He and his wife have five children between them, two at home, and one with multiple disabilities. He actively serves in the special needs community, supporting services for disabled adults.

“Steve effectively managed the audiences opposing views and captured thoughts in a way that everyone felt comfortable their voices were heard and recorded. He even created excitement around an intimidating amount of forthcoming change. Since this session, I have strongly recommended Steve for multiple sessions in need of very seasoned facilitation. Not many facilitators can go into an all-day session with very little knowledge, short notice, lack of objectives and structure, and turn it into a success. I have observed Steve do this on multiple occasions.”

“I was very satisfied with the session and felt it was a structured and organized approach to achieving our purpose. It’s very obvious that Steve cared about our group and valued all of our input. Steve put time and energy into not only the session itself but the planning and preparation. We had a clear understanding of the agenda and what we were hoping to achieve in the session.”

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Lisa Caine, CMF™

Lisa Caine, CMF™

Inclusive, Insightful, Designed

Lisa Caine is a business management consultant specializing in the provision of high-level facilitation, training design and delivery, board evaluations, and executive coaching. She empowers leaders to excel in their strategic goals – personal and professional.

Lisa holds international qualifications and representative roles in facilitation and executive coaching and is highly sought after for her specialist expertise and ability to drive valued outcomes for boards, executives, and teams. This is particularly evident in complex stakeholder workshops where there are tensions in relationships, interests, and outcomes. Her 1:1 and group coaching sessions are defined by the nuances that only masterful coaching techniques can bring – the ability to listen and to ask powerful questions that evoke discovery and get to the WHO of the client, not just the What.

Lisa’s extensive pedigree in the delivery of major outcomes to boards, executives, and senior managers across public, private, and not-for-profit organizations is a testament to her reputation and commitment to staying relevant to her clients’ needs. Her perception and awareness of critical business strategies are informed by a well-developed practical knowledge through wide executive experience and relevant post-graduate and professional qualifications in business, public policy, strategy, leadership, governance, communications, and human resource management. Her vocational qualifications are a continuous pursuit of excellence as Lisa commits to her own professional enhancement weekly through active exposure to international alumni forums, stretch for higher qualifications, and the investment of having her own executive coaches.

Lisa has been an executive across all three sectors – as an Army Officer, a Deloitte Director, as a non-executive director and chair on various boards, and in her own business. She is professionally credentialed and represents other organizations as an adjunct in a variety of delivery capacities.

A former Vice President of the National Trust (ACT) Council and Deputy Chair and Director of the Crime Stoppers (ACT & Region) Board and Chair of the Complaint Resolution Service Board, Lisa is a leading governance and strategy specialist to her client boards.

Lisa is Canberra & Sydney based. She travels extensively and works with select clients in SE Asia and North America. Her credentials with international organizations CoachU (NY), Leadership Strategies, Atlanta, and INIFAC as an Advanced Executive Coach, Core Team Member, and Certified Master Facilitator (CMF), respectively, ensure that she holds unique qualifications and expertise in the Australian and New Zealand coaching and facilitation arenas. The CMF is distinguished as the highest designation available in the facilitation industry – a qualification accredited to fewer than 40 people worldwide with two in Australia.

Lisa is ready to work with you and your team anywhere in the world.

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Nadine Doyle, CMF™

Nadine Doyle, CMF™

Humorous, Authentic, Nimble

Nadine Doyle is a skilled facilitator, communicator and strategist who is passionate about helping teams, organizations, and partners connect and think better together. From five-member leadership teams striving to build culture and manage change, to 100-person national summits charged with large-scale societal goals, Nadine works hand-in-hand with her clients to foster authentic dialogue that breaks down barriers to empowerment, commitment, and productive action.

As a Certified Master Facilitator (, CMF™) with the International Association of Facilitators, Nadine works with clients across sectors, with an emphasis on public health, healthcare, and community-based organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics. Nadine offers extensive experience in:

Virtual facilitation Strategic and action planning and prioritization Change management Process improvement Team and culture development

Nadine has spent 15 years leading strategic partnerships and communications, program management, and policy initiatives across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Her career includes nearly a decade of specialized experience at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she designed and facilitated partnership initiatives, led policy offices, and directly served state and local governments. Additionally, she has managed employee communications and media relations at a Fortune 100 telecommunications firm and engaged in both domestic and global nonprofit management and marketing.

In her spare time, Nadine serves on the board of directors of the Southeast Association of Facilitators, directs parent engagement initiatives for her son’s preschool, and is training to facilitate online cross-cultural education programs for young adults around the world.

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Diana Gurwicz, CMF™

Diana Gurwicz, CMF™

Over the past 25 years, Diana has helped clients all over the world in varying industries improve their performance, invigorate their organizations, and streamline their processes to not only win, but to change the game in their respective environments.

Diana has been working with Leadership Strategies, Inc. as a core team member and trainer of facilitation skills since 2009.   In her role as a core team member and a CMF, Diana has facilitated numerous sessions including conferences, strategy sessions, focus groups, process improvement workouts, business analysis sessions and training workshops for private and public-sector clients as well as non-profits.  Diana leverages her background as a high-level management consultant with McKinsey and her Wharton MBA to ensure that clients get ideal outcomes from every facilitated session, a consensus driven process that delivers best in class results.

Board Level Retreats

Diana has created engaging sessions that both engage and instruct on some of the most pressing topics in the industry today including conflict resolution, organizational effectiveness, diversity, and performance management.   Clients demand her services to design and deliver global symposiums that bridge political, functional, and divisional boundaries to tether groups together and deliver against a common vision.

Clients include:

BASF BDP International Curacao Airport Partners IRC Global Partners IEEE (Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers) Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Pfizer State Bar of Georgia Consumer Products

Diana has worked in the consumer products industry on projects ranging from product development to packaging design.  She has facilitated numerous sessions that challenge groups to think creatively and explore existing and future customer needs and desires in distinctive ways.  Diana’s background in competitive intelligence helps deliver opportunities with sustainable market advantage.  Diana employs facilitation to disclose the gaps in thinking so the pitfalls can be addressed and the organization can move forward on a realistic path to delight the customer.

Clients include:

International Paper JoFit Apparel Levi Strauss & Co. Kellogg Foods Kikkoman Foods Novus Roche Pharmaceuticals Sunbeam Issue Resolution

Since change is constant, all organizations experience conflict at times throughout their existence.  Some conflicts are rooted in directional disputes of where to take the company, while others are relegated to conflicts that occur between different key members of the organization.  Diana can engage employees at all levels and from all background to inspire trust, release tension and explore common ground as the foundation of lasting consensus with all participants.  Her techniques and insightful exercises promote collaboration among dissimilar groups with distinct agendas.  Diana employs emotional intelligence in her facilitation process to enable all sides to be heard and inspires confidence in the process.  The result are clear…best practice solutions that keep the organization moving forward.

Clients include:

BDP International Foley & Cox Honeywell IRC Global Partners JoFit Apparel Lion Brand Yarn MITRE National Medical Association Hines Real Estate NYU Wellness and Crisis Prevention Synergy Medical Corporation Yale Health System Vaniam Group Organizational Effectiveness

The workplace has never been more volatile than today, when productivity demands are the highest they’ve ever been, and the need to recruit and retain people with greater technical skills can bring workplace dynamics that are extremely challenging.  Diana has facilitated organizations across many industries to improve their working relationships, define processes and procedures that deliver expertly on the needs of existing and future customers and focus everyone on the most important goals of the organization.   She has performed a significant amount of facilitation and consulting work in organizational restructuring, winning the war for talent and increasing diversity in the workplace.

“We were very pleased with the professionalism and the guidance that Diana provided before, during and after the session.  In fact, we hired her back 4 more times to conduct sessions that would flesh out our Women’s Network initiatives into firm-wide programs and create compelling communication messages to broadcast our new focus on women’s concerns throughout the firm.”

Clients include:

AstraZeneca Church & Dwight Glaxo Smithkline Beecham Fish and Wildlife Association Foley & Cox Hines Real Estate Hiscox Insurance IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Johnson & Johnson Lion Brand Yarn Medical University of South Carolina Synteract HCR Vaniam Group VSE Corp. XR Trading Manufacturing

Leveraging both her technology development background and her management training, Diana has provided both short term and long-term assistance to companies in all facets of the supply chain.   Diana is certified by APICS in Production and Inventory Management and Integrated Resource Management.  She has worked with several Baldridge Award winning clients and has solid experience with Kanban technology driven just in time inventory solutions.  Diana has helped many clients find operational efficiencies throughout their organization utilizing creative applications of best practices such as reverse auctions, work-out sessions, and war games analysis.

Clients include:

BASF Baxter Pharmaceuticals Bay Networks Corning International Paper Kikkoman Foods Levi Strauss & Co. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Roche Pharmaceuticals Urschel Laboratories Xerox Strategic Planning

Diana is a very strong facilitator when it comes to helping companies navigate the future.  Companies from every industry, spanning, profits, non-profits, and governments turn to her repeatedly to lead them through dynamic, creative sessions that will expose their true strengths and opportunities and discover how to best leverage their today to establish the best possible future for their organization.   She brings a wealth of experience and an attitude that helps teams transcend the uncertainty of the future to charge forward and define new roads to travel.

“ Diana demonstrated patience as she worked with our HR leadership team to see the possibilities of thinking beyond the drinking from a fire hose mentality. The introduction of the Drivers Model was very easy to comprehend and apply. Diana challenged us to go beyond the planning phase and venture into the action planning phase with our teams.”

Clients include:

BDP International Curacao Airport Partners Deloitte Consulting EPA (ORIA – Office of Indoor Air and Radiation) Hines Real Estate Honeywell Jewish Federation of Atlantic County Levi Strauss & Co. Little Bros. Friends of the Elderly Medical University of South Carolina MML (NIST) – Material Measurement Labs National Medical Association Novus NYS Court Improvement Project – Child Welfare Reform Oswald Companies Penn State Health XR Trading Technology

For much of her career as a facilitator and consultant, Diana has worked with technology development organizations and is certified in many of the pre-eminent software packages.  Diana has led teams through challenging technology roll-outs and has facilitated the creation of dynamic work flows that streamline activities and get the most leverage from existing products.  More recently, Diana has worked with several high risk groups to identify and resolve cybersecurity deficiencies.

Clients include:

Cisco Systems DuPont Pharmaceuticals Hiscox Insurance Levi Strauss & Co. Maryland Virginia Milk Producers Association International Paper Kikkoman Foods Oracle Corporation SAP Sun Microsystems VSE Corp. Training

Diana is a Core Team member for LSI, and she is often engaged to teach many of the courses offered by the leader in facilitation training.  She has also created several of her own courses which she has delivered to groups of all sizes and in many different industries.   Diana brings her vast experience as a facilitator and consultant into every training session, translating best practice concepts into real world exercises that prepare participants for whatever challenges they face long after the class has ended.  Diana has received high praise for her training style, which is fast paced, flexible, and focused on the needs of the students in the room, and not on “presenting a canned set of slides”.  She is also uniquely available to her students and has maintained relationships with many of them.  They often describe her ongoing support as “invaluable”.

Courses include:

Advanced Facilitation Career Boot Camp Conflict Resolution Effective Facilitator Emotional Intelligence Environment Canada Negotiation Strategic Planning Taking Flight with DISC Certifications Certified Master Facilitator Certified Independent College Counselor (for pro bono work with high school students as a career coach) Certified Trainer for Taking Flight with DISC, Marlton, NJ CIRM (Certified in Integrated Resource Management, CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) Certified in SAP, PeopleSoft Education

                Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, B.S., Economics and Engineering

Wharton School of Finance and Economics, Philadelphia, PA, MBA

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Susan Nurre, CMF™

Susan Nurre, CMF™

Encouraging, Inclusive, Flexible

As a Senior Manager with Leadership Strategies, Susan Nurre interacts directly with clients in the role of facilitator, consultant, and trainer. She has worked with notable companies such as American Airlines, American Airlines Cargo, AT&T, Nortel Networks, McAfee, and Computer Sciences Corporation.

One of Susan’s key strengths is her ability to work with clients to determine their needs and facilitate their success. She brings over 30 years of diversified experience in facilitating both large and small workshops including visioning, organizational change readiness, business requirements, team building, process modeling and improvement, strategic planning, issue resolution, and more.  She consults with project sponsors and stakeholders, determining the impact of business change on their organization and developing the interventions required to minimize that impact. She has repeatedly played an instrumental role in assessing organizational culture, soliciting customer feedback, developing and implementing communication strategies, managing projects and team members, and developing and delivering training.

A Certified Professional Facilitator™ and Certified Master Facilitator™, Susan is a member of the International Association of Facilitators and has been a volunteer facilitator for America Speaks in 2002, 2010, and 2012.  She is co-author of “The Big Picture:  Creating an Ongoing Client Relationship” chapter in The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation and published The Facilitator, a quarterly professional newsletter for 15 years.

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Core Team
Facilitators

David Adelman, CVF™

David Adelman, CVF™

Energetic, Engaging, Insightful

David has more than 25 years of experience as a Training Leader, Instructional Designer, Facilitator, e-Learning Designer, and Project Manager with world-class companies including Disney and Merck. He is an experienced consultant to senior leadership with deep experience in assessing training needs, identifying performance improvement opportunities, and delivering performance improvement interventions. David’s experience includes creating comprehensive, branded, measurable training processes for the organization that are integrated with the talent management process, address performance gaps, and minimize costs while maximizing return on investment.

He has a strong background in the hospitality, healthcare/pharmaceutical, and insurance industries, and is an active member of the Association for Talent Development (formerly ASTD), currently serving as President-Elect, and on the Board of Directors.

Areas of specialty include:

• Organizational Development
• Learning & Design Strategy
• Corporate Cultural Transformation
• Leadership/Executive Development
• Team Alignment

Representative consulting engagements:

• Implementing a Leader as Coach training system to maintain a small training infrastructure within a geographically large organization.
• Creating and Implementing a measurable culture of Customer Service.
• L&D branding and marketing and other performance solutions.
• Creating hire to retire Executive Development curricula integrated with talent management systems including: orientation, job role training, professional development, and transition preparation.
• Designing blended learning curricula that minimize cost and measurably maximize return on investment.

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Neerja Arora Bhatia

Neerja Arora Bhatia

Neerja is a dynamic facilitator and an organizational development consultant with expertise in cultural transformation, emotional intelligence, leadership development, change management, conflict resolution, team building and strategic planning.  Known for providing simplified and experiential approach to problem dissolving, she thrives on shifting individual mindsets for extraordinary results.

Neerja has worked with leaders around the world. With more than 20 years of experience, her partial client list includes Nobel Biocare, Schering Plough, Philips, Altria, UBS, Covidien, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eileen Fischer.  In the non-profit sector, Neerja has worked with Mid Columbia Producers and served as an internal organizational development specialist at WakeMed Health and Hospitals.

Neerja’s formal studies include Management Development and a Masters in Applied Eco-Psychology.  She is a published author, and her certifications include:

Certified Professional Behaviors Analyst (CPBA) Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA) Certified Professional Tri-Metrix & DNA Analyst (CP Tri-Metrix HD) Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Culture Transformation Certified Consultant (CTT) Myers-Briggs Certified Trainer (MBTI) Energy Leadership Index – Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) Certified Franklin Covey (Speed of Trust) Trainer Certified EQ i-2..0 Trainer Certified CSI (Change Style Indicator) Consultant Certified DiSC Trainer Certified 4MAT Practitioner

What Clients Say:

“Neerja Bhatia facilitated a leadership development rollout, and the program has been incredibly successful. The shift in the energy and the attitude has been exceptionally transparent.  Neerja artfully uncovered the underlying needs that were causing resistance within our teams and has inspired (us) all to take positive action – delivering outcomes with measurable results impacting our morale and engagement as a team.” – Anmarie Wheeldon, Human Resources Manager, Nobel Biocare

“This is by far the best course my team attended. Neerja was excellent. She used personal experiences with additional experiences, theories and beliefs to make the class very interesting. She knew the material, was passionate about the subject, she taught from her heart, and she drew everyone into the sessions.” – Susan McGee, Philips Lighting

“Neerja has a deep knowledge of Emotional Intelligence and is an excellent teacher. Her insight and skills would be of value to any business working to enhance the effectiveness and productivity of its people.” – David Hurwitt, Renaissance Executive Forums

“Neerja’s message is very insightful, inspirational and her delivery is creative and thought provoking. We have received rave reviews on her presentation.” – Carol Zera, Women’s Leadership Initiative Co-Chair, Covidien

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Robyn Carnes

Robyn Carnes

Fun, Flexible, Focused

Meet Robyn Carnes, a dynamic force in the world of strategic communication, renowned for her service-driven approach and results-oriented partnerships with clients. Robyn’s broad skill set encompasses everything from project management and strategic planning to visioneering and facilitation. Her expertise in conducting focus groups, training, team development, coaching, and fundraising is reflected in the high regard held for her by her clients. With an impressive career spanning nearly 22 years, Robyn has left her mark in diverse fields including education, non-profit, and for-profit sectors. Her experiences across these various business sectors have shaped her into a professional of matchless versatility and understanding. No matter what your needs are, you can trust Robyn to deliver, inspire, and exceed expectations.

Robyn adorned her academic cap with a B.A. in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa and then packed her bags for Colorado in 2003. She was on a mission to achieve her M.A. from Denver Seminary and launch More Than Funds, a professional services organization aimed at catapulting human performance to new heights.

In 2011, she became a Core Team Member for Leadership Strategies, contributing her dynamic skillset to the team. She’s not just an ordinary team member though – she’s a certified MBTI Instructor and has hands-on experience with both DISC and StrengthsFinder.

In 2021, Robyn decided to run for a City Council position, a race that was all about people and issues, not party affiliation. She won and is serving a 4-year term, working tirelessly for her community.

Robyn’s roots are planted deep in the Dutch community of Northwest Iowa, a testament to her strong work ethic and humble beginnings. Today, she’s made a home in the vibrant city of Centennial, CO, alongside her supportive husband and two spirited sons. Her life outside of her professional commitments is just as full and enriching. Nothing beats a robust cup of coffee to kick start her mornings followed by a run with her faithful 84-pound companion, Samson. She is her boys’ biggest cheerleader, her voice echoing from the sidelines at their sports events. Her life is a testament to balance, joy, and resilience, a constant source of inspiration.

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Dr. Todd Chester

Dr. Todd Chester

Engaging, Dynamic and Meaningful

Todd has more than 25 years of experience as a Facilitator, Training Leader, Focus Group moderator, e-Learning Designer, and Project Manager with organizations in all sectors. He is an experienced consultant to employees at all levels with deep experience in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, assessing training needs, identifying performance improvement opportunities, leadership development design and delivery, and delivering performance improvement interventions.

Recognized as a Facilitator and People Leader that adjusts to meet people where they are without judgement, Todd provides current thinking and best practices to design and deliver facilitated solutions that have helped over 15,000 employees learn at any time and from anyplace worldwide. Todd is known for his engaging, dynamic, and meaningful facilitation style and has facilitated at industry conferences, leadership/community summits, workshops, and strategic planning events for clients in all work sectors for groups

Areas of specialty include:

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
• Learning & Design Strategy
• Focus Group Moderation
• Leadership/Executive Development
• Team Building and organizational alignment

Representative consulting engagements:

Designed and facilitated a virtual train-the-trainer program to enable training to be delivered anywhere and at anytime. Moderated Focus Groups to gain insight about Medicare Part B effectiveness. Facilitated a Strategic planning executive retreats to establish new vision and direction Facilitated team building retreats using DiSC, MBTI, and Conflict Dynamics Profiles assessments to enable team to gain awareness of
• Facilitated Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging workshops that help raise awareness of differences and commonalities to promote a healthy and inclusive work environment.

Todd holds a PhD in Applied Management and Decision Sciences, has a strong background in the corporate, non-profit and governmental sectors and is an active member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), International Association of Facilitation (IAF), and the Mid-Atlantic Facilitator Network.

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David Deaton

David Deaton

Energetic, Humorous, Insightful

David Deaton is an energetic and results-focused professional with more than 20 years of experience facilitating strategic planning sessions for clients throughout the globe. He has extensive expertise working with organizations to develop and define their strategy, gain team alignment, execute effectively, and navigate myriad challenges to achieve success.

David began his facilitation work in Hong Kong conducting market research throughout Asia, including 1:1 in-depth interviews, focus groups, and executive roundtables. That work evolved into strategic planning facilitation for nonprofit organizations, corporate entities, and academic institutions worldwide. Throughout his career, David has applied facilitation concepts to form, develop, and lead high-performing teams in functions ranging from sales, technology, and finance to education, fundraising, and marketing. Additionally, he is highly proficient in project management, change management, design thinking, and quantitative and qualitative research techniques.

David earned his undergraduate degree in business from Indiana University Bloomington and an MBA from Texas Christian University. He is a frequent keynote speaker who brings energy and humor to his talks on purpose-driven business, strategy, and business resiliency. He is on the board of directors for the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC), an advisory board member for the Early Music Access Project, and serves on the board development advisory committee for the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF). He has served as a volunteer mentor with the University of Virginia Darden School of Business i. Lab Incubator and has been a guest lecturer for community startups with the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC).

Facilitation Style

Energy, humor, and analysis are the hallmarks of David’s facilitation style. As a seasoned researcher, he asks questions to spark creative and innovative ideas that can be integrated into an organization’s strategy. David is hyper-focused on empowering clients to foster the best ideas and take ownership to ensure they will be successful. With a quick laugh and insightful question, the group will find they can tackle the most daunting challenges with his support. Disciplined in time management and goal orientation, David is highly efficient and productive in every session.

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Kimberly Douglas

Kimberly Douglas

Engaging, High-Impact, Results-Driven

Kimberly has attained IAF Master Certification, the highest level of facilitation certification. She is a recognized expert, with more than 25 years of experience designing and facilitating a wide array of meetings and events, including strategic planning, team effectiveness, innovation and large-scale conferences. She has collaborated with hundreds of leaders – at organizations such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, the CDC, McKesson, AT&T and even the U.S. Marine Corps – to dramatically improve their business performance. She also holds a Master of Science in industrial/ organizational psychology.

Her critically-acclaimed book, The Firefly Effect (Wiley), gives leaders the tools to build creative, collaborative, and productive teams. It’s full of stories, techniques, and insights that are proven to increase a team’s effectiveness and deliver stronger business results.

 Kimberly is passionate about helping leaders to ignite the creativity on their teams to deliver even better business results. She has collaborated with a wide range of organizations – from Fortune 10 to Fortune 500, nonprofits to universities – specifically to help them:

Determine where they are going [Strategic Planning] Improve how they work together to achieve their goals [Team Effectiveness] Capitalize on the opportunities ahead [Innovation] Engage the entire organization in the journey [Change Management]

In addition, as a certified expert facilitator and partner to ExperiencePoint, an award-winning learning and development company, she has successfully facilitated more than 80 sessions over the last eight years with 2000+ participants for organizations such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, the CDC, AT&T, Baxter, and Johnson & Johnson.

Specific Specialties:

Strategic and Operational Planning Large Group Facilitation Transformational Change Group Dynamics & Team Effectiveness Innovation & Creativity Design Thinking Certified in HBDI, Five Behaviors, DiSC, Hogan Assessments Healthcare, Financial Services, Consumer Goods, Non-Profit/Govt. Sectors

“Our CEO customers wanted to move to a more interactive format for our annual leadership summit, so we adopted a roundtable approach. The discussions needed to be centered around strategic healthcare issues. Kimberly was a key element in working with our team to establish processes, moderator training and roundtable program deployment. Post program surveys showed that our attendees deemed the roundtables to be highly successful.”

Stephen Passalacqua, Vice President of Field Marketing             

“Kimberly has a special talent for understanding the unique challenges faced by teams in today’s business environment. Her talent transcends awareness of issues and barriers to implementing solutions tailored to the individual or team. She is a valuable coach in the creation of high-performing organizations.”

Haven Riviere, VP Marketing Operations

“Kimberly clearly understands the balance an effective facilitator must strike between sparking creativity and driving results. The sessions she has led have all driven substantive outcomes that are having a positive impact on our business.”

Brad Shaw, VP Corporate Communications and External Affairs

“Your facilitation ability and people skills enabled a specialized, talented group of 21 Senior Directors and Special Staff members to come out of their fox holes and work together as an effective cross-functional team of experts. Thanks for a job well done.”

Colonel B.G. Lee, Chief of Staff, Logistics Command

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Mark Edmead

Mark Edmead

Mark is an IT Transformation consultant and facilitator.  Since 1982, Mark has provided IT transformation and business improvement services that align information technology with business goals to drive bottom-line performance and growth.

A facilitator contributes structure and process to interactions, so groups are able to function effectively and make high quality decisions. A helper and enabler whose goal is to support others as they achieve exceptional performance. As a facilitator, Mark helps guide people through a process to an effective result. This process could be a meeting, a brainstorming session, training and development, a planning session, team building, conflict resolution, or any situation involving a group of people where there are desired outcomes, goals, or targets (or where there certainly should be).

Mark excels in managing the tight-deadlines and ever-changing tasks related to mission-critical project schedules. His focus is on IT transformation, change management, process improvement, enterprise architecture, technology road mapping, strategic IT planning, IT organization analysis, IT portfolio management, and IT governance. International assignments include United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerland, Germany and Scotland.

Clients include: Irving Oil, Department of Veteran Affairs, IRS, DHS, Verizon Wireless, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Epson, and State of Tennessee. Sample engagements include:

ISO and NIST based Cybersecurity assessments. Implementation in Business Relationship Management capability Performance of COBIT 5 assessment Business Process Improvements Application of Lean, DevOps, and Agile methodologies Organizational infrastructure evaluation and design Enterprise Architecture transformation projects Portfolio planning Facilitate client teams to implement changes Strategy and execution alignment Implementation of Baldrige Operational Excellence criteria

I have used Mark in key roles with high visibility clients. Without hesitation I would highly recommend Mark for any facilitation and consulting engagements. His professionalism, deep knowledge, and results oriented work style are deeply valued by not only me, but more importantly by all those who are lucky enough to use his services.

You are a great facilitator. I had a great experience and learned a lot in your class. You certainly put us, the students, at ease and, created an environment of fun learning and encouraged constructive discussions and information sharing. Please don’t hesitate to use my name if you need a reference.

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Steve Finkelstein

Steve Finkelstein

Energetic, Engaging, Magical

Steve is an accomplished business coach, facilitator, speaker, and author.  He is an expert in strategic planning, project management and business execution having been a Consulting Partner with both Deloitte and Grant Thornton, and a Senior Manager with Dun & Bradstreet Software. He helps his clients achieve their business objectives by unlocking innovation, cultivating collaboration, comprehensive planning, and disciplined execution.

Steve has worked with hundreds of companies across many industries, including manufacturing, nonprofit, professional services, government, restaurant, software, all sizes of businesses, including Fortune 500 international companies. Two significant projects include: Strategic Planning for Wendy’s International who was inducted into the balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame and a Global Shared Services/Software implementation for Case Corporation who received the CFO Magazine Reach Award for world-class processes.

As a business coach, Steve works with business owners, teams and executives to enhance their leadership effectiveness resulting in improvements in individual performance, employee engagement, alignment of resources, and organizational performance.

As a speaker, Steve shares his depth and breadth of experience and tools to inspire change to drive results. Several of his favorite presentations include: Creativity in Business, Are You Ready to Grow?, The Right Measures to Drive Results, Execution, Strategic Planning and Process Improvement.

Steve uses his engaging, interactive and results-driven facilitation skills to achieve workshop objectives and gain ownership, commitment and accountability for results.  His key to success includes the right preparation, planning, prework surveys, workshop design, actions plans, specific follow-up while making it interactive and fun.  Key facilitated workshops include strategic planning, project scoping and planning, process improvement and creative problem solving.

He co-authored two books: Execute to Win – How Leaders Get Results and Play Smart to Win in Business. Steve uses sports analogies to raise your game and apply the same winning concepts to business.  These include preparation, being in shape, having the right equipment, practicing, planning, developing strategy, keeping score, building a strong team, and executing/play to win.

He started his career with Monsanto in a variety of accounting, systems, quality improvement and special project positions. After his consulting career with Deloitte and Grant Thornton, Steve became an entrepreneur and co-founded a management consulting firm in 2008.  In 2016 Steve received the University of Missouri Distinguished Career Achievement Award and in 2017 he was selected as “100 St. Louisans You Should Know to Succeed in Business”.

Steve enjoys sharing his expertise with others transferring knowledge, experiences and tools.  His clients have requested critical leadership classes be developed and taught to include: Project Management – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced; Business Case Development, Balanced Scorecard, and Process Improvement.   On the soft skills side, he delivers content on leadership, time management, decision making, active listening, meeting management and planning.

Steve is an active member in three international magic clubs and has earned his Doctorate in Magic. He is Army veteran with a passion working with nonprofits and veteran groups. Steve has a B.S.B.A from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

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Tierah Lothbrok

Tierah Lothbrok

Tierah is a senior manager with Leadership Strategies, as well as the founder of a firm specializing in providing clients with consulting services in the areas of planned change, performance improvement/acceleration, culture assessment and alignment, strategic growth and vision refinement and attainment.

Tierah is accomplished in directing and leading multi-faceted, highly effective training initiatives in rapid growth, regulated environments. As a facilitator, she is extremely knowledgeable in the latest technology and methodology for developing skilled and motivated professionals who embrace continued growth. Tierah specializes in making complex concepts and technologies easy to understand and creating innovative training programs to improve performance.

Tierah is an award-winning facilitator, garnering multiple honors for the results achieved through her leadership and her ongoing contribution to the field. Leveraging her depth in training as well as meeting facilitation, she consistently delivers comprehensive, customized solutions that address the needs of the entire system rather that just treating a symptom within it. The results are sustainable, scalable and meaningful growth in individuals and elevated performance throughout the organization.

2015 – Gold Impact Award – International Association of Facilitators

2013 – Facilitator of the Year – South Eastern Association of Facilitators

2013 – Gold Impact Award – International Association of Facilitators

2009 – Facilitation Impact Award – South Eastern Association of Facilitators

2006 – 500 Fastest Growing Companies – Honored as a member of the six-person leadership team – Inc. Magazine

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Janice Neitzel

Janice Neitzel

Engaging, Analytical, Collaborative

Janice Neitzel, a senior manager, core facilitator, and trainer with Leadership Strategies brings 20 years of group facilitation experience to our team. With an MBA in Sustainable Management, Janice facilitates business, government and non-profit leaders using methodology while leveraging group dynamics to bring the group to consensus. She has the ability to hear a client’s needs to prepare a customized approach of best practices. Janice combines professionalism with her enthusiastic demeanor to lead a group to simplify complex issues and implement practical solutions.

Strategic Planning Sustainability and Social Responsibility Project Planning Training Stakeholder Engagement Process Mapping and Database Redesign

She has facilitated and trained in various industries, such as AT&T (Telecommunications), BP (Energy), Baxter (Healthcare Devices), CNA (Healthcare Insurance), Discover Card (Finance), Kroger (Grocery), Solo Cup (Manufacturing), McDonalds (Restaurant), Sears (Retail), Compass Group (Food Service) and Unilever (Food Manufacturing).

With keen insight into the culture and motivation of non-profits, Janice has facilitated success for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Food Animal Concerns Trust, The Field Museum, The Art Connection, PAWS Chicago and more.

Janice was chosen to be part of a select team facilitating nationwide community-based stakeholder engagements for the US Department of Energy (DOE). She has provided facilitation training for the US Departments of Education (ED) and Environment (EPA).

An experienced consultant and project manager, Janice is CEO and Founder of Sustainable Solutions Group. Janice has published “Facilitating Sustainability Strategy” on GreenBiz.com, “Sustainable Sourcing to Innovate a Private Brand” in the Journal of Brand Strategy and was quoted in “The Business Case for Responsible Sourcing” in Store Brands Magazine. In addition to graduating Summa cum Laude with an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio School of Management in San Francisco, Janice has a B.S. in Computer Science, graduating Magna cum Laude and with University Honors from Northern Illinois University. She was named NIU Woman Student Leader and earned the Dean’s Award for the Department of Computer Science.

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Gregory Nielsen

Gregory Nielsen

Gregory is an experienced CEO, consultant, and professional facilitator committed to helping leaders and organizations excel.  He is a licensed attorney and military veteran with experience working with corporate and nonprofit clients.   He is also a frequent speaker on leadership and governance.

Gregory began his career as an officer and attorney in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.  He served as the Chief of the Legal Assistance Division and later litigated court martial cases across the country as a Trial Defense Counsel.  He subsequently served as a Vice President with Bank of America, negotiating contracts, and implementing key strategic initiatives with corporate partners.

In 2015, he was recruited to lead the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) as its CEO, where he expanded the reach of the organization to serve more than 500 nonprofits and corporations through consulting and professional development. During this time, Gregory also helped launch Destination: Excellence, a 6-month leadership development program for executives and Circles of Excellence, a peer-to-peer learning program. The growth and accomplishments of CNPE under his leadership were recognized locally and nationally, and the organization was honored with awards from the Better Business Bureau for Ethics and the Louisville Urban League for championing diversity.

Today, Gregory is a nationally recognized CEO and speaker, experienced facilitator, and sought-after Consultant and Coach.  He assists corporations and nonprofits nationally to develop and drive strategy, enhance leadership development, and elevate governance effectiveness.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctorate from Notre Dame Law School and has earned the prestigious BoardSource Certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting.  In 2016, Gregory was named a “40 Under 40” honoree by Louisville Business First publication.

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Bill Olsen

Bill Olsen

Engaging, Impactful, Consensus-driven

Bill is a globally ranked Facilitator and Trainer focused on delivering accelerated results through group-process facilitation, Creative Problem Solving® and applied-creativity.  Whether facilitating Strategic Planning, Partnering, Ideation or Start Ups he has a reputation for delivering dynamic sessions, tangible outcomes and strong consensus.  He integrates processes into purposeful, highly-interactive workshops that are also practical. Okay… they’re fun!  A frequent Trainer, he has a passion for accelerating performance.  Having supported clients in 22 countries and virtually around the globe, he serves those with a genuine need for meaningful change.

As a US Navy Commander, Bill had a reputation for tackling challenging Programs. Leading a high-risk project in 1996 he applied Creative Problem Solving; his team achieved unparalleled success, and was awarded the Nation’s “Silver Hammer Award for Reinventing Government”.  Suddenly in demand, he facilitated other programs to achieve four more ‘Silver Hammers’. As a university professor he then shared these skills in his Think 101™ Change Management courses, which were formally recognized as “the most popular electives in the history of the University”.

Consulting since 1999 and with Leadership Strategies since 2004, his clients include:

Corporations: P&G, Coca-Cola, Disney, Kellogg, Nokia, Anteon, PWC, Caterpillar, MITRE, Finastra, World Bank, NFCU, Farm Credit, EdwardJones, Cisco, NBC, Novartis, GHD-Global, EMCOR & many more… plus scores of small businesses & StartUps. Government: State Dept, GSA, DOT, DHS, EPA, DOE, NIH/HHS, OMB, NOAA, DOI, VA, NASA & USDA/FDA. Local gov’ts & Chambers in 9 states. National Gov’t in 3 countries. . Military: Army, Navy, AF, USMC, USCG branches, plus HQ-levels with SecDef, SecAF, SecNav, DARPA, DLA & DAU.  Programs have spanned Warfare R&D, Acquisition Mgmt, MILCON projects (USACE, NAVFAC, NSA & Joint), Military Medicine, Tactical Ops, CyberSecurity and the long-term capital improvement of Shipyards & Installations. NFPOs: 70+ Global, National & Regional non-profit associations, including well-known  charities in Health, Social Services, member associations and Academic Institutions.

Some highlights of his experience & qualifications:

Strategic Planning & Strategic Goal setting – the most popular sessions. Facilitator of Partnering sessions for projects involving multiple stakeholders. Facilitation of a wide variety of complex technical, programmatic & political issues. Lead facilitator of major Summits, executive offsites, strategic Thinktanks & Retreats. Professionally Certified® in MBTI, KAI, NBI, DISC, CPS, SP, EF & 7 Levels of Change™ Trainer Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Whole-Brain Teams & Applied Creativity courses. Recognized with “Master-level skills” in virtual facilitating in Zoom, Webex & MS Teams.

Testimonials:

Bill is a recipient of multiple trainer, speaker & creative leadership awards.  Clients say: “Accomplished more in 4 months than the last 4 yrs” “Achieved our 5 yr goals in 9 months” “Nailed our 3-yr milestone in 7 months” “Reached our 25 yr Vision in 9 months” “Tripled our market share” “I never knew Strategic Planning could be so much fun!” “You led us to an Achievable, Implementable & Affordable strategic plan… with strong consensus!”  “Your passion & ability to transfer skills are exciting!” ”Valuable, insightful, practical & entertaining experience!” “First public Town Hall meeting that’s ever gone well!”  “Masterful virtual meeting!  We learned more about Webex in 6 hrs than in the last 6 months!”  

 Bill is a Certified Professional Facilitator® (CPF), and a regular keynoter, emcee and presenter in conference events.  He has served as a Board member or Advisor to many associations and coach to C-Suite executives.  Featured in the FindAFacilitator.com global database, and based in Washington DC/Baltimore area, he provides his services globally, and virtually.

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Suzanne Onorato

Suzanne Onorato

Engaging, Fun, Results-Oriented

Dr. Suzanne Onorato is an award-winning learning and organizational development professional with 15+ years of experience engaging leaders and teams in transforming ideas into action.  Suzanne is recognized for building partnerships, leading diverse teams, implementing successful change management practices and delivering results in ever-changing environments.  She has dedicated her life to helping individuals, teams, and organizations develop to their fullest potential and has worked with clients such as the United Way of Miami, Macy’s, the University of Florida, and Emory University School of Law to align processes with mission/goals, develop strategic plans, and facilitate leadership development.  She has an infectious way of engaging everyone she meets with her positive outlook.  Her engaging style and command of the process ensure participants are involved and leave them energized and armed with the skills and knowledge to take them to the next level.

Suzanne’s expertise includes:

Facilitating strategic planning processes that support alignment with organizational mission and goals using SWOT analysis, development of goals and objectives, and a clear action plan Designing, executing, and measuring comprehensive and measurable learning and leadership development initiatives integrated with talent management processes DEI strategist and educator; building foundational DEI programs that result in long-term, measurable change Team development specialist: engaging teams toward a shared vision by facilitating understanding of collective goals and individual contributions, creating ownership and motivating individual and team action that leads to measurable results Facilitating change management processes that create confident, optimistic stakeholders with the skills and commitment to ensure new initiatives succeed Facilitating process improvement methods to help organizations identify ineffective processes and utilize techniques that support successful transformation Crisis management planning, engagement and response – whether your organization is experiencing an internal crisis or responding to events that impact your community, understanding the unique needs of your stakeholders and developing a plan is essential for leaders today.

 

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Cynthia Pace, CPF™

Cynthia Pace, CPF™

Dynamic, Energizer, Developer

For more than 25 years, Dr. Cynthia Pace has been known as a Master Facilitator and Trainer. Using various group-processes along with creative brain-friendly problem-solving techniques, Cynthia focuses on delivering explosive results and outcomes. Cynthia’s passion is, as she says, to “Hold the space and place for individuals and organizations to experience their greatness”.

Facilitation & Strategic Planning

Cynthia delivers dynamic and highly interactive sessions for organizations in all sectors.  She is enjoyable to work with and has an uncanny sense of humor coupled with style and grace.  This approach to her work is what allows participants in her facilitated events to bring their best to the process.

She is the coauthor of Process-Based Facilitation the basis for offering workshops and seminars for her clients to master the art and science of facilitation.

As a master process-based facilitator, Cynthia’s straightforward style creates the opportunity for the client to develop the path forward. This leaves the client excited about the plans and defined outcomes they have created to meet their goals.  One client commented as such:

“Facilitating a strategic planning session requires a quick mind, analytical listening, and an engaging heart. Dr. Cynthia Pace possesses all these qualities but makes it her business to meet in advance of the session, to understand the clients’ objectives, and to work collaboratively toward a deliberate and effective outcome. Cynthia is a true professional. (And I have been in many strategic planning sessions.)!

-Leonard, R Railey, Baltimore Washington Quarter Chamber Board of Directors Chair., President and CEO, University System of Maryland Foundation, Incorporated.

Leadership & Team Development

It is her experience as a former college President and Professor that allows Cynthia to be a leader in her field, modeling the practices and behaviors that produce Level 5 leaders in various industries.

The training and facilitated events align the clients existing “normal” and creating a “new normal” in real time. Unlike most, Cynthia offers the opportunity to experience in session, their leadership capacity, which is memorable, penetrable, and remarkable.

Cynthia is known for leading teams and employees to embrace a culture of “trust and personal responsibility.” This is most important because it directly affects the bottom line of any organization, turning an irregular organizational heartbeat into a drumbeat. Turning a jungle into a garden.

Cynthia Pace is passionate about turning boring meetings, retreats and business sessions that produce less than optimal results, into Meetings that produce magic. Cynthia’s work truly is a gamechanger.

Wayne Pendle

Wayne Pendle

Captivating, Caring, Capable

Wayne Pendle is a Senior Manager with Leadership Strategies (LSI) — a firm specializing in providing clients with professional facilitators to lead sessions in strategic planning, process improvement, information needs analysis, and issue resolution. The organization also focuses on teaching leadership training classes in group facilitation, consulting, project planning, team building and management excellence.

Wayne has 20 years of extensive technology, logistics, business and leadership know-how through his years as an Army officer and business consultant. His skills and expertise at understanding static processes as well as mastering the dynamic challenges of people has allowed him to influence a wide range of organizations – from Fortune 100 executives to leaders of start-up tech firms. He has developed a reputation for communicating in a practical, dynamic, and interactive manner. As an instructor, many have evaluated the training that Wayne presents as “the best course ever taken.” Those classes include The Effective Facilitator, The Facilitative Consultant, Masterful Meetings, Facilitation for Trainers, and The Seven Separators. His most recent project was to take LSI’s flagship course, The Effective Facilitator, and redesign and modify it into a 100% virtual course called The Effective Virtual Facilitator. Not only it is taught virtually but the facilitation principles and best practices are skillfully modeled throughout the training.

Wayne is a member and serves as current chairman of LSI’s Core Team Council. The purpose of this council is to provide a bridge between the leadership team at LSI and the Core Team Members (approximately 40) around the world.

He has a B.A. in Psychology from Furman University, an M.B.A. and M.S. in Management from Colorado Technical University and is pursuing his doctorate in Organizational Leadership. He lives in Fairhope, AL with his wife and three children.

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Leigh Ann Rodgers

Leigh Ann Rodgers

Energetic, Flexible, Optimistic

Offers Extensive Experience in:  

Facilitating strategic and team building workshops Executive Coaching, both individual and groups Learning & Development design and delivery of leadership and communication training

Experience/Background:

Leigh Ann is a thought-leader in maximizing employee engagement and improving team dynamics. She has been recognized by leaders around the world for the ability to get tough and resistant teams to open up and participate actively. She is collaborative and flexible, working to meet the unique needs and expectations of each client, partnering with them to help resolve issues and reach their goals with her positive energy and thought-provoking questions. In Leigh Ann’s podcast, Leading Better Teams, she addresses the challenges leaders are facing in this complex, ever-changing world.

As an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and INIFAC Certified Virtual Facilitator with 20 years of experience in the human development field, Leigh Ann is a skilled coach, trainer, and meeting facilitator working in North America, Canada, Europe, and Asia with numerous Fortune Global 500 companies to help leaders cultivate cultures that are both highly productive and positive.

For over two decades, Leigh Ann has cultivated a passion for developing leaders and teams. Motivated to provide solutions for the common challenges that all leaders and organizations face, she channeled her passions into creating the Better Teams Model and Assessment which includes five components, all critical for a high-performing team: Alignment, Readiness, Happiness, Leadership, and Trust. She has also founded a membership program, Forward, for leaders, facilitators, and coaches focused on building happy and high performing teams.

As a speaker, facilitator, coach, and trainer, Leigh Ann brings a sense of excitement and connection to help improve team alignment. Her individualized approach provides measurable, actionable goals giving leaders clear next steps to help change the culture of the organizations in which they lead. Teams in the modern business environment are comprised of many interconnected and complicated elements; Leigh Ann helps break down these components in a more manageable way to increase engagement amongst teams of all types.

During her time as a Human Resources Manager for SunTrust Bank, Leigh Ann developed and delivered a successful three-month, eight-course management training program for the company’s managers and supervisors designed to train employees in the fundamentals of management. As a Coach and Facilitator with GP Strategies and The Glenbrook Group, she has coached hundreds of leaders to maximize their potential by managing the self, individuals, teams and ultimately the enterprise. Fueled by a keen sense of empathy and a desire to understand all perspectives on the team, Leigh Ann proved to be instrumental in significantly improving relationships for a major consulting organization faced with a conflict between their leadership team and more than 20 contractors.

Leigh Ann has been recognized for her volunteer service, serving as the Vice President of Programming for the Southeast Association of Facilitators where she was honored with the President’s Award for two consecutive years. She enjoys riding her bike, dining at locally owned restaurants, and volunteering multiple times a week at an animal sanctuary for farm animals.

Representative Clients/Accomplishments Include:

·         Chick-fil-A

·         The Kellogg Company (Kellogg’s)

·         MARS

·         Georgia Leadership for School Improvement (GLISI)

·         JRS Biodiversity Foundation

·         SafeGuard International ·         SunTrust Bank

·         Leadership Strategies

·         Urology Centers of Alabama

·         Univision

·         Santander Banks

·         Center for Disease Control (CDC)

·         The Arc of Texas

Education:

Master of Education, The University of Georgia Bachelor of Psychology, Minor in Business, Presbyterian College

Certifications and Authorizations for Assessments and Courses:

Certified Professional Facilitator, International Association of Facilitators Certified Virtual Facilitator, International Institute for Facilitation Authorized Distributor and Facilitator for Team Coaching International Certified, Blessing White’s course, Distinctive Leadership Certified, Leadership Strategies’ courses, The Effective Facilitator, Masterful Meetings & Engaging Trainer Authorized in Wiley’s Everything DiSC and 363 Leadership Assessment Certified, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Modes Certified, Better Teams Assessment

“We worked through a very packed agenda over the last few days. But, as we learned from folks over dinner last night, the session you led was among the most appreciated and – almost certainly – the most critical. Indeed, we have welcome external facilitators in the past. However, we’ve rarely received such strong feedback on both the facilitation and the activities – well-deserved praise, especially given the very short turnaround time and tight schedule.”

~Nicole Lindsay, Vice President, Strategy & Operations, Mastercard

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Jeff Ross

Jeff Ross

Jeff Ross is a Senior Manager with Leadership Strategies, Inc. He is a certified instructor for our firm’s flagship course – The Effective Facilitator, and our management excellence course – From Management to Leadership. Since May of 2000, Jeff has trained over a 1000 people in the facilitation principles.

Jeff’s primary focus has been on developing the skills of newly promoted and existing leaders, and facilitating group meetings to discover inconsistencies and implement solutions for organizational change. His expertise has been noted by session participants who have commented on his keen ability to model techniques presented, and create an enthusiastic and enjoyable learning environment.

Prior to Leadership Strategies, Inc., Jeff was a Project Manager and Senior Facilitator with Delta Air Lines Inc., responsible for managing the creation, implementation and delivery of leadership development training. He was also certified through Delta Air Lines to facilitate the Time Management and Situational Leadership II courses, respectively designed by Franklin Quest and Blanchard Training & Development, Inc. Jeff also facilitates Change Management courses for Executives, Managers and Individual Contributors, The 4 Disciplines of Execution and The 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, Leading at the Speed of Trust and Five Choices of Extraordinary Productivity. For the past 15 years, Jeff has had extensive public contact and training experience with all levels of management ranging from frontline and mid-level management to senior and executive level management. Jeff currently focuses his work in facilitating and consulting in Strategic Thinking and Planning and Lessons Learned Facilitated Sessions. Jeff’s client list ranges from The CDC Leadership Management Institute, National Australian Bank, Price Waterhouse Cooper, Atlanta Journal Constitution and a host of others in the US and Europe.

Jeff received his B.A. in Business Management at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Jeff is a licensed pilot and enjoys flying small aircraft, water skiing and cherishing his time with his wife and 9 year old daughter Lindsey.

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Mark Smith

Mark Smith

Provocative, Energetic, Experienced

Mark S. Smith uses his many talents as a professional facilitator, executive coach, change agent, and organizational development consultant to work with leaders to position their organizations for long-term success.

Known for his versatility and ability to inspire critical behaviors to reach targeted results, Mark has worked with dozens of senior teams and boards of Global 1000 Multi-National Corporations and Non-Profit Organizations to enhance decision-making and build leadership competencies. Mark has worked in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Mark facilitates senior teams to align around common goals and priorities. Among other areas, this skill enables him to work in environments requiring the integration of business units, the breaking down of barriers to develop high performing leadership teams and planning sessions requiring high levels of collaboration. He is adept at bringing disparate ideas into Strategic Plans and aligning teams around implementation of those plans.

Among his current and former clients are:

Bristol Myers Squibb Weichert, Realtors Mondelēz International Wm. Wrigley Company Kraft Foods Europe Archer Daniels Midland AXA Financial Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation IBM International Finance Corporation Pricewaterhouse Coopers Mars Novartis Pharmaceuticals Prudential

Mark’s business experience began with IBM in 1984, after which he held senior positions with growing firms in the United States, Hong Kong, Brazil, and Switzerland. He is also a seasoned entrepreneur, having founded and grown a strategic consulting practice, before transitioning it to a multinational consulting group.

Mark is also a sought-after executive coach. His focus areas for coaching include enhancing communication through authenticity, building relationships, developing high performance teams, personal brand development, achieving inspirational leadership, and creating a culture of candor and trust. Through compiling his most impactful coaching lessons, Mark authored “Distinctions: 52 Lessons in Leadership” which was published in 2015.

Mark’s areas of expertise include:

Senior Leadership Alignment High Performance Team Development Development of common agendas to drive functional progress Strategic Decision Making Action Planning Collaboration Frameworks

He also partnered with Stanford University to provide coaching to CEOs of high growth companies as part of the Stanford Executive Program- “Leadership for Growth.” The program combines facilitation and executive coaching to drive business results. Now in its fourth year, the program has won numerous awards for its innovative approach to CEO learning and problem solving.

Background and training

Mark earned his M.B.A. with a focus in Operations Management from Syracuse University and a Certificate in International Business from Pace University of New York. He has a B.S. in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. In 1992, Mark co-authored the professional guide, Principles of Business Engineering, which later became the framework for the Business Strategy and Process Improvement methodology deployed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Mark has facilitated hundreds of strategic-planning, business-process transformation interventions and workshops across a wide range of commercial, non-profit and government organizations.

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Chris Steely

Chris Steely

Collaborative, Engaging, Thought-provoking

Rated as one of the most effective facilitators in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Indonesia, and across the United States and Canada since 2003, Chris’s capacity to facilitate and inspire audiences is proven, as is his talent for creating a relaxed, team-oriented rapport, while getting teams actively engaged and experiencing optimal performance dynamics.  Chris has been called “The Unconventional Facilitator”; doing it differently, inspiring power, passion and possibilities.

Chris has over 20 years of professional facilitation experience, specializing in Strategic Planning, Team Building, Diversity & Inclusion, and Change Management, bringing decades of leadership, business development, and team-building experience. Chris’ background includes international management consulting, business ownership, corporate VP in the Technology sector, service as an active duty United States Marine Corps logistics officer, and NCAA national rowing championship and coach.

Chris earned his MBA from Boston University, BS in Marketing from the University of Central Florida,  and a secondary diploma from Culver Military Academy. He holds numerous business coaching certifications, and is a certified Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner.

“Chris is clearly an expert on helping individuals and teams make break-through transitions from “good to great.”

“This event was an excellent opportunity for me to learn from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in business. It was the perfect pace, interaction, and information to keep everyone engaged. I learned so much! Thank you for the invitation, Chris. I am truly grateful.”

“Attending Chris’s event has been a game changer for me professionally. The information received, coupled with the roadmap to success, is way more than I expected and feel I am now ready to take my company to the next level.”

“In just a few hours, I was able to formulate a strategy and plan to grow my business for the current year. I did not think that was possible in such a short period of time.”

“Chris Steely is an amazing, insightful facilitator, using his genuine presence, offering professional input to the subjects of sales, marketing and team building. I have gone away with a greater understanding of myself, more coaching tools and greater awareness of the business community. Thank you, Chris.”

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Andrea Young

Andrea Young

Enthusiastic, Interactive, Inclusion

Andrea Young is a facilitator, planner, and trainer at Leadership Strategies specializing in needs assessments, process analysis and strategic planning. Andrea has been delivering facilitation training workshops, collaborated and executed plan development and facilitated process improvement sessions for more than 13 years, working with clients ranging from volunteer and paid first response organizations to government sector and non-governmental organizations such as for-profit conglomerates, volunteer-based organizations, hospitals and institutions of higher education.

In addition to her Core Team work with LSI, Andrea is currently working with the National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS), a start-up non-profit organization funded through the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. She has been responsible for interpreting the language of the cooperative agreement submitted to DOJ and taking the concept of the NCCPS program to actualization, successfully implementing a nationally recognized educational program in under 18 months. Andrea has developed and facilitated more than twenty critical issues in higher education forums with practitioners from colleges and universities around the country.

Andrea’s professional history, combined with her experience in customer service and as a volunteer, has provided her with the skills and ability to work with clients of diverse backgrounds to gain consensus. Her approach to facilitating is enthusiastic, interactive, and most importantly, drives results. Andrea creates a safe, personal, and energized environment in which all participants get involved, are challenged, and contribute to the success of the group. Andrea works to assist clients in translating their needs into achievable outcomes. She then collaborates with the client to map out the best process to reach their objectives using a variety of methods and techniques, vesting accountability with participants to ensure success.

Early in her career, Andrea satisfied her desire to give back to the community through working with AmeriCorps in a joint venture with Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer coordinator during which time she was responsible for volunteer management and donations. She has worked with governmental and non-governmental organizations, including technology firms, conglomerates, dozens of institutions of higher education, the American Red Cross, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly – Boston, the New England Radiological Health Compact, the New England Transportation Consortium, multiple state agencies, the InfraGard, FEMA, the United State Postal Service, and several hospitals and health departments, among many others.

Andrea has been invited to speak at National Homeland Security Conferences on the processes utilized for reporting on preparedness, and her policies and procedures in grants management and programmatic monitoring have been listed as a Best Practice nationally. Andrea’s internally developed courses have been delivered to hundreds of participants at the local and state level, and she has been invited to provide these trainings to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Andrea earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Accounting from Norwich University and her Master Exercise Practitioner designation from the Emergency Management Institute.

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Our Partners

  • Autotrader partnered facilitation company
  • intuit partnered facilitation company
  • TATA partnered facilitation company
  • NetSpeed Learning Solutions partnered facilitation company
  • c3 consulting partnered facilitation company
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  • Power Noodle partnered facilitation company
  • Good Done Great partnered facilitation company
  • ui partnered facilitation company
  • 3pvantage partnered facilitation company
  • IMP partnered facilitation company
  • Career Systems International partnered facilitation company