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EXPERIENCE 

Executive Director; Innovation & Learning Center
GenSpring Family Offices LLC; Jupiter, Florida; 10/2005 to 5/31/2009 

GenSpring Family Offices, LLC offers family office services to clients in the ultra-high-net-worth space. Responsibilities included hiring staff and leading the design, development and implementation of learning opportunities for internal and external clients. The Innovation & Learning Center was responsible for knowledge management.  Accomplishments:

  •  Developed online learning capacity, professional conference-style learning delivery process, and programs for internal staff and for client families

  • Key leader in development of several simulations & games, including a high-production value board-game, “Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves”, featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and on National Public Radio

  • Lead development of a card-deck called the “KMAAN” cards (Keeps Me Awake At Night), used by business development staff to help clients pinpoint critical issues facing their families

  • Designed the process for enculturation

  • Developed learning aspects of the talent acquisition and performance management system


President
A Friend of Ours, LLC; Stuart, Florida; 7/2005-present 

LLC was established to consult with several clients including Second City Communication, The Center for Effective Performance and Global Lead Corporation. Accomplishments:

  • Worked with the President of Second City to assist in positioning Second City Communications in the Training and Development market space, helped to develop a mission and strategic plan, assisted in product development, and participated in several sales proposals.

  • Worked with the Center for Effective Performance on a specific client and took full responsibility for performance analysis and intervention development

  •  Provided Global Lead with advice and counsel on specific project proposals and on the development of some internal products and collaborative relationships.

Director of Learning and Development
Miller Brewing Company/SABMiller; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 8/2003 -7/2005 

Responsibilities for this position included, providing the learning and development support for the turnaround strategy developed after Miller’s purchase by South African Brewing, managing staff of 20 instructional designers and trainers, developing programs for the entire value chain including Executive Development and manufacturing, and integrating with the Talent Management System. Accomplishments:

  •  Restructured the function and unified it across the corporation’s divisions and geographic locations.

  • Constructed sustainable work methods and processes

  • Aligned the group with the talent management process and with business strategy

  • Provided learning interventions across the value chain, including support for Miller’s extensive network of Beer Distributors and for some retail outlets, such as running “WalMart University”

  • Supported the institution of world-class manufacturing strategy in the Breweries

  •  Developed and implemented an Executive Development strategy

  • Created new processes and work-practices in marketing, sales and distribution

  • Designed and implemented a Competency Acquisition Process (CAP) aligned with the Performance Management and Strategic People Resourcing process to create a fully integrated Talent Management system

  • Selected and instituted a Learning Management System

  • Created a new process for tracking, managing and reporting on Tuition Reimbursement

  • Restructured the corporate-wide method for budgeting and accounting for learning and development so that the L&D department was responsible for all professional development

Founder & President
The Ohio Principals Leadership Academy; At The Ohio State University; Columbus, Ohio; 12/1999 – 7/2003 

As a loaned executive (The Limited, Inc. provided 50% of salary for two year), was responsible for starting-up a non-profit organization whose mission was school improvement through the provision of leadership skills to all of the State of Ohio's 5000+ K-12 school principals. The Academy was a project sponsored by Governor Taft and was funded by the State of Ohio through the State Department of Education. Reports on progress and strategic decisions were made by a Governing Board including the Governor’s representative, the State Superintendent of Schools, The Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, The Limited Inc., Procter & Gamble, two state principals associations, and The Ohio State University. Accomplishments:

  • Created a performance-based, work-embedded, action learning curriculum in Principal Leadership built on the premise that it is the leadership skill of the school principal that is most responsible for turning schools around

  • Taught 3 cascading cohorts of 90 students over a 2 year period, for a total of 4 years.

  • Distributed final curriculum through “train-the-trainer” strategy to Miami University of Ohio, Cleveland State University, The Akron City Schools, and the Cincinnati Public School District.

  • Most of the graduates have now become school Superintendents

  • In 2004, the curriculum selected as one of six best practices in principal development by the US Department of Education

Director of Human Resources Development
Bath & Body Works; Reynoldsburg, Ohio; 2/1997 - 11/1999 

Started with Bath and Body works when the corporation had only 300 stores, was two-years old and growing at an unprecedented rate for a retail business. Was responsible for creating the first Learning and Development function, and was responsible for corporate-wide development. "The Heartland Academy" was responsible for the management of the intellectual capital of the corporation. Accomplishments:

  • Hired staff and created work practices and processes for learning interventions

  • Built a new product launch process that allowed the corporation to launch 50% new products per year

  • Created a benchmark “Brand Orientation” program for new hires

  •  Created a new selling process and sales training program

  • Provided all education and development for corporate headquarters and for the 1200+ retail stores associates

 President, Seafirst University; Vice-President Seafirst Bank
Seattle First National Bank (Seafirst Bank); Seattle, Washington; 2/1992 - 1/1997 

Responsible for the integration of multiple division-based learning and development teams into a single corporate-wide function, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of L&D interventions and to align L&D interventions with corporate strategy.  Accomplishments:

  • Managed a staff of 30 faculty members and over 150 adjunct faculty along with several facilities

  • Became the Northwest Regional Training Center for Bank of America, of which Seafirst was an affiliate

  • Designed, implemented and managed "Seafirst University", the resulting learning organization

  • Redefined jobs, created a new organizational structure, new work processes and practices

  • Created a new Career Development Center

  • Introduced a management mentoring program

  • Brought in the first multi-media, computer-based learning methods to reduce lost opportunity and delivery costs

  • Created a “Human Capital Asset” budget that paralleled the Capital Asset budget process to gain control and alignment over expenditures for L&D

  • Enabled Seafirst University to train over 17,000 students per year when it had previously trained only 7,000 without increasing the 4 million dollar budget

Principal
Wm. M. Mercer Companies; New York, New York; 2/1989 – 2/1992 

Reporting to the Vice Chairman in charge of world-wide professional development, was responsible for the design, implementation and delivery of professional development programs across geographies and practice areas for Mercer's 8000 global consultants. Accomplishments:

  • Frequently called in by consultants to work on projects for external clients

  •  Created one of the first electronic performance support systems in the country

  • Developed regional conference programs, professional practice areas, and global consulting conferences

  • Company adopted a personally copyrighted process for assisting clients in analyzing corporate-wide, cross-functional problems called “causal-modeling”; process is still in wide use across the globe


EDUCATION

Doctorate: School of Behavioral Science; Ohio State University; Columbus, Ohio
Major focus was on in depth studies of small group, organizational, and interpersonal communication. Dissertation research was conducted on Perceptual Learning Theory & Children's acquisition of language. 

Master's Degree: Ohio University; Athens, Ohio; Granted June, 1974
Majored in Medieval and Renaissance Theatre; Minor in Cinematography

Bachelor's Degree: Ohio University; Athens, Ohio; Granted June 1973
Majored in English Literature with minors in Sociology and Biology
 

AFFILIATIONS 

American Society for Training & Development (ASTD)

  • 1/2005 to present: Learning Executives Network\

  • 1/2005 to 1/2007: Best Awards Evaluation Committee

  • 12/2002 – 2004: National Nominating Committee

  • 5/1994 - 5/2001: Board of Governors

  • 5/1991 - 5/1992: President of International Association

  • 5/1990 - 5/1991: President Elect

  • 5/1987 - 5/1989: National Board of Directors Member

International Society for Performance & Instruction (ISPI)

  • 1/2001 – Present: Member

  • 1998: Master’s Series Presenter & Author

  • 1987-9: Founding President, Heartland Chapter; Columbus, Ohio

State of Washington; Workforce Training Task Force

  • 6/1992 - 6/1996: Board Member

American Bankers Association (Washington State)

  • 1992-1996: Professional Development Committee

Seattle Central Community College

  • 1992-1996: Development Board Member

Live Poets Society; Seattle, Washington

  • 1993-1997: Member