BENCHMARK TRAINING - Key Persons
Barbara has 20 years of experience as a management consultant to federal and state government entities and corporations around the United States. Her work on human resource and organizational development projects includes strategic planning programs and group facilitation, training design and delivery, and performance management. In previous years, as on-site project director and instructor for the DOL Academy of the US Department of Labor, she worked with nearly all of the Department's agencies, designing and delivering training, and facilitating agency staff development initiatives. Ms. Upston has assisted organizations with quality improvement efforts, leadership development, consensus and team building, management and executive selection and development, performance appraisal, and other skills building projects. She has also provided training design and delivery and team facilitation services for a US-German international assistance project in the Republic of Turkey.
Her many satisfied training, facilitation and training design clients include the Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, Department of Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, NIH, National Association of State Workforce Administrators, National Association of Workforce Boards, the State of New York, Catholic Charities, the Washington DC Convention Center, General Research Corporation, and the MITRE Corporation. Ms. Upston earned degrees from Wheelock College in Boston and the Maryland College of Art and Design. One of her numerous training awards includes the Outstanding Faculty Award from the USDA Graduate School in 1997. She is well-versed in several assessment instruments for performance and quality improvement.
Betsy Haas is a veteran business professional with over 30 years of experience of a solid, heart-centered focus in strategic planning, visioning and goal setting, group facilitation, training, leadership development, and motivational speaking that has enabled her to partner with a wide variety of organizations from corporate, to non-profit, to government. Betsy customizes her approach and practical solutions for empowering individuals, teams, and organizations that meet business criteria and fulfill the human needs of the workforce.
Comfortable in the board room, classroom, or on a TV studio, Betsy uses her experience as a successful sales manager, leader and presenter to create meaningful change, produce affirming cultures and empower individuals to achieve successful results. She is an in- demand speaker and is known for her "Positive Quote of the Day" column and "Positive Life Leadership Motional Boot Camp" Webinars. Her Train-the-Trainer programs for industry specific groups, has resulted in trainers highly capable of training in-house employees. Betsy's "Leadership Practices Institute" has won accolades throughout California and nationally. She is a sought-after coach for performance challenged employees for many of the entertainment studios, schools and non-profits as well as individual executives and people ready to grow into their visions.
Betsy earned a Bachelors of Science degree from Colorado State University in Child Development and Family Relationships, and obtained her Masters Degree at Pacific Oaks College. Her focus was in Human Development with concentrations in administration and adult learning. While she attended graduate school, Betsy worked with Head Start in Hollywood and thereafter became the Assistant Director for Orange County Department of Education's Child Development Programs. Her career expanded into sales, where at Child Craft Education Corp, a division of the Walt Disney Company, she piloted the first region. After six years, Betsy traveled back to her home state of New Mexico to become the Bureau Chief of Child Care. In 1993 she founded Esteemed Human Development International, which delivers high impact motivational programs.
In 1999 she was named BusinessWoman of the Year by the Business Alliance of Los Angeles. She currently resides in Southern California where she loves to garden, work out, meditate and play with her dog Max.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor for Leadership
Leaders and organizations worldwide trust Chuck Ward to support their personal, professional, and organizational development need. Dr. Ward is particularly recognized for expertise and success in leadership development, personal and organizational change, and cultivation of high-performance work environments through workshops, keynote speeches, and coaching engagements.
Chuck holds two doctorates: one in the field of communication and the other in education. His primary work is as a keynote presenter, trainer, and corporate educator for a host of international organizations and many United States government agencies. Chuck has personally provided training to more than 125 of the Fortune 500. He also provides executive coaching to C-level leaders and high potentials in the US, England, Europe, Australia, and China.
Much of Chuck's formal training and practical experience is in the application of brain research to issues affecting leadership, organizational and personal change, and interpersonal relationship skills. His research in brain functioning is enhanced by ongoing interaction and collaboration with neuroscientists at the National Institutes of Health and elsewhere.
Some of Chuck's most popular topics include Change Your Mind, Change Your Life; The Nature and Nurture of Productive Professional Relationships; Active Listening: The Silent Secret of Success; and Foundations of Authentic Leadership.
Along with his extensive speaking and coaching schedule, Chuck is Adjunct Professor for Leadership, Management, and Professional Development in the College of Business and the Graduate School of Management at the University of Dallas.
Previously, Chuck was a college professor, radio talk show host, and newspaper columnist. He and his wife, Ellie, live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Dave Wright spent nearly thirty-one years at three federal oversight agencies (the General Accountability Office; the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General; and the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General). Initially hired as a writer/editor, Dave noticed that some of the training materials used in GAO courses were not either well-written or well-produced. He ended up in GAO's new Training Institute, as manager of the writing courses, and gained valuable experience watching, for hundreds of hours, English college professors teach most of the writing courses. Eventually, he took on teaching these courses himself, courses designed for the new employee through managing writing as a supervisor. He also developed a course, "The Writing Seminar," which used computer software to analyze writing samples, and combined that information with his own analysis of participants' samples.
He moved to the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services to teach writing, and developed "Write to the Point," a 2-day course he has taught dozens of times throughout the United States, both for HHS and occasionally for other agencies. He has drawn on his experiences as a writer/editor, program analyst, management analyst, training coordinator, and supervisory management analyst to embolden his writing courses, and he has also taught courses on how to prepare effective presentations, how to train managers who need to testify before Congress, and how to develop career development skills.
He has spent 12 of the last 15 years as both President and Treasurer of his condominium association, and has volunteered extensively over the years planning and executing "Rebuilding Together" projects (formerly Christmas in April), where houses are restored to livable conditions in one day. For over 20 years he has spent one or two weeks each summer at a camp for families on Mount Desert Island, Maine, as social director and evening leader.
Dave's goals are visiting the five U.S. states he hasn't been to yet, travelling more to foreign countries, raising tarantulas, and collecting the etchings of John Taylor Arms. For most of 2011 at the National Gallery of Art is an exhibition, "The Gothic Spirit of John Taylor Arms," and many of the etchings on exhibit have either been already donated to, or promised to, the Gallery, by Dave.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Botany from Hobart College in Geneva, New York, in 1972, and a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary, in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1977. He also did post-graduate work as a chaplain at a mental hospital in California.
Dianne Sutton is an author, trainer, educator, facilitator, expert witness, life coach and actor. She has twenty-five years of experience in Human Resource Development (HRD) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) training. She also has twenty years of experience in managing handpicked teams of change agents (HRD professionals), designing, marketing, delivering and coordinating training and development projects for organizations. Ms. Sutton has developed skills and processes that enhance personal, team and organizational development and productivity. She has designed, delivered, and facilitated courses, workshops and retreats for thousands of employees. Her curriculum includes such topics as leadership, people management, positive self-esteem, interpersonal and group communication skills, EEO, diversity and cultural competency. Her recent 2005 publication is Workplace Etiquette: A Guide to Thriving and Surviving in Today's Workplace.
Ms. Sutton was an adjunct professor at American University, School of Communication for twelve years. She has been recognized as an outstanding faculty member of the Graduate School, USDA, Career Development Programs and has served as a guest lecturer at Montgomery College, University of the District of Columbia, George Washington University and Florida A & M.. She is on the Executive Board of the Washington, D.C. based Training Officers Conference (TOC) and serves as TOC historian. Ms. Sutton was elected for two years to the Policy Board of the National Rural Health Association (Kansas City, MO) where she actively worked to eliminate health disparities within special rural health populations. Self Employed Magazine published by the National Association for the Self Employed featured Ms. Sutton in 2001 in the article "When Saying No Can Lead to Success." She also served four years as an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) Commissioner of a single member district in the District of Columbia representing over 2000 residents in the community.
Ms. Sutton possesses a good understanding of business environments and cultures. She has the skills to create a safe learning environment where diverse participants are able to ask questions, experiment with new behaviors and make mistakes. She also has the ability to present models and techniques in a straight forward and clear manner so that they are easier to remember and utilize. Ms. Sutton started her career as mathematics instructor in the St. Louis, Missouri Public School System. Before founding Sutton Enterprises in 1987, she held a variety of positions at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). She earned a BA in Education, from Harris -Stowe State College and an MA in Education (curriculum development) from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Mr. Bourgeois has twenty years of experience teaching foreign languages, media production and mass communications in various universities in the United States and Latin America. For the past six years, he has been a training consultant for the Department of Defense in equal opportunity, cultural diversity and intercultural communication issues in the workplace. During this time, he has conducted climate assessment studies, developed curriculum and course materials, and facilitated scores of workshops in the above areas for over 3,500 supervisory and non-supervisory personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Services (OSD/WHS), Defense Protective Service, DOD/IG, the Armed Forces Information Service, the IRS and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Henry has also successfully experimented with new approaches to teaching diversity-related issues and intercultural communication in the workplace by using feature films and literature. Additionally, he designed a five year strategic plan for developing and implementing a comprehensive diversity initiative within OSD/WHS and throughout DOD.
Mr. Bourgeois received an undergraduate degree from Columbia Union college. He earned graduate degrees from Syracuse University, Middlebury College/University of Madrid, the London Film School, and the University of Paris, Sorbonne. He also completed two years of additional post-graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In addition to a well-rounded education in the United States and Europe, Henry has received extensive training in equal opportunity, diversity, communication and cultural competencies for the workplace.
A federal judge and lawyer turned teacher? Yes! It all has to do with a tap on the shoulder and a 2x4 - ask Jack; he will tell you. Starting in engineering, he switched to law, became a lawyer, a prosecutor, a Navy judge advocate and a judge. Now a "recovering attorney", since 1992 he has dedicated himself to teaching and career development.
As an instructor for Benchmark Training, Jack Dunlap specializes in leadership development, work/life balance, stress management, and career planning. He coaches students to understand themselves, decide on needed changes and begin the change process. He encourages leaders to identify and build upon their own fundamental beliefs and skill sets. He helps identify barriers and the means to overcome them. He exhorts students to assume responsibility for their own growth. He advocates humor and balance for peak performance at maximum efficiency. And, he urges clients to learn how to relax and maximize the positive effects of stress while minimizing its negative effects.
Mr. Dunlap is effective because he speaks from experience, not because he has made all the "right" decisions and taken all the "correct" actions, but rather because on many occasions, he has not. Leadership starts with taking responsibility - understanding and accepting one's self - giving credit where credit is due and acknowledging and working on potential problem areas.
His wide-ranging experience includes leading a worldwide legal services program with more than 700 attorneys resulting in drastically improved quality while tripling service to over 600,000 cases per year; teaching leaders to live balanced lives; and coaching individuals to perform at maximum effectiveness. He is a director of the Falls Church JOBS! Ministry, and a founder of the Career Foundations Mission providing career assistance nationwide.
Among other achievements, Mr. Dunlap received a National Judges College Certificate, an LL.M in International Law from George Washington University, a JD from Case Western Reserve University, and a BA from Baldwin Wallace College.
During his legal career, he was a specialist in international law, working under bilateral treaty provisions and resolving international incidents involving members of the U.S. military in Greece and Italy. He initiated a Pilot Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program in the Department of the Navy and taught ADR at the Army JAG School, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. He also led the legal section development and teaching of multi-disciplinary training programs supporting the Department of the Navy Family Advocacy Program. At the American Prosecutors Research Institute (National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse), Mr. Dunlap was the center senior attorney and training director. He has also acted as an arbitrator and mediator in business and personal disputes.
Jerry Francis is a Senior Training Fellow for Benchmark Training, specializing in training in the areas of contract management and administration, program management, pricing and costing, and, proposal preparation and development. Mr. Francis has over thirty years of government contracting experience in both the government and corporate environments.
During his twenty years of Government service he was responsible for the contracting of major systems and programs such as the Cruise Missile and YC-17 Aircraft, as well as having assignments at various military installations as the resident Contracting Officer, Small Business Representative, and Competition Advocate. He entered the corporate environment as Manager of Government Contracts for BBN Communications, subsequently established his own business, and returned to a corporate position as Contracts Manager for Sherikon, Inc. and subsequently served as Director of Contracts and New Business Development for Vega Precision Laboratories.
In addition to providing advisory and assistance services, he is certified instructor for all of the GSA contracting courses and for Resolution Trust Corporation. He also instructs for the George Mason University Entrepreneurship Center and since 1989 has been a speaker for the National Contract Management Association annual National Education Seminar. He is also a regular instructor for a number of NCMA Public Seminars for course material that he developed in subjects such as Cost and Price Analysis, Types of Contracts, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Cost Accounting Standards, Cost Principles and Indirect Cost Rates.
Mr. Francis graduated from the University of Akron, Akron Ohio with a BS in Industrial Management. He obtained a Masters Degree in Logistics Management from Central Michigan University and an MA in Behavioral Science from Catholic University. He has completed a number of DOD courses in Contracts and Procurement such as Basic Procurement, Defense Advanced Procurement (Distinguished Graduate), Business Law, and others. Mr. Francis was selected by the Air Force to attend the Education with Industry Program.
He is a member of the National Contract Management Association and of the Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis where he is a former Certified Cost Analyst. He was also a member of the New York City Procurement Policy Board.
Job Titles:
- Management Consultant
- Trainer
Johnnie H. Miles is a management consultant and trainer who brings Benchmark Training years of experience and workforce development successes. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia, a certified mediator, and a Myers Briggs trainer.
Ms. Miles holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rust College, a Master of Education degree from Tuskegee University, and the Doctor of Education degree from Auburn University. She engaged in advanced graduate study in educational psychology at Indiana University, participated in post graduate study in cross-cultural communications at Columbia Teachers College, in consulting and training strategies with University Associates, La Jolla, CA, and in leadership development at the Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC.
With a strong interest in global issues, Johnnie has traveled extensively and taught graduate courses in Santiago, Chile, and conducted counseling and leadership institutes for teachers and administrators in the Philippines and the Bahamas. She was the keynote speaker at the International Counseling Conference in Mexico City and in 1993 spent three weeks in Zimbabwe and Botswana establishing linkage relationships between Virginia and African universities. She recently collaborated in the delivery of Caring Competencies and Education Equity training to leaders in the Department of Defense Schools in Europe and Asia (London, Italy, Korea, Panama, and Japan). In addition, Johnnie has conducted leadership training for U.S.AID Missions in Kenya and Tanzania and with Foreign Service members in Malta, Lisbon and Washington, D.C.
Johnnie is known for her work in leadership and management development, change management, communications, leveraging diversity, team development, and leadership coaching. She is skilled in the design of long-and short-term training and in curriculum development. She has an extensive record of facilitation and is a recent recipient of awards for excellence in facilitation and training from the USDA Graduate School and the Food and Drug Administration.
Johnnie is a researcher and author with publications on career development, consulting, counseling and intercultural communication. Two of her most recent works, The Educator's Sourcebook of African American Heritage (2001) and Almanac of African American Heritage (2001), were published by Prentice Hall and co-authored with J. Davis, R. Giles and S. Ferguson-Roberts.
Mac Bogert is a Senior Instructor for Benchmark Training. He has been involved in education and training for more than twenty years as a teacher, trainer, curriculum developer and facilitator. Mac's extensive experience as an instructor and adult learning expert spans public schools, universities, government agencies, corporations, non-profits and associations.
His training expertise is focused in the areas of organizational development, professional development, communication skills, conflict resolution, problem solving and critical thinking skills, leadership skills, stress management and change management. He has delivered and/or designed training programs for clients such as the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Interior, the Department of Agriculture, DHHS, Nextel, Citigroup, NOVA Research, The MITRE Corporation, Sterling Software, the United States Naval Academy, the Washington Convention Center and many more.
His hands-on, interactive style of instruction comes from years of experience working with adult learners and youth. Mr. Bogert earned his B.A. in European History from Washington and Lee University, and his Masters in Education from the University of Virginia. He is certified as a facilitator in Alternatives to Violence, PACT Training, Learning Teams and MBTI, among others. He is a faculty member of the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and he is a member of the Academy of Family Mediators and Maryland Committee for Dispute Resolution.
In addition to training delivery and design, Mac is qualified to administer and process instruments such as MBTI, Personal Style Inventory, Styles of Teamwork Inventory, the La Monica Empathy Profile, FIRO-B, the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode and many other measurement tools.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Society of Training and Development
Malcolm L. Miles brings practical expertise to his role in training and development as an associate with Benchmark Training. He focuses on training and coaching clients in the areas of leadership, presentation techniques and facilitation skills. He most frequently facilitates seminars on Briefing/Presentation Skills and Emotional Intelligence.
Malcolm graduated from Harvard College in 1993 with a degree in Near Eastern History, a course of study which included a year at The American University in Cairo (Egypt). After graduation, Malcolm worked for five years in finance as a Market Analyst and International Equities Portfolio Manager for State Street Global Advisors in Boston. He left Corporate America to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. He was President of J & R Beauty Supplies, Inc., a wholesale/retail beauty supply business in Rochester, NY from 1998 to 2002. Thereafter, he started and operated several net-branch mortgage businesses until leaving the industry in 2009.
Malcolm is a member of The American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) and in 2009 he completed ASTD's certification program to become a Certified Trainer.
Malcolm is a member of the Chamber Voices Toastmasters Club and the Lynchburg Toastmasters Club. He has achieved the Toastmasters designations of Advanced Communicator Silver and Advanced Leader Bronze. Malcolm is a candidate for a Masters of Business Administration at Lynchburg College.
Margarita Rozenfeld is a talented trainer, facilitator and executive coach who brings to Benchmark Training over ten years of experience with commercial, government and non-profit entities both domestically and internationally. Ms. Rozenfeld specializes in the design and delivery of experiential programs in areas of life planning, communication, leadership and professional development, team building, culture change and entrepreneurship.
Ms. Rozenfeld holds a B.A. in International Studies and Spanish from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She also studied at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. Her education continues, as she is constantly upgrading her training and coaching skills through a variety of certificate programs, including Coach Training from Coaches Training Institute and Certified Coach designation from the International Coach Federation. She is a qualified practitioner of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and also completed the Summer Intercultural Institute training program in Portland, OR.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Society for Human Resource Management
Mr. Johnson has thirteen years of Federal government experience in various capacities. During his career, he held several positions including auditor, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Counselor, EEO Specialist and EEO Director.
Matthew has conducted EEO, Diversity and Communication Skills training for the Armed Forces Information Service, Government Training Institute, Defense Protective Service, the IRS, DOD/IG and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. In addition, he has also conducted presentations for the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Institute of Management Accountants and the Defense Equal Employment Opportunity Management Institute.
Matthew has designed and instructed Prevention of Sexual Harassment training for more than 1,300 Federal employees within the Departments of Defense and Treasury. He has written and directed educational dramas portraying complex workplace scenarios. Matthew uses creative methods to teach employees and managers appropriate workplace behaviors. He has conducted comprehensive research of EEOC Regulations to facilitate the development of the Annual Affirmative Employment Plan for Women, Minorities and People With Disabilities.
Mr. Johnson is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and Toastmasters International. Matthew earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. He has received extensive training in EEO and Diversity topics from organizations such as the National Multicultural Institute, the Northern Virginia Mediation and Conciliation Service and the National Diversity Symposium.
Nancy Rosenshine brings nearly 40 years of experience in training, facilitation, and organization development to Benchmark Training. In addition to her expertise in leadership, management, supervision, mentoring and interpersonal skills training, she specializes in management and leadership development; equal employment opportunity, diversity awareness and management, and prevention of sexual harassment and workplace violence.
Since January 1997 through the present time, she has conducted training in EEO/Diversity Awareness for the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute. She also developed a series of advanced diversity training modules for integration into the Institute's training program for foreign- and civil-service personnel. She developed and delivers a course curriculum on Running Effective Meetings for the Institute. Ms. Rosenshine facilitated learning teams for MITRE Corporation's Management Development Program and served the USDA Graduate School's New Leader Program. She also serves as adjunct faculty for the Graduate School's Aspiring Leaders Program and SES Candidate Development Program and has conducted special sessions for the Executive Leader Program and the Executive Potential Program. Ms. Rosenshine also works with the Graduate School's National Capital Training Center, the Northeast Regional Training Center, and Special Programs. She conducted extensive interventions with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Office of the Inspector General. She led diversity training for all managers and supervisors of the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. She conducts training in effective presentations and instructor development for the Department of Transportation's National Highway Institute and the Office of Motor Carriers. She also traveled to Camp Zama, Japan, where she designed and trained a cadre of facilitators for the U.S. Army's Consideration of Others program. She performed organization interventions and retreats with Fresh Fields-Whole Foods Markets, Inc. and the United Auto Workers/Ford Motors diversity consortium. She is co-producer of an innovative video and accompanying materials on an original model, entitled The Translucent OrganizationT. She also co-designed the accompanying 360° Multi-Source Feedback Inventory (MSFI) and an organization assessment tool. She serves as a senior associate consultant for Finamore and Associates and Social Solutions, L.L.C.
Ms. Rosenshine conducted a comprehensive assessment and intervention in managing differences and conflict management for the Division of Student Services of Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. She also provides training in EEO, sexual harassment, and diversity awareness and management for the National Archives and Records Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Candidate Development Program of the Senior Executive Service. She recently developed modules on Resilience and Emotional Intelligence for the Graduate School, USDA and other federal, corporate, and non-profit organizations.
As Vice President for Training and Development of NOVA Research Company from 1988 to 1995, Ms. Rosenshine led the development of the AIDS Prevention Model: Reaching Women at Risk and its companion training curricula. She recruited and led a large training cadre in disseminating the Model throughout North America, and in Africa and Latin America. She served as co-principal investigator on a multi-site pilot test of the Model. She continues her association with NOVA as an external consultant.
Nancy continues her career as a trainer and organization development consultant in leadership development, stress management, EEO, diversity awareness and management, prevention of sexual harassment and workplace violence, cross-gender and cross-cultural communication, managing differences, team building, coaching and mentoring, conflict management, and change management. She is a founding member of an ongoing professional development group focused on self-examination regarding diversity issues. Most recently, Nancy organized a multicultural group engaged in development of a Non-Traditional Leadership Institute.
Ms. Rosenshine prizes continuous learning, relies on the expertise of her clients in seeking solutions, and believes that work and learning should be fun. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Duquesne University and a Masters Degree in Organization Development from Johns Hopkins University, where she also completed a Hopkins Fellowship in Change Management. She is a past recipient of the USDA Graduate School's Outstanding Faculty Award.
Steve Potts is a professional management consultant with over eighteen years' experience advising, training and teaching senior managers in both industry and government. He specializes in strategy development and performance improvement in global markets. Mr. Potts has eleven years' active federal experience, including service with the U.S. Navy, Office of the Secretary of Defense and as a Presidential Appointee for the Department of Energy. He has extensive teaching experience, both across the U.S. and internationally specializing in finance, accounting, strategy, process improvement, and management analysis courses. Mr. Potts holds a B.S. in engineering from the United States Naval Academy, an M.S. in systems engineering management from the University of Southern California, and he is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.
Mr. Potts has performed projects in 32 nations. He has extensive public speaking experience, both in the U.S., and internationally. He has been a guest speaker in Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Italy, Kazakhstan and Russia, and on Voice of America, as well as an author and radio host for Global Business Newsletter.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Operations and Employee
Terri Hartwell Easter specializes in strategic operations and employee development. She focuses on business challenges impacting bottom line results: strategic financial planning; human resources, including staff planning and recruitment strategy and conflict resolution, compensations systems, benefits planning, professional development strategy; operations improvements, business expansions; commercial real estate acquisition and lease transactions; and facilities improvements, and pre-merger planning and post- merger integration.
Before establishing her consulting practice, Terri was the Chief Operating Officer of a major law practice in Washington, DC. During her tenure, the firm's financial results doubled, placing it among the Top 100 by profitability within the national American Lawyer (AmLaw) rankings and regarded as one of the best financially managed firms among those annually surveyed by Citibank and Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank.
At the center of Terri's professional success has been her passion in bringing new approaches and innovative thinking to executives and senior management as they face everyday challenges, especially their need to enhance revenue goals. She has both analyzed and designed performance based pay models and incentive programs; analyzed the value proposition for comprehensive professional develop-ment for senior managers; outlined profitable techniques for outsourcing services and human resources; and designed profitable strategies for surplus real estate management, designed custom workflow solutions and soft-ware applications to re-engineer processes for underperforming profit centers. In the wake of 911, Terri developed a business contingency plan - with a hot site - for redundant network systems and critical operations.
Terri has more than 25 years of business management experience gained in professional services firms, commercial banking and the White House. She is an accomplished leader and delivers exceptional results to business challenges across a range of disciplines: budgeting and finance; human resources; technology and systems; and general business operations. As a leader internally and externally on service quality programs, she has managed a variety of service quality improvement projects. Terri has managed people and operations, including real estate transactions and facilities, across the United States and in countries around the world - Belgium, Egypt, Russia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
A speaker on management, professional services, and education, she has presented talks on: New Strategies for Law Firm Revenues, Making the Transition from Law School to Law Practice, Managing Real Estate Today, and Measuring the Effectiveness of Human Resources Initiatives.
Terri is a graduate of Southeastern University, with graduate coursework in business adminis-tration from Howard University and Harvard University. In addition, she has specialized training in business process re-engineering and service quality management from the Disney Institute and Stanford University. Terri has shared her skills and knowledge in the community as a former trustee of Southeastern University, former chair of the Human Resources Section of the Association of Legal Administrations and past member of Commercial Real Estate Women.
Walter Lowney is the author of A Visual Model for Business Writing, Nine Secrets of Powerful Presentations, Persuasive Legal Writing and Reasoning and The Leverage Points of Winning Proposals. He has the practical experience needed to answer the technical, legal and business professional's communication questions-experience acquired from more than fifteen years of helping clients prepare major proposals and presentations and conducting highly acclaimed workshops. The workshops consistently receive outstanding reviews from Fortune 500 Corporations including Booz Allen Hamilton, AT&T, Exxon Mobil and federal agencies such as NASA, , the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. State Department, the USDA and GSA.
Prior to his career as a trainer, Mr. Lowney was the director of Berkshire Legal Services Western Branch, a partner in the firm of Lesser and Lowney, an Associate General counsel at the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and instructed legal writing at Boston University and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a JD from Boston University, where he was a senior editor of the Boston University Law Review. Awarded a Ford Foundation grant, Mr. Lowney completed a LLM from the University of Pennsylvania. He was also awarded a Gowen Fellow for post-graduate work at Boston College.
His menu of written communication training topics includes:
Effective Business and Technical Writing
Winning Proposals
Persuasive Legal Writing and Reasoning
Effective Writing for Auditors
Effective Writing for Administrative Assistants
Studies and Reports: Research, Analysis, and Drafting
Writing Effective Procedures, Policy, and Regulation