Tag Archives: online education

Maria Schnell

Maria C. Schnell, M.A. has been certified by Company of Experts as an Appreciate Inquiry Facilitator, and has built her practice on creating revolutionary change for Individuals and Organizations. Maria carries an M.A and B.A. in Organizational Communication with an emphasis in the areas of Leadership and Speech Education from the University of Colorado. This background combined with her exceptional experience allows Maria to assist with a variety of change initiatives for you or your organization.

A top-notch trainer with over 10 years of success in speaking, training and organizational development, Maria has mastered the Secrets to creating a life-changing, lucrative corporation.

An expert in interpersonal communication & personal/professional development and a mastermind in program design and facilitation, Maria delights her audiences with her unique blend of humor and insight, openness and sincerity, and complete generosity of self.

Maria exudes passion, and executes facilitation of change with experience and implementation of individualized sustainable programs. Maria is diverse in background; organizational communication, diversity training, leadership training, sales and development, profitability training, and individual development (just to name a few). Clients included in Maria’s repertoire; lia Sophia Jewelry, Goodwill Inc., United First Financial, and the BDCC.  Maria’s skilled performance fulfills clients need and executes transformation.

As an Expert on Call, Maria strives to pursue the mission of the Company of Experts. Maria creates a learning environment that is open, respectful and focused to ensure that your desired result is accomplished.  The opportunity to work with Maria will offer you and your organization tools to immediately use each day in your business.

As a Facilitator of Change, Maria seeks to inspire organizations to thrive through encouraging action and execution of transformation.

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Specialties:

  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Change Management
  • Collaborative Learning
  • Conflict Transformation
  • Cultural Diversity
  • Customized Training
  • Gay and Lesbian Issues
  • High-Impact Strategic Planning
  • Interpersonal Relationships
  • Keynote Speaking
  • Leadership Development
  • Marketing
  • Online Education
  • Oral Communications
  • Professional Development
  • Program Development
  • Project Management
  • Team Development
  • Transformational Leadership
  • Women in Leadership
Bill McGinnisBill McGinnis has had a long and varied career in higher education, including management, trusteeship, and consulting and training. Bill has been certified by Company of Experts.net as an Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator.

From 1989 to 2003, he served as an assistant to the vice president for strategic planning, accountability and property procurement; and director of facilities management and services in the California State University system. He also taught political science, served on a system-wide quality improvement planning committee and as a system-wide facilities management coordinator.

Bill served as a California community college trustee from 1992 to the present, with terms as clerk, vice president, and president. He also served on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) board since 1997 to the present, with terms as vice president and president, and on the advisory committee on legislation and finance.

In addition to his community college and university work, Bill worked as a local government manager from 1973 through 1985: city administrator, city manager, chief administrative officer, and personnel director in California, Oregon, and Florida.

From 1970 through 1975, Bill worked in the private sector as a legislative analyst for California State Employees Association (CSEA) and as an account executive.

Bill has made major presentations for university student groups; community college new student trustees; community college trusteeship and management; community college effectiveness; and effective trustee practices. He has facilitated training sessions on a variety of topics, including: Knowing – Doing Gap, Turning Knowledge into Action; Balanced Scorecard & Strategy Development; Parking Analysis of CSU; Balanced Scorecard for CSU; Measuring Success for Business & Finance; Development of Employee Strategic Goals; Growth Analysis for CSU; Balanced Scorecard for Butte Community College; Integrating Quality Improvement with Strategic Planning and Accreditation for CSU; Gift Receipting Process Mapping Project & Analysis; Balanced Scorecard in City Government; Outlook for Future California State Budgets; Results Based Leadership; Performance Measuring Seminar; Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis for CSU; FISH! and FISH! Sticks– Employee Development & Motivation; Leading Change; First Break All the Rules, Improving Employee Performance; Demonstration of PB Views Software for Performance Measuring ; Employee Climate Survey Presentation; Preventing Employee Burnout; Hidden Values: How Extra-Ordinary Companies Succeed with Ordinary People; Employee Motivation & Strategic Planning (Russian-American Business Training Center, Sakhalin Island); Community College Trustee Retreats and Board Development of Long Term Goals.

Bill earned a Master of Arts degree in public administration from the University of West Florida, and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Midwestern College in Iowa. Bill holds credentials to teach public service administration and to be a supervisor in the California community colleges,

Specialties:

  • Board Training and Development
  • Change management
  • Core Values
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Facilities Planning
  • Goal setting
  • High-impact Strategic Planning
  • High Performing Teams
  • Institutional Effectiveness
  • Leadership Development
  • Mission
  • Priority Setting
  • Seven habits of Highly Effective People
  • Process Improvement
  • Quality Improvement
  • Shared Governance
  • Strategic Planning
  • Trustee Training and Development
  • Trustee/CEO relationships
  • Visioning and Futuring

Frank Gornick

Frank Gornick

Frank Gornick is chancellor of a community college district in California serving one of the poorest regions of the nation. Enrollment has increased three fold since 1994 while the total district revenues have been matched with an aggressive federal and state grant program. The district consists of two colleges, as well as centers throughout the 3,000 square mile service area.

In 2002, the district was recognized by the Met Life Foundation “For excellence in promoting education and economic advancement for underserved youth and adults.”

In 2004, the college district was awarded the prestigious California Community College Chancellor’s Diversity Award for Excellence for its work in promoting and hiring a diverse administrative staff.

Campus Compact recently featured this college in its spring publication: One with the Community: Indicators of Engagement at Minority-Serving Institutions.

Dr. Gornick has led an aggressive campaign for child care in his district with a goal of placing a college-operated child care facility in every community the district serves. The district’s intent is to address the whole family’s educational needs and promote access to education through the use of these centers.

He has fostered the aggressive use of technology by forging strategic partnerships with Cisco Systems, Pacific Bell, Federal agencies, local Workforce Investment Boards and others to deliver low cost solutions of access to technology. This effort has led to one of the most advanced on-line educational programs in the state–if not the nation. Retention rates exceed 75 percent. His staff has exploded the myth that poor citizens without access to computers will shun on-line educational opportunities.

His low-key yet high energy approach to leadership encourages people by example and with enthusiasm. He has transformed the college into a district that knows what it is doing and cares about the people it is enabling.

Dr. Gornick joined forces with community college presidents, AACC and business leaders to begin the discussion of the future of education in our country. Dr. Gornick wrote an article for the Community College Journal, December/January 2006 edition titled: A Call to Action: Reclaiming our Competitive Advantage. Dr. Gornick and the other leaders are beginning the dialogue on a national level this year.

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Specialties:

  • Academic Master Plannings
  • Accreditation and Program Assessment
  • Board Training and Development
  • Community Building
  • Community Development and Community Partnerships
  • Creating Learning Organizations
  • Developing Cultural Inclusion in Teaching or Training
  • Distance Education
  • E-Learning
  • Economic Development
  • Enrollment Management
  • Government Relations/ Lobbying
  • Innovation in the Workplace
  • Performance Management
  • Learning Centered Teaching and  Training Workshops
  • Management Consulting
  • On-line Education
  • Planned Change
  • Resource Development
  • Strategic Planning
  • Visioning and Futuring

Kay Weiss

Kay Weiss

Kay Weiss is a community college administrator and has extensive experience in professional and organizational development.   In addition to teaching, Kay has served as a division dean, department chair, committee chair, and Standard Chair for Accreditation. She received the outstanding professor of the year award at her college in 1999 and, in 2000, the Golden Apple Award from the San Bernardino Education Roundtable. In 2006, was the recipient of the National Leadership Award presented by the National Council for Staff, Program and Organizational Development (NCSPOD.)  Kay has been certified by Company of Experts.net as an Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Trainer and an Instructional Skills Workshop Trainer.

Kay has been an extremely active volunteer with NCSPOD, serving as Western Region Vice President, President Elect, President, and Past President. She currently serves as Certificate Program Liaison, working with newer practitioners and mentors on NCSPOD’s professional certificate process.  She has served as facilitator for the New Practitioners Institute, the Summer Institute and the International Professional Developers Workshop for NCSPOD.

She has also served as the lead facilitator for various Campus Great Teachers Format Seminars, including Great Staff Seminars, and the Great Online Teachers Seminar and has utilized both Appreciative Inquiry and the World Café Model to facilitate dialogue about topics “that matter most” in a variety of settings..

Kay is a long-time member of the California Community College Council for Staff and Organizational Development (4C/SD), the International Reading Association, and the California Reading Association.

She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Southern California, a master of arts in education degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a bachelor of science degree in general studies/education from the University of Southern California.

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Specialties:

  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training
  • Classroom Assessment TechniquesTM
  • Customer Service
  • Department Chair Institute
  • Great Teaching or Great Teachers SeminarTM
  • Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW)
  • Workshop Facilitator Development (FDW)TM
  • Leadership Training and Development
  • Learning Communities
  • Learning Styles
  • Online Education
  • Orientation Programs
  • Presentation Skills Workshops (PSW)TM
  • Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment
  • Technology-Mediated Teaching (TMT)TM
  • True Colors