Ray Wells, based in the Philadelphia region, is the president of a consulting firm that uses a strengths-based approach in designing leadership, team and organization development programs for its clients. This approach, which focuses on accentuating and building on “who we are when we are at our best,” has helped the firm capture the energy and professional passion of the people it serves. Ray has been certified by Company of Experts.net as an Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator and Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Trainer (AIFT ©). Since 1987, the firm has customized programs and projects for nearly 100 non-profit, business, and education clients in organizations ranging from just a dozen people to the Fortune 500, from the smallest private schools to the Ivy League, from single-office non-profit agencies to the largest corporate health systems. When necessary, the firm draws on the talent of a host of trainers, facilitators and consultants with whom it regularly partners. Ray’s own strengths and professional passion are focused on guiding higher education institutions and their leaders in transforming the post-secondary educational landscape. He has assisted with major change initiatives at Penn State University, Lehigh University, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the University of Connecticut, and in the growing Drexel University system. He has facilitated whole systems change workshops for the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education, the American Council on Education, and A Community of Agile Partners in Education (CAPE), a not-for-profit Pennsylvania-based consortium of higher education and K-12 members, where he has served as a consultant since January of 2001. In 2001 Ray joined the faculty of the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) as a leadership scholar/instructor. The annual FAIMER Institute serves medical school faculty from developing countries in South America, Africa and Asia who have the potential to play a key role in improving medical education in their schools. Over a four-year span at Princeton University, Ray worked with an on-going culture change program targeted towards Princeton’s top 450 administrators and managers. Among many other projects, he assisted with the design of several management development conferences and post-conference training programs on the challenges of change, process improvement, the introduction of a performance enhancement initiative, and the impact of new technology on organizational processes. Ray earned his Master of Arts from Bowling Green State University (OH) in college student development and his Ph.D. in applied social-psychology from Temple University, where his research focused on how leadership creates and maintains a sense of community on a college campus. He has held professional student affairs positions at Arizona State University, Southeast Missouri State University, and Temple University. |
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Tag Archives: team building
Carolyn Weisenberger
Carolyn Rainey Weisenberger, BS, LPN, is an educational consultant. Carolyn brings 28 years of facilitating wellness and growth for others; 22 of those years have been in the field of experiential learning. She has worked with hundreds of corporations, community organizations and schools to develop individual and organizational excellence. Carolyn uses the integration of Appreciative Inquiry, other strength-based tools, and experiential education as a dynamic method for helping clients move forward with motivation toward their vision and goals. She co-designed and patented an award winning, innovative, high performance portable low ropes course. Carolyn has co-authored From Conflict to Collaboration and the Facilitator Manual for the Low Ropes Course. Carolyn is an Associate Member of AI Consulting, LLC, and a member of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), the Positive Change Corps (PCC), and the Association for Experiential Education (AEE). Carolyn is a certified Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Trainer |
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Cheri Torres
Roseanna G. Ross
Roseanna G. Ross, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at a state university in Minnesota. She was Internship Director for the department for 18 years, and was Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence for 5 years. In addition, Roseanna currently serves as a campus mediator in the university mediation program. Roseanna’s professional publications include the development of a self-report instrument to assess communicative messages in conflict (Ross-DeWine CMMS). She is also co-author of two books: “The Internship As Partnership: a Handbook for Businesses, Nonprofits and Government Agencies,” and “The Internship as Partnership: A Handbook for Campus-Based Coordinators and Advisors.” As Senior Associate in the “Developing the Leadership of America’s Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders” joint project of the National Society for Experiential Education, Regis University and the Center for Creative Leadership, Ross developed and facilitated a series of institutes for interns and mentors. Roseanna Ross is an energetic, creative presenter, trainer and storyteller, and experienced process consultant. As an independent communication consultant and trainer, Roseanna has over 30 years of experience in designing and facilitating seminars, assessing organizational communication needs, and providing keynote presentations for both the public and private sectors. Dr. Ross was a recipient of the National Society for Experiential Learning 2006 Pioneer in Experiential Learning Award and the 1999 Young Leader in Experiential Learning Award. Roseanna received the 1998 MnSCU Center for Teaching and Learning Star Leader Award. Ross has received teaching awards including the Central States Speech Association Outstanding Young Teacher Award and the Ohio University Department of Education Distinguished Alumni Award. She was also listed in Outstanding Young Women of America in 1985, and was honored as an International Women of the Year 1992-1993. Dr. Ross taught for a year in Japan 1991-1992. She was Director of the University’s Center for British Studies, Alnwick England, 1993-1994 and was Academic Director for that program in Summer 2006, and Summer 1996. Roseanna Ross earned a BS in education at Ohio University, and a Master of Arts in communication from Ohio State University and is a Doctor of Philosophy in communication theory, speech communication and higher education from Ohio University. |
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Nicholas Holton
Contact Information:Address: Email: Phone: Skype: NicholasHolton Website(s): Social Media Networks: Working Portfolio: |
Nicholas Holton has worked as a professional educator his whole career. First as a math instructor and now at a community college as an Associate Dean for General Education, Nicholas has been a leader in innovation by design. His workshops have visited four continents, and include strategic planning, appreciative inquiry, service learning, and engaged learning techniques. He is sought out as an invited speaker and his keynote and other presentations draw an international audience. Nicholas’ appreciative inquiry teams work with small nonprofits and whole community colleges. He conducted an Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Workshop (AIFT) in Perth, Australia and his clients are located all over the world including: Scotland, Chile and India. His professional passions include anything that helps people improve the human condition. He is committed to this also in he personal life as he sits on several nonprofit boards and volunteers regularly at community events.
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Linda Watkins
Linda Watkins has been associated with community colleges for 20 years. She currently serves as President of San Jacinto College South in Houston, Texas. Before becoming President, Linda taught on all levels from middle school through graduate school. She has served in various administrative roles, including department chair, dean, Vice President of Instruction, and Vice President of Student Services. Linda has been certified by Company of Experts.net as an Appreciate Inquiry Facilitator. She works with many local organizations in the areas of planning and organizational change. Linda holds a doctoral degree in Secondary and Higher Education, a masters degree in sociology, and a bachelor of arts in language studies. She works with groups to bring about change through systematic planning and by building upon the strengths of individuals and institutions. |
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Kristen Crusoe
Dr. Kristen Crusoe is a Professor of Nursing, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse, and Appreciative Inquiry facilitator. Kristen is also an Organization Development practitioner specializing in Whole System Design through team-building, collaboration, communication, and relationship-based change. Kristen has roots in both Education and Healthcare and is successful leading change in both of these highly complex and turbulent arenas. She has experience as a facilitator, practitioner, teacher, department chair, manager, and director in healthcare organizations, community college, and university environments. The major focus of Kristen’s current practice includes using Appreciative Inquiry as a Change and Quality Improvement model for healthcare and education. She has lead initiatives for cultural excellence in healthcare and educational organizations including strategic planning, leadership development, quality improvement initiatives, and change management. Kristen is skilled in the art of appreciative reframing, leveraging opportunities, and collaborative relationship building. Kristen has a BA from Florida State University, a Master’s of Nursing from Oregon Health Sciences University, and a Doctor of Education from Oregon State University. She is a Certified Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator with the Company of Experts. She is also a Certified Dance Therapist and Yoga teacher. Kristen lives both on the Oregon Coast and in Pensacola, Florida. |
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Sue Tsuda
Sue Tsuda has experience in the complementary arenas of local government and community colleges. Sue has served in staff positions in local government ranging from intern to city manager in Oregon and California. She also has served as an appointed and as an elected official including city council. Her experience in education includes coordinating programs in CalWORKs, Workforce Development, Student Support Services, career and transfer planning, providing instruction in student success, life skills, workplace skills, career planning, tutor training, history, and government. She also is a successful grant writer. Land use planning and economic development are particular areas of interest. Ms. Tsuda has her Masters degree in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach and a Bachelors degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton. She also has a certificate in Urban Planning from University of California Extension, at Irvine and post-graduate work toward another Masters Degree in Urban Planning at Cal-Poly, Pomona. Sue came into local government as a volunteer with the League of Women Voters and later went to work in the field she loves. Her greatest compensation is the opportunity to help others help themselves. The day she was hired as the first Town Manager of Yucca Valley, CA, the town experienced a 7.6 earthquake. The silver lining was the law that allows a fast track to formation of a Redevelopment Agency that is useful as an economic development tool. Ms. Tsuda’s career has provided broad experience in both local government and community college issues and opportunities. |
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Nancy Stetson
Nancy E. Stetson, Ed.D., was the founding president of Company of Experts.net (COE.net), a highly successful firm she founded in 1989 primarily to serve the professional and organizational needs of colleges, community colleges, schools and universities. She and her business partner, Charles R. Miller, sold the business to COE.net principals Jim Pulliam and Kathy Becker in 2005. While mostly retired, Nancy occasionally serves as an Expert on Call for COE.net. Since 1979, Nancy personally has provided hundreds of consulting, executive coaching, facilitating, keynoting, and training services to more than 125 organizations-corporations and businesses, educational organizations, governmental organizations, and non-profit organizations-and, within those organizations, to many groups and individuals. Nancy has made more than 100 presentations at international, national, and state conferences. She also has published dozens of professional articles and monographs. She is the co-author, with Miller, of Appreciative Inquiry in the Community College: Early Stories of Success, published in 2004 by the League for Innovation in the Community College; and author of Stories of Positive Change in the Community College: Appreciative Inquiry in Action, published in 2008 by Company of Experts.net. Her publications also include light verse, poetry and short stories, and she is currently seeking an agent for several “picture” books for preschoolers. While working as a part-time consultant, Nancy also worked full time from 1972-91 for several colleges, holding a variety of executive-level management positions including Vice President for Planning and Development and acting Vice President for Student Services. From 1991-97, she taught college courses full time. From 1997-2001, she taught many part-time undergraduate and doctoral-level courses in business, communications, education and leadership/management/supervision, face-to-face and online, at six different two and four-year public and private colleges and universities. She continues to be a Mentor/Assessor in Walden University’s Ph.D. in Education online program, specializing in Community College Leadership. Jane Magruder Watkins and Ralph Kelly of Appreciative Inquiry Unlimited trained Nancy as an Appreciative Inquiry practitioner. She holds a doctorate in higher education from Nova Southeastern University, and did post-doctoral work in higher education on classroom assessment at University of California at Berkeley with K. Patricia Cross and Thomas A. Angelo. Nancy earned a Master of Science degree in individualized studies/organizational behavior from Central Washington University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing and development from The Evergreen State College, and an Associate in Arts degree from Wenatchee Valley College. She also attended Swarthmore College for several years before taking a 13-year break in her education in order to be a full-time parent to her two daughters, Laurel and Nancy Lee. She is the proud grandmother of Laurel’s two sons, Connor and Brendan; and pays motherly and grandmotherly attention to some of her former husband’s children and grandchildren. Nancy’s honors and awards include:
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Earl Bloor
Earl Bloor has a diverse background spanning higher education, government and industry, including twenty-five years as a chemistry instructor and administrator of a wide range of college-level programs, including arts, sciences, health occupations, technology, and trades programs. He has managed major instructional divisions in colleges in Canada, Massachusetts and California, and in Abu Dhabi (UAE). In government, he has worked with departments focusing on human resources development and apprenticeship training. For a two year period, he coordinated corporate development and training programs for a Middle Eastern oil operating company. With his wife, he publishes a regional magazine which focuses on sustainability issues. Earl has managed major curriculum development projects, such as the Competency Based Apprenticeship Training Program in Alberta (Canada) and the Adult Applied Academics Project in British Columbia (Canada). Earl was one of the first Facilitators/Trainers of the Instructional Skills Workshop Program, now a major element in instructional improvement programs in colleges and universities around the world, and one of its original Directors. Earl has been certified by Company of Experts.net as both an Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator and an Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training (AIFT©) Trainer. He is also a certified Team Coach. Earl’s experience has led him to understand that empathy is at the root of every successful human relationship. “My approach to supervision is relationship-based. I believe that every employee seeks to do the best job s/he can do. If there are factors preventing peak performance, these need to be identified in a non-threatening manner and addressed. This belief is at the base of the work I do to help organizations plan to achieve the goals that are most important to them.” Earl earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Western Ontario (London, Canada) and conducted research at the University of Illinois and Simon Fraser University (Canada) before settling into a long and rewarding career based in community colleges around the world. |
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