Debra J. Gawrych, MBA is the Senior Consultant with Rice & Associates, Inc., a company whose purpose is to promote effective leadership skills at both the individual and organizational levels. She is a nationally known consultant with large corporate clients such as Procter & Gamble and Wachovia, as well as smaller local and individual clients. She has been a dynamic change agent for thirty years. Corporate experience includes Business and Management consulting, system sales, systems analysis, process improvement, trading floor investments, executive coaching, organizational change, leadership training and development. After several years of working with leading consulting firms, Debra’s focus on Executive Coaching and her commitment to bringing the idea of leadership to a more personal level, provides her with a versatile approach to Strategic Planning, Employee Engagement, Facilitation and High Performance Leadership. She specializes in growing leadership and building strong teams wherever she is engaged; corporate, non-profit, sports federations and in her personal life. The slogan of her work is Providing Powerful Tools for Leading Change.

David Hammer, MA, SPHR, SHRM and Mark Moser, MBA, SPHR, CPBA, CCP
David Hammer, MA, SPHR, SHRM and Mark Moser, MBA, SPHR, CPBA, CCP provide a full range of outsourced Human Resources services, on a retained or project basis. Examples of projects include: assessments/audits of existing HR functions within a business, review of policies and procedures to address compliance and best practices, labor and employee relations, and analysis of HR staff. Retained programs range from substantial on-site fractional HR services to minimal call support options, all designed to provide needed HR assistance in the most cost-effective way. They have been providing HR outsource services for 15+ years and come to the table with a combined 45 years of extensive HR experience in multiple industries.

Sandy Travis
Sandy Travis is a seasoned executive coach, international consultant and trainer with over thirty years of experience in diverse corporate environments and international organizations. She works with successful individuals and teams who need sustained peak performance in a fast paced, complex world. She is a Certified HeartMath trainer and Certified HeartMath mentor and uses these scientifically validated techniques as the foundation for her work with high performing leaders dancing with overwhelm and peak performers committed to keeping their competitive edge. She is currently faculty and an executive coach for The Honor Foundation, which provides executive level education for Navy SEALs transitioning from the military to corporate and entrepreneurial careers. Using her expertise in negotiation, creativity, innovation and working with high performance teams, she has served major Fortune 500 clients in the forest products, aluminum, aerospace and banking industries. Sandy has a Bachelor’s of Science with Honors and Distinction from Cornell University and Master’s Degrees from both Yale (Neurobiology) and the School for International Training (International Administration).

Melanie Tuttle, Esq.
Melanie Tuttle, with Tuttle Law, PLLC has been practicing business and employment law for over 30 years. She has extensive experience in counseling large and small companies on general corporate, commercial and securities law matters and advising on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and financings. She also has considerable experience advising employers on labor and employment issues. She regularly assists clients with discrimination and harassment claims, EEOC investigations, wage and hour issues, and breach of contract claims and advises clients in developing effective employment policies and practices and employee handbooks. Ms. Tuttle conducts seminars on various topics of employment law and assists employers in conducting investigations of harassment, whistle-blower and other employment claims. She also counsels both for-profit and nonprofit entities regarding corporate governance and provides training regarding directors’ fiduciary obligations and legal responsibilities and how to improve board and management effectiveness. Previously a mechanical engineer with Procter & Gamble and General Electric, Ms. Tuttle practiced in a large, multinational law firm and small, boutique firms before founding her own practice. She seeks to provide pragmatic advice, making the law relevant and understandable to her clients.

Cindy Valliere
Cindy Valliere is a certified Narrative Coach™ with over 20 years of life coaching experience. She has worked with individuals (inside and outside Corporate) who wanted or needed to change some aspect of their lives. Some pursued a calling, championed a movement, or continued their education. Others boldly changed careers or worked through a major life transition. Her candid and compassionate approach allows her clients to find clarity with where they are today and a glimpse of what could be tomorrow, while providing the tools and skills to generate what they most desire. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Arizona, has completed Duke Integrative Medicine’s Health Coach Training program, is a certified Career Consultant with the Highlands Company, and is DISC, Motivators, and MindScan certified.

Robert L. Olson
Robert L. Olson, Process Improvement Specialist, has more than 30 years of practical experience in process improvement techniques such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, statistics, and problem solving. Since 1999, he has been successfully consulting and training various manufacturing and service professionals through colleges/universities and in over 50 clients’ facilities. Olson’s Lean Manufacturing programs include Lean Intro, The 5S System, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, and customized blends of the Lean tools. Clients have realized multi-million dollar savings and increased customer satisfaction with step-level improvements in process efficiency, quality yield, safety performance, on-time service, and workplace organization. His Six Sigma expertise includes the DMAIC Basic Class, Green Belt Certification, and Black Belt consultation. Bob earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in North and South Carolina. He is an ASQ-certified Six Sigma Black Belt and is currently chair-elect for his local ASQ branch.