Breakout Presenter Bios
Team Leader of the Eco Project, Department of Corrections
Flore Allen is the team leader of the Eco Project. Flore has been
working with the DOC since January 2006 as the Safety Administrator at the
maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights. Her previous experience in
project management, recycling issues and six sigma methods brought
additional knowledge to the team.
Vice President of Consulting Services, CTC Consultants,
Judith Anderson has broad experience engaging and developing entry-level
employees, spanning both universities and businesses. Judy has served as a
consultant to higher education and the business world, as they relate to
young adult development. Her consulting savvy uncovers the root issues
within entry-level human capital practices resulting in measurable outcomes
in retention, performance, and engagement. Additionally, she has been
invited to conduct numerous trainings for academic and business leaders and
HR professionals.
Continuous Improvement Program Leader, Minnesota Department of
Administration
Tom Baumann has been leader of the Enterprise Lean program in the State of
Minnesota since January 2008. Prior to that Tom was a field forester,
marketing specialist, bureau administrator, Forestry section manager, and
communications director in the Department of Natural Resources. Tom is a six
sigma green belt and certified Lean Leader, and was examiner, senior
examiner, and member of the Board of Judges for the Minnesota Council for
Quality’s, Minnesota Quality Award.
Management Consultant, Management Analysis &
Development (MAD), MN Management and Budget (MMB)
Pamela Belknap is a management consultant and trainer with MAD.
She previously served as Human Resource Development Manager for the Hazelden
Foundation in Center City, Minnesota. Belknap has a master’s degree in
Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota, an MS in Education
from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Miami
University in Ohio. She is qualified to administer the
Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Work Behavior Inventory (WBI), the
Bridges model of transition management, and the Profiler 360-degree feedback
instrument of Personnel Decisions International (PDI). Belknap has
facilitated leadership development and adult learning through post-secondary
institutions and private, public and non-profit organizations.
President of Research and Learning, CTC Consultants
Terese Corey Blanck is a national leading expert in the development of
entry-level talent. Terese has excited audiences with keynote speaking
throughout the United States. Seeing a larger need after 15 years on
university campuses from Colorado to New York, Terese segued to business.
She applies expertise in organizations working with leadership and
management to maximize the potential of the newest generation in the
workplace and achieve the greatest return on investment resulting in a
prepared entry-level workforce.
David Bouchard, Professor and Coordinator of Graduate MIS, Metropolitan State University
Dr. David Bouchard is a nationally known authority
in Information Technology. He is Coordinator of Metropolitan State
University’s Masters in MIS program (MMIS) and Graduate MIS Certificates,
Professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) in the MBA program at
Metropolitan, MnSCU State Chair of IMS Academic Computing, Project Leader
for the Minnesota Center of Excellence in Strategic IT, and President, Age
of Information, Inc., a national IT consulting firm. His 25 plus years
of experience in MIS include seven years as expense systems manager for a
Fortune 500 company, faculty member and Director of Support Services at the
University of Minnesota, twenty-five years of Minnesota and national
consulting and teaching on IT issues, and twenty years as Professor of MIS.
Dr. Bouchard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, and Masters
degrees in Marketing and MIS, from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in
MIS. He also holds the FLMI degree in insurance and numerous
certifications. His research interests include productivity through
IT, user interface design/human factors, information visualization, systems
design, strategic management of technology and other areas. He has
made hundreds of presentations in these areas to regional and national
audiences.
Value Pricing Program Manager, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Ken Buckeye is Program Manager for Value Pricing with the Office of
Policy Analysis, Research and Innovation with the Minnesota Department of
Transportation (Mn/DOT). Ken has more than 20 years of experience in
transportation planning and project management covering nearly all modes of
travel. Most recently his work at Mn/DOT has focused on value pricing
alternatives as a means to manage demand and to help finance transportation
systems. He currently is leading the department in implementation of
its telework initiative created through the national Urban Partnership
Agreement. Ken has a BA in Urban Affairs and Business Management from
St. Cloud State University and a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Southern Illinois
University.
Consultant in Quality Leadership, James Buckman Associates
For over 30 years, Jim Buckman has been a seasoned speaker, writer,
consultant and continuous learner in the field of leadership in quality. For
his audiences, Jim brings a unique ability to simplify complex quality
problems and make them understandable for both the quality professional and
the novice who is exploring improvement. Jim is the former
Executive Director of the Joseph Juran Center for Leadership in Quality,
University of Minnesota and the former President and Executive Director of
the Minnesota Council for Quality.
State Safety & Loss Control Manager, Minnesota
Dept of Administration, Risk Management Division
Todd Christenson has been providing safety, health, and loss control
consulting services in the public and private sectors for over 20 years. As
a statewide Safety and Loss Control manager for the Department of
Administration’s Risk Management Division, Christenson and his team help
state agencies understand losses associated with workplace injuries and
coordinate the development and distribution of safety and loss control
strategies.
Training Manager, Minnesota Management & Budget
Linda Draze is the training manager for Minnesota Management & Budget.
She is responsible for the successful design, delivery, and evaluation of
statutorily-mandated Supervisory and Management Development Core programs,
as well as numerous other curricula.
Physical Plant Director, Rush City Correctional Facility
Steve Forrest is the Physical Plant Director at Rush City Correctional
Facility. He has over 26 years of experience with the DOC as a correctional
officer, electrician, electronic supervisor and building maintenance
supervisor both at Rush City and Stillwater facilities. He has also served
as the chair of the Green Committee at Rush City for the last three years.
As the Physical Plant Director, Steve provides the group with great assets
and facility operational data.
President, Don Frick & Associates
Don Frick, PhD., is an author, teacher, workshop presenter and
consultant on the principles and practices of servant leadership. His
biography, Robert K. Greenleaf: A Life of Servant Leadership, is a
classic in the worldwide servant leadership movement. This year saw the
publication of two additional books by Don: The Seven Pillars of Servant
Leadership and Implementing Servant Leadership.
Chair of the Green Committee, Moose Lake Correctional Facility
Kelly Hagen is the chair of Green Committee at Moose Lake Correctional
Facility. He has 22 years of experience in corrections. His responsibilities
as the Commissary Supervisor cover both ends of the spectrum: products
coming into the facility as well as waste being disposed.
Institution Service Director, Shakopee Women's Correctional Facility
Terri Hamernick is the Institution Service Director at Shakopee women's
correctional facility. Four years ago Terri formed the first Green Committee
in the DOC at the facility. She has a strong personal interest in
environmental issues and demonstrates it through her knowledge in
environmental opportunities in the State of Minnesota.
Director, Aging Transformation, Minnesota
Department of Human Services
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud has a BA from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, and an MAPA
from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.
She is currently Director of Aging Transformation for the Minnesota
Department of Human Services, where she has worked since 1994.
Currently, she is staff leader for the department’s Transform 2010, a
project to prepare Minnesota for the
impending permanent age shifts. This project is a partnership between
DHS, the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Dept of Health, as well
as thirteen other state agencies. She presents extensively to a wide
variety of groups around the state on the topics surrounding aging issues
and actions that all sectors need to take to be ready for the historic
demographic changes that will soon occur.
Senior Consultant, Minnesota Management & Budget
Kathie Kosharek is a management consultant with Minnesota Management &
Budget. She previously spent ten years with the Department of Employment and
Economic Development at the South Minneapolis WorkForce, Center where she
helped people manage the transition process between jobs.
Assistant Commissioner for Operations, Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (DNR)
Larry Kramka has been the Assistant Commissioner for Operations for the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) since March 28, 2007.
He is responsible for the divisions of Ecological Resources, Enforcement,
Lands & Minerals and Waters. The support bureaus of Human Resources,
Information & Education and Management Resources are also assigned to him.
The Bailey Group
Barb Krantz Taylor is passionate about helping leaders leverage their
talents to realize their full leadership potential. Barb’s specialties
include executive coaching, employee engagement, talent management, and team
building. She has worked extensively with clients in higher education,
government, health care, and non-profit organizations. She earned her MA in
Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has more
than 20 years of experience as a licensed psychologist. Barb is also an
adjunct faculty member for the Masters in Human Resource Development
department at the University of St. Thomas.
Director of Internal Control and Accountability, Minnesota Management & Budget
Jeanine works for Minnesota Management & Budget as the
state’s Internal Control and Accountability Director.
In that role, she and her team are responsible for training
state agencies on internal controls, developing statewide
internal control standards, and monitoring the state’s
internal control systems. Jeanine was a long-time
audit manager with the Office of the Legislative Auditor and
more recently was responsible for assembling and issuing the
state’s annual financial statements. She is a
part-time college professor, is a certified public
accountant, and has an MBA from Metropolitan State University.
Owner, Strategic Improvement Systems, LLC
Charles Liedtke is the owner of Strategic Improvement Systems, LLC, a
management consulting firm. He is also an adjunct faculty member of the
Wisconsin School of Business and a research team member at the University of
Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He earned his doctorate degree in
business specializing in strategy, strategic improvement, and quantitative
analysis. He has worked on strategic improvement initiatives with numerous
world-class organizations in the U.S. and overseas.
Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Cal R. Ludeman is the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human
Service (DHS), the state's largest agency with an annual budget of $11
billion and more than 7,200 employees. The department provides or
administers a broad change of services, including health care, economic
assistance, child welfare services, and services for older people and people
with disabilities. Ludeman is chair of Governor Pawlenty's Health Cabinet,
co-chair of the Smart-Buy Alliance, and co-chaired the Governor's Health
Transformation Task Force. Prior to joining DHS, Ludeman served as
commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations.
Sustainability Manager, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Cathy Moeger has been leading an interagency team to strengthen state
agency sustainability and streamline requirements and reporting of existing
executive orders. She is the Sustainability Manager of the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency and is responsible for sustainability of facility
operations and reporting greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry.
Founder & Presenter, Leadership Paradigms, Inc.
Mai Moua, Ph.D., is the founder and president of Leadership Paradigms,
Inc., a consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational
development and training. She is Hmong-American and came to the
United States in 1979 as a refugee from
Thailand. Dr. Moua has presented her
research and conducted workshops on leadership and organizational
effectiveness to a diverse audience of leadership scholars and academics,
executives and directors, practitioners, and students. Her presentations
have been made on a national and international level, and include
engagements in the Middle East, Europe, and Canada. She currently serves as
adjunct faculty at the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota
teaching classes in nonprofit and public management and leadership.
Regional Account Executive; Public Sector, SkillSoft Corporation
Matt Pruett is a Regional Account Executive at SkillSoft Corporation and is
based in St. Louis, Missouri. He recently returned to SkillSoft after two
years at Saba Software, serving as a Senior Account Executive. Prior to
Saba, he spent eight years at Thomson NETg. Currently, Matt manages the
Midwest territory for SkillSoft, which includes the State of Minnesota. He
is married to Beth and has two 2 beautiful little girls, Brayden (3) and
Brooklyn (6 months).
Play to Your Strengths
Faith Ralston, Ph.D. has helped literally hundreds of business leaders
and executive teams identify their talents and leverage their strengths to
achieve personal and business success. She has been featured in Industry
Week and Redbook, on Minnesota Public Radio, and in StarTribune and
syndicated newspapers around the country. Faith is the best selling author
of Play Your Best Hand, and the creator of Play to Your
Strengths system for leaders and teams.
Founder and Principal, Roselle Leadership Strategies, Inc.
Bruce E. Roselle, PhD, is a psychologist with broad experience and a deep sense of purpose in helping
organizations select and develop their leaders. He provides leadership and team development, executive coaching,
and psychological assessment to a variety of organizations in the public and private sectors. A recognized
expert in this field, he speaks widely on leadership topics. His publications include articles for professional
journals, as well as two books, Vital Truths (2002), and
Fearless Leadership (2006), which won awards as Best
Business Book and Best Self-Help Book in 2007.
Finance Department, MINNCOR Industries
Julie Schmidt has worked at MINNCOR Industries in the Finance Department
since 2004. She received her Green Belt Certification in August of 2008
after completing Lean Six Sigma Training. The main objective for the Green
Belt Project was to reduce the solid waste within the correctional
facilities. MINNCOR Industries runs manufacturing out of many of the
correctional facilities, and therefore has a vested interest in partnering
with the DOC recycling efforts.
Meditation Matters
Barbara Wulf is the founder of Meditation Matters. She received her
professional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the
University of Massachusetts Medical Center’s Center for Mindfulness (CFM).
Wulf facilitates programs in the Twin Cities’ business and medical
community, and at the University of St. Thomas.
She has also taught at the University of Minnesota. She has
been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1986, meditating since 1998, and is an
ardent practitioner of mindfulness.