Active ESC Consultants
Sue Adams
Sue spent 30 years with IBM as a global operations and information technology executive with an
extensive record of success in improving corporate profitability and performance through effective
direction of supply chain/logistics operations, business transformation initiatives and application
development and deployment. Sue has a demonstrated ability in building and leading top-performing
teams, directing mission-critical initiatives and enabling multimillion-dollar cost savings.
In addition to participating in a broad range of IBM executive and business leadership
education/training, Sue earned her MBA from the University of Arizona and her B.S. in computer
science from Purdue University.
Sue received the Corporate Award for Excellence in Delivery Response programs and the Division
Award for Excellence in Manufacturing and Society of Manufacturing Engineers LEAD Industry Award
in recognition for her work with IBM in the manufacturing industry. Sue has also served on several
councils, committees and boards of directors, and she has given her time as a food pantry collection
coordinator for PORCH, a grassroots hunger relief organization serving the Chapel Hill-Carrboro
community, since 2010.
Mary Alexion
Mary is a retired management consultant and former Director of Data Management at American
Airlines. She has 35 years of experience in developing and implementing information technology
solutions to solve business problems with an emphasis on organizational effectiveness. She is a
Director on the Board of the Orange County Literacy Council and is Co-Chair of their Writers for
Readers annual fundraiser.
Mary holds an M.S. in Information Technology (Stevens Institute of Technology) and a B.S. in
Mathematics (City University of New York).
As an ESC consultant, Mary’s expertise is in strategic planning, coaching and organization and board
development.
Chris Bennett, MS
After a stint as a County 4-H Agent in Florida, Chris was recruited to start up the training functions of
three regional retail convenience store companies. Chris then moved into the healthcare industry,
where he supported HR Training & Development as a consultant, business partner and classroom and
online training program facilitator. Most recently, Chris has operated C.Bennett and Associates
Performance Consultants, providing his services to IT, healthcare, hospice, retail and nonprofit
companies and agencies world-wide.
Chris received his M.S. degree in Organizational Management in 2000.
Chris is a practitioner of the consulting, customer service and management skills he’s taught for over
20 years. He has recruited, developed and managed the staff of four retailers, supervised four model
training stores and led a team of eight professional operations trainers. As a past member of the ESC
Board, Chris looks forward to working on the consulting arm of ESC.
Diana Bing
Diana retired from IBM as the Corporate Director of Enterprise Learning where her programs
and initiatives won numerous awards from prestigious organizations such as ASTD, Brandon Hall and
SHRM. Her career with IBM encompassed extensive worldwide managerial and executive experience
in sales, marketing, coaching and service delivery. Her positions at the company included stints as:
Director of Industry Marketing/Communications, Director of Retail Solutions/Applications Solutions,
Executive Assistant to the GM and Corporate VP of the Application Solutions Division, Branch
Manager of a Manufacturing and Distribution Branch Office and a Regional Manager for Product
Marketing Programs.
Diana earned her Master of Arts in Psychology and Counseling, as well as a Master’s in Education,
from Columbia University, NY. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and co-author of
Intelligent Mentoring: How IBM Creates Value through People, Knowledge and Relationships.
Diana’s experience with ESC has been primarily with board retreats and coaching, as well as leading
board development and organizational assessment engagements.
Brian Breneman
As a technical executive with strong business and analytical skills, Brian has years of experience
working for technology companies across the country. He is currently working for Eagle Software
Corp. as CTO and partner and previously worked for FiPath and BiMedical.net in a similar capacity.
Brian has also worked for small and medium-sized businesses, state governments and Fortune 500
companies as founder of The Breneman Group, his independent software and IT consulting business.
Brian has over 20 years of experience in management and technology consulting, entrepreneurship
and project management.
Brian completed coursework in electrical engineering, music performance and liberal arts before
receiving his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.
George P. Cahill, CPA
George is a management consultant with over 21 years of professional experience providing full- and
part-time CFO/VP Finance/Controller services and hands-on business consulting for companies, both
public and private, and nonprofits. George’s financial, accounting and entrepreneurial experience has
assisted companies with financings in both public and private markets, mergers and acquisitions, duediligence situations, reporting and control, operations analysis, modeling and forecasts,
cash/bank/investment management, investor relations/SEC filings, taxes, audits, risk management
and employee benefit programs. He is experienced in leading activities and building capacity in
software, technology, construction, distribution, service, retail, utility and community service
environments.
George is a CPA in the state of North Carolina and has “Big 4” audit experience with Deloitte & Touché
in Charlotte and Raleigh. He received his MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, and, in addition
to his finance and accounting background, George has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, also from
Duke.
George joined ESC in September of 2012 and looks forward to working on multiple types of
engagements.
Richard G. "Dick" Cashwell
Dick spent most of his career at a major university in undergraduate admissions. During that time, he
was Chair or President of various professional organizations. He also spent time working for ETS, the
National Merit Corp and the Morehead Scholars programs selecting new scholars. He has been on
various boards and trustee bodies and has been a consultant for the US Department of State's Office
of Overseas Schools. He served on active and reserve duty with the USMC and retired as a Colonel.
Dick has degrees from UNC and Duke and is a graduate of the Kenan-Flagler School of Business
Executive Program.
Dick has been consulting for ESC since April 2008. He has served as a consultant for board retreats,
board development and strategic plans.
Perry Colwell
Perry is a community volunteer with extensive nonprofit experience. He serves on the board of the
Triangle Community Foundation and is a member of the Philanthropic Services, Nominating and
Governance, Audit and Community Grants Committees. He also serves on the finance committees of
Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, the Center for Chill & Family Health and the NC
Therapeutic Riding Center. His past activities have included serving as board member and past chair
for the Center for Child and Family Health, board member and treasurer for The Women’s Center in
Chapel Hill, board member and treasurer for the NC Museum of Life and Science, board member and
interim chair of the National Advisory Board for the Ackland Art Museum at UNC and board member,
treasurer and chair of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina. Perry received the 2009
Excellence in Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fund Raising Professionals and the
Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service in 2012.
Perry has been very active in ESC for a number of years as a board member, past chair, client
relationship manager and consultant. His ESC consulting work has primarily focused on helping
nonprofits with board governance, leadership and planning matters. He has worked with more than
40 nonprofits during his years with ESC.
Perry retired from AT&T as Senior Vice President – Financial Management at corporate headquarters
after a career in operations and finance. He is a motorcycle and sports car enthusiast, and he and his
wife Betty love to travel.
John Constance
John has a communications background and has experience with nonprofits through his prior position
at Legal Services Corporation in Washington, DC. His position at LSC involved being responsible for all
liaison activities with the media and the U.S. Congress on behalf of the corporation. John’s career also
included holding esteemed director positions at the National Archives and Records Administration.
John is currently volunteering as a teacher/mock interviewer for StepUp Ministry in Raleigh.
John received his B.A. in government from the College of William and Mary and his MPA from the
George Washington University.
John joined ESC in 2013. He has previously developed a board self-assessment tool and is well-versed
in crisis management.
Sholeh Dadressan
As an experienced human resources professional, Sholeh specializes in corporate recruiting. As the
talent acquisition leader for the Global Talent Center of Excellence at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sholeh
works to identify and recruit key executive talent. Sholeh is certified as a GSK Job Plus Coach and
serves as an internal coach for GSK leaders. Sholeh’s past experience in human resources has
included positions in several corporations, where she executed full-circle recruiting efforts, from
candidate identification and vetting to offer extension and negotiation. Sholeh also developed
diversity outreach initiatives and talent rotational programs, in addition to consulting in recruiting
strategy and internet talent sourcing.
Sholeh’s nonprofit experience includes volunteering for The Family Tree in Baltimore, Maryland, and
St. Matthews House in Naples, Florida.
Sholeh received her B.S. in business administration from Southwest Texas State University and her
M.S. in organizational development and human resources from Johns Hopkins University.
Paul D’Angelo
Paul retired after 35 years with the Gillette Company in Boston. From 2000-2004, he was director of
global procurement – indirect goods and services, responsible for some $2 billion in purchases of
indirect goods and services. Previously, he was manager of central purchasing for the Gillette
Stationery Products Group. He was accredited as a Certified Purchasing Manager by the National
Association of Purchasing Managers (NAPM) in 1998.
Paul earned his B.S. in Chemistry at Tufts University in Medford, MA, and his MBA from Northeastern
University in Boston, MA.
Paul has been with ESC since 2006 and has been active as a consultant on numerous strategic plans
and board retreats.
Kathy Doherty
Kathy spent more than 20 years in journalism and public relations, focusing for the past 19 years in
nonprofit communications and strategy. She was Director of Public Relations for CARE, an
international aid agency, and was a Vice President/Group Manager at Ketchum Public Relations, a
large US-based agency. She covered government for The Charlotte Observer in her days as a
reporter. Most recently, she has been a communications consultant with clients such as CARE and
Save the Children and has worked on projects with The World Bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Kathy has a B.A. in English from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta and received her journalism training at
Georgia State University.
Kathy is an experienced writer and editor, a facilitator for organizations seeking clarity on structure
and mission and a trainer for presentation skills and media interviewing skills. Kathy joined ESC in
2012.
Gail Ferreira
Gail is a Territory Director for the Workforce Solutions Division of the University of Phoenix.
Previously, she was Vice President of Sales at Sallie Mae, Inc. Prior to her industry experience, she
was in management consulting at KPMG, specializing in marketing and strategic planning consulting
to financial institutions, and she also worked with Arthur D. Little, Inc., where her focus was in
mergers and acquisitions. Gail volunteers with a number of nonprofits including those supporting
medical research and higher education.
Gail holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing and an A.B. in Economics and Sociology from Boston
College.
Since joining ESC, Gail has helped several nonprofit clients with board retreats, board development
and strategic planning engagements.
Michael Friedman
Michael has decades of experience in the nonprofit world, including serving for more than 30 years as
executive director of Vacamas Programs for Youth, a social service organization that serves at-risk
youth populations from inner-city communities in the New York/New Jersey area by providing positive
camping experiences. Michael led the transformation of Vacamas from a one-site summer camp to a
four-site, year-round institution that serves over 5,000 families in need. In addition, he was
responsible for growing and managing the organization’s multi-million dollar annual budget and
increasing fundraising for the organization through successful grant-writing initiatives. Michael also
worked with the surrounding school systems to develop programs for at-risk youth on conflict
mediation, team building, leadership development, outdoor adventure programming, alternative
education and environmental education.
Michael served on the American Camping Association Executive Board of Directors and the New York
State Camp Directors Association Board of Directors, and he is an ACA certified camp inspector.
Michael received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York/New Jersey Chapter of the
American Camping Association, the Eleanor Ells Award for Creative and Innovative Programming and
the New York Camp Directors Award for Excellence in Program Development.
Charles Fyfe
Chuck spent 26 years with Progress Energy, primarily in management roles involving strategic and
business planning, internal consulting and executive projects. His consulting responsibilities have
included corporate governance, employee incentive compensation programs, measuring corporate
performance and benchmarking. He was also a personnel officer at First Union National Bank and
served as the first director of admissions at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He has
served on numerous nonprofit boards where he has held key leadership positions.
Chuck has an A.B. in Business Administration from Duke University and an MBA from Duke's Fuqua
School of Business.
Chuck joined ESC in early 2012 and was involved in the ESC Strategic Plan as a facilitator in his first
engagement.
John Gabor
In his corporate career, John was a sales and marketing manager and director of several electronic
information companies, including the New York Times Information Bank. He served on the board of
Family Violence and Rape Crisis Services in Chatham County.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism at NYU along with non-degree graduate coursework
at the NYU Business School.
As an ESC Consultant, John has held a number of board retreats, has been involved in strategic
planning work with clients and is a trained and active executive coach. He has served on the ESC
Board and was the Director of Quality in his past service to ESC.
David F. Gettles
With over 30 years of business experience, Dave has held a variety of executive positions in the
insurance industry with profit and growth responsibilities, including Regional Vice President in two
different branches. He has taken an active role in talent development of individuals and teams
throughout his career. Dave helped design and implement several leaderships programs, with an
emphasis on personal accountability and team effectiveness.
Dave is a graduate of Ohio University and has completed executive education programs with the
Center of Creative Leadership, UVA's Darden School, Harvard and the University of Chicago. His work
with ESC includes board development, board retreats, strategic planning, organizational assessment
and serving as an executive coach. Dave has served on a number of nonprofit and industry boards
and committees over the years including the Triangle United Way, Junior Achievement and
Appalachian State University. He is a management consultant with professional training in business
coaching and currently teaches in the North Carolina State Business Coaching Certification program.
Josh Gurlitz
Josh is a licensed architect and managing director of GGA Architects, P.A. an architectural firm located
in Chapel Hill. Josh graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. and M.A. in Architecture. In 1979,
Josh established an architectural firm that has successfully completed many significant projects in the
Chapel Hill area. These include public buildings for the Town of Chapel Hill, large private sector
planning projects, including Meadowmont and Woodmont, individual buildings for private sector
developers and many projects for nonprofit entities.
Josh has been active in local public service initiatives including serving as chair and member of Chapel
Hill town boards and commissions and nonprofit entities in southern Orange County. Josh was a
founding board member of the Orange Community Housing and Land Trust and also served on the
North Carolina State Legislature Smart Growth Commission. He has been recognized by the American
Planning Association as Citizen Planner of the Year in North Carolina. Josh joined ESC in May of 2013.
Steve Hall
Steve devoted his career to the public school system, where he spent over 40 years as a principal and
teacher. Voted Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System “Principal of the Year” in 2009, Steve is known
for his leadership skills and educational reform efforts. He has honed his skills as a “turn-around”
specialist and uses those skills in his role as president of Steve Hall & Associates, a firm that
specializes in executive coaching services. Steve also worked as a national trainer and coach for New
Leaders, a nonprofit leadership consulting organization that focuses on training urban school
principals across the country.
Steve earned his B.A. in economics/education from Brooklyn College and his M.S. in education from
the College of New Rochelle, and he completed the Queens University Executive Coaching Certificate
Program and the Fordham University Curriculum and Teaching Doctoral Program (ABD).
Tom Hardy
Tom is an independent consultant specializing in project and organizational management. His primary
experience and expertise has been in the field of international development, particularly in the design
and management of public health programs. He has worked with a wide variety of nonprofit
organizations, assisting them in such areas as management structure, project management and
capacity building. Tom has worked for FHI 360, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health
and John Snow, Inc. in a variety of managerial, advisory and directorial roles. Tom currently serves as
a volunteer consultant for Democracy North Carolina, and he has been a member of several
international boards in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Tom received his B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his MBA
from Columbia University.
Edward M. Haugh, Jr.
Ed worked for 26 years in a variety of senior-level management positions with the Asian Development
Bank’s South Asia Regional Department. He managed ADB’s social sector division, designing and
implementing projects in the education, health and water supply sectors. His final assignment was as
the Senior Advisor for Afghanistan Operations, where he assisted the government to prepare for its
initial economic development strategy. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea and a Program
Officer for Catholic Relief Services in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Ed graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Maryland. He earned
his M.A. in International Administration from The School for International Training in Brattleboro,
Vermont, and his Master of Public Health from UNC.
Since joining ESC in 2008, Ed has helped numerous nonprofit clients with board development, board
retreat, merger analysis, organizational review and strategic planning projects.
Douglas Hurley
Doug spent much of his professional career in large public research universities and in an academic
health sciences center, holding various administrative and senior executive leadership positions, as well
as being a professor. Most recently, he was VP for Information Technology and CIO at the University of
Memphis. In addition to his VP responsibilities, Doug was also chairman of the FedEx Institute of
Technology, responsible for various economic development initiatives and technology
transfer/intellectual property development at the university. Doug also was a research analyst and
consultant for Gartner, Inc., working with higher education clients around the globe. He also served as a
commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Doug holds an undergraduate degree from Miami University (OH), a master’s degree from the
University of Vermont and a PhD from Kansas State University, and he completed work at the Aresty
Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Doug joined ESC in
November 2012.
Paul Jacokes
Paul has over 30 years of experience as a law professional and has advised Fortune 500 companies,
nonprofit organizations and individuals in corporate and personal tax and business matters. His most
recent position was as a partner at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, LLP. Prior to that, Paul’s career
included serving as senior tax counsel for Freddie Mac and as legislation counsel for the Joint
Committee on Taxation for the U.S. Congress. He has extensive experience mentoring, training and
evaluating fellow lawyers and nonprofit organization members.
Paul received a B.A. with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was
recognized as a Herbert Worth Jackson Distinguished Scholar. He then received his J.D. from Yale Law
School and his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown Law School, where he also served as an adjunct
professor.
Marcia Jaquith
Marcia’s 23-year management career, first with Philip Morris and then with McDonald’s Corp., focused
primarily on opening and developing new markets in the international arena. At Philip Morris, she
negotiated license and distribution agreements in Asia, developed new products and marketing
campaigns for Asian markets and led trade negotiations with the government of Japan. At McDonald’s,
where she retired as Director of International Purchasing in 1997, she developed local purchasing
teams, selected and trained local suppliers, built regional supply chains and focused on cost and quality
management at both the individual supplier and system levels. Her experience also includes direct profit
responsibility for McDonald’s-owned restaurants in New Jersey and membership on the board of a $30
million manufacturing company.
Marcia earned a B.A. degree cum laude from Denison University and an MBA from Harvard University.
Marcia joined ESC in 2001 and has worked on a broad spectrum of assignments including board
retreats, strategic planning, organizational and financial reviews, marketing plans and executive
coaching. She has also served as a nonprofit board member.
Judith Kelly
At retirement, Judy was Director of Customer Service for Aeroglide. Prior to that, she was Vice
President of Research & Development for American Machinery Corp. Judy was also the Manager of
Sterilization and Research & Development for Becton, Dickson R&D. Judy has earned degrees in
chemistry, microbiology and business.
Judy also has experience in the nonprofit sector where she has held numerous officer positions. Her
ESC experience includes coaching and strategic planning, and she also previously served as CoDirector of Quality.
James Kinney
Jim is a retired executive and management consultant with over 40 years of experience leading
organizations through change and renewal. His areas of expertise include leadership development,
strategic planning, organizational assessment, information technology management and executive
coaching.
Jim earned a B.S. in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA in Marketing from the
Kellogg School at Northwestern University.
Jim has served on boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations and continues to volunteer in the
community. He joined ESC in May 2011.
Wendy Kuhn
Wendy’s experience in the information technology (IT) arena has led her through the public, nonprofit
and private sectors of business. She served North Carolina in a variety of roles, including Special Assistant
to the State Chief Information Officer, as well as Director of Business Relationship Management for the
state IT office. Wendy served as Program Management Director for MCNC, a local technology nonprofit.
As a Senior Principal Consultant at Keane and a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, Wendy worked
on strategic planning activities, developed expertise in facilitation, served as a seasoned project manager
and provided business, IT and management consulting support in the private and public sectors. Wendy is
currently a Principal at Break Through Consulting, where she provides guidance in strategic planning,
governance, ITIL and project management. As a holistic health coach, Wendy brings a unique perspective
to her consulting practice, working with organizations interested in incorporating health and wellness into
the fabric of their culture.
Wendy earned her M.A. in economics from North Carolina State University, her MPA from Columbia
University and her B.A. in American studies from Vassar College. Wendy holds a number of certifications
in IT, including an ITIL Expert Certification and a Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management. She also
attended the leadership development program at the Center for Creative Leadership.
Nancy R. Laney, MPA, J.D.
Nancy has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Until recently, she served as
Executive Director of the Tucson Botanical Gardens and, prior to that, as Associate Director of the
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. She also held the position of Grants Manager at the Missouri History
Museum. Prior to holding these administrative positions, Nancy worked as an attorney for more than 10
years in both the private and public sectors. She specialized in natural resources law, as well as
representing museum and other nonprofit clients. Nancy has served on the boards of a number of large
and small nonprofits. She has been a recipient of numerous grant awards and has worked as a consultant
and as a principal investigator for several large-scale public policy research projects. She has served as a
peer reviewer and panel reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Nancy has a Master of Public Administration and a Juris Doctor (Order of the Coif) from the University of
Arizona. She also has a Bachelor of Science (Phi Beta Kappa) from Arizona State University.
Nancy has served on strategic planning and board retreat, development and assessment projects during
her time with ESC.
Marilyn M. Longman
Prior to being a volunteer nonprofit consultant, Marilyn spent more than 25 years in senior business and
marketing management positions for Kraft Foods in Chicago and General Foods in New York.
Marilyn has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, a Masters in Education and a Masters in Business
Administration.
Since joining the Executive Service Corps as a consultant in 2001, Marilyn has completed over 40
assignments, including a number of repeat clients. She has worked with a broad range of organizations in
the Triangle in such diverse areas as social services, education, the arts, the environment, children, as well
as faith-based organizations. Her areas of expertise include Board Development and Retreat Facilitation,
Strategic Planning, Executive Coaching and Marketing. In addition to being a consultant, Marilyn serves on
the ESC Client Services Committee where she manages the Executive Coaching program and Consultant
Recruitment. As a member of ESC’s Marketing Committee, she helped develop their website and
marketing materials. Marilyn also serves on the Board of the Women’s Center.
Linda Luftig
Linda was head of Public Affairs for HSBC in North America for seven years until her retirement in
2005. Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services
organizations in the world. As Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, she managed public
relations, employee communications, investor relations, philanthropy and events. She was also a
member of the bank’s Senior Management Committee, president of the bank’s foundation and was a
founding member of the HSBC Women’s Forum. Prior to HSBC, Linda worked in public relations,
corporate communications and marketing for 13 years for several different financial institutions in
Philadelphia, including, most recently, First Union (now Wells Fargo). Earlier in her career, she held a
variety of leadership positions in nonprofits, including serving as Director of the Arts Council in
Philadelphia.
Linda earned her B.S. in English and History at Temple University, her M.A. in Humanities at Arcadia
College and her M.A. in Communications at the Annenberg School for Communications at the
University of Pennsylvania. She also completed select marketing courses from the Wharton School of
Business.
Since joining ESC in 2006, Linda has developed ESC’s Communication Plan and has conducted several
marketing/communications projects. She has also led board retreats, strategic planning sessions and
board development projects. Throughout her career, Linda has served on the boards of several
nonprofit organizations.
Mark Luftig
Mark had three different, but complementary careers in law, consulting and investment banking. His
legal experience was both in private law practice and as lead regulatory attorney for a major utility.
He was a Vice President of a national economic and financial consulting firm and was Director,
Executive Vice President and Partner in three Wall Street firms. His consulting career involved
viability of projects, mergers and various financial issues. He provided advice and expert testimony
before regulatory bodies and courts. His investment banking career included giving financial advice to
multi-billion dollar companies and managing a $2 billion investment portfolio.
Mark earned an A.B. in Economics from Columbia College, a master’s degree from Columbia
Graduate School of Business and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Mark’s ESC consulting experience includes board retreats and strategic plans.
Elizabeth Maxwell
Beth is retired as Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Durham. A long-time Durham
resident, she has served on a wide variety of boards, including Durham Regional Hospital, the Food
Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has been president of the
Durham United Way, the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties and Pearsontown PTA.
Beth graduated from Westhampton College, University of Richmond and has a Duke Certificate in
Nonprofit Management.
She is currently on the board of ESC and enjoys consulting in the areas of governance, board
development and executive coaching.
Janet McCauslin
The majority of Janet's career involved the field of special education in K-12 public schools, primarily
in the state of Pennsylvania. Janet spent the last 20 years in one of the state's largest school districts
as an instructor and administrator, including Director of Special Education.
Janet completed her undergraduate studies at Youngstown State University in Ohio, earning a B.S. in
Education. She received her M.Ed. and Supervisor of Special Education certification from
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
Janet joined ESC in February 2012 and has served on board retreat and development engagements,
but also has prior experience in strategic planning, coaching and staff training.
Edward McCraw
Ed is an expert communications consultant and adjunct professor at UNC Chapel Hill in Public
Relations and Reputation Management. Previously, Ed was a corporate communications senior vice
president with MasterCard, and, prior to that, he served as a corporate vice president of public
relations with Verizon and an assistant vice president of public affairs at GTE Corporation.
Here in the Triangle, Ed is serving as a business consultant to several nonprofit and educational
entities. He is a frequent guest lecturer on global business issues and communications for professional
audiences, as well as for undergraduate and MBA students at several universities.
Ed earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Journalism) and English from the University of
South Florida in Tampa.
Ed joined ESC in the fall of 2010 and is a valuable asset as he has served on a variety of engagements.
Currently, Ed is serving on the ESC Board and is the chair of the Marketing Committee.
Thomas E. Medlin
Tom has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry in both the nonprofit and
for-profit sectors. He retired in January 2008 as Chief Financial Officer from the North Carolina
League of Municipalities. Prior to his retirement, Tom was Vice President and Controller for the
Durham Life Insurance Company. In both of these roles, he had extensive experience in auditing,
profit analysis, budgeting, expense control and internal control assessments. Since his retirement,
Tom has established Medlin and Associates.
Tom received his B.S.B.A. from Old Dominion University and completed post-graduate accounting
courses at NC State University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Chartered Life
Underwriter designation. He is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute with a specialty in
managerial accounting.
Since joining ESC in 2008, Tom has served as a volunteer consultant on a board retreat, an
organizational review, several financial assessments and an organizational plan. He also has served on
several nonprofit boards.
Verona Middleton-Jeter
Verona retired in 2010 as Executive Director of the Henry Street Settlement. She started at Henry
Street as a young social worker and rose through the ranks to Chief Administrator of the Homeless
Service Division where she oversaw the implementation of innovative employment training programs
that emphasized the concept of self-help and the importance of building on clients’ strengths. During
Verona’s tenure as Executive Director, Henry Street‘s annual budget grew to $39 million. Her
leadership also saw the opening of their Workforce Development Center and their Neighborhood
Resource Center, the reinvigoration of the Abrons Arts Center and a permanently supported housing
residence. Verona has received various prestigious awards for her work at Henry Street Settlement.
Verona received a B.S. from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, and her MSW from Smith
College. She also earned her Nonprofit Management Executive Level Certificate at Columbia Business
School (Columbia University Campus) in New York.
Verona joined ESC in October 2012 and has begun consulting on ESC engagements.
Victor Moore
Vic retired from Durham Regional Hospital (now Duke Regional) as their Director of Fund
Development. He was also the CEO of the Foundation for Better Health of Durham. Vic served as the
Local Sales Manager of TV station WTVD. Vic has been and is currently involved in his community.
Over the years, Vic has served as a volunteer and officer in 15 various organizations and currently
serves in six local organizations. Vic also retired as a Captain in the USAF Reserves.
Vic earned his Bachelor of Arts from UNC Chapel Hill.
Since 1997, Vic has consulted for ESC’s clients, specializing in fundraising and board retreats.
Rusty Myer
Rusty was an independent consultant from 2002 to 2006 working in several industries, including
financial services, nutraceuticals and healthcare. She worked with senior executives on the
evaluation, assessment and recruitment of talent, organizational design and executive coaching. Prior
to this, Rusty worked in the executive search industry both with Diversified Search as a Managing
Director and as the Owner/Founder of her own firm. Before starting her firm, Rusty spent several
years in the financial services industry. She was Senior Executive Vice President of Human Resources,
a member of the Operating and Administrative Committees, Co-Chair of the Benefits Plan Committee
and a trustee of the pension plan for Shearson, Lehman Brothers. Prior to this, Rusty was a Senior
Vice President and member of the Executive Committee of the World Banking Division of Chemical
Bank. Rusty started her career in consulting with Booz, Allen and Hamilton where she consulted on
organizational design, compensation and executive assessment.
Since 2006, Rusty has been a consultant with ESC. She has worked with several clients on strategy,
board retreats, operational reviews and human resources issues. Rusty is also a member of the Board
of Directors of The Women’s Center and serves as a coach at the Keenan Flagler Business School at
UNC.
Judith E. New
Judy is a business and IT executive who is particularly accomplished in turning around companies or
projects that are under-performing. Over her 30-year career with IBM and her own firm, NewIdeas
Global, she has developed effective business and IT strategies to improve the health and productivity
of her clients, as well as consistently helped organizations turn around projects and operations to
better align with long-term goals. Her organizational skills and out-of-the-box thinking enable her to
see “the big vision” and implement it.
Judy graduated from Syracuse University with an A.B. in English and a concentration in the
Humanities. Her graduate work at Syracuse, Canisius College, the State University of New York at
Buffalo and The Fielding Institute focused on education, literature and organizational development.
She has taken over 10,000 hours of business and project management courses, including PMI
Certification as an Executive Project Manager. In addition, she has been a coach and mentor at the UC
Berkeley Graduate School, Duke School of Medicine and the Center for Entrepreneurial Development.
Judy began her volunteering with ESC in August 2012 and has started working on consulting
engagements.
Godfrey Pinto
As an experienced leader in global outsourcing, Godfrey has an extensive background in advanced
technology, outsourcing strategy, contract and relationships management and product line
management. Godfrey spent 13 years with GTECH Corporation, where he served as the director of
offshore outsourcing, and nine years with Scientific Atlanta. Godfrey specialized in identification and
evaluation of offshore opportunities, creation and implementation of governance models and
product life-cycle management.
Godfrey is a member of the training and certification committee of the International Association of
Outsourcing Professionals, which also designated him as a Certified Outsourcing Professional. His
previous nonprofit experience includes serving as a board member for the Literacy Volunteers of
America in East Bay, Rhode Island.
Godfrey received a B.A. in economics from North Wadia College in Pune, India. He holds an M.A. in
sociology from the University of Poona, Pune, India, as well as an M.A. in communications from the
Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Godfrey earned an MBA from
Drexel University.
Brenda Pomeroy
Brenda’s background includes accomplishments in bringing new software products to market,
evaluation and implementation of new technologies, large multi-team project management,
extensive customer interaction and technical team development. As Vice President of Advanced
Technologies, ChoicePoint, Inc., she managed a large staff whose responsibilities included selection of
infrastructure software, middleware and development tools. Prior to that, Brenda was the Director of
Technical Operation Systems for Delta Airlines and a Senior System Integrator for MCI Telecom.
Brenda earned her Bachelor of Science from Ohio State University.
Brenda joined ESC in the summer of 2010, and her engagement concentration is with board retreats
and board development.
Elizabeth Preddy
Elizabeth retired from The Coca-Cola Company after a 23-year career in sales, marketing and business
planning, both domestically and internationally. She has served on the boards of several nonprofits in
the Chapel Hill area, including The Women’s Center, Orange County Affordable Housing, The Chapel
Hill Museum and The Chapel Hill Historic District Commission.
Elizabeth has a B.A. in sociology and has done post-graduate studies in marketing and finance.
Elizabeth joined ESC in 2001 and has had experience with clients in strategic planning, marketing,
board development and coaching.
Daniel R. Robinson
In 2010, Daniel left Morgan Stanley to become Co-Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Atlantic
Regional Center for Foreign Investment. In this capacity, he is responsible for recruiting direct foreign
investment to rural and targeted employment areas in North Carolina. Throughout his career, he has
provided a “for-more-than-profit” perspective to companies, clients and organizations in a wide
range of fields, including micro-lending, green building and storytelling. Daniel has been a featured
speaker and panelist for organizations such as CIFAL Atlanta, the United Nations Institute for Training
and Research, the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and the Krispy Kreme Foundation.
Daniel received his undergraduate degree in art history from Duke University, and earned his MBA
from Wake Forest University.
With ESC, Daniel assists clients with board development, strategic planning, fundraising strategies
and marketing. His work with nonprofits includes serving on numerous boards and consulting on
various issues for regional and national organizations.
Edward Rose
Ed has a financial background and is a Certified Public Accountant. He retired as an audit partner with
KPMG, the international accounting firm. He was the partner in charge of the firm’s nonprofit and
governmental practices in Northeast Ohio for many years.
Ed has always been involved in community organizations, having served on numerous boards, many
as Treasurer. He was also involved in professional activities during his work life, having served as
President of both the Cleveland Chapter, and the statewide Ohio Society of CPAs. He also served on
the Governing Council of the American Institute of CPAs and received the Gold Medal for meritorious
service from the Ohio Society, its highest recognition for service to the profession in Ohio.
Ed has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Ed previously served on the ESC Board, including as Treasurer, for many years and chaired both the
Fund Development Committee and the Finance Committee. He led the creation of the Triangle
BoardConnect program on behalf of ESC, which is increasingly bringing together Triangle nonprofits
seeking qualified board members with Triangle professionals looking to serve on an appropriate
board.
Sarah Shapard
Sarah has served as permanent and interim chief executive officer on numerous occasions and has
managed staffs of 3-20 employees and hundreds of volunteers, and she currently runs an interim
management and marketing company in Chapel Hill. She has a track record of raising over $30 million
through philanthropic activities, social ventures, strategic partnerships and marketing campaigns for
several nonprofit organizations. Sarah has experience in board development, strategic planning,
marketing, media and public relations, budget development and management, program management
and organizational dynamics.
Sarah is a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Georgia – Athens (MMC) and the
School of Government at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (MPA) with multiple social
entrepreneurial endeavors to her credit.
Ilona Sher
As an accomplished leader with extensive project and program management, analytical and team
development skills, Ilona has vast experience in professional services, financial and nonprofit
organizations. Ilona’s work experience includes serving as chief of staff to the COO of FHI 360 and
working most recently as a consultant with IntraHealth International. She is skilled in pragmatically
applying best practices to fit realistic constraints and in deftly bringing diverse groups together to
work cooperatively.
Ilona received her MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A. in
mathematics and computer science from McGill University. She also holds a certificate in public
health concepts from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Ilona’s community service efforts include serving as a volunteer career counselor for the Raleigh
Women’s Center, as the chairperson of the PMO Special Interest Group for the Project Management
Institute, Triangle Chapter and as a volunteer fundraising systems analyst for Susan G. Komen, NC
Triangle to the Coast.
Katherine Sliva
Katherine is a management development consultant with 30 years of experience creating effective
human resource environments in various organizations. Her areas of expertise include facilitation,
strategic planning, executive coaching, organizational assessment, personality profiles and training.
Katherine earned a B.S. in Education from Southern Connecticut and a M.Ed. in Language
Communication from UNC. She also has advanced work in Education Administration from Tennessee
State University.
Katherine joined ESC in 2010 and has consulted on organizational assessment, board retreat and
human resources projects.
Steve Smith
With a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and over 20 years of experience as a high-level
investment strategist and consultant, Steve has an impressive history in the world of corporate and
private finance. He is a specialist in asset allocation, market strategy and investment manager
selection, and his positions in companies such as Whittier Trust Company and J.P. Morgan have given
him a varied background centered around the financial sector.
Steve has a long history in the world of nonprofits as well. He has volunteered with a variety of
organizations and has served on the boards of Hathaway-Sycamores and Summer Search.
Steve graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
He also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Melissa Staples
Melissa has many years of nonprofit experience in fundraising, volunteer development, special events
management and donor-directed communications. Most recently, she was the director of
development for The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As a
fundraising professional, Melissa is knowledgeable in all phases of fundraising, from identifying and
cultivating prospects to solicitation and stewardship of donors. She has served in this capacity for the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC
State University. She also has expertise in board development through her work with governing and
advisory boards in higher education and community-based nonprofits. In addition to her university
experience, Melissa also worked with the United Way of the Greater Triangle, the Eastern Carolina
Division of the March of Dimes and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.
A graduate of Smith College with a B.A. in English language and literature, Melissa has also completed
all coursework towards a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill.
Jeff Swain
Jeff retired as Deputy State Comptroller after a lengthy career in public service in New York State.
While working in a number of different subject areas, his 34 years focused on the common themes of
planning, management and organization development in local and state government with extensive
partnering with business and nonprofit sectors.
Jeff holds an MRP in City and Regional Planning from UNC Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Government from
Dartmouth College.
Jeff also served on a variety of nonprofit boards during his work life and after retirement, including
Executive Service Corps of the Tri-Cities, a sister agency of ESC of the Triangle in the Albany, NY, area,
where he served as a consultant.
Donald L. Tiedeman
Don retired from ATT in 1997 as Vice President of Information Management Organization of the
Consumer Communications Services business unit, where he had responsibility for a $490 million
budget and 2100 professional employees. During his 35 year career with ATT, Don held numerous
executive positions in finance as well as information systems. After retiring from ATT, Don served as a
Senior Consultant for Fujitsu Consulting for five years.
Don earned a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson
University. In addition, he attended the MIT Senior Executive and Aspen Institute Executive Programs.
Don has been a member of ESC since 2001. During that time, he has been a consultant in over 60
assignments spanning virtually every category of client services that ESC offers, including board
development and assessment, strategic planning, executive coaching and fundraising training. In
addition, he has served ESC in multiple leadership roles, chairing both the Education and the Client
Services Committees.
George Tremmel
George is a retired information technology director. His career with two companies (Du Pont
Company and GKN Automotive, PLC) took him to assignments in the U.S., U.K. and the Middle East.
When not living overseas, he has lived, for the most part, in the Carolinas. George has studied
Confederate financial history and collected Confederate States paper money for over forty years. He
has written two award winning books on the currency of the Confederacy as well as a number of
articles on the subject. George's newest book, Confederate Treasury Certificates, was published in
June 2010.
Originally from Atlanta, George graduated from Marist HS in 1960 and Georgia Tech in 1965. In 1975,
he received his MBA from the University of South Carolina.
George has been a consultant with ESC since December 1994. In his years with ESC, George’s major
assignments have focused on board retreat facilitation, board development and agency selfassessment. George’s expertise is in information technology, financial management and
strategic/long-range planning.
Bob Vavrina
Bob has a long history as a human resources executive with broad experience in the health care,
finance, marketing and service sectors. He has proven abilities in managing change and building
client-focused businesses, and he enjoys helping others learn and grow in their professions. Bob’s
path has included upper-level positions with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Travelers
Property Casualty Corporation and RJR Nabisco.
A former member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Bob’s academic credentials include a B.A. from
Bethany College, an M.A. in personnel and guidance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an M.A.
in executive coaching from Middlesex University. In addition, he earned a certificate in strategic
human resources management from Harvard University.
Julian Wachs
Julian joined ESC in 2005. Since then, he has participated in and managed numerous assignments
focusing mostly on board development and strategic planning. Julian also served as ESC’s Client
Services Manager and on its board.
Julian has served on several nonprofit boards in the Triangle including Casa Esperanza Charter School
and the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science.
Julian retired in 2004 as CIO – E-Commerce Technology for Wachovia Bank. His expertise was in
business/technology integration and e-business. His career spanned over 25 years and included
business and technology roles, domestic and overseas assignments, traditional line
management/executive roles and significant consulting experience, including P&L, team building, rebranding and organization development.
Stephan Wittkowsky
Stephan is a retired management consultant and former CEO of an industrial, commercial and
tourism conglomerate in Central America. He also worked for over 10 years at an economic
development institution sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund. During the past 15
years, he has advised and consulted with private, academic, public, international and nonprofit
institutions. He has also been active as an entrepreneur and has taught and consulted at various
universities. He has been a board member and has organizational, managerial and coaching
experience in nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Stephan is fluent in Spanish,
German and English.
Stephan holds A.B. and M.A. degrees in economics and management from Cornell University (Ithaca,
New York) and participated in training programs at various corporations in Holland.
Stephan joined ESC in June 2011 and has served on board retreat engagements.
Lisa Ziperski
Lisa has extensive experience as a marketing leader and has been responsible for a wide variety of
sales and marketing activities for small and large companies nationwide. With Discover Card Services,
Inc., Lisa was responsible for the acquisition efforts for over 20 million customers and helped develop
and launch several strategic sales, promotional and advertising campaigns while managing over 100
employees. As an independent marketing and business development consultant with
Marketingpractices.net, Lisa helped with new product launches and establishing website and online
purchasing tools and applications. She also has experience working in sales and marketing for peerreviewed medical journals where she has implemented email marketing best practices and new
branding initiatives to increase market exposure.
Lisa earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, and her MBA
from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. She has received numerous Effie awards for
Discover Card advertising, as well as a Brand Keys Customer Loyalty award. Lisa was also a member of
the Discover Card management committee.
Art Zucker
Art has extensive experience working with and leading nonprofit boards. A graduate of Antioch
College, Art founded and was president of Zucker Associates, Inc., a manufacturer’s representative
agency handling the marketing and sales of semiconductors and related electronic components on
behalf of manufacturers worldwide. Art served as chair for the advisory councils of several companies
his agency represented and held national office for the Electronic Representatives Association. After
retiring from Zucker Associates, Art was a member of the Antioch University Board of Governors for
12 years and served as chair and vice-chair of the board during his tenure. In his role, Art led the
institution through considerable change, including the closing of a college, creation and
implementation of a new governance structure for the university system and development of a
succession plan for board chairs. He was also instrumental in the search, hiring and transition for the
new chancellor. Art received an Honorary Doctorate from Antioch University in August 2013.
Art currently serves on the Finance Committee and Board of Trustees of Temple Beth Or, and he and
his wife are supporters of the NC Symphony, the NC Museum of Art and the Raleigh Contemporary
Art Museum.