JEFFREY N. DECKER, Ph.D.
5961 Sandra Drive
Yorba Linda, California 92686
(714) 970-7838 Direct
jeffreydecker@msn.com
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Present Academic Activities
2003- Professor, Biola University, Masters of Organizational Leadership teaching Organizational Development
and Strategy, and overseeing student research projects.
1997 - Adjunct professor for the Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California teaching in the Masters
programs in Human Resource Design for their School of Behavioral Studies and Masters of Business
Administration at the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management.
1997- Numerous consulting engagements: Ducommun Corporation, Tokio Marine Insurance Company, IEEE
Computer Society, Access Mediquip, Georgia Perimeter College, Los Angeles Mission, Navajo Nation, Los
Angeles Police Department, Edison International, Aids Health Care Foundation, Yorba Linda Friends
Church, San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center, Professional Claims Services, USDA Department of
Agriculture, LG’s Prime Steakhouse Palm Springs/Palm Desert, Los Angeles Mission, Western Association
Chamber of Commerce
1991 
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Associate Professor at Whittier College, Whittier, California.
Received the College’s 1997 Harry S. Nerhood Teaching Excellence Award.
Faculty representative to the College’s Board of Trustees Advancement Committee 2000-2001.
Chaired the College’s Assessment Committee 1998-1999 and Campus Writing Program 2001-2002.
Granted tenure in 1998.
Received the College’s 2003 Richard B. Harvey Award for service and leadership.
Prior Academic Experiences
2000- Adjunct Strategy Professor at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management:
2002 Fully Employed MBA Program.
Executive and Management Positions Held
1997- Director of the Executive Management and MBA programs at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of
1998 Management at the Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California. Responsible for managing
school operations, supervising adjunct faculty, admitting new students, class scheduling, and student
advising.
1988- President of the Personal Finance Company, Covina, California. Chief Operating Officer in charge of
1991 consumer finance operations with 120 employees and $40 million in assets. Served as Chairman of the
California Financial Services Association Independent Section.
1984- Vice President and Senior Regional Manager for Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, Cleveland,
1988 Ohio. I managed a region with $24 million in sales per year with sixty-five employees. Functional
responsibilities included operations, accounting, account service, sales, and product management. My
organization serviced over sixty consumer finance lenders with more than three hundred branch offices.
Progressive acquired the Leon Greenberg Company.
Jeffrey N. Decker, Ph.D.
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1981- President of Leon Greenberg Company General Insurance Agency, Palm Desert, California. I led
1984 twenty-four employees and we collectively generated $6 million per year in sales. During my tenure, the
business grew from a $2 million base in 1981. My responsibilities included sales, service, claims, and
underwriting. In 1984 this company was sold to Progressive Casualty Insurance Company.
1978 - Senior Product Manager with Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, Cleveland, Ohio. Responsible
1981 for national marketing of credit insurance products. Activities included development of insurance
coverage plans, pricing, sales strategy, and underwriting rules.
1975 - Supervisor of purchasing development with the Babcock & Wilcox Company, Barberton, Ohio (now part
1978 of Asea Brown Bavari). Participated in corporate audits, development of purchasing procedures, and
supported important cost reduction opportunities.
EDUCATION HISTORY
1996
Ph.D. in Executive Management from the Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California.
1978
Masters in Business Administration from the Kent State University.
1975
Bachelors in Business Administration, magna cum laude graduate from the Kent State University
(Economics major). Student Body President.
PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS
1996
1997
1999
1999
2000
2000
2001
2001
2002
2002
2004
2004
2008
Membership Change within the United Methodist Church: A Strategic Management Perspective,
Dissertation, UMI
Mainline Churches in Decline: Turnaround Strategies of United Methodists, Quarterly Review
Strategic Management and the Liberally Educated Executive, Western Decision Sciences Conference
Proceedings
Teaching Management as Liberal Art and Social Function, Academy of Management Annual Meeting
Managing for Competitive Advantage, American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences and Session
Chair, Aberdeen, Scotland
Session Co-Chair, The Annual Meeting of The Executive MBA Council, Teaching Management as Liberal
Art, October
Managing for Competitive Advantage: Re-conceptualizing the Practice of Management, Working Paper
Teaching Management as Liberal Art and Social Function, Comportamento Organizacional E Gestao,
Invited Publication
An Assessment of Management’s Best Ideas 1990-2001 (Working Paper)
Hawaii International Business Conference Paper Presentation Assessing the Management Gurus
Sony e—Nervous System and Supply Chain Management, California Operations Management Review
A Grounded Design Approach for Outsourcing, Jeffrey N. Decker, Lana Nino, and Dan Duran, Paper to be
presented at The International Business and Technology Research Conference, Las Vegas, Oct. 6-9, 2004
Thinking Matters: Radical Ideas that Will Alter Your Perception and Practice of Management
Jeffrey N. Decker, Ph.D.
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SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS
1990-92
1992-96
1992-96
1992-96
1994
1998-00
1999
1999
1999
2000
2000
2000
2001
2002
2002
2003
2003
2003
2003
2004
2006
2006
2008
2008
Chairman, California Financial Services, Independent Section
Delegate to Annual Conference, United Methodist Church, Yorba Linda United Methodist
Church
Lay Leader, Yorba Linda United Methodist Church
Manager of several girl’s softball teams and league registrar with over 800 participants—“Genesis”
12 year-old league champions in 1996
Lay Man of the Year at Yorba Linda United Methodist Church
Organizational Development Consultant, San Gabriel-Pomona Regional Center
Speaker at the Conference on Forming Christian Leaders, Newport Beach, CA
Whittier College Baccalaureate Speaker
Director of fund-raising project that produced approximately $18,000,000 in pledges to
build new sanctuary for Yorba Linda Friends Church
Speaker at the Men’s Retreat, Thousand Oaks United Methodist Church, Santa Barbara,
California
Actively supported David Christian’s bid for election to Yorba Linda City Council
Faculty Representative to Whittier College’s Board of Trustee’s Advancement Committee
Whittier College Baccalaureate Speaker
Speaker at Claremont McKenna International Place Luncheon, The Ethical Side of Enron
Speaker in Biola University’s Fall Distinguished Speakers Series.
Doctorial Defense Azusa Pacific University Outside Reader
Facilitator Navajo Indians Real Estate Development/Management Leaders
Lutheran Social Services Management Retreat Facilitator
AIDS Healthcare Foundation Senior Management Retreat Facilitator
Advisor to president of the Los Angeles Mission
Consultant and speaker at CITAM Kenya
Advisor to Lead Pastor of the Saddleback Church, San Clemente
Retreat facilitator for the Elders and Senior staff of the Friends Church of Yorba Linda
Board of Director for the Small Business Financial Development of Orange County