ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
Christopher D. Adams
Christopher D. Adams is a performance consultant and instructional designer with more than 20 years of experience helping clients engage people, apply processes, and implement technology to improve human and organizational performance. He is currently a senior consultant for Handshaw Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina. Chris was co-inventor of Handshaw’s award-winning software, Lumenix, one of the first content-managed platforms for e-learning. He has been a featured speaker for a number of ISPI and ATD chapters and has presented at regional and international conferences such as Training Solutions, The Performance Improvement Conference, and the Coast Guard Human Performance Technology Conference. Chris holds degrees in mass communication and instructional systems technology and is currently a doctoral student in the instructional design and technology program at Old Dominion University.
Vivian Blade
Vivian Blade is a recognized talent management expert, guiding companies in designing a leadership talent management framework that builds solid and sustainable bench strength in their leadership pipeline. Additionally, as an author, keynote speaker, trainer, and executive coach, her passion in building leaders and developing excellence empowers organizations and individuals to reach their full potential. In 2009, Vivian founded Experts in Growth Leadership Consulting. She works with many global organizations, such as Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and GE, as well as individual professionals. Vivian is the author of the book FuelForward: Discover Proven Practices to Fuel Your Career Forward.
Alan De Back
Alan De Back is an independent career counselor and learning consultant located in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. His experience includes more than 20 years in career counseling and learning- and training-related functions. In addition to his current independent role, Alan has served as director of global learning for an Internet consulting firm and manager of leadership development for a major aerospace corporation. His experience also includes roles as a career counselor, trainer, and program manager for a local Northern Virginia government, and assistant director of career services for a major Upstate New York university. Alan holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and history from the State University of New York at Geneseo, a master’s degree in human resource development from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a graduate-level certificate in industrial labor relations from Cornell University.
Glen B. Earl
Glen B. Earl is the department chair of the Industrial/Organizational Psychology Program for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Dallas, Texas, campus.
Tom Kaiden
Tom Kaiden is the chief operating officer of Visit Alexandria, the conference and visitors bureau for Alexandria, Virginia. He is responsible for strategy, planning, partnerships, finance, and administration. Prior to joining Visit Alexandria, Tom led the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the marketing, research, and advocacy association for 300 regional cultural organizations, serving as president (2010–2013) and chief operating officer (2001–2010). Before joining the Cultural Alliance, Tom was the executive director of the Stowe (Vermont) Area Association, where he helped grow four-season revenue at the “Ski Capital of the East” to the point where summer and fall outpaced winter. Previously, he was the director of planning and new business development for S&S Worldwide, a cataloger serving healthcare and education institutions. Tom began his career in product management with American Express. He holds an MBA from Cornell University and a BA in economics from the University of Connecticut.
Sharlyn Lauby
Sharlyn Lauby is president of ITM Group and author of the blog HR Bartender. Prior to starting ITM, Lauby held several senior-level human resources positions in the hospitality, transportation, entertainment, and business services industries. She has designed and implemented successful programs for employee retention, customer satisfaction, and corporate communications. Lauby, a recognized Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP), is a recipient of the Sam Walton Emerging Entrepreneur award, which recognizes women business owners for their community contributions. She also was named one of the “Heavy Hitters in Human Resources” as compiled by the South Florida Business Journal.
Ben Locwin
Ben Locwin has held executive roles for top 10 pharmaceutical companies and has developed human performance models for organizations in startup biotech, hospitals and clinical care centers, aerospace, tech companies, and the energy industry. He is an Advisory Board member for the Association for Talent Development (ATD) and gives speeches to international audiences on improving business performance. Ben has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, USA Today, and other top media.
Rick Rittmaster
Rick Rittmaster, manager of learning and development at MTS, partners with individuals, teams, executives, and external resources to build a more capable and engaged workforce. Working in learning and development, Rick enjoys the sometimes-tricky job of building people- centered solutions that meet MTS’s talent management needs. In addition to current learning and development initiatives, Rick also leads initiatives on innovation strategy, performance management, employee engagement, and change management.
Joe Willmore
Joe Willmore is president of the Willmore Consulting Group, a performance consulting firm located near Washington, D.C. He has more than 35 years’ consulting experience with a wide range of clients, including the World Bank, Intelsat, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Navy, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Smithsonian Institution. He has served on ATD’s board of directors and held other leadership positions within ATD and other professional societies.