Previously Featured Members

 

What are the 3 most important things a colleague should know about you?

I have great parents who instilled in me a love for reading, family vacations, and taking care of animals.

I believe it is never too late to learn. I am working on my doctorate (yes, I know I am a little late) and encourage everyone I can to keep reaching for the goal you never finished (or started).

Raising three children has inspired me to try to reach all types of learners in adult education and never judge a book by its cover.

How did you get in to the profession?

I have B.S in Elementary Education and taught in the public school systems for 6 years (from first grade to 8th grade and all in between). During that time, I got my M.S. in Education – Curriculum and Instruction. Part of my graduate work involved teaching and observing in the British Primary Schools in Exeter (Devon), England. That instilled a passion for teaching and training that is still alive today! Early on, a move to Nashville propelled a career change to IT. I left the classroom and entered the Tech room, learning how to code and design telecommunication and data switches. Part of my early IT days included training enterprise level company employees (from the president to the warehouse worker) on how to use their new phone system and voice mail.

Where do you work, and what is your role?

I founded MPRO Technologies in 2005. I am in the role of President, but as everyone knows in a small business, the business owner wears many hats and most of those other hats keep me hopping. In 2005, MPRO Technologies was known for web design for SMB businesses; however, as technology progressed rapidly, we utilized our experience in IT to help clients with contract-to-hire workers and outsourced IT staff. Technical training for certifications is a great market for us also.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing our profession?

I see two big challenges. One is an obsession with what I call "more, better, cheaper, faster". Organizations want "more, better, cheaper, faster" (everything) training and instructional design without regard to the bigger picture….organizational objectives and employee personal development. Measures of quality are often constrained by cost and time, a result of top-down management or bureaucratic control. Our "fast food" society has carried over into the workplace. Training and design is not a drive-through process.

The second biggest challenge facing our profession is insufficient time to think through and apply proven theories of organizational design with learning styles, team goals, departmental needs, and employee value. Trainers and designers must "wow" their learners and perform miracles in a short amount of time, keeping their fingers crossed that classes understood and retained their style of delivery, all while working around time frames, deadlines, schedule constraints, delivery methods, technology and cost containment. Without being informed of the past or current organizational paradigm along with the transformational change that is desired, trainers and designers accomplish objectives, but many are frustrated with not being able to impact true transformation.

What do you want to experience as part of the Greater Chattanooga ASTD Community?

I would like to experience an ASTD community online where we could discuss and collaborate on topics of interest. I love the monthly chapter meetings with great food and fellowship, and the quality of programs is outstanding, thanks to Karla! It would be great to have an online forum for our ASTD community to discuss books, articles, training techniques, theories, ask questions, and have a venue to practice scholarship.

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The three most important things a colleague should know about Anne is that she truly loves what she does for a living, She is married to wonderful man named “Dick” and has a cat named "Smoky” and she feels that her fellow employees are part of her family.  She mainly works so that she can Bowl and socialize.

 

Anne Runyan has a BS in Business Administration and her Masters in IO Psychology.  To earn credits while working on her Masters in IO Psychology she was fortunate to assist Dr. Ourth while he was designing an evaluation system for Hamilton County Government.  Anne began working for Hamilton County Government in the Human Resources Department 29 years ago as a HR Training Specialist that wears many hats.  When she started, there were only five people in the office, today they have grown to seven associates.  She facilitates training on numerous subjects including being a certified Defensive Driving Instructor.  While managing the Employee Assistance Program, Workplace Drug and Alcohol Screening Program and FOCUS Awards Program she feels lucky to be a part of this ever growing community.  Her biggest challenges are making sure that we never forget the basics. She feels that the employees are the most important resource and that is why it is called Human Resources. 

 

Anne feels that she got into her profession by pure dumb luck.  She was attending UTC working on her BS in Business Administration.  Trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Just before graduation a friend she met in class was nervous about a job interview.  A requirement on campus was that students in the Industrial Organizational Psychology Master’s program needed other students to come by and be interviewed.  This is one of the extra credits they needed to graduate.  Her classmate was very shy and wanted Anne to go with her so that she could practice before going in for her real job interview.  When they arrived her friend got cold feet and wanted Anne to go first, Anne asked the professor if the student could interview her.  The professor agreed.  After the interview the professor told his student that not every interview was as easy as the one he had just finished.  It seems the student only had to ask a couple of questions and Anne talked for the rest of the twenty minute interview.  After the interview Anne talked with Dr. Lynn Ourth about the Master’s program.  This is when Anne decided that Industrial Organizational Psychology sounded like something she would enjoy.  And felt that she certainly did not want a MS in Business.  As they say the rest is history.

 

She says that she really likes coming to the monthly meetings that the Greater Chattanooga ASTD Chapter provides and enjoys the practical hands on experiences that she can take back to work and use.

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Ben Cairns is the Vice President of Organizational Development at SupportSeven.  Ben’s passion is helping others achieve their greatest potential, professionally and personally.  He very strongly values honesty and community.  He does not play political games because when people work in concert, he believes there is always a way to achieve what each person needs. 

 

Ben’s personal and professional values are an asset to SupportSeven.  SupportSeven is a 200-seat center in Chattanooga that partners with a variety of companies to provide high-quality customer support services.  They are also associated with a 400-seat subsidiary contact center in San Jose, Costa Rica.  His role is to manage the training, quality assurance, and documents management departments and to contribute to the company’s competitiveness though competency-based screening, customized new-hire and change management training, ongoing employee development, continuous process improvement, and implementing innovative technologies.

 

In addition to his work at SupportSeven, Ben has consulted, coached, and trained executives, managers, and employees in commercial companies, federal and state agencies, as well as non-profits. His experience also includes writing, training development and design, and knowledge in a wide range of disciplines including interpersonal communication, employee development, organizational change, leadership and management.

 

Ben got into the profession because he likes helping people.  The first thing that pointed him in the direction of training was becoming a Toastmaster very soon after college.  That eventually led him back to graduate school and teaching interpersonal communication and public speaking to undergraduate students at the University of Georgia at Athens.  After graduating, he taught for several years at Mercer University as an adjunct faculty member.  He transitioned from academia to corporate learning and development at Talk, Listen Communicate where he facilitated workshops, did executive coaching, and designed and developed new training programs.

 

Ben believes the most important challenge facing our profession is that training is commonly misunderstood.  The idea that the best training is carefully crafted to produce very specific outcomes is often lost because of the prevailing attitude that “if there’s a problem, then let’s just throw some training at it… and do that right now.”  That perception results in a lowered value for what training can offer to an organization, and makes it vulnerable when budgets need trimming.  Educating management, involving stakeholders in the ADDIE process, how to effectively follow-through, and demonstrating outcomes is increasingly important.

 

Finally, Ben sees the experience as part of the Greater Chattanooga ASTD Community as important for all training and development professionals to maintain professional networks, help each other find the best employment opportunities, and engage in ongoing professional development opportunities.  He believes the Chattanooga Chapter of ASTD is doing that very well and is improving every year.  He is looking to ASTD for opportunities to make personal and professional connections with his peers and to find out about tools and instructional methods for producing better outcomes.

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For Wynter Elder, applying a degree in anthropology comes naturally to her role as Training Coordinator at Decosimo.  In this role she focuses on the details of CPE education and planning learning events to meet CPE and other educational needs. A new, interesting project for her has been the rewriting of the onboarding process.  CPE training is extremely important in a company with a financial focus, and Decosimo has 7 offices and approximately 280 employees that Wynter and the training department serves.

 

Wynter graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology from the University of the South in 2004, and started afterwards at Decosimo in Advisory Services.  She was excited to join the newly formed Training Department at its inception two years ago.  “Anthropology applies to everything, and makes me open to different viewpoints, helping me interact with people.” Because she is crafting learning events for others, she is frequently asking “what do you think you need?” and then helping employees reach those goals.

 

She enjoys meeting all of the firm’s members in their different specialties and is still amazed at the volume of communications that cross her path daily.  She hopes to become more of a content developer herself, and engage directly in teaching. 

 

Why ASTD?  Wynter said it is helpful to see what others in our profession are doing and feel a part of the community of professionals locally. She enjoys learning from the members, engaging other viewpoints in problem solving and sharing experiences.

 

Wynter is married to Jonathon Elder, a youth minister in South Pittsburg, and has a baby girl, Clara Ann, who was born earlier in 2012. 

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Deborah Levine and her business, American Diversity Report, hold a unique role in our ASTD Chattanooga Chapter. She has a deep commitment to making the world a better place on a local and global scale, and takes up controversial issues in diversity where others may fear to tread.

As an immigrant child from Bermuda to the NYC suburbs, Deborah experienced culture shock. She has made a study of the challenges of immigrants, and was trained at an early age to observe cultures. She went to Harvard to study Cultural Anthropology with a specialty in folklore, hoping to be a writer. Her Masters Degree in Urban Planning focused on designing community cultural projects such as the DuPage Interfaith Resource Network.

She came to Chattanooga fifteen years ago to run the Jewish Federation and and in 2007 launched her business of global leadership training (School of the South) and the social network of local and global writers which is now included in Harvard's Pluralism Project. She became an intercultural consultant for international executives coming into the South and published several books on cross-cultural communication including the storytelling-based Matrix Model Management System and Going Southern (soon to be released). She has also created training materials for school districts and her work appeared in Harvard’s Pluralism Project, along with a link to the American Diversity Report. Her background in anthropology has truly evolved into a meaningful and vital business.

 

Her career has included serving as an executive with the American Jewish Committee in Chicago and, following the Oklahoma City bombing, with the Jewish Federation in Tulsa, OK. She describes her work with Oklahoma's Say No to Hate Coalition and her FBI training as 'gritty' and 'stunning beyond imagination.' She speaks of her commitment to Chattanooga and local programs she’s created such as the Women’s Storytelling Project and the Youth Multicultural Video Contest at UTC. She says there is so much to celebrate in Chattanooga.

 

Dance is a passion of Deborah’s, and she feels it is extremely helpful in bridging cultures, since language is not a barrier in this form of art and communication. She once had her own dance company, and also taught dance at a school for the deaf, saying “it was the love of her life.” Deborah has three daughters and a husband, and enjoys yoga, tai chi and writing. As she says of her personal interests and career, it is all “interwoven.”

 

For her expansive commitment to diversity, Deborah has received the 'Excellence' award from the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. There is no doubt that Deborah’s commitment and business will make the world a better place, a more welcoming and understanding world.

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Paul Spilko is always in the middle of things at Miller-Motte Technical College.  Students come into his office to check on courses; he hurries to teach a class in the Business or Human Resource area; instructors need equipment or information - it’s all part of a normal day for Paul.   

Paul is Program Director for Management and Human Resources and Night Coordinator at Miller-Motte.  The job combines the skills from his two masters degrees - Education and Business Administration.  Paul has business experience as a general contractor as well as 20+ years in education, with consulting and out-placement work as a sidebar.   He was a member of ASTD in Florida before moving here and joining our Chattanooga chapter. 

“ASTD keeps me aware of what’s happening in industry - what the needs are in different corporations and what employees are lacking.  Employers struggle with English and math skills and personality and attitude issues.  We struggle with the same things here,” Paul says. 

He also feels, “There’s not a real difference in the long run between teaching and training.  We all deal with making it relevant and keeping their attention.  Reaching young learners who have a sound bite mentality - maintaining their interest - it’s a challenge we all face.  ASTD keeps me networked with people who train and teach.  I can share and learn,” Paul says. 

Never one to let a new idea escape, Paul keeps a notebook next to his bed to record those ideas that come during the night.  In addition to problem solving, they have led to the writing of two children’s books.  “I’ve got ideas for a series of eight-nine stories, kind of a modern Aesop’s Fables,” Paul says.  Educator, contractor, author - Paul will always be busy. 

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Joann Davis is one of ASTD’s newer members, joining in July, 2011.  She is the Sales and Training Facilitator at Covista, a telecommunications company serving business and residential customers.  She learned about ASTD by doing some web research.  “I believe successful facilitators learn from others who are doing it.  I researched and found ASTD.  Karla (Byrd, VPMembership) contacted me quickly and I attended a meeting.”

 

At ASTD, Joann found people dealing with the same issues she had.  “I found myself thinking--this person knows exactly what I’m talking about,” Joann said.   “There’s a comfort in knowing that they have the same experiences and I’ve benefitted from meetings and used tips I’ve gained.”

 

At Covista, Joann trains customer service representatives and third party sales people who sell Covista products and services.  For the sales people, she is primarily training them on the use of the Covista software.  For the customer sales reps, Joann covers software, products, and customer interaction skills.  She does classroom and on-line training for groups and sometimes one-on-one training.  “I can see what part of the job the person needs help on and work with them exactly on that,” she says. 

Joann says the rewards of her job are seeing people develop their skills.  Her biggest challenge is ensuring that they are applying principles learned in everyday activities on the job.  Outside of work, Joann dances, walks, bike rides, and cooks to relieve stress.  During the middle of a hectic week, “I enjoy being in the kitchen, planning and cooking a nice dinner for my family.  That becomes my therapy and quiet time for myself,” Joann says.

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Sharon Cannon is involved.  In our ASTD chapter, with her membership going back to the 1990’s, she is currently involved as VP of Professional Development.  As such, she is committed to revitalizing the local study group for the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance credential.

At work, Sharon is manager of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.  Part of the umbrella of 20 programs offered by the non-profit organization, Sharon’s program is a revenue generator that allows businesses access to all Partnership resources.  Sharon’s involvement is also hands-on, as she provides quarterly training to many EAP members in subjects including diversity, organizational development, stress management, communications, and drug free workplace.  She is also involved in the national organization for EAP associates. 

However, Partnership work and ASTD are only the tip of her involvements.  She has her own public relations firm, Cannon Public Relations (www.sacpr.com).  A graduate of Covenant College, she also has a master’s degree in Applied Organizational Management from Tusculum College and a doctorate in religious education from Covington Theological Seminary.  She does counseling, especially in the grief and loss area, and assists families throughout the bereavement process.  She has spoken on stress and grief issues at conferences, and also on the subjects of Women in the Bible and Black People of the Bible, both of which are topics of books she has written.  She has been active in the Olde Town Neighborhood Association for more than 30 years. 

In addition to her CPLP reactivation goal at ASTD, Sharon says, “I want to do more things to keep our members abreast of the changing trends in training.  Websites, electronic training, social media, providing more resources to members through our website” are all on her radar screen. She is already involved; her goal now is getting other ASTD members involved.

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Hank Humphrey is Manager of Human Resources at Mannington Commercial in Calhoun, GA. He loves training and devotes about one- third of his time to it at Mannington, a carpet manufacturer.

Hank joined the Greater Chattanooga Chapter of ASTD a little more than a year ago. “I needed to meet some people and get some new ideas. I’ve already learned a lot from the different presentations at meetings and I’m using it,” Hank says. “I like the group because you really get to know people.”

At Mannington since 2000, Hank has done safety, quality, lean, leadership, DISC, sales, risk management, and ISO-14001 training. He faces the challenges of providing training within budget and within the time restraints of a busy production facility. “I can’t pull them out for long periods, so you have to get creative about it. I break up training into smaller chunks. We have training at lunch meetings - everyone has to eat, right? Working in this way has allowed me to be seen as a valued partner to production, rather than an added cost,” Hank says.

Hank created a training program for potential leaders that he calls “Influencers.” He has training sessions for them nine times annually addressing job, business, and leadership skills. Hank also travels to Mannington facilities in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Alabama to do training.

Before joining Mannington, Hank was at Brach Confections in Chattanooga for 10 years. There he worked in Safety, Human Resources, and Supply Chain leadership roles, always having a hand in training. He also started the Toastmaster Speech Club at Brach.

“I don’t mind the drive to Chattanooga for the meetings.” Hank says. “They have been worth it.”

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They say if you want something done, ask a busy person. Lauren Worley Knauth is a very busy person and gets much done. At Chattanooga ASTD, she has been learning the role of Treasurer under the guidance of Joyce Brinkmeyer, and she will assume the full duties of that role in January.

For her full time job, Lauren provides training for OrthoBanc, a firm that provides account management services to orthodontists across the United States. She provides training to administrative staffs in orthodontist offices via the Internet and phone.

Her love is Pilates instruction and she is director/instructor at Pilates in Motion here in Chattanooga. “I got interested in Pilates about five years ago, but I danced before that,” Lauren says.

A Chattanooga native, Lauren has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Relations from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Master’s degree in Communication with a specialty in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation from Abilene Christian University in Texas. She is now an on-line course facilitator for Abilene Christian. She is also involved in Peacemaker Ministries and has an eight-week course for church workforces.

She is working with her husband in a business called Home Improvement Connection that is a referral service matching home owners with repair and improvement needs to contractors.    They are also starting Knauth Training and Consulting which offers training in conflict resolution, brain aging, and reconciliation among other topics. “The projects ebb and flow, so I’m not doing everything all the time,” Lauren says. Still, she admits she works 70-80 hours weekly.

“Back at our jobs, we may be the only trainer,” Lauren says. “I like ASTD as a network of friends that understand where I’m coming from.”