LAURA SMITH DUNAIEF, CPTM

Courses: Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™), Leading Leadership Development Certificate,  Training Needs Assessment Certificate, Internal Consulting Workshop

Laura has over 20 years’ experience as a manager and director for retail and wholesale financial services organizations, including as director of training and development for Schwab Capital Markets. Prior to leading the training organization, she held roles as diverse as director of customer service Initiatives and manager of correspondent execution services, both for Schwab Capital Markets, and Vice President and Branch Manager of a Boston-area retail brokerage office for Charles Schwab. 

DAN MENDEN, CPTM

Courses: Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™),  Strategic Planning Workshop

Dan has over 20 years of leadership experience in training, human resources and talent management, including five years as the director of dealer training for a major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer. He has coached company executives, front-line leaders, hourly employees, small business owners and other learning leaders. 

ROD KEFFER, CPTM

Courses: Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™)

Rod has over 10 years of experience in the training and development field. He brings a unique blend of technical training program development and management experience, as well as over five years of experience managing the training department of a major international steel firm. In his former role as a senior manager of supervisory development, he specialized in designing and facilitating custom, in-house leadership programs aimed at improving the performance and relationship building capability of managers. He has extensive design, facilitation and coaching experience.

DR. KRISTAL WALKER, CPTM

Courses: Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™), Training Needs Assessment Certificate, Internal Consulting Workshop

Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM, has worked in the learning, leadership, and organizational development space for over 15 years helping clients engage people, apply processes, and implement technology to improve human and organizational performance. She currently serves as the senior vice president of human resources at Sweetwater Sound. She is also a Training Industry Courses instructor, where she teaches the CPTM designation, as well as other courses. When she’s not working, she enjoys a great laugh and creating memories with her family and friends.

DR. CAROL GRAVEL, CPTM

Courses: Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™), Managing Learning Technologies Certificate,
Managing Remote Learning Workshop, Design Thinking Workshop

Carol’s diverse career includes corporate, collegiate and consulting roles in talent development. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies where she defined innovative approaches to talent deployment. As an associate professor, Carol architected, developed, managed and taught several online degree programs, and her consulting has focused on helping organizations navigate the changing needs of today’s workforce through strategic planning, metrics/analytics and innovative solutions.

ANN STOTT, CPTM

Course: Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™)

Ann brings over 25 years of extensive experience in learning and development (L&D). With a unique background that spans both the buy-side as a chief learning officer and the supply-side, as vice president of strategic account sales, Ann has in-depth insight into what makes learning teams successful. She excels at aligning learning with stakeholder needs, focusing on metrics that matter and ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Ann has built centralized centers of excellence and has hands-on experience in every role within learning, from facilitator to instructional designer to training manager. Currently, Ann serves as a leadership coach for learning professionals, helping them build teams that drive lasting impact.

DR. PAUL LEONE

Course: Measuring the Impact of L&D

Paul is an industrial-organizational psychologist with over 16 years of experience conducting return on investment (ROI) case studies and evaluating the impact of employee training initiatives for top Fortune 100 companies such as American Express, Verizon and Nissan. His impact studies have been published worldwide and presented at international conferences. He is the founder of MeasureUp Consulting, where he helps training organizations around the world define the true value they bring to their company’s bottom line. His ground-breaking book, “Measuring and Maximizing Training Impact: Bridging the Gap between Training and Business Results” was published by Macmillan in 2014.

CHRIS KNOTTS, ICA-ICP

Course: AI Essentials for Training Managers, Agile Certification for HR and L&D

Chris is an experienced leader in enterprise technology with over two decades in training, coaching and emergent technology enablement, particularly in project management. He excels in creating transformative technology training programs focused on software development, data environments and Agile methodologies. His expertise encompasses enterprise software engineering, advanced analytics, data engineering, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business. Chris combines design thinking and lean technology management to innovate in product development and operational strategies, impacting various sectors such as government, education and multinational corporations.

JOE MAKSTON, CPTM

Course: Measuring the Impact of L&D, Leading Leadership Development Certificate

Joe has over 25 years of hands-on experience building, scaling, and growing teams in the bank operations and fin-tech world. At Early Warning Services, the company behind Zelle, he launched programs for learning, leadership development and employee experience. Joe’s all about giving leaders the practical skills they need to make a real impact on their teams and get great results.

Now, as the founder of Ryppl Effect Consulting, Joe is focused on helping small businesses and nonprofits build strong leadership. Joe is passionate about making a positive, lasting difference by equipping leaders with the tools they need to lead effectively and inspire their teams.

CHRISTOPHER MASSARO, CPTM

Courses: Competency Modeling Certificate, Learning Analytics Workshop

Christopher Diez Massaro is a learning professional with over 25 years of experience in the development and facilitation of training programs in the retail, hospitality, government, and higher education. Christopher currently is a learning and development manager for Alight. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Southern Maine, where he teaches in the arts, humanities, and social science. department, focusing on social science research methodology. He is passionate about connecting academic theory and the practical application of organizational learning and leadership development.

Kim Davis, CPTM

Courses: Development and Delivery Certificate, Managing Remote Learning Workshop

Kim has over 25 years of experience in the field of continuing education for health care professionals in both corporate and nonprofit environments as an instructor, manager and assistant director of training. As a member of various cross-divisional and global workgroups and committees throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to interact with multiple business units, members, and volunteers to develop and deliver training in support of business goals. In addition to her current responsibilities of implementing faculty development strategies for surgeons, Kim is co-lead of the Career Growth Workgroup at the American College of Surgeons.

DR. KATE HIXSON, CPTM

Courses: Competency Modeling Certificate, Training Development and Delivery Certificate

Dr. Kate Hixson has worked in the adult learning space for over a decade, where she specializes in human performance, teamwork and interpersonal skills training. Dr. Hixson received her Ph.D. in educational technologies, with her research and dissertation completed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She has developed training for multiple Fortune 500 companies and is also a successful entrepreneur who is passionate about bringing her expertise to small businesses and associations through coaching and consulting. She’s an avid writer, speaker, podcaster and lifelong learner.