Meet the Staff

Julie leads the conference and events division at The Center.  With more than 25 years experience in meeting planning and event-marketing, Julie is considered a leader in her field and is recognized for her commitment to excellence and exceptional service standards.  A former business owner, Julie brings a holistic approach and unique perspective to her role at The Center.

Originally from Gainesville, Florida, Julie moved to Denver in 1979 after receiving a BS degree in communications from the University of Florida.  She has two wonderful daughters (a 5th grade teacher and a student at University of Colorado.)  Julie enjoys outdoor activities including running, hiking, and skiing.  She is an avid reader, loves road trips, experiencing diverse cultures through travel, yoga, and cooking.

Ashley is a Professional Development Coordinator for Conference Sales for Center-sponsored conferences, certification trainings, and Institutes that are held throughout the United States and Canada.  She is responsible for registering all participants in the Center-sponsored events as well as helping the Director of Conference Sales, Brooke Little, work with clients to determine which trainings best suit their needs and ensures that their experience at conferences is nothing but extraordinary.

Ashley graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Communication.  She has always thrived in positions where she has been able to mentor and support the well-being and success of her colleagues.  The Leadership and Learning Center is a perfect fit for Ashley.

Ashley spends a lot of her free time with her Grandfather.  He has taught her the importance of working hard, being honest, and going to church.  She also enjoys, camping, swimming, playing golf, and volunteering at her church and for various community organizations.

Kristin is the Senior Director of Professional Learning at The Center. She is responsible for identifying, recruiting, developing, empowering, and retaining world-class professional developers.  She comes with many years of experience in delivering and creating professional development and assisting educational leaders to do the same.

Although she was born in Manhattan, NY, Kristin grew up in Longmont, Colorado.  She then moved to Sterling, Kansas for her undergraduate degree where she met her husband of ten years.  Since then she has earned a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver, and will complete her second masters in Educational Leadership in the spring of 2009 at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Kristin enjoys spending time with her five year old daughter and three year old son, being active in her church, rooting for the Denver Broncos, entertaining, playing games, racket sports, bike riding, and spending time with friends.

Greg is responsible for all aspects of technology here at The Leadership and Learning Center. He absolutely adores computers and gadgets.  His first computer was a Vic20, and he cannot wait to see what comes next in the computer industry.  He currently lives in Aurora with his beautiful wife and daughter and son.  Hockey is his favorite sport; he hopes they come back to the ice soon (Go Avalanche!).

Bob Burgess is the Senior Director of Operations at The Leadership and Learning Center. In performing this role, Bob will be coordinating the Human Resources, Finances, Technology and Facility needs of the Center.  Bob joins us after a 19 year career with Kansas State University’s department of Housing and Dining Services, most recently serving as the Associate Director of Business Operations and Technology Services.  Since his move to Denver, Bob has enjoyed the diversity of Colorado's nature through his photography hobby.  He and his wife Donna love to be outside walking the trails near their home in Parker. While a fan of the Rockies and Avalanche, Bob must admit to his lifelong passion for the Green Bay Packers.

Nan is the Senior Director of Client Relations at The Leadership and Learning Center.  Nan is responsible for ensuring that the Client Relations Team delivers the unparalleled level of service for which The Center has become known.  Nan graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.  Since her graduation, she has worked solely with educational organizations.

Nan lives in Denver with her ten-year-old daughter, Terran Dee, her one-year-old daughter Raya, and her wonderful canine best friend, Neka.  In the Caldwell’s free time they love driving to Kansas to watch the Wildcats compete in all athletic events and watching Terran play competitive softball.

Erin Clark is a Professional Development Coordinator, working with Liz Monsma, Director of Client Relations for the Central Region of the United States.  She spent five fantastic years at Virginia Tech and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management and Psychology, and a minor in Sociology.

After graduation, Erin moved to Colorado to nurture her love of the outdoors.  She worked in finance and pharmaceutical sales prior to coming to The Center, where she is now excited to work for a company that truly makes a difference in children’s lives.

In her spare time, Erin enjoys pretty much anything outside, including taking her incredibly energetic dogs to the park, snowboarding, ultimate frisbee, bike riding, hiking … and of course, long walks on the beach.  She also loves to watch football and cheer on the Hokies and Steelers.

Janis is the Professional Learning Administrative Assistant for The Center.  She is responsible for setting up, coordinating and executing Webinars.  In addition, she provides general administrative support to Kristin and the Professional Learning team.

Prior to working with us, Janis was a training coordinator for a large pharmaceutical company.  She also has office management and recruiting experience.

Janis enjoys spending time with her family, reading and watching movies.

Emily recently joined The Center as Conference Coordinator, working with Julie Abels to plan and manage all Center-sponsored institutes, summits, seminars, and certification trainings.  She enjoys all aspects of her position and is excited to have found a “home” at The Center.

Originally from Burlington, Vermont, Emily graduated from Middlebury College, a small liberal-arts school in Vermont.  After living in Vermont her entire life, Emily made the big move west and has lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and now Colorado for more than five years.

Emily enjoys a myriad of outdoor activities including tele, alpine and water skiing, as well as a variety of racquet sports.  She is involved in her alma mater’s alumni association and is fast becoming a Denver Sports Fan.  She loves to travel, cook, and try new restaurants in Denver.

Nancy Harshman is our Administrative Coordinator.  Nancy answers all incoming calls, performs all office supply ordering and is responsible for all incoming and outgoing mail, including international shipping.

Nancy's background includes ownership of her own private investigation business as well as being a secret shopper.

When she's not spending time with her 5 children and 11 grandchildren she can be found reading true crime/mystery novels.  Her hobbies include gardening (flower) and creating stained glass that she sells at art shows.

Kendra Hockenberry is a Professional Development Coordinator for the client relations team, serving the Eastern territory with Matt Minney.  Kendra is responsible for the creation of client and consultant contracts as well as organizing all handouts within their territory.  She offers support to clients and contributes to the team by completing daily administrative tasks.  Her bubbly personality is a wonderful addition to the Client Relations team and her energy is felt throughout the Denver office.

Born in Michigan, Kendra made her roots in Colorado nearly five years ago and has loved every minute of being here. After studying psychology through Arapahoe Community College, Kendra soon found her passion for teaching and was a special educational assistant with the Douglas County school district for two years.  She loves teaching children and making an impact in their lives.

During her free time, Kendra enjoys shopping, being with friends and family, attending church, listening to country music and trying to keep her mischievous dog, Charlie, out of trouble.

Robin Hoey is the Administrator and Financial Manager for the Salem Office.  Robin is responsible for all administrative and financial tasks, as well as updating The Center PDA website, posting and maintaining client surveys, scoring and sending out of the Leadership Map packages.

Prior to working with us, Robin has held positions of Vice President for a retail chain, National Sales Manager, Customer Service Manager, and Production Manager for a major licensed clothing company working closely with the NBA, MLB, NFL, and collegiate licensing firms.  Robin has had her own business from the time she was in her early twenties to the time she began work with The Center.

She is a mother of two children and spends much of her free time volunteering on programs that will help them through their growing years.  Robin was the recipient of our Community Service Award in 2006.  She currently resides with her husband and children north of Boston in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

A Chicago native, Peter has held executive positions as Owner/Partner and Vice President of several key organizations, spanning 20 years of managerial experience overseeing Leadership, Operations and Sales, and tactical experience in Strategy Development, Brand Management and Marketing.  With this comprehensive background, Peter has placed his focus and passion in experience design and building the operational elements to deliver a Captivating Experience.

Key strengths include a proven track record in delivering results, an ability to work strategically and tactically to meet marketing and sales objectives, capability to plan and launch products, a mentoring and team-building management style, and an all-around good listener.

Priscilla manages The Center’s inventory and receiving, making sure shipments get out correctly. Prior to working with The Leadership and Learning Center she was a warehouse supervisor for a worldwide company.  She has an extensive background in administration, inventory, shipping, and receiving and is ecstatic to begin her career for such a wonderful company.

Priscilla was born and raised in Texas and moved to Colorado about a year ago.  No, she’s not a Dallas Cowboys fan—she’s a New England Patriots fan; although when she’s not rooting for the Patriots you will find her cheering on the Colorado sports teams.

During her free time she likes to shop, have cookouts, camp, fish, travel, white water raft, ride horses, four wheel, and explore Colorado.  She is very outgoing and adventurous and likes to live life to the fullest.  She went skydiving not too long ago and loved it and she is seriously thinking about going back and getting certified. Priscilla enjoys spending time with her family; friends; her cocker spaniel, Kylie; and her two English Bulldogs, Maggie and Cruiser.

Brooke is the Director of Conference Sales for Center-sponsored conferences, certification trainings and Institutes that are held throughout the United States and Canada. Brooke works with clients to determine which trainings best suit their needs and ensures that their experience at conferences is nothing but extraordinary.

Brooke is a graduate of Colorado State University earning a B.A. in Communications, with an emphasis in media studies and a minor in history.  She loves snowboarding, boating, scuba, wakeboarding, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.  She also loves to play sports and go to sporting events, as she competed in high school gymnastics, diving, and pole vaulting.

Jeanne Loo (aka Jenny) is Content Editor of The Leadership and Learning Center’s Professional Learning Division, and works with Laura Besser, Director of Content, to help edit, proof, and produce custom presentations and reports of extraordinary quality to meet client needs.  A graduate of Wellesley College and the Juilliard School of Music, Jeanne is a former concert pianist and dancer.  She also has a Masters in Creative Writing from Lesley University and has worked for over 15 years as a copy editor, proofreader, personal assistant, and dance teacher.

Jenny is passionate about her values of exemplary service and contributions to her community.  One of her dreams is to give her three mini-dachshunds–Honeybunny, Peanut, and Amaretto– jobs as therapy dogs to provide relief and joy to the children in hospitals suffering from with chronic diseases and terminal illnesses.  While not working at The Center, you will find Jenny spending time with her dear husband Charles—playing the piano while he plays his guitar, going on photography shoots with Charles who loves the camera, hiking with her whole family of dachshunds, and enjoying the outdoors.

Peggy has served as president of The Leadership and Learning Center for three years.  She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas she completed her MBA at the University of Wyoming.  Her management experience includes work in both the medical and financial fields.  Family time means travel to the Midwest as her parents and son live in Kansas and her daughter and son-in-law reside in Iowa.  They all enjoy meeting in Kansas for Jayhawk basketball - Rock Chalk!

If you visit The Center, you may meet the rest of her family, Gus and Dave, the Cardigan Welsh Corgis.  After three years as the “corporate” pooches, they now occasionally come out from under her desk to check out visitors.

Matt returns to The Center after serving four years in the US Air Force and deploying multiple times in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, flying aboard an EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.  Born in New York and raised in suburban Los Angeles, Matt first relocated to Denver during the summer of 2000, at which point he first connected with The Center.  Upon leaving to serve the country, he vowed to return to the Mile High City once his commitment to Uncle Sam was complete, and fulfilled that promise less than six years later.  This time around, Matt is joining The Center as Project Coordinator, working with Peggy Lush and the operations team to assist in our effort to effectively support managed growth.  Matt brings technology, project planning, inventory/distribution and customer services experience to The Center.

Herb Miller is Director of Client Solutions, where he helps to ensure The Center is meeting client needs and acting as a resource for the Client Relations Team.

Herb is originally from Worcester, MA and earned a B.A. from Brandeis University and an Ed.M. from Harvard University.  Herb moved to Colorado in 2004 to help create a public-private partnership to increase college access at low performing schools, and also recently was Membership Director at Eduventures, an educational research and consulting firm.

Herb is very excited to be a part of The Center team.  In his spare time, he likes to spend time with his wife and son, playing tennis, and during football season, cheering on the Buffalo Bills to eventually win a Super Bowl.

Matt is the Director of Client Relations for the Eastern region of the United States. He takes care of the booking of professional development seminars and services, the purchasing of materials or permanent resources, as well as establishing a long-term partnership between The Center and educational groups.

Matt graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in the spring of 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  He also completed his teacher's certification in the spring of 1996.  His previous work-related experiences have taken him from being a fifth grade teacher in Elizabeth, Colorado, to an employee of a large investment firm in the Denver area.  During his experience as a 5th grade teacher Matt developed a desire to serve the educators who strive to improve student achievement.

Away from work, Matt loves spending all the time he can with his little boy, Brayden Matthew, as well as camping, hiking, music, playing golf, and watching the Broncos and Avalanche!

Liz is the Director of Client Relations for the Central Territory of the U.S.  Liz supports her clients in finding solutions to meet their organization’s leadership and professional development needs, through creating customized plans that include seminars, services, and resources, and most importantly implementation support, with the ultimate goal of increasing student achievement.

Liz is a graduate of the University of Denver, where she earned a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Literary Studies and minor in Elementary Education.  She has also done post-graduate work at the University of Colorado at Denver in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Elementary Literacy, and is looking forward to achieving her goal of receiving her M.A. in the future.  Liz holds a Colorado State Initial Teaching License.  Liz is a Colorado native who enjoys reading, movies, watching and attending Broncos games, tennis, camping, and spending time with her friends, family, and husband, Eric.

Scott is a Professional Development Coordinator at the Leadership and Learning Center. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, Scott relocated to Denver and began his career in the recruiting industry.  He is excited for the opportunity to assist and support the Client Relations team.

When he is not busy explaining the differences between Iowa, Ohio, and Idaho, Scott enjoys spending time with friends and family and taking advantage of all that Colorado has to offer.  He loves traveling back to Iowa City to attend Hawkeye games at legendary Kinnick Stadium and is slowly adjusting to the superiority of Denver’s professional sports teams.

Peggy is the Director of Finance at The Center.  She assists the Executive Director in all financial aspects of the business.  Peggy is a native of Wisconsin.  She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in March of 1973 with a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation and Business. She has worked in accounting for more than 30 years.

Peggy lives in Parker with her husband, George.  She has two children, Sharon and Paul.  She loves all sports, including running, bowling, softball, football — Go Broncos! — and hockey — Go Avalanche! She also attends a Bible study with her church.

David Pilgrim is a Professional Development Coordinator, working with Sarah Schnurle – Director of Client Relations for the Western Region of the United States.  After spending four years in San Diego, CA and graduating from the University of San Diego in May 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, David decided to move back to colorful Colorado and pursue a career in the place he calls home.  David is excited about the opportunity to work for such a great company.

In his free time David enjoys hanging out with friends and family, listening to good tunes and staying active in Colorado’s beautiful outdoors.  Dave also enjoys watching the Colorado sports teams dominate (most of the time)…

Katie Schellhorn is the Publishing Manager at The Leadership and Learning Center.  In this role, Katie is responsible for coordinating and managing all of the publications and training manuals.  She also works with current and prospective authors to guide them through the publishing process.

Katie is originally from the Chicago area, and earned her B.A. in English from Western Michigan University.  She moved to Denver six years ago and earned her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver.  She has a background in writing/editing, teaching, and educational publishing.  In her free time Katie enjoys skiing, running, reading, and cheering on her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs!

Sarah is the Director of Client Relations for the Western states, with the support of Dave Pilgrim.  She focuses on working with clients to assess their needs and provide support through the Center’s professional development seminars, certification trainings, and publications.  Sarah is committed to building relationships through meeting with her clients at their sites and ensuring they are adequately implementing the work they have begun.

Sarah graduated from Siena College with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management. She is currently working through The State University of New York at Albany to finish her MBA. What she values the most about her role at The Center is the opportunity she has been given to truly make a difference in the lives of students.

Sarah misses her family in Ithaca, New York, but enjoys spending her time here in the beautiful Colorado mountains with friends and her fiancé, Jeff.  They have added two extremely smart and very large Golden Retrievers to their happy family, at the expense of their cats!

Cathy Shulkin is Executive Officer of The Leadership and Learning Center with responsibility for client relationships for Dr. Douglas Reeves, project management for firm-wide marketing, the research and editing of Dr. Reeves' articles and books, as well as direction for the Boston office.

A native of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Cathy graduated from Boston University with a major in Psychology and Education.  She began her career in advertising, starting at BBDO-Boston and spent 10 years working in a variety of advertising and marketing agencies, holding positions such as Account Manger, Production Manager, as well as Media Director.  Cathy also worked for seven years as an independent research consultant for a retained search firm sourcing and selecting senior executives.

Cathy lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts with her husband, Randy, and three children.  Randy is a consultant to medical practices.  Magda has recently earned her Masters of Social Work at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts; Jennine is earning her Masters of Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Zach is a senior at the University of Connecticut. Cathy loves cooking, volunteering, graphic design, snow and water skiing, and spending time with her family and their Goldendoodle (Oakley) at their summer home in Maine.

Adam’s primary focus is to refine The Center’s online communications to be effective and useful. He also supports the Communications Division with the design and production of marketing campaigns.

Adam graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture – and combines his knowledge of creating functional and enjoyable human experiences with his technical background in web development to create high-grade online experiences.  Watch for changes on The Center’s website in the coming year.

In his free-time, Adam enjoys travel and serious amateur photography.  He is also increasing awareness of Denver’s important modern architecture by working with Modern in Denver magazine – and will soon be launching a campaign to promote his own neighborhood of mid-century modern homes in southwest Denver; where Adam lives with his wife Gracie, their french bulldog, and three cats.

Kennie Swanson is a Professional Development Coordinator working with the southeast region of the United States.  After growing up in Southern California, Kennie decided to seek new adventures on the East Coast and abroad.  He was drawn to Boston and went on to graduate from Northeastern University with a Bachelor's degree in communication studies and a minor in business administration.  Although Spain was one of his favorite homes, Kennie can't imagine a better place to live than Colorado.

The Leadership and Learning Center has become Kennie's new family, and he is very proud to be part of such an amazing organization.  He is very passionate about education and is happy to have a role in improving our nation's educational system across a wide spectrum. Outside of work, Kennie spends his time reaching new levels of joking around, playing lots of sports, making movies, and living life to the fullest.  He loves his family back in California and Oregon, and his friends are truly class acts.

Kelly is the Director of Client Relations for the New Territory, with the support of Scott Monsma, and works with the north, mid-west, and southern regions of the United States, and international.  Kelly focuses on working strategically with clients in finding seminars, certification trainings, leadership institutes, and permanent resources to meet their specific professional development needs and goals.  Kelly takes pride in listening and identifying needs, and then providing creative and extraordinary professional development solutions.  Kelly enjoys working and learning with clients, embracing new cultures, and developing long-term partnerships.

Kelly is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication, and a B.A. in Speech Communication.  She will happily graduate with a M.A. in Nonprofit Management and International Public Administration from Regis University in May 2010.  Kelly enjoys everything Colorado has to offer including hiking 14-ers, snowboarding, trail running, and camping.  She loves spending time with her family and friends, playing with her mischievous dogs, and traveling the world.  In her spare time, Kelly likes to read, write, and cheer on her favorite Chicago teams!

Cindy is the Accounting Assistant at The Center.  She is one of those "rare" Colorado natives and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.  Cindy graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 1981 with a degree in Elementary Education.  She tutors in the evenings and finds it very rewarding — especially when working with the No Child Left Behind kids.

Cindy lives in the Columbine area and has two wonderful teenagers, Nicole and Tim. She enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, reading, listening to music, and spending time with her children.