Your Board, Directors, and Support Staff
Get to know your board, directors, and support staff.
Milana Thielen, CPLP, President - President@cfc-astd.org
Milana served as Co-VP of Professional Development in 2010 and has been an active member of the Mentor Program Committee for the last 2 years. Milana earned her CPLP designation in 2007 and is an Instructional Designer for Liberty Mutual serving their Phoenix and Lake Mary Sales Call Centers. Milana is excited about the wealth of knowledge and experience within our membership base and wants to grow our chapter by truly understanding and meeting the needs of our members with programs, workshops and leadership opportunities.
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Anita Torres, M.S., CPLP, President-Elect PresidentElect@cfc-astd.org
As the owner of Alternative Learning Designs, LLC , Anita brings her "New York" and "Miami" energy to everything she does. She is a highly motivated and passionate performance improvement consultant; instructional designer, certified facilitator, and project manager with over 13 years experience analyzing, designing, and developing learning solutions and instructional materials. Anita earned an MS degree from FSU in ISD and is CPLP certified. She is also a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach and Trainer through the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Network. Anita will bring her energy with her to the board, along with her great professional practice experience in many ASTD core areas.
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Bob Lucas, B.S. M.A., M.A., CPLP, Past President 2011 - PastPresident@cfc-astd.org
Bob Lucas is a founding Managing Partner for Global Performance Strategies, LLC with nearly four decades of experience in training adults, management and customer service. He is an internationally-known consultant and author/contributing author of thirty-two books and video training programs and has written hundreds of articles on workplace topics. As the 2011 chapter president, he is reassuming a position that he also held in 1995.
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Kathy Akbari is a Workforce Solutions Advisor for the University of Phoenix. Prior to her current role, Kathy was an Administrator for private medical practices and a paralegal for an Estates and Trusts law firm. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Central Florida, Masters in Information System at University of Phoenix, and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR). She is a member of Society of Human Resource Management, Florida Society of Health Care Education and Training, Toastmasters, and Director of Hospitality for Central Florida Human Resources Association.
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Dolley Brawner, VP of Finance - finance@cfc-astd.org
Dolley Brawner serves as Assistant Vice-President, Training & Development Manager for BankFIRST. Brawner is a past Lieutenant Governor for the Arkansas Optimist Club and a graduate of the Faulkner County Leadership Institute. As a member of the Arkansas ASTD for four years, Brawner served as the VP of Finance for two years. She has been a member of the Central Florida ASTD for four years and has worked in learning and development for 11 years.
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Rene Ledford, MSW, LCSW, BCBA, VP of Marketing - Marketing@cfc-astd.org
Rene Ledford, has extensive experience designing and facilitating professional development programs for both not-for-profit organizations and for-profit corporations, including curriculum development, facilitation and project management for a nationally recognized leader in customized training and performance contracting. Currently she is Director of Curriculum Development and Training for Children's Home Society of Florida where she is responsible for developing e-learning and managing statewide learning initiatives for over 1900 employees. Rene' enjoys community volunteering and previously served on the CF- ASTD Mentoring Committee.
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Kristina Grant, VP of Membership - Membership@cfc-astd.org
Kristina Grant is a Learning Professional with over 14 years of experience designing and delivering training for the hospitality and retail industries. Currently a Field Training Specialist for 7-Eleven, Inc., she has also worked for the Walt Disney Company as a Learning and Development Manager at the Walt Disney World Resort. Kristina has been a Central Florida Chapter ASTD member since 2008, and was actively involved in the 2009 and 2010 Professional Mentor programs as both a mentor and a committee member. As Co-Director of Special Events, Kristina will leverage her strengths in project management, strategic planning and communication to help create a seamless experience for 2011 ASTD ICE volunteers. She is looking forward to hosting a phenomenal event.
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Brian Kingsbury, CPLP, VP of Professional Development - ProfessionalDev@cfc-astd.org
Information coming soon.
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Crystal Melton, PHR, Community Outreach Director- community@cfc-astd.org
Crystal brings a wealth of professional experience to the board as she steps into the role of Past President of our chapter. She has been a leader in the training department at Sea World and is now Document Control Supervisor for Nephron Pharmaceuticals. She has also served our board as VP of Programs during several of the most exciting years in our chapter history. She has been a superb president and will be a fine advisor to the current President and President-elect.
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Veronica Drake, BA, MBA, M.Ed, Director of the Newsletter - Newsletter@cfc-astd.org
Veronica Drake recently graduated with a Masters of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix and also received a MBA in 2009. She graduated with a B.A. in History (with a minor in anthropology and sociology) from the University of Chicago in the mid-1980s. Veronica has over 20+ years of professional experience, which includes sales, strategic and brand marketing, media relations, internal communications, advertising (agency), quality improvement and organization training & development, facilitation and project management. She currently works as a Counselor for the University of Phoenix and has worked for a variety of small and large global organizations, including Tupperware Brands and FCB (now Draft FCB), as well as non-profits and consulting organizations. Veronica has been published in the Wisconsin State Medical Journal and in the International Directory of Company Histories (St. Martin Press). She also serves on the leadership committee for the Student Chapter of ALPFA and is a member with the local chapters of the National Black MBA Association and ASTD.
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Joe Perry, Director of Sponsorship - Sponsorship@cfc-astd.org
After a long career in sales, much of it spent training and mentoring new salespeople, Joe Perry became a full-time training professional following a promotion to Director of Training and Development at JSJ Pharmaceuticals in 2004. He developed and managed a complete clinical and sales training curriculum, created the career path program at JSJ, and helped develop sales messages. Following JSJ's merger with surgical device marketer Innocutis LLP, Joe will be tasked to perform many of the same functions at the new firm. Joe is a graduate of the University Of Utah Eccles College of Business.
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Jennifer Harper-Sewell, Director of Site Selection - SiteSelection@cfc-astd.org
Jennifer Harper-Sewell holds an undergraduate degree Business Administration from Barry University and dual Masters in Human Resources Management and MBA from
Webster University. She is currently a doctoral student in the Doctor of Education Program in Organizational Leadership at Argosy University in
Tampa, Florida.Her work experience includes 25 years as a construction project management professional; specializing in contract compliance, diversity, workforce planning and apprenticeship training initiatives. Her project portfolio includes;
Amway Center(2010), OCPS School Construction and Orange County Convention Center Phase V Project. She has worked for several major international firms on projects across the
US
.
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TBD, Director of Welcoming Committee - Welcome@cfc-astd.org
Please contact our VP of Membership for more information at membership@cfc-astd.org
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Barry Nadler, Director of Social Media - Socialmedia@cfc-astd.org
Barry Nadler has been developing training for over 10 years. For the past five years, he has held the role of Multi-Media Training Developer/ID for Metavante/FIS. He was involved in the Orlando video production industry, serving local television stations, theme parks, and resorts. His resume also includes being part of the training teams for several tech-related companies, including Computer Associates (CA), Lexmark, Harris Publishing, and Worldwide Brands. He has experience with developing and delivering online and classroom training, instructional design, Internet marketing, and social media. Prior to his current role, Barry was a volunteer at ASTD's 2011 International Conference and Exposition.
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Jennifer Tomarchio, CPLP, ASTD National Advisor for Chapters - jennifer.tomarchio@firstdata.com
Jennifer Tomarchio, CPLP, is serving as a National Advisor for Chapters for the Sunshine Area (Florida and Puerto Rico Chapters) for 2012 - 2014. She has worked for First Data USA since 1995 in various training roles and is currently a Senior Instructional Designer. Jennifer’s leadership as ASTD Fort Lauderdale Chapter President in 2008 helped put the chapter on the map, increasing meeting attendance by 30% and membership by 20%. As a CPLP pilot pioneer, Jennifer is an active promoter of the CPLP credential and has participated as a Team Lead for the CPLP Work Product Rater Workshop, as well as other CPLP activities. She has served on the National Chapter Recognition Committee from 2010 - 2011 and chaired the committee in 2011. Jennifer has a Bachelor's degree, Graduate Certificates in Training and Human Resource Development and Organization Development. She is also certified in Virtual Facilitator-led Training (VILT).
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Chuck Salvetti, Director of Chapter Services, Eastern Area - csalvetti@astd.org
Information coming soon!
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Gina Strano, Knowledge Manager - Gina@cfc-astd.org
Information coming soon!
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Wendy Dye, Web Master - Wendy@cfc-astd.org
In her previous life, Wendy worked in theatre and televison in New York City. Since returning home to Florida she has worked in graphic and web design. Wendy received an MA in Technical Writing from UCF in 2005 and currently works as a freelance web developer specializing in usability and content management systems.
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