Meet the JONES Team
Our JONES team is made up of highly skilled and passionate individuals who are mission driven to build cultures of inclusion around the world! We invite you to learn more about what makes our consultants so great.
DR. AISHA TAYLOR
Dr. Aisha Taylor is the Director of Products & Services and a Principal Consultant at JONES. She blends a comprehensive understanding of organizational psychology, cultural competence, spirituality, and psychometrics to help leaders and organizations strive for excellence.
She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Portland State University and has taught university courses on in her field. Dr. Taylor has published or presented her work on leadership, innovation, diversity & inclusion (D&I) in a variety of venues.
Over the last 17 years, Dr. Taylor has partnered with numerous organizations, providing consulting services for educational institutions, nonprofits, corporations, and government agencies. She has a proven track record of developing and leading diverse teams (including D&I Councils) with high levels of engagement and productivity.
In her on-going commitment to promoting LGBTQ+ and women’s leadership, Dr. Taylor led a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., working for women’s equality in the Catholic Church. In this position, she partnered with national and international coalition groups and served as an expert on women’s issues in church and society to major media outlets.
With expertise in psychometrics (psychological measurement), Dr. Taylor has developed numerous employee surveys and credentialing tests. She directed several large-scale credentialing programs, with clients including the New York City Department of Buildings and Carpenters International Certification Council.
ALVIN JONES
Alvin Jones is the Brand Experience Manager at JONES. He brings over 25 years of leadership and business operations experience to the Firm. Alvin utilizes his background to ensure a high-quality engaging experience for all JONES team members, clients, and collaborators.
Alvin has served as General Manager for Walmart and several other big box retail organizations where he has led teams of 100-400 employees. In his role as General Manager and District trainer for Big Lots, Alvin moved to equipping store managers across multiple states with the leadership skills to understand the importance of putting their people first in order to meet and exceed the business goals within their stores.
He also serves as the Director of the JONES Equine-Assisted Leadership Development Program. In this role, Alvin combines his years of developing leaders with his 30 years of horsemanship to provide an innovative approach to leadership development. He transfers his understanding of what it takes to gain the respect and trust of horses over to helping leaders gain the skills to build that trust and safety with their teams.
Alvin is a graduate of Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. He loves enjoying his grandkids and investing time with family.
AMANDA BOTZER
Amanda Botzer is the Corporate Project Manager at JONES. She has 19 years of diversified client service, business growth and leadership experience, including expertise in multichannel marketing and consulting programs.
Amanda has a highly successful track record providing project management for small, medium, and large-scale client projects. She demonstrates an impressive ability to manage all phases of a product lifecycle from concept to implementation to evaluation. In her role at JONES, Amanda works closely with our team of consultants and clients to ensure the delivery of the best possible products and services that meet our clients’ needs.
Prior to joining JONES, Amanda was a Senior Project Manager and Digital Project Manager at Anderson Direct & Digital, a full-service marketing agency where she worked collaboratively with
all internal and external stakeholders to ensure client satisfaction and timely project completion. As a team leader, she provided operational excellence as primary liaison between the customer and Anderson for all marketing requirements for the company’s 3 largest clients with a proven-on time performance and in a cost- effective manner.
Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree with distinction in History from San Diego State University.
BONIQUE EDWARDS
Bonique Edwards is a JONES Senior Consultant with more than 25 years of experience in mediation training, diversity training and Human Resources Management.
Bonique is a certified speaker, trainer and consultant on multicultural issues, organizational development and group dynamics. She specializes in employee training, employee empowerment and conflict resolution in the workforce.
By facilitating workshops for corporations, educational institutions and non-profit organizations, Bonique leads employees and organizations through an interactive process to address cultural biases that may exist when employees from diverse backgrounds collaborate with each other. Diversity training topics include but are not limited to diversity and inclusion, generational diversity, gender diversity, unconscious bias and diversity training for managers and leaders in any organization.
Previously, Bonique was a Human Resources Supervisor for State Farm Insurance Companies, she increased production in her unit by more than 30% utilizing 360-degree performance management feedback. Also, she launched the Quarterly Performance Review process by training all senior and mid -level management throughout the region.
Bonique received her BA degree from UCLA and is a guest lecturer at Loyola Marymount University.
CARRIE SAWYER
Carrie Sawyer, JONES Consultant, began her diversity career in high tech as a Diversity Program Manager at Intel, where she was responsible for building inclusive teams with a special focus on programs which support technical females and underrepresented minorities.
Carrie went on to join Qualcomm as a Manager of Inclusion and Diversity, where she developed a diversity and inclusion roadmap, managed employee resources groups, and used design thinking to explore how inclusion impacted women and millennials at the company.
Carrie comes to Diversity from the field of User Experience Design, where she worked for over 13 years to understand the needs, expectations, and behaviors of people to inform the design of amazing technology. She’s applied her people-centered perspective in high tech, ecommerce, banking, and at digital agencies. She earned her master’s in Human Computer Interaction from the University of Michigan and her bachelor’s in New Media Arts and Science from Indiana University. She hails from the Midwest and after seven sunny years in San Diego, considers it her home! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing beach volleyball, dancing bachata and salsa with her partner, and making pottery.
CHANNELLE MCNUTT
Channelle McNutt, MBA, is a Principal Consultant at JONES. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Political Science and master’s in business administration with a specialization in Organizational Development.
With over eight years of experience as a strategic advisor, facilitator and consultant, Channelle has worked with various auxiliaries, non-profit organizations and corporations such as, CBS, Edwards Lifesciences, Harrah’s Resort, Showtime, Southern California Edison, San Diego State University, Home Start, San Jose State University and many more.
Channelle was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Associated Students, Inc. at San Diego State University, where she oversaw a $22M auxiliary, and served a diverse campus community of 30,000 people. Since 2013, Channelle has successfully raised over $1M in philanthropic support for the San Diego State University and served as a board member for the SDSU Alumni Association and currently serves on the Glazer Leadership Advisory Board.
Channelle’s passion for leadership development and serving in the community was recognized in by the San Diego Union Tribune as an up and coming leader within the San Diego community and then was recognized as one of the Top 50 leaders of the “Emerging Generation: 25 in their 20’s” by San Diego Business Journal.
CHERYL ADAS
JONES Consultant Cheryl Adas is a steward of people, healthy environments and achieving sustainable economic outcomes. Awarded as a successful leader, coach and facilitator of people and process, Cheryl’s unique background brings together the art of sales, the process of Lean Six Sigma and creating conscious leaders focusing on the power of diversity and inclusion.
In her current role as Leadership Coach, Facilitator and Speaker, she brings a fresh approach to individuals and teams, helping them to break the status quo in their approach, reframe their limiting beliefs and bring esprit de corps to their organizations.
Cheryl is an accredited facilitator for Actualized Leadership Performance Cycle, a foundational element of the Conscious Leader Conscious Culture workshop at MCC Corporate College. She is also an accredited facilitator in Belbin Team Role Profiles, VitalSmarts Crucial Conversations and Influencer. As a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Certified Coach, Expert and Practitioner in Sherpa Sustainability’s: Continual Improvement for Social Responsibility (CISR) program she focuses on the supporting the ISO 26000 guidelines and bringing a continual improvement mindset in everything she undertakes.
Cheryl’s passion, collaborative approach, and personal commitment to your success will help you build your team and cross functional team’s success formula. Cheryl holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and an Executive MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. She hails from Webster, NY with her partner Dave and children, Amanda and Sam.
CHRIS MCINTYRE
Chris McIntyre is a JONES Senior Consultant. He is an internationally recognized speaker and peak-performance expert. A former enlisted soldier in the Army and Air Force Captain, Chris is a personal productivity expert, motivating coach and engaging keynote speaker. Experienced in both the corporate and government sectors, Chris specializes in helping small to mid-sized business leaders implement peak-performance management systems.
Chris has worked with corporate and government clients including the United Nations, NASA, Lucas Films, NCAA, and Northwestern Mutual. He is the author of the business leadership book The Roadmap to Freedom and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Business, MSNBC, Reuters & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Success.
He has spoken in 48 US states and internationally across Europe, India, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. As a Certified Speaking Professional, he holds the National Speakers Association’s highest earned professional designation. Chris is a graduate of Penn State University and holds dual master’s degrees in HR Management and Development.
CHRIS NAYVE
Christopher Nayve is a JONES Consultant skilled in the areas of conflict management, diversity, inclusion, leadership development and organizational change. His legal background focuses on civil rights and social justice education.
Chris is currently the Associate Director for the Center for Community Service-Learning at the University of San Diego, and the advisor to the Center for Awareness, Service, and Action. He has extensive community development experience that includes working with the U.N. in Bosnia and coordinating grants from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development.
He recently delivered the Inclusive Leadership Academy to managers throughout the City of San Diego and trained San Diego Housing Commission through a leadership development program.
Chris specializes in working with students at colleges and universities, developing inclusive leadership skills and strategy planning. Some of his clients include Loyola Marymount University; University of Colorado, Boulder; University of Texas, El Paso; and University of San Diego. He has also taught for the Southwest Center for Asian Pacific American Law teaching high school students about the law, civil rights, and hate crimes.
Chris holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law and a Master’s in Business Administration from the School of Business at USD
DR. DAMIEN ROBINSON
Dr. Damien Robinson is a JONES Principal Consultant, strategic leader and education advocate who has devoted his life’s work to creating pathways to quality degrees and career development for underrepresented students. With over 12 years of both education leadership experience, Damien has served a diverse array of student populations across the K-12 to College pipeline.
As a higher education practitioner, he has been instrumental in developing and implementing flagship college pathway programs, including the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success program at Montgomery College (ACES), located in the state of Maryland. With Damien’s leadership and fierce commitment to student success, ACES has gone on serve over 5000 low-income, first-generation students with college transitional support.
Beyond his programmatic expertise, Damien served as Director of Special Education at Orchard School District, leading the development of equitable and inclusive assessments for students of color.
He works directly with institutions, companies and organizations to help create cultural shifts in organizational practices that lead to greater future success. Damien holds a B.S. in Psychology from Howard University, M.A. in Counseling from San Diego State University and an Ed.D. in Education Leadership from San Francisco State University. Damien is currently the Director of Marketing at Acropolis Developments, a real estate investment company located in San Diego, California.
DR. DONALD E. CHICK
Dr. Donald E. Chick is a Jones Consultant and the President and Chief Executive Officer of New Synergist Consulting (NSC). Donald is also an Assistant Professor of Business in the Doctor of Management Program at Colorado Technical University. He leads Doctoral students and designs classes in Business Strategy, Leadership, Innovation, and Action Research.
Donald’s experience in engineering and management include; Business Director and Senior Civilian of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest. NAVFAC Southwest provided facilities engineering support at Navy, Marine Corp, and Air Force bases in three states, employing more than 3400 employees, with revenues exceeding $3B per year.
Prior to joining NAVFAC Southwest, Donald held engineering, technical, and management positions at the General Motors Corporation and the Naval Aviation Depot (FRC), North Island. His assignments included, Executive Director of Product Management for Industrial Operations,
Business Manager at the Navy Public Works Center, San Diego, Competency Manager for Production and Support Services, Division Director for Aviation Support Systems, Program Manager for Engineering Software Systems, and Branch Head for Anti-Submarine Warfare Software Systems.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Donald earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Cleveland State University, a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University, and a Doctorate in Organizational Change from Pepperdine University.
GLENDA GILL
Lena Moran is a JONES Senior Consultant. She is a native of Mexico City, Mexico and currently a resident of Ventura County, CA where she lives with her husband and her son.
Lena holds a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis on Social Justice and Leadership from Antioch University Santa Barbara, where she did research on the topic of children who are used as interpreters and with her thesis focusing on the creation of an evaluation system of interpretation and translation services in school districts. As an educator, activist and advocate, Lena’s expertise has led her to facilitate workshops and trainings across California and provide consultation to organizations, school districts, healthcare and government agencies as well as present and speak at conferences throughout the United States.
Lena is a licensed trainer for The Community Interpreter, a program of Cross-Cultural Communications, an interpreter and translator and expert in the field of language justice.
Lena has experience in program development, implementation and delivery of diversity, equity and inclusion work with educators, families, youth, non profit organizations, government agencies, and more. Lena is the CEO and founder of Bridging Voices-Uniendo Voces, LLC where she focuses on DEIJ consulting and interpretation and translation services.
Lena has presented at various conferences, including Facing Race: A National Conference (2016), CSUCI: Conference for Social Justice in Education (2019), 2nd Annual Social Justice Education Conference (2019).
In 2018, Lena received Congressional recognition for her work in coordinating and providing language access services during and after the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslide disasters
ISAAC PRESTWICH
Isaac Prestwich is a project coordinator at JONES. He is a Los Angeles resident and an alumnus of Pomona College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies. His studies at Pomona College were primarily focused on the critical study of systems of power and injustice in the United States and abroad. In his final year of undergrad, Isaac completed a senior thesis entitled, “‘And All Were Welcome’: An Analysis of the Transgender Child in Contemporary Picture Books.” Isaac is also a graduate of the Theatre program at the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts where he participated in the ENCOMPASS inclusive leadership class that was transitioned to JONES in 2019. Following his time as a student of Lori Nelson and Kevin Blake, now members of the JONES team, he worked frequently with Lori and Kevin at the Western Justice Center/ENCOMPASS to assist in program development, research, and community outreach.
Isaac has a passion for working with youth and has years of experience working with children from ages 3 years old to 14 years old in both academic and non-academic contexts. For two years Isaac coordinated a non-academic after school program for middle schoolers in Pomona Unified School District. Additionally, Isaac spent two summers during his undergrad education as a Breakthrough New York science teacher in the Bronx, New York. He has also spent time working in preschool and high school classrooms as a teaching assistant and mentor.
Ultimately, as a JONES team member, Isaac is deeply invested in racial justice, cross-cultural communication, LGBTQ+ youth outreach, and anti-bias education.
JEANNETTE ASIMOS
JONES Senior Consultant Jeannette Asimos has spent more than 20 years developing the skills that organizations look for in a dynamic and effective consultant. Experienced in supporting clients to improve organizational culture and productivity, Jeannette provides training, consulting, organization and product analysis and strategic planning services. Her background in marketing, project management and sales deepen her knowledge of the systems within which most people work.
Jeannette met the challenges of managing a large and diverse staff during her years as an educator and as a manager in several large corporations. This enhanced perspective allows her to both empathize with management and urge them to explore innovative approaches to every issue. Her specialty is the preparation and delivery of training and education on diversity, cross cultural communication, group dynamics, customer service, goal setting and sales techniques.
A unique focus of her work is on the importance of all types of communication as an internal product of the organization. The systemic impact of clear, honest communication is undervalued in most organizations.
Some of the clients that Jeanette has partnered with include Toyota, Lexus, ConocoPhillips, Microsoft, and Federal Office of Personnel Management.
JOHN GAVARES
John Gavares is a JONES Consultant with over 30 years of experience in managing change projects. His areas of expertise include organization development change efforts, strategic planning, team buildings, leadership development and training. As an Organizational Development consultant, he has led community involvement projects in public policy issues, partnering processes, inclusion consulting, conflict resolution, culture transformation programs and leadership development programs.
John holds a Master of Public Administration degree from San Diego State University, specializing in Organization Behavior and Community Development. As a trained coach, he is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards of coaching. John works with clients to achieve speedy results and sustainable effectiveness in their lives and careers.
One of John’s specialties is developing leadership skills for frontline employees and supervisors, in both union and non-union environments. John trains managers and employees at all levels to establish and achieve their goals and increase their effectiveness through consulting, workshops and one-on-one coaching.
John taught at UCSD and at SDSU for 10 years, and twice served as the President of the San Diego Organization Development Network. Most recently, John managed the Strategic Support Services section of the City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department, providing a full range of organization and leadership development services to the 1500-person organization.
KAI NUGENT
Kai Nugent is a recent college graduate who has spent much of his life doing anti-bias work. As a member of generation Z, Kai brings a unique perspective to discussions of inequity and bias in 2020; offering insights into the current state and understanding of these issues among young people. For three years Kai was a member of the Creating Bias-Free Classrooms program, an award-winning teacher professional development training program designed to address bias based on race, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation in schools.
Kai holds a bachelors of arts degree in African-American Studies and Political Science from Yale University.
As the chair of the standards board of his college social organization, Kai oversaw internal investigations of bias, inequality, and misconduct. As the vice-president of the Black Students Association of his college, Kai worked tirelessly to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for incoming students. Kai also has a passion for acting, and has appeared in a number of short films, a 70-episode webseries, as well as a number of commercials. With his Freshman year roommate he co-founded a production company, TwentyLux, which produced both short films and commercial content for startups on campus.
DR. KELLEY PETERSON
Dr. Kelly L. Peterson is a JONES Senior Consultant. She is an organization development consultant, facilitator and executive coach with over 20 years of consulting experience, with a specific focus on leaders. Throughout her professional career she has developed a reputation for connecting with people in an honest and authentic way, while designing dynamic processes which ignite and inspire specific measurable, and strategic results.
Kelly designed and delivered Disney’s Performance Management Program course, and their 3 Day Management Journey Program which she delivered across the enterprise, worldwide, for over 10 years. She has designed and delivered learning solutions for Tenet Healthcare, Southern California Edison, CaptionCall, FinancialForce, Coca Cola, Hitachi, and Los Angeles County.
Kelly has a doctorate of psychology in OMC from Phillips Graduate University (CA) and is a graduate of the University of Southern California, Human Resources Development Master Trainer’s Institute. Her bachelor’s from California State Northridge in in both Communications and Psychology. She is a certified Master Trainer for DDI, 6Sigma Workout Certified, and is a Connective Leadership Certified Practitioner. She has certificates in Public Policy from Georgia Tech and Transportation Demand Management from UCLA. Additionally, she is a CORO Fellow and alumnus of Goldman Sachs 10KSB Program.
KEVIN BLAKE
Kevin Blake is a Senior Consultant of JONES. He combines a comprehensive understanding of interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, youth development, humor, empathy and storytelling to make him a unique and effective trainer, teacher, and program designer.
He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting/Directing from Florida Atlantic University. He has combined his expertise in the performing arts with over 20 years of diversity, equity, and inclusion program design and delivery.
Mr. Blake was an integral part of the InterActions program with the National Conference of Community and Justice, Artistic Director of ENCOMPASS, a non-profit human rights organization, and Program Director of Western Justice Center before joining the JONES team.
For over ten years, Mr. Blake has taught a service-learning class at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The class teaches young artists about issues of diversity, inclusion, and school safety and engages them in programming which serves their community and makes schools more safe and inclusive.
Mr. Blake was a director, facilitator, and presenter of the Compassion Plays program, a touring facilitated theatre program exploring issues of racism, xenophobia, and cultural appropriation for 20 years. The program was presented to teachers, students, police officers, judges, and school administrators. It was a regular part of programming at the Museum of Tolerance, Just Communities, Pasadena Youth Ambassadors, Collaborate Pasadena, National Association of Women Judges as well as universities, k-12 schools, and professional, and religious organizations throughout California and beyond.
He was the director, performer, writer, and facilitator of the Creating Bias-Free Classrooms program, an award-winning teacher professional development training program designed to address bias based on race, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation in schools. This program was a part of multiple educator Induction programs and the ABC’s of Conflict program.
Mr. Blake co-designed an anti-bullying program for teachers and administrators, focusing on the impacts and interventions of bullying and cyber-bullying, and delivered that program throughout Southern California.
From design to implementation, he oversaw the development of an online conflict resolution site, SchoolTools.info. He is responsible for developing original video content which he directed, produced, wrote and edited and is used in over 135 countries and all 50 states.
Mr. Blake is a popular speaker and performer with decades of experience with group safety, youth development and program delivery, with an emphasis on creating programming that is engaging, fun, educational, and inspiring.
DR. KIM MALLOY
Dr. Kim Malloy is a JONES Principal Consultant with more than ten years of experience in the areas of organizational development, performance management, feedback and coaching, training, leadership and executive development, employee surveys, Six Sigma Methodologies and teambuilding.
Kim received her Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She has provided leadership in the role of Project Director in the design and implementation of employee attitude survey systems for Fortune 500 and Baldrige Award winning large and multi-national companies.
Some of the clients she has partnered with are: Motorola, LG Mobile Phones, Sharp HealthCare, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, QualComm, Hollywood Entertainment, Ericsson, Legal Research Network, Sempra Energy/ San Diego Gas & Electric, Toyota, Washington Mutual and Ernst & Young LLP.
Kim specializes in creating a workshop environment that allows employees, managers, and executives to optimize their learning experience.
LENA MORAN
Glenda A. Gill is an advocate, change agent, thought leader, a 21st-century innovator, strategic bridge-builder, and purveyor of economic equality. Gill uses corporate board rooms as her field of progress. Gill currently serves as a business and social impact consultant, focusing on social justice and economic development with distressed and growing communities. Gill has served in a diverse capacity of roles throughout her life that has ranged from corporate, retail management, politics, production, entrepreneur, fundraising, and non-profits.
Gill’s career is driven by her ‘why’: an unyielding desire for fairness and equity for people of color in every facet of corporate life. That notion fuels her tenacity and guides her process for expertly crafting mutually beneficial agreements that helped forge successful corporate partnerships aimed at, ultimately, strengthening people of color’s economic viability. Further to that extent, Gill has assisted more than 100-plus minority-owned businesses, over the years, secure more than $9 billion in contracts due to her direct or indirect advocacy.
Since 2011, Gill’s heart passion and servant leadership led her to create SAVE A GIRL, SAVE A WORLD. An intergenerational, multifaceted mentoring organization focusing on four pillars: Financial Literacy & Wealth Legacy, Health & Wellness, Lifestyles & Leadership and Career & Entrepreneurship. SAGSAW’s mission is to provide education and awareness by sharing successful life experiences, giving leadership tools, and building self-esteem for high school girls, college-aged and professional women at HBCUs.
DR. LIDA RAFIA
Dr. Lida Rafia is a JONES Senior Consultant who is passionate about helping people, teams and organizations create cultural transformation through an equity and inclusion lens. She has extensive experience leading strategic change in community college colleges in various leadership capacities that have included: program and curricula design, training and facilitation, strategic planning, and organizational development.
Lida currently serves as Dean of Student Success and Equity at Grossmont College. In this role, she works collaboratively to build consensus across constituency groups to advance student success, and foster an inclusive environment to positively impact policies, practices, and culture. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy from Portland State University and a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in community college leadership from Oregon State University
LIZ J. FERNANDEZ
Liz Fernandez, Ed.M., is a Principal Consultant at JONES. She is a bilingual, and bicultural educator, trainer, and speaker. She has written curriculum and facilitated workshops throughout the Americas, Asia, and South Africa focused on gender identity, cross-cultural competency, conflict management and curriculum development for grades pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade.
She has served as an administrator, teacher and facilitator in the independent school community including serving as the Director of Diversity at The Dalton School, Dean of the Class of 2013, MS Ethics Department Chair and member of the Board of Trustees at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS). Currently, she serves as the Assistant Head of School, Ethical Education & Social Impact at ECFS.
From 2000 to 2011, she served on the faculty of the National Association of Independent Schools, Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and for eight years was a co-chair. Since 2000, she has coordinated the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Job Fair to Promote Diversity designed to increase teachers and administrators of color within member schools.
She is an alumna of and proudly serves on the Board of Directors of Bloomingdale Family Head Start Programs, Inc. an NYC pre-school program serving low-income families with comprehensive educational support services.
Ms. Fernández holds a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Hamilton College, an MA in Social Sciences with a concentration in Sociology and Education from Binghamton University, State University of New York and an Ed.M. from Columbia University, Teacher’s College, Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership.
LORI NELSON
Lori Nelson is the Director of Programs and a Principal Consultant at JONES. For over 20 years, Lori has been a leader in designing programs and training modules that successfully reduce bias and conflict in schools and workplaces. Ms. Nelson has designed more than 40 programs for schools and organizations and specializes in developing training sessions that use the arts to increase engagement and impact on groups. She has used mosaic art-making to teach group collaboration, has used live theater to introduce difficult topics in diversity and equity issues and has used creative writing and improvisational acting to teach bullying intervention.
Ms. Nelson’s creative approach has helped thousands of people develop empathy, build skills and gain confidence in working within a diverse community. She has developed effective trainings on a range of topics including intergenerational communication, the changing language of gender, stopping homophobic bullying and creating safe classrooms for students who are targeted by racial bias.
Ms. Nelson teaches at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Her popular service-learning class teaches young artists communication skills, cultural competency and how to use their talents to create safer and more inclusive schools.
Ms. Nelson’s programs have received numerous awards and have been featured in magazines such as Seventeen and Essence, featured on the Oprah Show and have been the subject of several documentaries including “A Reason to Change”, “Imagining Hamlet” and the Emmy‐award winning, “Never The Same”. Several of her programs are regular offerings at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
MAYA HU-CHAN
Maya Hu-Chan is a JONES Principal Consultant, executive coach, author, and speaker rated one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Management & Leadership (2008-2011) by Leadership Excellence Magazine and Top Leadership Guru from Asia by Leadership Guru International. She specializes in global leadership, executive coaching and cross-cultural business skills. Her book, “Global Leadership: The Next Generation” was chosen by Harvard Business School to be one of their Working Knowledge recommended books. This book was translated into Chinese and Polish.
Maya has trained and coached thousands of leaders in Global Fortune 500 companies throughout North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and Australia. She has worked extensively in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Korea and Japan, helping global companies develop their senior executives and high-potential leaders as well as their teams. She is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.
A few of the clients that Maya has partnered with include Allergan, American Airlines, Berkshire Life Insurance, IBM, Disney, KPMG, SONY, and Pfizer.
NANCY MALDONADO
Nancy Maldonado is a Senior Consultant with JONES. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Chicano Federation and brings over 14 years of leadership experience.
She is a community advocate with deep knowledge about health and wellness in diverse communities. Nancy has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for youth and underserved communities.
Nancy brings years of experience managing multiple grants, contracts and programs aimed at empowering individuals, teams, and organizations to promote self-sufficiency among diverse communities. She is recognized for designing and leading the strategic development of community-based programs and interventions.
Nancy holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. She has formally owned and operated her own business where she developed and implemented corporate wellness programs. Prior to joining the Chicano Federation, Nancy also served as the Director of Community Health for the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
PHOEBE NANCE
Phoebe Nance is a recent college graduate who majored in History and Spanish at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. For three years Phoebe was a member of the Creating Bias-Free Classrooms program, an award-winning teacher professional development training program designed to address bias based on race, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation in schools. That work cemented her passion for social justice, and led her to pursue opportunities to work with the San Francisco Public Defender and the Western Justice Center during her undergraduate career.
In her time at Wesleyan, Phoebe was a nationally ranked competitor in the American Mock Trial Association. She spent a semester at Madrid’s Universidad Carlos III, where she both developed her Spanish language fluency and studied modern Spain’s perspective on the history of
colonialism in the Americas.
She also continued her work with the Public Policy department of the Public Defender, where she was involved with projects aiming to abolish the city’s gang injunctions, and the statewide effort to abolish criminal fines and fees through California legislature. Phoebe is passionate about all aspects of social justice work, with a special focus on criminal justice reform.
As a member of Gen Z, Phoebe brings a unique perspective to discussions around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion; offering insights into the ways these issues affect and are understood by young people today.
Dr. Plácida Gallegos
Dr. Plácida Gallegos is a Principal Consultant at JONES who has spent the past 30 years engaged in supporting diverse individuals, groups and organizations in thriving and achieving optimal outcomes. Her work spans a wide range including corporations, non-profits, educational institutions and governmental agencies.
In her consulting work, Plácida has led large change projects and partnered with executives to develop sustainable interventions that align with their values, business and organizational objectives. Dr. Gallegos designs and conducts workshops, presentations and interventions based on sound assessment practices and customization to fit the clients’ needs and goals. Rather than emphasize an “expert” model when working with leaders, she operates on the philosophy of true partnership where the client organization or individuals are fully engaged in each step of the change effort.
Some of the clients Plácida has worked with include Toyota, Verizon, and Washington Mutual.
She has published widely on interpersonal and intercultural communication, leadership development and building inclusive cultures that support the full engagement of all employees. Plácida received her M.A. in marriage, family and child counseling and her second master’s degree and Ph.D. in Social Psychology. She is also a member of the national Hispanic Women’s organization, MANA, where she serves as Development Advisor to the Board of Directors.
L. REUBEN MITCHELL
Reuben Mitchell is a Senior Consultant with JONES. He brings 40 years of experience providing leadership and organizational development to private liberal arts colleges, major research universities, government agencies, K-12 schools, law enforcement agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations.
Reuben currently serves as the Ombuds at The Scripps Research Institute. Prior to that he served as Director of Employee Development, in Human Resources. He has directed process improvement efforts, coaching managers and supervisors for improved accountability, and assisted in the resolution of performance related issues. Reuben is also well versed in the development and implementation of Affirmative Action Programs.
Reuben has also served as the Assistant Provost and Director of Campus Diversity Development at the University of San Diego. While at USD he worked in Human Resources where he created a Leadership Development Program, university-wide diversity training, and conducted community outreach.
Reuben received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Hiram College, a M.A. in Social Sciences from Azusa Pacific University. He is also the co-developer of an assessment instrument which measures the level of multiculturalism and inclusion within organizations called the Organizational Developmental Model of Inclusion (ODMI).
DR. SHANNA R. TEEL
Dr. Shanna R. Teel, Ph.D. is a Principal Consultant at JONES. She is a transformational coach, facilitator, and consultant. She has over 15 years of experience as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning. She specializes in the areas of executive and leadership development, executive and management coaching, and neuroscience. Her other specialties include: strategic planning, conflict management, diversity & inclusion training, team building, group dynamics, communication skill development, negotiation, and business development.
Dr. Teel holds a dual Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology and Clinical Psychology, a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, a Masters Degree in Neuroscience and Leadership Development, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is certified in multiple assessments including the Hogan Personality Inventory, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI), FIRO-B™, and 360-Degree Feedback assessments.
Dr. Teel has provided organization development consulting, team development, and individual coaching for executives and managers in the following organizations: Citigroup; Kodak; Nokia; Fugihunt, USA; Center for Naval Analysis; UBS Financial; Dow Chemical; Deloitte & Touche; TA Instruments; Eiasi Pharmaceuticals; McDonald’s; St. Luke’s Health Network; Interwoven; ARM; Victoria’s Secret; Barclays Global Investors; Chesapeake Energy; Vitas Hospice; The Braille Institute; University of Oklahoma; Oklahoma Heart Hospital; University of California San Diego Hospital; Hasbro; Thomson Reuters.
DR. SKYLER JACKSON
Dr. Skyler Jackson is a Senior Consultant at JONES. He has more than 15 years of experience as a diversity consultant, educator and group facilitator.
Skyler is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Yale School of Public Health. His current projects examine complex, understudied manifestations of stigma across sexual, racial, and gender minority populations, including (a) intersectional stress among individuals holding multiple marginalized identities (e.g., LGBT people of color, Black women), and (b) border identity stress among populations holding identities that defy binary categorization (e.g., bisexuals, multiracial people, transgender/nonbinary individuals). Emerging interests include assessing the mental health consequences of dehumanizing experiences and the study of interventions aiming to reduce stigma-related stress among marginalized populations.
In his work as an diversity specialist, Skyler has designed and implemented successful trainings and discussions in collaboration with or on behalf of esteemed educational institutions, prominent social justice organizations, and progressive cultural institutions, including the National Conference for Community & Justice, the Smithsonian Institution, Stanford University, the Museum of Tolerance, Wesleyan University, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Cornerstone Theatre Company, and the A.K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems.
Skyler also served as the Associate Executive Director of ENCOMPASS, a California-based organization working to reduce prejudice and conflict among teens.
He received his BA in Psychology from Stanford University and his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park.
DR. STEVEN JONES
Dr. Steven Jones is the CEO of JONES. Nationally known as one of “America’s Top Experts on Diversity”, his philosophy is to lead with listening to support clients in finding a strategy and solution that works for them.
Dynamic k keynote speaker, transformational facilitator, phenomenal organization effectiveness consultant, and innovative executive have all been words used to describe Dr. Steven Jones. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a Master’s in Multicultural Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. He is author of Journey to Excellence, an inspirational book that helps people define and achieve excellence in their lives.
Steven currently serves as a National Diversity Advisor to SDG&E, Sempra Energy, Honda and SoCal Edison, he has also placed a significant amount of his focus on working clients such as: Association of State & Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), City of San Diego, Edwards Life Sciences, Solar Turbines, as well as, multiple Colleges, Universities, and K-12 Schools to further their mission of becoming more diverse and inclusive at all levels.
In the global arena, while he was studying business practices in Chang Mai, Thailand, Dr. Jones became the first person of African descent to be ordained as a Buddhist Monk at a 700-year old monastery called Wat Umong.
Steven is sought by leaders seeking to make real change in their organizations. He brings over 30 years of experience helping leaders and institutions throughout the world move beyond talk to action.
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