The winners of Training magazine’s 2022 Emerging Training Leader (ETL) Awards kept a steady hand on the wheel as they navigated myriad challenges and steered a path to optimal employee performance and organizational success. These talented Training professionals served as their organizations’ culture GPS, guiding employees to grow and thrive. They helped set the direction for their organizations as their companies wrestled with workforce strategies post-pandemic. Their exceptional leadership skills, business acumen, and ability to innovate put their organizations on a course to a capable workforce that has the needed competencies for today and tomorrow.
Some traits/accomplishments the ETL judges noted in particular: taking a continuous learning approach, multifaceted techniques and well-thought-out program design, adaptability, a responsive approach to keep programs aligned to changes in the business direction, and keeping a clear line of sight from measurable goals to performance improvements or business outcomes. In short, these leaders are “active go-getters who embrace technologies and push other strategies to stretch organizational capabilities. They are open to trying new things, which is key to modeling the behavior you are trying to lead.”
These 25 Learning and Development (L&D) professionals have been in the industry for 2 to 10 years and have inspired and engaged their organizations with their exceptional leadership skills, business acumen, and training instincts. All Emerging Training Leader candidates had to be nominated by co-workers or industry peers.
Training Editorial Advisory Board members and I judged the 66 nominations and chose the 25 winners based on the following factors:
- Took on at least one new responsibility in the last year
- Successfully led a large-scale training/learning and development initiative within the last year that required management/leadership of a group of people and resulted in the achievement of a business goal (with behavior change/business impact results)
- Demonstrates specific leadership qualities (such as acts as a mentor/coach; adopts new technology; collaborates; embraces and adapts to change; empowers employees; innovates; and thinks strategically)
- Has the potential to lead the Training or L&D function at an organization in the next 1 to 10 years
Below, you’ll find in-depth profiles of the Top 5 Emerging Training Leaders (in alphabetical order), plus shorter profiles of the other 20 Emerging Training Leaders. We also created a “To Watch” list, which features five up-and-coming professionals who are well on their way to becoming future Emerging Training Leaders.
2022 ETL JUDGES
Diane August, Chief Learning Architect, Nationwide
Brent Bloom, Founder, Brent Bloom Consulting
Douglas Bryant, VP, Training Sonic Automotive
Alison Bundgaard, AVP, Training, United Wholesale Mortgage
Tina Claure, Senior Learning Strategist and Curriculum Manager, Booz Allen Hamilton
Judy Claybrook, Senior Manager, Training and Development, Dollar General Corporation
Jessica Edgerton, VP, Operations/Corporate Counsel, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World
Daniel J. Goepp, Managing Director, Learning & Development, PwC
Vicente Gonzalez, CLO/Director, Enterprise L&D, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Jim Harwood, former VP, University of Farmers, Farmers Insurance
Glenn Hughes, Senior Director, Learning & Development, KLA Corporation
Graham Johnston, Leader, Talent Development Strategy & Innovation, Deloitte LP
Bruce I. Jones, former Senior Cast Development and QA Director, Disney Institute
Meredith Maples, Senior Director, Training, Keller Williams University, Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Hanna Neal, Learning Project Specialist, Americas Learning, EY
Michael Orth, Senior Director, KPMG Business School – U.S.
Robin Renschen, Director, Learning and Development, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Debra Ross, AVP, Learning & Development, BNSF Railway
Ross Tartell, former Manager, Learning & Development – North America, GE Capital Real Estate
Catherine Rickelman, Manager, IBM Learning
Emily Steinkamp, Senior Director, Learning & Development/ Human Resources, Capital Blue Cross
Lou Tedrick, Vice President, Global Learning & Development, Verizon
Lorri Freifeld, Editor/Publisher, Training magazine
2022 EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS TOP 5
BOB CLARK
Senior Manager, Training and Implementation
AutoNation (9 direct reports)
B.S., United States Air Force Academy
7.5 YEARS IN TRAINING (at time of submission)
CHILDHOOD AMBITION: To be an FBI agent
FAVORITE PHRASE OR MOTTO: “Living the dream” and “Do what matters most.”
FAMILY/PETS: Wife, married 44 years; 2 married children (son, 40; daughter 36); 2 dogs (Charlie Chaplain and Sofi); 1 cat (Danny)
OUTSIDE INTERESTS: “Health and nutrition, sports (favorite team is Texas A&M), and traveling. I also am active in my church—I lead a small group and teach fifth and sixth graders.”
ADVICE FOR THOSE ENTERING THE TRAINING FIELD: “Become a student of your craft. Be a life-long learner. Invest in yourself, take courses, and complete certifications. Attend training conferences and network with other training leaders and vendors who can become great resources for you as you advance in your career. Build relationships with your key stakeholders and help them see the value and ROI training brings to their department or organization. Be adaptable and agile. The business is always changing—be a champion of change.”
AutoNation Senior Manager of Training and Implementation Bob Clark manages a team of 9 corporate Learning and Development (L&D) trainers who work remotely. He and his team support 21,000+ associates in 314 locations, 18 states, and 119 cities. Under his leadership, the number of unique sales and service-related training workshops facilitated increased 222% from 27 to 60, and training sessions increased 160% from 357 to 573. Clark also began providing 360 assessment coaching for participants in AutoNation’s General Manager University in early 2022.
Clark spearheaded the training around the national launch of AN GPS to 5,527 employees to spur AutoNation’s adoption of this customer relationship management (CRM) system. This was the company’s first national technology rollout to use virtual training, which included videos, eLearning modules, sandbox exercises, job aids, TikTok-type videos, instructor-led training (ILT) Webinars, and pre- and post-go-live training. As a result of the training, the time it took managers and associates to be proficient in using AN GPS improved 50% from 60 days to 30 days.
When a global shortage of chips caused new car inventories to plummet in 2021, the L&D team was tasked with developing a training program to help improve used vehicle purchases through the company’s WBYC (We’ll Buy Your Car) program. Under Clark’s leadership, his team created and facilitated workshops to teach associates how to prospect used car purchases from individuals who were selling their cars online. From January-December 2021, WBYC purchases increased by 128% vs. the prior year.
“Bob has done an outstanding job collaborating with managers at all levels in the organization and has built a successful team that is viewed as a strategic and valued business partner throughout the enterprise,” says nominator Jim Hastings, former director, L&D, AutoNation. “The consummate servant leader, he empowers his employees to grow, develop, and make significant contributions to the organization.”
NICOLE (NIKKI) DELINSKI
Director, Education Operations
OSF Healthcare – Jump Simulation and Education Center (managed 50+)
Bachelor’s, Nursing, Murray State University; Master’s, Nursing Administration with a focus in Education, and Doctorate, Nursing Practice and Executive Leadership, Bradley University
10 YEARS IN TRAINING (at time of submission)
CHILDHOOD AMBITION: “Actress, then a singer, then a surgeon, then a psychologist, before landing on nursing.”
FAVORITE PHRASE OR MOTTO: “If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” —Albert Einstein
FAMILY/PETS: “2 intelligent and beautiful daughters who motivate, inspire, and energize me daily, Keona and Zoey Delinski.”
OUTSIDE INTERESTS: “Professional: Coaching for CREW309, a rowing team of breast cancer survivors/warriors; faculty for Bradley University Graduate Nurses; and inpatient nursing on the Cardio Thoracic Unit at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Recreation: Waterparks with my daughters, live music, family vacations, and swimming/boating.”
ADVICE FOR THOSE ENTERING THE TRAINING FIELD: “Make it EASY. If you’re getting into the weeds…you have gone too far. Aim for core memories, and, for Pete’s sake, have fun!”
Nicole (Nikki) Delinski has direct oversight of the 13-member Educational Operations team—which includes the functions of project development, scheduling, delivery, and evaluation—at Jump Simulation, a healthcare simulation program that serves both students and 20,000+ Mission Partners (employees) across the 15 hospitals and more than 125 other clinical sites in OSF HealthCare.
Delinski expanded and revitalized the in situ (or “in place”) simulation program that permits learners to develop skills within their workplace environment. She leveraged teleconferencing platforms to deploy virtual communication training opportunities for leaders across the system. This included taking on the operational leadership of Jump’s Standardized Participant (SP) program. The expansion of In Situ Simulation: Workplace Aggression, Maternal Hemorrhage, and Just- In-Time Coaching Conversations for 1,200 learners in fiscal year 2022 saved nearly 300 learner hours spent on non-productive time.
During the pandemic, Delinski implemented a “FedEx Friday” program to empower change from front-line staff. The Operations Team was encouraged to identify a process improvement or creative innovation, was given protected time to create their proposal, which then was “delivered” on Fridays to the group. This led to the use of virtual reality platforms for employee engagement events.
To create a seamless experience for system educators to engage with simulation as a modality, Delinski created an “Advocate Team” comprising members from all the teams within Jump Simulation to interview course directors as the first step in simulation project development. As a result, FY’21 reflected a 128% increase in project intake over the prior year before process change, and FY’22 was on track to increase an additional 37%.
“Nikki is a driven, passionate leader who seeks to demonstrate positive impact by all of her initiatives,” says nominator Lisa T. Barker, MD, Medical director, Simulation, Jump Simulation. “I can personally attest to her vision for continuous improvement and the enthusiasm with which she is able to engage others toward innovation.”
AUTUMN SCISCIANI
Director, Instructional Design and Organizational Development
Sonic Automotive (managed 6 throughout the design and development of the New Manager Leadership Academy)
Bachelor’s, Education, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Eastern Kentucky University; Master’s, Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning, Boise State University; currently a Doctoral candidate for the Ph.D. in Human Capital Management, Bellevue University (projected completion date, spring 2023)
9 YEARS IN TRAINING CHILDHOOD AMBITION: Marine biologist
FAVORITE PHRASE OR MOTTO: “The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.” —Walt Disney
FAMILY/PETS: “Daughter, Isabella, a junior nursing student, and son, Ethan, a freshman environmental biology major, both at Liberty University; Hazel Moon, a supremely spoiled 2-year-old charcoal lab.”
OUTSIDE INTERESTS: “Photography, reading, violin, guitar, working on improving my Spanish, and camping with my Jeep Wrangler and RV trailer.”
ADVICE FOR THOSE ENTERING THE TRAINING FIELD: “Take advantage of the growing number of available tools and resources to stay inspired and innovative, and network with other L&D professionals. Observe and learn from others in the field, both inside and outside your organization. Above all, put your learners and the business first by asking for feedback and listening to their needs. Their success is your success.” In 2021, Autumn Scisciani was promoted to the position of director of Instructional Design and Organizational Development at Sonic Automotive. She leads and supports a team of 7 instructional designers and facilitators who provide learning and development opportunities for Sonic’s 130+ automotive franchised dealerships in 18 states across the U.S. She also oversees new hire, exit, and quarterly pulse surveys and directs annual and mid-year performance review processes for Sonic’s 10,000+ employees.
Scisciani led the program design and content development for Sonic Automotive’s new virtually based New Manager Leadership Academy (NMLA), Variable Operations Academy (VOA), and Service Operations Academy (SOA). In addition to 8 weeks of independent study, activities, and virtually facilitated training, participants attend an additional week of business acumen training facilitated by divisional leaders. Post-training, turnover reduction has ranged between .1% and .3% amid the “Great Resignation.” In first quarter 2022, Sonic franchise dealerships’ total revenues were up nearly 30% year-over-year.
Scisciani also took the initiative during the virtual training redesign processes to remap the strengths of training directors/facilitators to specific areas of focus. That reorganization has optimized training time, allowing the addition of a 1-on-1 performance coaching program for all new sales and service employees. This led to an improvement in time to competency from 60 to 30 days.
“Autumn recognizes the strengths of others and empowers them to contribute in ways that maximize their value to the organization,” says nominator Doug Bryant, VP, Talent Management, Training, and Recruiting, Sonic Automotive. “As a result of her leadership, 1 person she managed was promoted and 4 others have taken on additional responsibilities.”
EMANUELA VASILEVA
Senior Manager, Learning
PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific (6 direct reports)
8 YEARS IN TRAINING CHILDHOOD AMBITION: Archaeologist
FAVORITE PHRASE OR MOTTO: “You miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t pursue.”
FAMILY/PETS: 1 sibling (younger sister); turtle
OUTSIDE INTERESTS: Food carving, traveling
ADVICE FOR THOSE ENTERING THE TRAINING FIELD: “Never be afraid to assume the role of a leader, even if you do not feel ready for it. When the situation calls for it, always choose to step up. Even if you make a mistake, you would have grown as a professional and as a person.”
In 2021, Emanuela Vasileva assumed the responsibility for the Instructional Design and Development (IDD) function, a role with 6 direct reports and 11 indirect reports, after a major restructuring of the Enterprise Learning team for PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Enterprise Learning is a group of 55 employees who support more than 30,000 staff members with internal training needs. To ensure an effective transition, Vasileva onboarded a peer manager to the IDD function and worked on a strategy to set expectations and quality standards for IDD. Within the new scope of her responsibilities, Vasileva also mentors novice instructional designers in the learning organization. 2 of her direct reports were promoted in 2021.
Additionally, Vasileva transitioned from internal projects to largescale billable client requests, a change that greatly increased her responsibilities for the team. She led 2 consecutive client projects (Good Clinical Laboratory Practices and Monitoring Essentials) with a total of 48 training deliverables and 2,500+ training development hours.
Vasileva revamped and redesigned the company’s subject confidentiality training for 13,500 learners in order to make it more effective and relevant for the current climate. The new program features a video and an interactive assessment in which learners review real-life medical documents containing subject identifiers. It reduced by 9,900 hours the amount of time spent on this topic across the business, and no major audit findings related to the topic of prohibited subject identifiers were discovered during the 6 months of monitoring after the release of the training.
Vasileva led a strategic initiative to upskill PPD project managers through the development of a scenario-based training program: PPD’s Negotiation Advantage. First assigned to 700+ employees in the Project Delivery department, the successful program later was adopted by other departments that needed guidance on how to perform effective negotiations. As a result of the program, the time elapsed between requesting a contract modification and the client signing it was reduced from an average of 127.4 days to 58.2 days.
“Emanuela is a driver, proactively looking for solutions and alternatives to cultivate innovation and efficiency,” says nominator Vesela Daskalova, senior Learning specialist, PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “She has mastered the ability to assume multiple roles—manager, regional leader, project lead, and instructional designer—with confidence and ease. She is passionate about excelling her team and empowering them to challenge themselves and grow.”
KAREL WAGNER
Senior Instructional Designer
Prime Therapeutics (led 4 during a training initiative)
Bachelor’s, Arts & Science, Dallas Baptist University
10 YEARS IN TRAINING (at time of submission)
CHILDHOOD AMBITION: Actress
FAVORITE PHRASE OR MOTTO: “Every great accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
FAMILY/PETS: “I have 4 adult children and 9 grandchildren. I am a cat lover, with 1 fur baby, Dusty.”
OUTSIDE INTERESTS: “I’m an adrenaline junkie. I enjoy anything that boosts those endorphins, i.e., skydiving, riding motorcycles, bungee jump, snorkeling, etc. I also contract as a facilitator of parenting and engaged couples classes with nonprofit organization Anthem Strong Families.”
ADVICE FOR THOSE ENTERING THE TRAINING FIELD: “Be prepared by staying current in the industry as this field is ever changing. Your customers want the most thorough, effective, and efficient way to train their staff, which can be a bit of an oxymoron.”
Over the last year, Karel Wagner shifted from being an individual contributor designing and developing curriculum for 1 line of business in Prime Therapeutics Operations to leading 4 instructional designers who support all of Operations (4 distinct lines of business) and enterprise trainings and deployments throughout the company. Wagner and her team are 100% remote and spread across the continental United States.
In her new role, Wagner has led the effort to revolutionize the typical training model for Prime Therapeutics, which previously was lecturebased PowerPoints. She took on the responsibility of creating new standards for training and incorporated self-guided learning, empathy modules, gamification, and automated assessments.
This new training strategy was evident in the collaborative effort between Operations, Quality, and Training that Wagner spearheaded to create the most effective onboarding and training experience for 500+ new hire and cross-trained Medicare Clinical Operations Pharmacy technicians to meet Prime Therapeutics’ peak season need. The 75% self-guided curriculum now is being leveraged as the company shifts to guiding learners through the learning journey vs. 100% trainer-led courses. Wagner also created a new badging program to highlight learner achievements and provide a record-keeping system of skills and certifications. As a result of the training, new hire quality scores have increased by 5% and attrition rates in the revamped curriculum dropped by 10%. In a heavily regulated industry, there were only 4 critical errors found in 350+ cases, with a reduction of 50% over the past curriculum-based learning.
Wagner’s project team productivity has increased by almost 15%, in part because of the new tools and technologies she has exposed team members to. In addition, client feedback on errors has been reduced by 10%.
“Karel opened the box for an environment that fosters creativity and no fear of trying new ways,” says nominator June Brickwood, Learning manager, Prime Therapeutics. “She is leading others to challenge the Prime Therapeutics Learning and Development teams to shift from a know-it-all culture to a more curious learn-it-all culture to grow talent within our team, in new and existing learners, and in our business.”
2022 EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS 20 WINNERS
FELICITY ABREU
Training Specialist
AAA Northeast (managed 25) Bachelor’s, Arts and Science, Communications, Bryant University
4 YEARS IN TRAINING
Felicity Abreu was promoted in 2020 from Sales coach for Branch Operations to Training specialist at AAA Northeast. At that time, Branch Operations partnered with NY to offer DMV Services in AAA Northeast branches. Abreu became the project lead for all Registry/DMV training for each of 6 states in 2021. Since the implementation of NY DMV services, AAA Northeast has achieved a 94% Member Satisfaction score while completing more than 40,000 NY DMV transactions. In addition to serving as the training lead for the implementation of a new point-of-sale (POS) system and a new Visa credit card, Abreu designed and facilitated a data-driven approach to membership auto-renewal in June 2021. In the 5 months after the training, Branch Operations achieved a 9% increase in enrollments. “Felicity is always willing to take on new ‘stretch’ tasks and responsibilities and has a positive track record of success,” says nominator Jacob Belakonis, Training manager, AAA Northeast. “She is also adept at building relationships and establishing trust with her key stakeholders. This has positioned her well as a go-to resource within her business line.”
ALEXA BACCHI
Manager, Learning & Development – Systems & Tools
Indeed (9 direct reports)
B.A., Communication, Villanova University
4 YEARS IN TRAINING
In third quarter 2021, Alexa Bacchi took on temporary management of Indeed’s Global Systems & Tools team as the manager was on parental leave. During that time, Bacchi managed 8 direct reports while simultaneously leading large change management L&D efforts, including a new employee analytics platform launch and a new Salesforce pipeline process for 2,000+ employees that aimed to decrease the number of sales opportunities that did not close at the date they were expected to. At launch in May, past-due opportunities totaled 43% globally. By mid-June, that number had decreased to 34% globally and 16% in the U.S. In first quarter 2022, Bacchi officially stepped into the manager position, where she has set the strategy for putting learning in the flow of work while leading the learning strategy for Indeed’s launch of its Gong Revenue Intelligence platform in July 2022. “Alexa exudes positivity and confidence in her and her team’s ability to do hard things,” says nominator Christine Younkin, director, Learning & Development – Global Programs, Indeed. “She does not shy away from taking on overwhelming projects or working with challenging stakeholders.”
NIKA RAY BENNETT
Director, Sales
Packsize International (1 direct report, managed 4 others on a project team)
Bachelor’s, Business Management, and Master’s, Management & Leadership, Western Governors University
4 YEARS IN TRAINING
Nika Ray Bennett leads an average of 35 active learning and enablement programs for 700 Packsize International team members across the globe. In the last year, he built a new sales onboarding program from scratch, decreasing time to revenue by 625%. He spearheaded a certification program for accelerating the performance of 60 sales and solutions engineers. The training helped facilitate a successful new global technology launch, yielding a 481% increase in the sales pipeline for the product trained and 340% increase in product close rate. Under Bennett’s leadership, training cost per team member has been reduced by 50% and new hire time to production has decreased by 350%. Bennett also developed a framework for companywide career development to help team members build a generalist skill set. “Nika’s diverse skill set and range of experience have led to the creativity and execution of talent and organizational skills that are creating exceptional measurable results,” says nominator Ed Carr, SVP, Sales at Packsize International. “Each program continues to deliver increased impact that helps drive the entire employee base to grow their skill set.”
KURT BRUCE
Senior Training Manager
Teleflex Incorporated (coaches 10 Field Sales Trainers and 5 Field Clinical Trainers)
B.S., University of West Florida; M.S., University of North Texas
4 YEARS IN TRAINING
Kurt Bruce has been with Teleflex Incorporated for 17 years, starting as a sales representative and then moving into Marketing and ultimately Training. He now oversees the newly developed 6-month New Hire Training (NHT). Bruce also is instrumental in facilitating many of the parts of Teleflex’s Advanced Sales Training Curriculum and determines all training interactions for the organization’s Mid- Year Meeting and National Sales Meeting. In addition, he oversaw the migration of Teleflex’s learning management system to a new platform. Bruce provides coaching and career development for Teleflex’s 10 Field Sales Trainers (FSTs) and 5 Field Clinical Trainers (FCTs). Because of the time Bruce spends in coaching and guiding this group, notes nominator John V. Aiken, director, Training, Teleflex, “75% of open Regional Sales managers and Regional Clinical Sales managers positions are filled by an FST/FCT.” Aiken adds, “In my 25-year+ career as a Training/L&D department head, hands down, Kurt is the most gifted trainer, educator, and facilitator I’ve had the honor to manage. Curriculum development, facilitation, and all the other skill sets a Training lead needs to possess come naturally to him.”
KENYA COLLIER
Learning Generalist
Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health (served as a learning partner to 57 executive leaders)
Human Resource Management, Thomas Jefferson University (degree in progress)
4 YEARS IN HR, LEARNING, & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Kenya Collier co-led the design and delivery of a new key enterprise initiative at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health: the Nurse Leader Development Program. Collier also managed a new asynchronous virtual and eLearning New Employee Orientation (NEO) initiative the organization piloted in July 2022 and launched across the enterprise to 5,592 new hires in September 2022. It previously took approximately 26 days for new hires to start; the company anticipates that a fully asynchronous NEO will cut that wait time in half. The transition to asynchronous training reduced training costs by roughly 41%. Collier is also lead for handling all Learning & Organizational Development (L&OD) metrics and compiling data for a dashboard that is reported to executive leadership. “Kenya is motivated, delivers on strategic outcomes, and has incredible relationship management skills,” says nominator AnaMaria Herrera, interim director, Learning for the Enterprise, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. “She has the innate qualities of a true leader and the willingness and drive to develop and grow.”
ASHLEY DAVIS
Senior Learning and Development Specialist
Thor Companies (provided mentorship to 2 L&D associates and a consultant)
B.A., Northern Illinois University; MEd, Western Governors University
7 YEARS IN TRAINING
In the year-plus since Ashley Davis joined Thor Companies, she created a new leadership program and delivered it to 18 people in 2 offices (UK and U.S.), revamped the company’s onboarding program, and researched and acquired a learning management system (LMS) and authoring software. Davis also took over emerging training leader program ASPIRE from an external trainer and created a new 3-month program that internal trainers could lead. Her training leadership has resulted in 3 new starters being promoted within their first 6 months in the business, and a decrease from 16 weeks to 12 in the average number of weeks to a new hire’s first deal. “Ashley has gone from an individual contributor to a real leader in the office,” says nominator Lee Birch, director, Thor Companies. “She sits on our leadership board, provides insight, and offers suggestions on the next steps from a training and coaching perspective. Her desire to be informed of the newest technology to elevate training shows she cares about the function and wants the best for herself, the team, and the company.”
VANESSA DELGADO
Learning & Development Senior Manager
Verizon (managed 44)
9 YEARS IN TRAINING
Vanessa Delgado leads a team of 7 trainers who support a director team of 1,000+ front-line representatives, supervisors, and managers in Verizon’s Consumer Service field. Together with her team, she manages delivery of virtual training on new products and processes to the field. Delgado acts as a mentor for interim trainers who come to the department for a 6-month duration. 2 of her employees were promoted to consultants within the last year. Delgado became the Training Delivery project lead for onboarding all new employees into the Consumer Customer Service department. To help new hires feel more connected to the company, she created a buddy system via Slack within the virtual onboarding program, putting together 3-4 learners with a trainer, support coach, and a supervisor. Some 1,500+ learners were trained, resulting in improvements in service levels and average speed of answer. “Vanessa is constantly looking at the larger picture. Her forward-thinking and holistic approach is critical to the success of learning and development,” says nominator Felicia Cordell, associate director, Learning and Development, Verizon. “The trajectory of how we do business changes at a fast pace, and Vanessa moves with urgency and is willing to take risks to make progress.”
NIKKI GIBBON
Learning & Development, Leader
Arizona Public Service (4 direct reports)
B.S., Political Science, University of Southern Maine; MS, Business Management & International Relations, Salve Regina University
10 YEARS IN TRAINING
Nikki Gibbon creates the multiyear enterprise learning and development roadmap and strategy for Arizona Public Service (APS) and serves as the lead for the organization’s Learning Council. Over the last few years, APS has taken on a major culture transformation effort. Gibbon was charged with leading the learning component to this massive undertaking of scaled behavior change for approximately 6,000 employees. The training featured a blend of executive-led facilitation, leaderled team discussions, and self-paced modules and guides. The training has led to an increase of 100 basis points for APS’ overall cultural effectiveness index (based on the employee experience survey). In addition, in first quarter 2022, APS earned a J.D. Power customer satisfaction score of 740 and was in the top half of the 3rd Quartile for overall satisfaction. “Nikki has been instrumental in creating an enterprise L&D framework that articulates our vision, mission, and learning standards, along with a multi-year L&D roadmap,” says nominator Leila Zaghloul-Daly, manager, Culture, Learning and Inclusion, APS. “Nikki likewise sets a clear vision for her employees and holds them to high standards, then empowers them to do the rest.”
JOSHUAH HABIG
Senior Manager, Learning & Development
Paycor, Inc. (6 direct reports)
Bachelor’s, Carl H. Lindner College of Business, The University of Cincinnati
9 YEARS IN TRAINING
Paycor, Inc., reorganized its teams in 2021 and stood up a new associate learning function for its Customer Service teams (previously a part of a more universal Learning and Development team). Joshuah Habig was promoted from a Customer Service manager to lead this newly developed Customer Service Learning and Development team that supports 500 employees. He immediately was tasked with redeveloping the onboarding experience, catered to Customer Service. With the revamped training, Habig and his team were able to cut ramp time of new hires from 12 weeks down to 6 through eliminating waste, creating specific role learning paths, and driving accountability throughout the organization. This shift has resulted in a client satisfaction (CSAT) score increase of 7% year over year. And associate retention increased 4% within 6 months. “Josh has strong relationships and is a trusted advisor across the business, which allows him to navigate all challenges big and small,” says nominator Cory Ondo, VP, Service Health & Operations, Paycor. “He’s also a strong coach to his team and peers to ensure he’s developing a strong group of leaders around him.”
PAUL IRBY
Team Leader
Williams & Fudge, Inc. (managed 100)
Bachelor’s, Sports Management, Limestone College
5 YEARS IN TRAINING
In January 2021, Paul Irby took on the responsibility to onboard both local and out-of-state remote employees at Williams & Fudge, Inc., while simultaneously managing and training an inperson staff that consisted of multiple teams working in different lines of business. He also spearheaded a companywide Daily Work Plan Initiative to help maintain client file compliance as employees continued to work remotely throughout the pandemic. Bolstered by training delivered in-person and via hybrid classroom and remote videoconferencing, the Daily Work Plan gives specific guidance and instructions as to what consumer accounts, clients, and collection activities should be performed throughout any employee’s day. Compliance adherence is now up to a new high of 85%, and average monthly revenues are up 11% from the lowest average point. “Paul is at the backbone of our company as his primary function is to build a successful debt collector. In the last 18 months, Paul and his team have guided 60 individuals to promotions,” says nominator Greg Ruffino, director, Training and Recruitment, Williams & Fudge, Inc. “Paul is a fearless leader and a rockstar of a teacher and mentor.”
LAWRENCE LANZETTA
Senior Learning and Organizational Development Consultant
UNC Health (managed 152)
B.A., Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
4 YEARS IN TRAINING
In addition to spearheading several organizational development programs for UNC Health’s Home Health and Clinical Education departments, Lawrence Lanzetta developed and implemented the Resilient Professional Program and took on the responsibility of managing the Emerging Leader Academy. He turned 12 unique workshops into a virtual format (the first time team members were able to connect virtually across the state of North Carolina whether they were reporting to their clinic or working remotely, and regardless of the actual shift they normally worked) and saw 160+ participants graduate from the Emerging Leader Academy after conducting 8,400+ training hours throughout the year. Some 42 of those participants were promoted to leadership positions within a year of completing the program. “Lawrence is passionate about the growth and development of others. His commitment to his work, his teammates, the organization, and each individual learner is second to none,” says nominator Nikki Perry, director, Learning and Organizational Development, UNC Health. “He empowers employees to dream big and see their full potential in the organization.”
TODD LARSON
Director, Simulation & Innovative Technologies – AdventHealth University
AdventHealth (6 direct reports)
B.S., Nursing, University of Maryland; M.S., Information Technology, Capella University
5 YEARS IN TRAINING
Already the leader of the Simulation Center at AdventHealth University, Todd Larson took on a new role last year heading “innovative technologies”—including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and video production—for both the university and the AdventHealth Central Florida Division, which has 21,000 employees at 11 hospitals. Last year, Larson and his team partnered with third-party vendor Strivr to produce in-headset immersive learning experiences for procedural sedation; hands-on clinical experiences for nurses in mental health, pediatrics, and obstetrics; and children’s hospital training for professionals working with patients with sensory disorders. Larson also was tapped to lead the nursing growth initiative, overseeing curriculum development, technology enhancements, staffing, and building new simulation centers at 3 campuses. Larson’s team productivity increased 8% on the Orlando campus in less than a year with no staffing increase while taking on additional services. During this period, 3 of his team members were promoted. “Todd is a caring leader willing to innovate to improve learning and patient outcomes,” says nominator Liz Erickson, manager, Customer Success, Strivr. “He values giving people the tools they need to do their jobs well and empowering them to learn and grow.”
DEBBIE MARINO
Learning and Development Manager
Greystar (managed 400+ in RISE Mentor Program)
B.S., Hospitality Management, and M.S., Human Resources Management, University of Central Florida
6 YEARS IN TRAINING
Newly promoted in January 2023 to Learning and Development manager at Greystar, Debbie Marino had a specific focus on the support of the Southeast U.S. division, a large operational region consisting of 5 states and approximately 3,000 team members. She was tapped to co-lead the development of the company’s first formal mentor program. The training featured a blend of self-paced online coursework housed in Greystar’s learning management system in addition to virtual live workshops in which the new mentors engaged in role-play and coaching. The RISE Mentor Program trained 300+ employees; 72 of them were promoted within 12 months. Working with her regional operational leaders, she has driven consistency in the onboarding process for new team members and has contributed to decreased employee turnover: a 4.6% termination rate in first quarter 2022 vs. 53.4% in first quarter 2021. “I have been impressed by Debbie’s adaptability, intelligence, personal leadership, and commitment to our company values,” says nominator Christina Putman Elms, director, Learning and Development, Greystar. “Debbie is a team member that her peers can relate to, as well as take lead from. She will excel in anything she sets her focus on.”
CRAIG MURRELL
Senior eLearning Curriculum Developer & Facilitator
Information Communications Technology Council (ICTC) (led a team of up to 14 in 3-phase training project)
B.S., Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge; Master’s, Educational Technology, Univ. of British Columbia
7 YEARS IN TRAINING
Since joining the Information Communications Technology Council (ICTC) in 2018, Craig Murrell has been the driving force behind the organization’s eLearning services—even before there was a product team. Notes nominator Aziz Agzamov, Product Team manager, ICTC, “Craig was instrumental in designing and growing ICTC’s AIM program, a proprietary soft skills training program based on the theoretical underpinnings of the Life Skills training of the Saskatchewan NewStart process.” ICTC further developed the program and adapted it for a flipped classroom-based virtual instructor-led training (VILT) delivery model to assist organizations and individuals in acquiring and practicing these foundational interpersonal skills. Murrell was responsible for managing the project in all 3 of its phases, including: Phase 1: Led a team of 3 to convert an 18-month in-person training curriculum into a 3-week, online hybrid eLearning format; Phase 2: Led a team of 5 and served as project lead in working with instructional design firm Metrix to redesign and expand the course; and Phase 3: Led a team of 14 staffers in the training of AIM facilitators and creation of materials and a facilitator’s guide.
WILL REYNOLDS
Director, People
Mike’s Carwash (4 direct reports)
B.A., History, University of Cincinnati
6 YEARS IN TRAINING
Will Reynolds was promoted to director of Training at Mike’s Carwash in 2021, and subsequently promoted again to director of People after being nominated for Training’s Emerging Training Leaders Awards in June 2022. One of his first major projects as Training director was to reduce a 12-week management training program for entry-level shift managers to just 3 weeks and add in other content that was not previously covered. After 1 year of the new program—which trained 65 and consists of 11 in-person workshops and 3 eLearning courses—the average time to fully train a shift manager decreased from 107 days to 74 days. In addition to overseeing the Wellness Program at Mike’s Carwash, Reynolds is a leader in the company’s “Value, Innovation, and Standards Work Group” (VISWG). He led the charge for easy-to-read Neutral Signs in directors’ areas that have saved tens of thousands of dollars in vehicle damages in just the last year. “Will has a true passion for helping others excel and achieve their goals,” say nominators Evan Hesselink, Rebecca Thorp, Ryan Jester, and Bryan Shirden in the Training Department at Mike’s Carwash. “Never have we met a leader who cares so much about what is getting done and cares about the person you are outside of work, as well.”
DAMITHA SENADHEERA
Assistant Manager, People Development
Dialog Axiata PLC (managed 4)
MBA, International Business, University of the West of Scotland
8 YEARS IN TRAINING
Within the last year, Damitha Senadheera took over new responsibilities under the Customer Service Training Academy (CSTA) at Dialog Axiata PLC. His main responsibility is developing talent within the organization, including managing internal certification training programs such as the Assistant Team Leader (ATL) certification program, to develop staff on relevant competencies to take on higher roles in the service segment. Some 300+ staff were professionally accredited in the last year. Senadheera also led the Lean Six Sigma (LLS) project to digitize new recruit training in DBS (the partner contact center). The project digitized 30% of the manual process of training new recruits in the contact center and reduced the number days of classroom training. “Damitha’s ability to work with and inspire people of all scales is a unique advantage,” says nominator Ajmal Hussain, manager, People Development Service Culture, Transformation & Quality Assurance, Dialog Axiata PLC. “Damitha empowered employees by providing learning opportunities through delegation for many successful projects during 2021. DBS trainers and integration experts who were empowered to execute their tasks achieved 90% service quality in 2021.”
RADU DANIEL TOMOIAGA
L&D Technical Consultant, Senior Business Program Manager
Microsoft (managed 500+)
B.S., Computer Science, University Polytechnic of Timisoara, and B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University “Eftimie Murgu” Resita; Master’s, Public Administration, University Vasile Goldis Arad; Doctorate, Cryptography/Computer Science, Univ. Polytechnic of Timisoara
3 YEARS IN TRAINING
Radu Daniel Tomoiaga led the revamp of several training programs at Microsoft, including the Aspiring People Manager (APM) Landing program in EMEA. Some 500+ learners were trained for the APM program, which sought to increase communication/storytelling skills. Tomoiaga successfully coordinated vTeams consisting of 60+ people to deliver 46 workshops and Learning Circles (where participants got to practice and share lessons learned in a safe environment) with 58 trainers/speakers/facilitators and 2,200+ hours of total time investment. As a result of the training, technical leadership skills improvement doubled to 91%, storytelling skills increased 113%, 60% of participants were promoted in 2021, and 5 participants advanced to M1 or senior business program manager roles in the first half of 2022. “Radu is a true leader,” says nominator Lara Prospero, L&D Delivery Excellence director, Microsoft. “Some of his top qualities are being purposeful and creative, along with his passion for his work and learning.”
MIKE VERRIGNI
Director, Leadership Development and Training
Sonic Automotive (led 98 managers from 111 Sonic Automotive franchised dealerships during a 2021 training initiative)
B.S., Industrial Engineering, State University of New York (SUNY), University of Buffalo; B.A., Psychology, SUNY, College at Fredonia
8 YEARS IN TRAINING
Initially a Corporate Training director at Sonic Automotive, Mike Verrigni was selected in September 2020 to join a team of 3 to collaborate on the development and implementation of a new blended learning solution: a virtual New Manager Leadership Academy for Sonic Automotive’s new leaders (all in-person training had been paused due to COVID-19). Based on the success of that project, Verrigni was selected in January 2021 to lead and develop 2 virtual training leadership academies across all 130+ Sonic Automotive franchised dealerships in the U.S.: Variable Operations Academy and Service Operations Academy. The training featured a blended learning mix of 2 weeks of Zoom classroom instructor-led training, 7 weeks of self-paced introspective assignments, and online eLearning modules. As a result of the training, customer satisfaction scores increased .4% and revenues across Sonic franchise dealerships increased nearly 30%. “Mike is an innovative and strategic thinker,” says nominator Doug Bryant, VP, Talent Management, Recruiting, and Training, Sonic Automotive. “He is seen as a leader within the company.”
SUSAN WELLS
Learning and Development Manager
Greystar (managed 400+ in RISE Mentor Program)
B.A., Sociology/Minor, Women’s Studies, UC Santa Barbara
6 YEARS IN TRAINING
Prior to being promoted to Learning and Development manager at Greystar in January 2023, Susan Wells supported the company’s Central North and Central South U.S. division, an operational region consisting of 12 states and approximately 3,500 team members. Wells co-led the development of Greystar’s RISE Mentor Program, the company’s first formal mentor program that aims to elevate the financial acumen of the company’s local and regional operational managers. Within that project, she co-wrote a curriculum program to build the coaching and mentoring skill sets of the volunteer mentors and actively coaches current mentors through challenging situations. The RISE Mentor Program trained 300+ employees; 72 of them were promoted within 12 months. Wells currently is leading a large-scope new learning project that will result in an internal certification for mid-level managers within the company. “Susan is highly intelligent, strategic, and businessminded,” says nominator Christina Putman Elms, director, Learning and Development, Greystar. “As a highly competent contributor to the team, she has proven herself vital to the success of our efforts. Susan understands that great results are achieved through collaboration, and her skill of relationship-building serves her well as an L&D leader.”
TYRANNY SMITH-YANCEY
Senior Director, Strategic Learning Capabilities
Change Healthcare (4 direct reports and 53 indirect reports)
B.S., Criminal Justice/Minor, Sociology, University of West Georgia
10 YEARS IN TRAINING (at time of nomination)
In the last year, Tyranny Smith-Yancey oversaw the creation of a new Learning Capabilities Division and enablement model at Change Healthcare to support Learning & Development’s “L&D Reimagined” 3-year vision. Training costs were reduced 75% after a new outsourcing business model was created as part of her new divisional strategy in fiscal year 2021. The overall company engagement score jumped 14% after the L&D Reimagined project. Smith-Yancey also led a project team to support a Go2Cloud Migration Education plan with immersive and personalized training delivered via eLearning, virtual instructor-led sessions, and labs. That plan resulted in 48 curriculum paths to address the needs of 700+ engineers and leaders who had to be certified in Amazon Cloud. “Tyranny drives those around her to perform at their best,” says nominator Shannon Harris, Learning Capabilities consultant, Change Healthcare. “She has consistently rotated in several roles to successfully meet new company demands. Her personality is infectious as a leader and tends to attract a diverse talent. She is an engaged listener and asks powerful questions to develop others. Tyranny has a track record of building high-performing teams and leaders.”
2022 EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS TO WATCH
ELIZABETH J. BLANCHETTE
Training and Development Specialist
AAA Northeast
Bachelor’s, Music & Vocal Performance/ Minor, Theater & Performing Arts, Eastern Nazarene College; Master’s, Executive Leadership, Liberty University
5 YEARS IN TRAINING
SHARLENA POTTER-FONVILLE
Senior Manager, Learning and Development
Verizon (managed up to 40 senior trainers)
BBA, University of South Florida; Master’s, Human Resource Development, Villanova University
3 YEARS IN TRAINING
MARIA-JOSE MONDACA
Client Education Manager, Learning Solutions
FIS (10 direct reports)
BBA and MBA, Stetson University
8+ YEARS IN TRAINING
GABRIELLE MORGAN RODMAN
Global Program Manager, Top Talent Programs
Dell Technologies (led 6 during a training initiative)
Bachelor’s, Arts & Sciences, Fairfield University; Master’s, Human Resource Management, Texas A&M
2.5 YEARS IN TRAINING
JENNIFER STARKES
Learning Generalist
Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health
Business Management, Thomas Jefferson University
3 YEARS IN TRAINING
