| Jim's focus is on making the CEO's job easier. He solidified his belief in the power of strategic planning while working in the world of venture capital as a Managing Member of a DC-area early-stage tech fund. His frequent strategic planning facilitation with the executive teams of the fund's 14 portfolio companies highlighted the profound impact of having the entire team on the same page with a shared sense of where they were, wanted to be in the future, and the action they had to take to get there. Having worked with Myrna Associates on individual projects over the years, it was a natural transition to join their elite team of facilitators. He has played a broad range of key roles in multiple business sectors: leading the US salesforce of a European telecomm leader, facilitating a health care software company's negotiation and acquisition of a portion of a rival firm's product line, thus re-framing their relationship from adversarial into cooperative, developing and executing win-back campaigns. In the Federal arena, Jim facilitated Martin-Marietta Data Systems transition from declining Timesharing business into ...  | Confucius says if you find something you love to do, you'll never work another day in your life. Maria found her love at a family reunion when she facilitated the campfire discussions of happy family memories and old wounds. For the first time, she realized she wanted to be a facilitator - she didn't know there was such a thing, but knew she could be great at it. With this newfound goal, and the encouragement of the other love of her life - husband Charly - she set out to be the best in the world. She was quickly certified by Zenger Miller to facilitate interpersonal skills training. She's trained front-line people as well as management, giving her an uncommon insight into company issues as seen from both sides. Her custom-designed sessions covered everything from performance management and conflict resolution to lean manufacturing and visual systems. She joined the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and studied the art of facilitation extensively. She is one of only 175 Certified Professional Facilitators in North America and one of 35 CPF Assessors in the world. Maria serves as the ... | George Fowler has been facilitating problem-solving over his entire career. He joined the Navy after graduating from Houston's Rice University with a BA and BS in Architecture. His Seabee battalion built airfields, roads, bridges and facilities across Asia. In Thailand he honed his political skills working closely with the US Ambassador and his staff. Recognized for his management skills, he was asked to provide contract administration and inspection services for construction contracts and then financial management of all the financial aspects of military construction in Taiwan, Australia and the Philippines. He solidified his field obtained financial acumen with an MS in Financial Management from the US Naval Postgraduate School. He honed his school learning and field knowledge in the Republic of South Vietnam where he coordinated the financial resources and requirements of the military with the capabilities of civilian contractors. For a change of pace, the Navy sent George into a troubled facility with the hope of a turnaround. The facility was often over budget, ... |
