Our Facilitators

Dr. Bernadette Costello is the managing partner for BCC Consulting. The foundation of her coaching and consulting practice is “you are exactly where you are supposed to be.” Affirming where you are is the first step in any transformation. Transformation is like looking into a labyrinth: a path for discovery, understanding, and clarity. One way in and one way out—there are no dead ends. That symbolism expresses Bernadette’s approach to coaching, consulting, learning, and the sacred space created with clients to support their journey.

In that journey, Bernadette collaborates with leaders, teams, and organizations so they can get clarity around their goals and develop a clear plan to reach those goals and their full potential. She has worked in the public, nonprofit, and higher education sectors to create learning and development programs for leadership and supervisory development, managing performance, managing change, and a wide variety of professional development topics. She is certified in several assessment tools including Myers Briggs, DiSC, EQi, and Appreciation in the Workplace MBA.

Bernadette has more than 25 years of talent development, coaching, consulting, and leadership experience in human resources and talent development. She is also an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University’s School of Business and Schar School of Policy and Government.

Bernadette has served as president of the Metro DC Chapter of the ATD and as chair of the ATD Leader’s Conference Program Advisory Committee and was a member of ATD’s National Advisors for Chapters. She has served on other professional organizations in leadership and volunteer roles with Virginia Colleges and Universities Personnel Association (CUPA) and the International Personnel Management Association (IPMA). Bernadette received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate in higher education from George Mason University. She is an ACC-certified coach and an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner and holds a SHRM-SCP certification.

Bernard Coulaty is a senior global HR leader with more than 25 years of professional practice as a vice president of human resources within multinational organizations (Danone and Pernod Ricard) in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

He has developed operational and strategic expertise in employee engagement, talent management, leadership development, and growing HR communities in diverse business, cultural, and geographical contexts recently as vice president of human resources in the Asia-Pacific region for the French leading Wines & Spirits Group.

Coulaty is now supporting organizations worldwide as a senior consultant, trainer, and speaker by delivering his expertise and driving organizational and HR transformation. He recently published New Deal of Employee Engagement: A Sustainable Body-and-Mind Engagement Model (McGraw-Hill Education 2015), which recently translated in France under the title Engagement 4.0 (EMS 2018).

Strongly engaged within the business and HR communities, Coulaty is keen to share his passion for HR with the next generation. He lectures at business schools and universities and speaks in various executive education programs.

Marya Danihel has more than 20 years' training and consulting experience in business communication, having worked with associates at all levels in organizations such as AT&T, CNN, Genzyme, Deloitte, and Toyota. She is also one of Hemsley Fraser's chief virtual facilitators for the delivery of federal government leadership courses. Her background as a stage, television, and radio performer informs both her on-site and online training. Marya's other projects include editing books on estate planning and university teaching, contributing articles to lifestyle magazines, and writing for New Hampshire Public Television and Radio. Earlier work includes being a staff writer for a regional business magazine and a newspaper copy editor.

With her combined passions for effective communication and relevant workplace learning, Kimberly's focus is always on providing direct, complete, and compelling deliverables.  In the training room, her focus is on supporting each learner in meeting their specific learning goals.  She achieves this, in part, through engaging and interactive learning that is purpose-driven, enjoyable, and immediately applicable as well as sharing real-world examples and stories. As a seasoned employee and organizational development professional with a Masters Degree from the University of Miami, she was among the first in the industry to attain ATD’s CPTD certification and has authored Same Training - Half the Time, and two titles in ATD's best-selling Trainers Workshop series: Customer Service Training and Facilitation Skills Training. Kimberly’s experience extends to city, county, and state government agencies as well as Fortune 500 firms in the US, South America, and Asia.  She has been a contributor to the ATD community both locally and nationally for many years, serving on boards, presenting conference sessions at ICE and ALC, and also volunteering time for ATD initiatives.  You may have seen her in T&D -- now, come learn with her!  Kimberly facilitates ATD's  Instructional Design Certificate, Training Certificate, Essentials of Staying Centered Through Conflict, Fundamentals of Training Design, Training Certificate Plus, Introduction to Training, and Master Instructional Designer Program.

JD Dillon is the world’s foremost expert on frontline learning and enablement. He is also one of the most prolific authors and speakers in the workplace learning community. For 20 years, JD has worked in operations and talent development with some of the world’s most dynamic organizations, including Disney, Kaplan and AMC.

JD is now Chief Learning Architect with Axonify, where he builds technology, content and services that enable frontline employees around the world do their best work every day.

JD is also the founder of LearnGeek, a corporate advising and education services firm.

You can find JD on Twitter via @JD_Dillon or online at axonify.com and learngeek.co.

Michael Dorsey Sr., DMin, currently serves as the chief learning officer for the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS). In this role, he provides executive leadership to all the learning operations within the agency of more than 6,500 employees serving more than 1 million citizens of the state. Since his days as a national champion in collegiate speech, Mike has been captivating audiences with his engaging and dynamic style. For the past 20 years, he has been driven by a desire to help individuals discover and develop their traits that lead to professional and personal success. He takes joy in using words to motivate and empower others.

As a professional trainer, speaker, and consultant, Mike has worked in leadership development, curriculum and training design, DEI, and coaching for companies such as Walmart, Target, PwC, Monster Worldwide, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and Lockheed Martin. He is just as comfortable working with frontline staff as he is with C-level executives.

He is a graduate of Cedarville University, the Ohio State University, and Faith International University. In 2013, he was part of NBC’s hit TV show The Biggest Loser. He’s also appeared on The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and The Tom Joyner Morning Show and been featured in People Magazine and US Weekly. In his spare time, Mike enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife Chavalle’ and their son, Michael Jr. They reside in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jared Douglas is an internal ATD Facilitator. He uses a learner-centric approach to create an engaging, inclusive environment in his sessions. As a consultant, Jared has worked with organizations across various industries, including advertising, transportation, finance, technology, and consumer goods. He helps clients develop and execute in-person, digital, and blended learning initiatives.

Leading the North American learning function for Momentum Worldwide, a global experiential advertising agency, Jared was responsible for the full-cycle learning experience. This included needs analysis, development and sourcing of content, curriculum building, logistics and coordination of learning programs, and evaluating for effectiveness. He built a variety of courses, facilitated open enrollment, and bespoke team workshops, and contributed to various projects such as launching an employee experience brand, starting an internal podcast, conducting a manager experience analysis, and redesigning the performance management process.

Jared has facilitated on a range of topics including communication skills, collaboration, relationship building, brainstorming, client mapping, time management, and presentation skills. He is certified in Insights Discovery, a psychometric tool based in Jungian psychology. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University and M.S. in I/O Psychology from Baruch College. Jared is fascinated by psychological perspectives and enjoys connecting theoretical content with practical and relevant applications in day-to-day activities.

Kathi Edwards is an independent consultant, writer, and facilitator specializing in creating effective learning environments and strategies. She is passionate about all aspects of learning, from developing and implementing high-level strategy to ensuring SMEs have the knowledge and skills they need to facilitate learning effectively in all modalities. Everything she does is focused on those who matter most: the learners.

Kathi's unique expertise in transforming the effectiveness of SMEs who lead learning opportunities is sought internationally in a variety of fields. In demand as an engaging speaker and facilitator, she has been a frequent content leader for ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership and the Association for Talent Development (ATD) on topics related to effective learning and working with and coaching SMEs. Currently facilitating ATD’s Training & Facilitation Certificate program, she also developed and facilitated the three-part webinar Essentials of Coaching SMEs to Facilitate Learning, part of ATD’s ongoing Essentials of.... webinar series.

As part of her ongoing commitment to effective learning regardless of the setting, Kathi is a qualified lead assessor for the ANSI National Accreditation Board’s Certificate Accreditation Program. Kathi speaks and writes extensively about learning practice and strategies. She is co-editor and a chapter author for the book Core Competencies in Association Professional Development, 2nd edition, and contributed 22 of the ideas in the book 199 Ideas for Enhancing Learning Experiences. She also served as executive editor of CAE Study Guide 2020, a comprehensive study resource for those seeking the Certified Association Executive credential.

Prior to launching her consulting business in 2003, Kathi spent 25 years working in various capacities. For most of that time, she was responsible for development, implementation, and evaluation of professional development programs.

Diane Elkins is the president of Artisan E-Learning, a custom e-learning development company specializing in Articulate Studio, Storyline, Lectora, and Captivate. She has built a reputation as a national e-learning expert by being a frequent speaker at major industry events such as ATD's International Conference & Exposition, ATD TechKnowledge, DevLearn, and Learning Solutions. She is also the co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series as well as E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide from ATD Press. She is a past president of the Northeast Florida and Metro DC chapters of ATD.

Donald J. Ford is a training and performance improvement consultant specializing in instructional design and process improvement. He has worked in the field of human resource development for twenty years, including training management positions at Southern California Gas Company, Magnavox, Allied-Signal, and Texas Instruments. His consulting clients include Toyota, Nissan, Rockwell International, Samsung Electronics, Orange County Transportation Authority, Glendale Memorial Hospital, and others. For these and other clients, he has developed custom classroom, self-study and web-based training, conducted performance and needs analyses, facilitated groups, managed improvement projects, taught courses, and evaluated results. He teaches graduate courses in human resource development for Antioch University, Los Angeles, and Cal State University Northridge. He has published 35 articles and three books on topics in training, education, and management, including Bottom-Line Training: How to Design and Implement Training Programs that Boost Profits (Gulf Publishing, 1999), In Action: Designing Training Programs (Editor, ASTD, 1996), and The Twain Shall Meet: The Current Study of English in China (McFarland, 1988). Don holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree in history and a doctorate in education, all from UCLA.

Silvia Furniel is passionate about providing a fun, innovative, and interactive learning environment in her workshops.

An enthusiastic, energetic, results-oriented training professional, Silvia is experienced in instructional design and training program development. She brings more than 12 years of experience in designing, implementing, and delivering learning and training in face-to-face and virtual settings for clients of different markets.

Silvia has a master’s degree in communications and education from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and holds three certifications: Certification of Facilitators in the Management of Dynamics for Groups (Gerza, México), Coaching Play, and Change Management Practitioner.

Besides training, Silvia loves technology, voiceover projects, networking, traveling, dancing, and having fun with her family and friends. She is from the Dominican Republic.

Hilarie Gaylin’s passion is to help people and organizations grow their best selves. Drawing upon over 20 years of experience in facilitation, training, instructional design, coaching, and organizational development, Hilarie specializes in customizing learning and development experiences for her clients.

Before starting her business, Cultivating Greatness, Hilarie worked at the U.S. Senate Office of Education and Training, where she consulted with senior staff in individual senators’ offices on organizational development initiatives and assisted in their implementation. Additionally, she created and facilitated customized strategic planning retreats and team building workshops. Through coaching, mentoring, and advising, she also worked with Senate leaders individually to increase their effectiveness. In her training role, she designed and presented over 35 classes’ worth of material, with an emphasis on developing leaders and increasing their skills.

Hilarie previously served as a training specialist for the Capitol Visitor Center and helped prepare its employees for its historic December 2008 opening. She formerly ran the education and training program and coordinated communication projects at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Clerk’s Office.

Hilarie is a certified executive and personal coach through CTI and is also professionally trained in organizational and relationship systems coaching (ORSC) through CRR Global. She earned an M.Ed. from the George Washington University and a B.A. in English literature from Bryn Mawr College.

Joni  Goodman is a certified Learning Facilitator with Russell Martin and Associates. She is also a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) with over 16 years of learning and development experience in the areas of management development, sales training, mentoring, executive coaching and presentation skills to name a few. Joni is the Director at  Solo Learning, where she brings a plethora of knowledge in not only performance consulting, but she is also a published author in the "The Book of Road Test Training Activities", "ATDs Training Toolkit" application, and "101 Ways to Make Training Active". 

As principal of Barbara Goretsky Consultancy, Barbara provides consultative services to corporate clients in the areas of talent and leadership development, executive coaching, learning programs in HR-related topics, and team development and effectiveness. At her previous position with Northrop Grumman, she was responsible for supporting the corporate leadership development strategy, with particular emphasis on designing, developing, and running Northrop Grumman’s core leadership development programs. Additionally, she designed the CEO’s annual leadership conference, 360-degree feedback processes, coaching and mentoring initiatives, and various competency models.  Barbara holds a BA and an MA from the Pennsylvania State University in journalism and speech communications, and a second master’s degree in human resources from American University. She is also a graduate of UVA’s Executive Education Program on Management Development, TRW’s HR Executive Programs at Cornell University and the University of Michigan, and Northrop Grumman’s HR Leadership Program at UCLA, and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and an Associate Certified Coach. 

Peggy Greenberg is President of Peggy Greenberg Training and Consulting.  Peggy has over 30 years of experience in staff and organization development.  Prior to starting her own business, Peggy was the Director of the Office of Education and Training for the United States Senate.  Her office was responsible for the training and development of Senate staff in Washington DC and throughout the country. She has also held Director level positions in large health care systems in Washington, DC and Boston.  Since starting her own training and consulting firm, Peggy’s clients have included the Department of Justice, US Senate, Glenridge Healthcare Solutions, K12, and the City Of Alexandria to name a few. Peggy is passionate about the importance of lifelong learning and the value of developing employees to their full potential. Her clients know her as someone that is very skilled at competently assessing needs and designing learning that is both engaging and relevant.  Peggy’s passion for continuous development drives her to always seek new ideas, concepts and methods to enhance her professional skills. In addition to her undergraduate degree in Nursing and graduate degree in Adult and Continuing Education, Peggy is certified to administer a number of tools and programs including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and The Bridges Managing Organizational Transition program. Peggy also is a trained moderator for Harvard Business Publishing’s Breakthrough Leadership Program.

Jonathan Halls is an author, trainer, and coach. He wrote Confessions of a Corporate Trainer (ATD Press, 2019), Rapid Video Development for Trainers (ATD Press, 2012) and was a contributing author to Speak More (River Grove Books, 2012) and the ASTD Handbook: The Definitive Reference for Training & Development, 2nd Edition (ATD Press, 2014). He is author of the ATD Infoline, “Memory & Cognition in Learning” (ATD Press, 2014) and has written numerous articles for TD magazine. Jonathan is an ATD BEST Awards reviewer and has sat on the advisory committees for the ATD International Conference & Exposition and TechKnowledge. The former BBC learning executive now runs workshops in media, communication, leadership, and creativity. He is on faculty at George Washington University and facilitates ATD’s Master Trainer Program, Training Certificate and Rapid Video for Learning Professionals Certificate program. Jonathan has been training, speaking, and coaching for 25 years in more than 20 countries. He describes his work as “at the intersection of media, communication, learning, leadership, and innovation.”

Tracey Harris-Bennett is an energetic, results-oriented training professional experienced in instructional design, multimedia and training program development.  She has over 25 years of experience designing and delivering training solutions for clients in the pharmaceutical, education, and healthcare markets.  Tracey is passionate in creating interactive and immersive training programs that yield high impact results for her clients.  She currently holds certifications as Master Instructional Designer, Certified Master Trainer, Mobile Certification and Certified Online Training Professional (COTP)

When not working, Tracey enjoys playing golf with her husband Jeff and camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Brandi Hernandez is a learning and development specialist and a Certified Professional in Talent Development with the Association for Talent Development. Brandi’s passion for training started when she gravitated toward training roles within the food service jobs she held while working her way through college.

It wasn’t until she started working with Whole Foods Market in 2008 that she realized her true passion for developing people, public speaking, and training facilitation. When Brandi joined the learning and development team at the Southern California regional offices of Whole Foods Market in Los Angeles in 2010, her career as an L&D specialist took off. Brandi helped develop and deliver training material that supported the onboarding and role development of thousands of new employees between 2010 and 2016.

In 2017, Brandi was offered a senior learning and development specialist role at Whole Foods Market’s Northern California regional offices and relocated to San Francisco to support and lead the region in operational development. Her role advanced to supporting the development and facilitation of a company-wide, tiered leadership development program. During her time in San Francisco, Brandi positioned herself within Whole Foods Market as a keynote speaker for the region’s Inspire Day and delivered talks about growth mindset to groups of thousands.

Brandi works as a learning and development specialist with Great Expressions Dental Centers in Detroit, Michigan. She supports the organization with a reinvention of their onboarding program as well as helps develop a series of leadership programs, which will bring GEDC leaders to the next level.

Brandi holds an associate of arts degree from the Fashion Institute of Design in merchandising in cosmetic and fragrance marketing and a BBA from Eastern Michigan University. She is progressing toward a certificate as a professional in human resources with the goal of transitioning her role to organizational development specialist in the future.

Dr. Cindy Hill has been an industrial/organizational psychologist at ACT since 1996. She has been a major contributor to the design of the WorkKeys Job Profiling Training program. She has trained and authorized hundreds of job profilers and also provides job profiling services to clients. In addition, Hill has been responsible for conducting content validity studies for the development and review of licensure and certification tests. This includes job analysis, the development of test content outlines, national surveys, data analysis, item writing and review, standard setting, and validating the test scores of off-the-shelf and company-specific tests.

Mason Holloway has an extensive professional background, including 15 years in senior management and consultative positions working in business consulting, business operations, sales, and human performance improvement (HPI). He is a senior analyst, performance technologist, and experienced practitioner of the HPI processes. He has demonstrated skills and expertise in assisting companies in meeting and exceeding aggressive and competitive organizational goals and improving overall business results through HPI processes. Holloway's clients have included The U.S. Navy, National Technical Information Service, L.L. Bean, Social Security Administration, Accelera Corporation, ServiceMaster, and Microsoft. Early in Mr. Holloway's career he focused his skills in the development of marketing and sales programs working with Cellular One (now Cingular). Holloway went on to found and develop a nationally recognized publishing company, serve as digital content delivery consultant to a major content provider, and work with a team developing a contextual learning management system for the United States Government, among other achievements. As a respected consultant in the areas of training delivery and performance, Holloway applies the combination of his extensive real world business experience and acumen with a deep understanding of the fundamental principals of performance in the service of accomplishing business goals. Spanning the disciplines of performance, learning, and development, Holloway's work has included performance-based information taxonomies, performer-centric call center interface design, the development of a contextual learning engine, extensive front-end analysis, online content development and delivery, and performance-based curriculum development. Most recently, working with partner Dennis Mankin, Holloway led the design and development team in the creation of Performance DNA, the most comprehensive and effective tool set for analyzing human performance. Performance DNA has been co-copyrighted by Platinum Performance Group and ASTD and is the only methodology taught in the prestigious HPI certificate program. He graduated with from University of Maryland with B.A. in English and business and continued his graduate studies in management at James Madison University.