Communication Skills Instructors

Jonathan Burman

• MA Organizational Psychology, LaSalle University
• BA Speech Communication & Rhetoric, Penn State University
• Team Effectiveness Survey Certified Practitioner, AIIR Consulting
• Project Management Professional, Villanova University
• Behavorial Event Interviewing, Taylor Executive Consulting
• Certified Master Coach, Behavioral Coaching Institute, NY
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership
• ProSci Change Management Certification, ProSci
• EQ-i 2.0 and TalentSmart emotional intelligence certifications
• Gallup Certified StrengthsFinder Coach
• Certified DiSC Facilitator

Jonathan Burman is an organizational development professional with 25 years of leadership and talent management experience. As a consultant and employee he has worked with such firms as DuPont, Merck, Goldman Sachs, CIGNA, MASCO Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and Koch Industries. Most recently he was the VP of Talent Acquisition & Development for Mondi, a global paper, packaging, and managed forestry company headquartered in Vienna, Austria. Currently Jonathan is a Performance Coach and Instructor for Emory University's Continuing Education as well as a Managing Partner for The Best Workplace. He received his Masters Degree in I/O psychology from LaSalle University, is a Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt, Project Management Professional, ProSci Change Management consultant, Certified Master Coach, and many other professional certifications.

He was an adjunct professor at Rosemont College and has written numerous articles and many presentations about psychology and talent management. For his entire career Jonathan has been focused on creating fulfilling and productive work cultures through leadership alignment and accountability. He has created and facilitated hundreds of employee training programs in such areas as leadership, change management, positive psychology, motivation, employee engagement, succession planning, interviewing, performance development and coaching. As an executive coach Jonathan has worked with many leaders in Fortune 500 companies to increase leadership capability and productivity. He also works with many non-profit organizations in the mental health sector and is active in child-advocacy groups and volunteers for youth mentoring programs.

LaBrita Cash Baskett

• Authorized partner and certified facilitator for DiSC assessment and Myers Briggs Assessment
• MA Speech Language Pathology, Hampton University
• Ed.D. Organizational Leadership, Argosy University Sarasota

Dr. LaBrita Cash- Baskett is President of Fundamental Focus, a company that provides related and business communication services to the education and business community; and collaborates in a multidisciplinary clinic serving children with special needs. Enabling others to harness the power of communication to achieve quality of life is one of her highest goals.

LaBrita has lived and served in Georgia throughout her life. She is a major contributor to our community and her profession including former President of the Georgia Speech-Language Hearing Association 2016, Council of State Association Presidents newsletter editor and former vice Chair of the Georgia Chattahoochee Chapter of Proposal Management Professionals. She serves as a clinical practicum supervisor and on the advisory council for the University of West Georgia's communication disorders program and on the Business Practice Management 2019 Topics Committee for the American Speech- Language Hearing Association. She has lectured, presented and trained on interpersonal, executive and business communication topics in higher education and industry.

Dr. Cash-Baskett is an authorized partner and certified facilitator for DiSC assessment and Myers Briggs Assessment and holds a foundation level certification for proposal management. Her vision and leadership have propelled people and organizations forward. She was selected as a 2012 Girls Inc. Strong Smart and Bold Honoree in the Bold category, Points North Savvy and Successful 2013 honoree, 2014 Leadership Cobb Class and Honorary Commanders Association. She is dedicated to mentoring and civic leadership. She enjoys living in North Georgia with her husband Ken and four - year old daughter McKenna.

Helen Cauley

• BS Journalism, Temple University
• Masters English Creative Writing & Rhetoric & Composition, Kennesaw State University
• National Award from The Beacon Society
• PhD English Rhetoric & Composition, Georgia State University

Helen M. Cauley has more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, author, and editor. After graduating from Temple University with a journalism degree, she began her career in academic Public Relations before moving into Human Recourses for Macy's and John Wanamaker department stores in Philadelphia. She left that field to pursue journalism, working for suburban Philadelphia papers before moving to Atlanta in 1990. Since then, Helen's work has appeared regularly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Simply Buckhead magazine, Georgia Magazine, and numerous local and national outlets.

She is the author of three guidebooks to the metro area and a copyeditor for both print and online publications. She has also hosted and contributed to programs on WGST-AM640 and WABE-90.1FM. In 2009, Helen was accepted into Kennesaw State University's Master of Professional Writing program and was named one of the school's first Clendenin Scholars. After teaching writing courses there, she graduated with a double Master's in Creative Writing and Rhetoric and Composition. She continued that success at Georgia State University, where she led classes in English composition, grammar, and business writing. She was also a writing coach in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering department at Georgia Tech and at Emory University's Goizueta Business School.

Her dissertation, an analysis of the influences of Scottish Enlightenment philosophy in the stories of Sherlock Holmes, was the basis for a writing course she designed around observation and deduction. That work, along with her community outreach that created a monthly Sherlock Holmes book club at the Cobb County Public Library, earned her the top national award from The Beacon Society, an international organization that promotes the reading and study of works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Since earning her Ph.D. in 2017, Helen has been an instructor in Georgia State's Communication department, where she teaches writing and speech classes for aspiring journalists.

Nancy Colter

• BA Economics State University of New York at Stonybrook
• MBA University of South Carolina
• Recipient of the Haywood Memorial Fellowship
• Certified instructor for Zenger Miller

Nancy Colter is a human resources consultant and trainer who develops and implements learning solutions that support the organization business strategies. She is the principal of Nancy Colter Consulting, LLC located in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to establishing her own business, Nancy spent 20 years in the corporate arena. Her career includes senior HR management positions at leading financial services and hospitality companies as well as various benefits, compensation and employment manager positions in other organizations.

This consummate professional is equally accomplished in handling a variety of human resources projects from human resources audits to recruiting in various industries and high-profile environments. She is an effective communicator with a quick, analytical mind who enjoys solving problems that contribute to the organizations bottom line. Nancy incorporates her insights from this highly successful corporate career into the development and delivery of her training programs. Her combination of practical business experience with engaging facilitation has generated fast-paced, effective and fun programs that work. As a result, Nancy has been instrumental in the development and success of corporate management certificate programs for leading Fortune 500 companies. She is widely recognized for delivering effective management programs including but not limited to communicating using DiSC, performance management and coaching, time and productivity, listening skills, delegation essentials, difficult conversations, emotional intelligence, and change management.

Nancy holds her masters degree in business from the University of South Carolina and her bachelors degree in Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a certified instructor for many leading training programs, is an instructor at several leading Universities and has published many articles on todays cutting-edge management topics. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SPHR certified) and has served as an HR Advisor for the Bureau of Business Practice Georgia Newsletter publication. B.A., Economics State University of New York at Stonybrook M.B.A, University of South Carolina Recipient of the Haywood Memorial Fellowship Certified instructor for Zenger Miller, DISC, Personalysis and Fortune Group Sales and Leadership Training. Society of Human Resources (local and national member), HR Advisor for the Bureau of Business Practice Georgia Newsletter publication.

Nancy Green

• MBA Emory Goizueta Business School
• BA Psychology, UMASS

Nancy Green is a training professional who is passionate about providing professional development that helps people succeed in the workplace and beyond. She has 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies across many industries. She believes that most professionals want to meet expectations; they just need the right skills, knowledge, tools, motivation, clear expectations and supportive environment.

Nancy began her career at Goldman Sachs in New York City and London where she worked as an internal consultant in the Training & Development department. Upon moving to Atlanta, she joined the consulting firm The Center for Effective Performance (CEP). Sole publisher of industry guru Robert F. Mager's work, CEP helped clients identify when training is the right solution and, more importantly, when it is not. While there, Nancy had the opportunity to work with clients across the hospitality, retail, security and pharmaceutical industries.

In 1999, Nancy came to Emory's Goizueta Business School for her MBA. Upon graduating, Nancy joined past colleagues as a partner in the consulting firm iinteg, inc. iinteg helps its Fortune 100 clients integrate performance improvement initiatives into the organizational fabric and culture. They help define business processes, develop incentive systems, clarify and communicate performance expectations, and develop and implement learning strategies that include on-line, classroom and blended training solutions. They have also worked with several companies to establish corporate universities. Nancy earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Nancy is an accomplished speaker at local, regional and international conferences.

Katie Karppala

• BS Interdisciplinary Studies, Kennesaw State University
• MS Organizational Leadership, Brenau University
• EQ-i 2.0 and EQ-360 emotional intelligence certifications
• Certified in the ARSENAL Assessment

Katie Karppala MSOL, BCC is the founder of Authentic Dimensions Consulting, LLC. She is a board certified executive leadership coach and a member of the International Coach Federation with additional coaching specialties in health, wellness, business, relationship and life coaching. In addition, she is an image management consultant, corporate trainer and organizational leadership consultant. Karppala uses her various bodies of knowledge to deliver an integrative, systems approach to meet her client's unique needs.

Karppala graduated as an Honors Scholar with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Kennesaw State University, and obtained a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership from Brenau University. She has earned EQ-i 2.0 and EQ-360 emotional intelligence certifications, is certified in the ARSENAL Assessment, is a trained DISC facilitator and also facilitates classes using The Peoplemap System. She has received additional training from The Institute for Life Coach Training, Emory Continuing Education and the Conselle Institute of Image Management.

Mark Myette

• BA Boston University
• MBA Emory University Goizueta School of Business
• Certified Professional in Learning & Performance, Association for Talent Development (ATD)
• Gallup and TotalSDI Certified StrengthsFinder Coach
• Certified DiSC Facilitator 
• Executive Coaching Diploma, Emory University Goizueta School of Business

Mark Myette is an author and highly sought after speaker and facilitator. Throughout his business career where he spent 24+ years within Fortune 500 companies, he has always loved being an advisor, catalyst, coach, connector, influencer, pioneer, stimulator and teacher. One of his favorite philosophies is around the concept of karma. Sowing positive seeds will, over time, produce positive outcomes as evidenced by his frequent appearance for career-focused webinars created especially for Emory alumni by the EAA. He earned his undergraduate degree from Boston University, an MBA from Emory's Goizueta School of Business, his Certified Professional in Learning & Performance from the Association for Talent Development (ATD).

Mark Myette is a Strengths / Possibilities Coach, founding principal of ECC, Inc., author, blogger and Talent Development Coach with Lee Hecht Harrison and various other Leadership Development firms. His core belief is EVERYONE is a gift! He and his team create trusted, advocacy-based relationships where clients achieve optimum performance based on gifts / talents / strengths. His workshops are woven with positive and inspiring messages. His years within Fortune 500 companies were spent in sales, sales management, and talent development areas. He has his BA from Boston University. MBA from Emory University, CPLP (2009-2015) a Gallup, TotalSDI Certified StrengthsFinder Coach, DiSC Facilitator and Executive Coaching Diploma recipient from Emory. 

Shatanese Reese

• BA French & Education, Iowa State University
• MS French, Business & Psychology, Iowa State University
• Certificates & Licenses:
  • Civil Treatment Workplace, Eli Inc
  • Emotional Intelligence (EQi 2.0), The Faurote Group
  • Certified Coach, Trainer & Speaker, John Maxwell Team
  • Certificate of Completion NX Level Micro-Entrepreneur Program, Bronner Business Institute
  • Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification, HRCI
  • SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), SHRM
  • Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification, HRCI

Shatanese Reese is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources with over twenty years of HR experience. Her career spans industries such as retail, banking and higher education. She has conducted training in every role she has held during her career as facilitating learning is a passion of hers. Her training sessions have covered topics ranging from effective performance management, talent acquisition strategies, navigating employee relations matters as well as implementation of new HR-specific systems. Shatanese partners with managers and teams to ensure their greatest potential is reached through engaging and powerfully packed workshops. Using a wide variety of methods to reach the learner, Shatanese is known for the inclusion of role plays, group discussions, individual reflection and other means of tapping into the various learning styles of the adult learner. She is adept with content development, targeted training modules and facilitating focused professional development opportunities for all levels of an organization.

Shatanese has held several leadership roles throughout her career including Assistant Director of Staff Recruitment and Retention, Diversity Consultant and most recently Director of HR. She was also the inaugural President of the GA College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) chapter and served on the Southern Region Board as well as CUPA-HR's Diversity Equity & Inclusion committee where she was instrumental in spearheading various initiatives.