Melissa Fish
Program Director
Melissa Fish is the Program Director and offers 25 years’ experience in performance consulting and business education working for Franklin Templeton Investments, American River College, and small businesses. Melissa has partnered with organizational leaders from both the private and public sectors to develop strategic goals, outline succession plans, and align human talent to surpass expectations. She has a proven record of completing projects on time and on budget while producing measurable returns on investment. In addition to her training and organizational development experience, Melissa earned her MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management.
Helping your organization develop competencies, improve performance indicators, promote equity and inclusion, and build trust are some of our key goals. Melissa is committed to supporting clients by providing a full spectrum of services including assessment, performance management, instructional delivery, coaching, or other consulting solutions. Her specialties include leadership development, talent coaching, organizational alignment, program design and facilitation, change consulting, project management, and team effectiveness. She also offers experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion work to improve cultural competence, build opportunities, and drive progress.
Melissa is excited to collaborate on your talent development blueprint and translate your strategic vision into practical action plans for positive impact.
Steve Abeyta
Trainer
Steve Abeyta combines his experiences as a government analyst and college instructor to provide training through the Los Rios Government Training Academy. With the Training Academy, Steve’s main focus is to provide interactive and engaging courses to help analysts achieve their fullest potential.
Steve also teaches English composition and critical thinking for the Los Rios Community College District where he employs a variety of teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs and abilities of his students. And in his service with the State of California, Steve drew upon his 32 years of experience in program and project analysis to develop and deliver project management training to analysts and managers.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Economics and Finance and a Master of Arts in English Literature from California State University, Sacramento.
Rob Anderson
Trainer
Rob has over 25 years of training and development experience in both the public and private sector. In 2000, he began working with Bruce Winner and The Training Source instructing the Call Center Training Program and later facilitating courses with the Government Training Academy including Completed Staff Work, Critical Thinking Tools and Essential Analytical Skills. In 2001, Rob was co-founder and Managing Director of the Community College Call Center Consortium, a 501(c)(3) organization committed to developing relationships between industry and community college call center contract educators nationwide. The organization was created in conjunction with Bruce Winner and The Training Source.
Rob earned a BA in Communications from California State University, Chico where he received a Certificate of Recognition as the Outstanding Graduate in Communications. Rob’s book and DVD, Long Term Care Customer Service, which provides interpersonal skills training to Certified Nursing Assistants, has been sold continuously in the US and Europe since 2014.
Most recently he was employed by a national financial services firm as a Public Outreach Officer to conduct workshops on topics including Social Security strategies, retirement income and taxation. Rounding out these experiences is several years of performing stand-up comedy including a summer residency at the Comedy Store LA and co-founding Comedy Communications in Silicon Valley which employed a humorous approach to corporate training. Clients included British Telecom and Hewlett-Packard.
Paul Briley
Trainer
Paul Briley leverages his 25+ years of experience and leadership in the Training & Development industry to help your vision come to life. He is a consultative and strategic thought leader focused on creating impact on people, culture and results.
Paul has worked for large, multi-unit organizations, as well as consulting with business leaders and stakeholders within their own organizations. His extensive experience on the front lines of sales and service organizations provides a unique perspective and ability to see challenges and solutions from the customer’s point of view.
Paul builds relationships based on a sense of purpose, action-orientation and having fun in the process. Paul holds a Master’s in Business Administration, has been a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) since 2005 and is a member of the Association for Talent Development.
Kimberly Geil
Trainer
Dr. Geil is the founder of Coaching Heights, a coaching business that specializes in helping people make their jobs better using the science of job crafting. As both an ICF-certified coach and a certified Optimize coach, she is committed to continually improving her own protocols and empowering others to do the same. She helps people integrate ancient wisdom, modern science, practical tools and the Fundamentals of Optimal living — eating, moving, sleeping, breathing, focusing, celebrating and prospering — into their work and relationships. She is passionate about building community and helping people optimize all facets of their work, relationships and day-to-day lives.
Dr. Geil is based in Sacramento, California, where she does executive coaching, training, facilitation, curriculum development, editing and more for various state agencies. She spends her summers in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, where she facilitates soft skills and leadership training for the 70+ guides at Exum Mountain Guides.
She has a BA in sociology from Stanford University and received her doctorate in educational psychology and research on teaching from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2011. Her research focused on burnout and engagement among teachers and transformative professional development opportunities.
Antoinette Joy
Trainer
Antoinette is a leadership coach with over 20 years’ experience creating and maintaining healthy work environments. Antoinette’s accomplishments include influencing and supporting employees and organizations to achieve their unforeseen highest potential through coaching, enhancing organizational culture, designing training and recognition programs, and partnering with executives on strategic initiatives. She has coached all levels of staff within organizations and state agencies, including new supervisors, department leaders and executives.
As an independent training consultant, she designs and delivers impactful, applicable on-site and virtual courses. Working extensively with Los Rios Community College District’s Government Training Academy, UC Davis’ Continuing and Professional Education HR Program, CPS HR Consulting, and more, she continues to receive accolades for educating while keeping attendees engaged and empowered to apply course content. Her curriculum is vast and includes coaching, leadership development, communication skills and talent management.
She holds a Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and human resources from California State University, Sacramento.
Nick LeForce
Trainer
Nick is president of Inner Works, established in 1992, a coaching and training company located in Northern California that provides training and executive coaching services to businesses as well as personal coaching services to individuals. He holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and social welfare and a master’s degree in rehabilitation administration. Nick is certified as a trainer of neuro-linguistic programming and is an active member of the International Association for Generative Change (IAGC).
Nick has designed and delivered coaching certification programs internationally, and he has been a key member of the core staff of trainers for the ICF Certified Coach Training programs offered through the NLP Institute of California and the Academy of Leadership Coaching and NLP from 2002 through 2016. In 2010, Nick designed and delivered the coach training program for the core trainers in the Government Training Academy of the Los Rios Community College District. He has authored 12 books, including co-authoring Powerful Questions and Techniques for Coaches and Therapists with Tim and Kris Hallbom.
Erin Lebacqz
Trainer
Erin designs and delivers brain-based, inquiry-centered, customized training in writing and communication. Erin has trained and taught in the United States and Asia, in the finance, manufacturing and trades, non-profit, higher education, and public sectors. Erin is also the creator of the High-Value Writing program and curriculum.
Erin developed her expertise in both the theory and practice of writing and communication through twenty years of instructional and administrative service in public higher education in the United States and abroad. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from UC San Diego, a Secondary Education Teaching Credential with an emphasis on intercultural and multilingual learning from San Jose State University, and an Master of Arts degree in Professional Writing from the University of New Mexico. She is certified as a Master Trainer in workplace ESL using ELTS’ Peace Corps-endorsed Color Vowel Chart system, and has won awards such as Inspirational Teacher of the Year. Erin is also a certified ICBI Intercultural Coach, and is functionally bilingual in Spanish/English.
Jannene Litchfield
Trainer
Jannene is the president of Best Coach for You, providing leadership and career coaching for professionals. As a certified coach, she uses reflection, exploration and accountable goal setting to help clients embrace their potential. She helps professionals identify their strengths and opportunities for development, and create better integration with career and personal life, resulting in greater personal and professional happiness.
Jannene is an International Coaching Federation–certified coach and utilizes a variety of assessments, such as Leadership Practices Inventory, Elevations, StrengthsFinder, DiSC, Myers-Briggs and Thomas-Kilmann instruments. These assessments help leaders and professionals receive feedback to gain clarity in their professional development plan.
In her roles as the vice president of human resources for Schools Federal Credit Union and director of human resources for Verizon Wireless, Jannene led the talent management and human performance side of the businesses. She continues to coach and teach leadership classes for Los Rios Community College District and California State University, Sacramento, and is also a fellow coach at Better Up.
She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and an MBA from National University. Additionally, she has earned her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Associate Certificated Coach (ACC) certifications.
Thomas Moore
Trainer
Tom Moore has over 25 years of experience in public and private organizations including government, higher education, and business. He has firsthand experience as both a manager and an individual contributor, and he knows how to make organizations successful through employee learning and development. Over an 18-year career as an organizational development/program specialist at the City of Sacramento, Tom coordinated the training function, and taught leadership classes and topics to enhance employee engagement. He was a key player in several strategic organizational change and engagement initiatives, including creating a wellness program for the city. As an independent consultant since 2010, Tom has taught undergraduate college students in the areas of communication, business, and strategic management, and he teaches a variety of analytical skills classes to public sector employees throughout California. He is also known for creating fun and engaging virtual training. He served on the board of the Association for Talent Development (ATD) Sacramento chapter, and held positions including program chair, president, and chapter advisor. Tom is a certified Gallup StrengthsFinder coach, and a certified Achieve Global leadership instructor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from UC Davis, a Certificate in Marketing and Public Relations from UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, and a master’s degree in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco.
Michelle Schmitt
Trainer
As a leadership consultant and coach, Michelle has spent her nearly 30-year career dedicated to public service with the state of California. She is passionate about bringing the best practices of servant leadership, healthy workplace cultures and personal development to state service. Her ultimate goal has always been to improve the lives of the neediest citizens in the community as well as the lives of those serving them. As the chief of organizational capacity and workforce management, she was pivotal in getting state government to recognize the imperative to create healthy, sustainable organizations: places people come, stay, serve with excellence and thrive both personally and professionally.
Michelle is certified as both an integral and somatic coach working with individuals to unleash their gifts and potential: serving her clients in seeing and growing themselves as well as their organizations, thereby creating wholeness and sustainable leadership excellence. She is a collaborator, facilitator of dynamic dialogues and trainer. She co-creates communities of excellence by partnering with leadership and all members of the organization to innovate workplaces that invite people to bring their gifts to serve a greater purpose as well as the bottom line.
Dennis Wade
Trainer
Dennis has provided employee coaching services to a variety of large and small organizations in both the private and public sectors, including Intel, DuPont, Art Institute, Caltrans, CalHR, Trinity Technology Group, DBI Beverage, California Department of Insurance and California Department of Water Resources. Coaching topics include employee and executive performance, management skills, leadership development, presentation skills, interpersonal communication and anger management, among others. A graduate of UC Davis, he also holds a master’s degree in organization development from the University of San Francisco and a coaching certification from Government Training Academy.
Dennis is co-author of The New Supervisor’s Coach: A Guide to the Top Three Priorities in Your New Position, which has been well-received in public and private sectors and has been used as a textbook at three colleges. He also co-authored the companion book, The New Supervisor’s Coach Personal Workbook.
Tyler Wade
Trainer
Tyler Wade has 14+ year’s experience helping dozens of public and private sector organizations lead change and develop effectiveness through appropriate strategies and interventions, especially training and education programs, group facilitation, and one-on-one and team coaching. He is a DiSC- and 5 Behaviors-certified expert in communication, team building, performance management, and adult learning.
Before joining PplDev, Tyler was a program manager and analyst in employee education and workforce development for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. He also worked in legislative and campaign politics at the State Capitol and throughout California for nine years.
Certified in Change Management, he holds a Masters degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and is a past president of the Sacramento chapter of the Association for Talent Development. He is co-author of The New Supervisor’s Coach.
Bruce Winner
Trainer
Bruce is the founder and past director of the Los Rios Community College District Government Training Academy and the GTA’s Coaching Group. Bruce has led many large-scale organizational coaching programs for California state agencies. For 22 years he led the GTA’s results-oriented group of trainers, coaches and consultants. He believes that managerial-level coaching is one of the most powerful tools available for empowering individuals and driving organizational performance.
In 2010, Bruce completed the 108-hour Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coaching Course, sponsored by Los Rios’ Government Training Academy, and he is currently pursuing an additional coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He holds an MBA from the University of California, Davis.
Bruce began his training career in West Africa and spent six years there as an agricultural extension agent and project manager for the Peace Corps and USAID. While there, he promoted oxen as an intermediate technology development solution. Bruce was the founder and president of the American Brewers Guild, the nation’s first brewing school for the brewpub and microbrewing industry, and worked for several years for University Extension, UC Davis, managing training initiatives in business, food science and agriculture.