Our speakers

Mr. Tom Knighton

Tom Knighton is the Conversant’s Global Practice Lead for Executive Development. For over 30 years Tom has been a pioneer in helping companies equip leaders to accelerate the implementation of their strategy, drive change, and develop high-potential talent always with an eye towards achieving measurable business impact. Tom’s background includes consulting and corporate management in domestic and international markets with experience in both the manufacturing and service sectors. He has held positions in strategic planning, marketing, sales, talent development and human resource management. Among Tom’s clients are Bank of America, Disney, American Express, Citigroup, Lucent Technologies, Experian, Allstate Insurance, BP, Liberty Global, Franklin Templeton Investments and Telstra. Prior to joining Conversant, Tom was a Partner at Mercer Leadership Development and Executive Vice President of the Forum Corporation. At Forum, Tom was instrumental in building their change management practice, leadership development practice and customer experience management practice. He was lead author for the groundbreaking book, Managing the Customer Experience. Tom holds a BA in Behavioral Science from Wheaton College in Illinois. His graduate work includes coursework in Organizational Behavior and Strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Executive Education at Stanford and Harvard Universities

Mr. Delbert M. Goehner, CPA

Del is the founder of Goehner Accountancy which he sold in 2001 after 33 years of ownership. Over those years he was responsible for the overall effectiveness and success of the firm which continues to provide a full line of services including audits, accounting, advisory services, tax services and other consulting services. The firm grew from a staff of three to its present size. He was also an adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University where he taught Advanced Accounting and also taught in the MBA program. He is a frequent speaker and has written many articles on topics such as taxes, accounting and auditing changes, financial planning, retirement and estate planning, and related subjects. He continues to practice accounting and serves in a consulting capacity for several organizations and businesses. He has over 50 years of experience. Clients found that one of his greatest strengths is his analytical skill. He is able to take their tax or financial situations, break them down into understandable components or concepts, communicate those concepts, and help them develop workable solutions. Additionally, they appreciate that he is a person of integrity and that their matters have always been kept in confidence. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, California Society of Certified Public Accountants, Washington State Society of Certified Public Accounts, Christian Management Association, and a past member for 26 years of Rotary International. He has served in various leadership capacities on numerous Boards.

Ms. Suzanne Garrett

Suzanne is the President of Strategic Organizational Solutions which provides management consulting and training to organizations in the greater Bay Area. She has both a B.S. in Civil Engineering (West Virginia Institute of Technology) and an MBA (John F. Kennedy University). In addition to consulting work, Suzanne has also taught undergraduate business courses at several universities. She is a member of the American Red Cross, volunteers her time with Preparing a Place Capital Campaign, and serves as the Chair and President of the Budget and Finance Committee at her church. Suzanne is married to Bob who is an expert in international banking. They have one daughter. She enjoys tennis, golf, softball, hiking, travel and volunteering at her children’s schools.

Ms. Cheryl L. Meredith, PhD, GPHR, SPHR

Cheryl is the President of Maray Mercher Inc. She consults and trains in leadership, coaching and emotional intelligence. She also serves as Chief Ideation Officer for a non-profit organization in Colorado and as an Adjunct Professor at Trinity Western University. She completed her PhD in Business, Organization and Management with a focus on Emotional Intelligence in Executive Leaders. Her Masters is in Counseling. She has extensive executive leadership experience with over 25 years of leading nationally and internationally in the nonprofit sector. She has completed certifications as both a Global and Senior HR professional and as an Executive Coach through Corporate Coach U International. Cheryl speaks, teaches and facilitates across North America and Internationally. She is passionate about helping people understand and optimize their abilities, talents, and capacity to make the greatest contribution possible in their spheres of influence. Cheryl lives in Colorado and regularly pursues her other passions for cycling, scuba diving, skiing, literature, travel, friends, & film.

Ms. Merrily Madero

Merrily speaks internationally from her extensive background in organizational leadership. In her professional career, she consistently demonstrated the capacity to turn underperforming organizations into successful ones, while solving complex organizational problems. She has also fostered a collaborative working environment across international populations. She commanded and led four large organizations, each with over a thousand personnel, served in multiple director positions and lived overseas for over five years in four different locations around the world. Merrily has a Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and two Master Degrees in Personnel Management and National Resource Strategy. Merrily is a co-author of the book, Alternative Futures for 2025: Security Planning to Avoid Surprise, 1996, Air University Press. Her favorite activities are studying and teaching, international travel, downhill skiing, hiking with her dogs and working out. Currently, Merrily directs a real-estate management company across several states in the United States.

Ms. Jen Knellinger, MBA, PMP

Trained originally as a microbiologist then Medical Technologist, Jen moved into Healthcare Administration over her 20 year career. She rapidly moved from the laboratory to administration; first as the hospital’s Marketing Director, then Associate Administrator over Strategic Planning, Marketing and Physician Relations. In 2004, Jen formed her own consulting firm (KEI) and moved into Project Management, working on new and renovated hospital construction and transition projects. She also served as an administrator for an ambulatory surgery center. Completing her MBA in Project Management, Jen has since enjoyed projects with small entrepreneurial firms. Raised in the Midwest by two parents in business, she learned work ethic and leadership early. She began work at 14, coached swimming and was active in school government. Following college, she married her best friend and found herself widowed with two small children and a career in her 30’s. Raising two hockey players, she worked full time and participated actively in her community. With a broad range of interests, Jen served this past year as Chair of the Community Advisory Committee of PPACG (transportation), and currently serves as Deputy Squadron Commander of Pikes Peak Senior Squadron of Civil Air Patrol (search and rescue). A big supporter of the region’s outdoors, she runs, cycles, swims and hikes. Remarrying recently, she has three grown sons and is happily married to a military veteran and contractor.

Mr. James Kang

“James has served internationals since 1988 and specializes in Personnel Development and Leadership. Since 2008, REI-Vietnam has been thankful to have his experience as he has been Personnel Consultant with us. In this capacity, he partners with us in recruiting new REI professionals, especially those of Asian and Asian-American descent. Our current REI staff member, Ms. Zonia Go, was one such link that James initiated. In addition to consulting with REI, James works with a number of community-based organizations in the Chicago area working in areas ranging from Job Creation/Poverty Alleviation to Personal Coaching and Leadership Development. James was born in Korea and came to the States after second grade, settling first in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then in Chicago when he was about 14. James and his wife, Janet, have been married 26 years and they have one son.

Mr. Terry McHugh

Terry enjoyed a long career in real estate management business for Prudential Financial, a Fortune Global 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management and other investment products and services to retail and institutional customers in 30+ countries. Terry served in multiple leadership roles, including portfolio manager directing a team responsible for $14 billion in real estate assets, as a member of the firm’s U.S. and Latin American investment committees providing oversight to investment transactions, and as a member of the firm’s executive committee responsible for its U.S. real estate business. Terry worked with institutional clients to raise capital. Structuring transactions, negotiating agreements, resolving disputes and collaborating in the real estate industry were experiences that made his work interesting.

He has traveled extensively across North America, Europe and Asia. Terry has also served in various volunteer roles for his community and church and currently is a board member for an Atlanta, GA based non-profit focused on neighborhood housing redevelopment. When not fishing, he and his wife, Patti, travel to visit their six adult children and 17 grandchildren. They spend their time between Yorktown, VA and Kure Beach, NC.

Mr. Randy Vernon & Ms. Jill Vernon

Randy and Jill Vernon have served as leadership and educational consultants in several different countries since their marriage in 1985, including the United States, France, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Gabon. They have had the pleasure of participating with several REI-Vietnam Business Educators programs, where they function as facilitators for the American business team and the host country team. Randy holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and Jill earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Maine, Orono and her graduate degree from Colorado State University. They have four adult children, currently located in China, Colorado, and California.

Nguyen Thi Nga (REI Hanoi Office Staff)

Miss Nga is the Administrative Assistant to REI-VN’s Vietnamese Representative, Mrs. Lien. She attended Hanoi School of Public Health under the Ministry of Health. She graduated with a degree in public health in the fall of 2011. While she was a student, she participated in health communication programs and volunteer activities which took place in the mountainous provinces north of Vietnam. Nga became a member of the REI-Vietnam family in December of 2012. The more she understands about the mission and purpose of REI-Vietnam, the more passionately she strives to increase her knowledge and skills so that she too can contribute to building people to build her nation. Nga has become very valuable to Mrs. Lien.