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. Don Colebourn

Don Colebourn assumed leadership of the Fall Business Educator’s program in 2009 after having been a prior participant on the spring teams. He serves as Co-Chairman of PTLA Corporation, a firm specializing in commercial Real Estate investment. His professional background includes extensive experience in successful entrepreneurial ventures in retail and real estate: merchandising and high-end retail management, building residential retail franchises, and loaning and forming real estate partnerships. Don and his wife, Lassie, live near San Francisco.

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.

John Scruton-Wilson, MBA (Team Leader)

John Scruton-Wilson grew up in England and has lived on five continents working primarily in the petroleum industry for Amoco and BP. He currently teaches finance, economics and strategy to executives in the oil industry. After studying agriculture in England, he later pursued Master’s degrees in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University, Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and Business Administration from the University of Chicago. He has made several trips to Vietnam with REI’s business team teaching at universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. He is married to the Rev. Rita Kay Lochner, Executive Director, Grace and Peace Chaplaincy, meeting the spiritual needs of senior communities in the Chicago suburbs. They have two children.

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.

Mr. Bob Garrett

Bob is a recently retired banking industry executive. He spent 28 years in various management positions for Union Bank, a major United States subsidiary of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (“MUFG”); one of the world’s largest banks. MUFG has a significant branch bank lending presence in Ho Chi Minh City and holds an ownership stake of 20% of VietinBank since 2012 (Vietnam’s 2nd largest partly private lender). For six years, Bob ran Union Bank’s global group which was focused on helping American multinational companies expand globally--with an institutional focus on Asia. Bob spent significant time in Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong; which were all major MUFG Asian business hubs. Bob also ran two national lending platforms focusing on companies operating in the Environmental and Transportation, Aerospace and Defense industries. Bob tried to maintain a reasonable work/life balance through significant Board of Director work with local non-profit organizations and sports. Bob plays competitive golf and tennis, hikes with his dog and swims for fitness. Bob was Chairman of the Board for the American Red Cross in Northern California for six years, was Treasurer of his church for three years and also ran Union Bank’s Northern California Foundation committee for five years. Bob is happily married to Suzanne, has a daughter, Carolyn (who finishing her Senior year at the University of Arizona), and has a boxer dog hiking buddy named Jada.

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. Gail Jones

Gail is an entrepreneur and coach to leaders, teams and organizations. She began her business career as an Organizational Development Consultant and Project Manager at Pacific Gas & Electric where she developed company-wide software, systems and training. She honed her business systems, finance and deal-making skills as VP/CFO of Jones Sand Company until it was sold in 1999. From 2001 to 2011 she was the Founder/CEO of Neptune Holdings LLC, an investment management and consulting firm. In 2003 she founded Faith Enterprises LLC, a private equity and real estate holding firm, and in 2004 she co-founded and served as CEO of Go.edu, a software development company for K-12 schools that was sold in 2008. Gail is currently focused on coaching, teaching and facilitating non-profit leadership teams and has served on several boards. She holds an MBA in Management from Indiana University and is a Gallup-certified StrengthsFinder coach. Gail and her husband Olin recently moved to the mountains of Colorado from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has four children and five grandchildren.

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.

Mr. Loren Lancaster

Loren Lancaster has enjoyed supporting many companies of all sizes and many disciplines by creating and developing a competitive variety of business strategies and technology products. Loren’s early career developed around practical expertise in semiconductor product and technology design, development and manufacturing. Through this phase of his career Loren not only achieved remarkable success in building innovative world-class products for highly competitive markets, but he also personally advanced into a broader range of executive functions, including marketing, sales, operations, finance, leadership and mergers and acquisitions. After accomplishing all of his personal career goals in the semiconductor industry, Loren transitioned into a multi-legged strategic business career focused on other business owners. Loren’s motivation then, as it is now, was to help others succeed in business. This career phase has included building and running an international investment banking practice, providing customer-focused strategic consulting, contributing within several boards and building and running business community infrastructure supporting early stage and middle market companies in Colorado Springs. Loren holds two degrees (with honors) in engineering from the University of Texas-Austin, and 21 patents in the field of electronics. He has successfully completed 14 strategic transactions and profitably invested in several early stage ventures, and has worked as management, executive employee, advisor and/or board member for a large number of companies. Outside of business, Loren volunteers for the US Air Force as a Civil Air Patrol Mission Pilot, dabbles in the gold futures market and enjoys being close to family and friends while cooking, playing guitar, working out, skiing, cycling, traveling and watching movies.

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. Leslie E. Stocker, Jr.

Les Stocker is the principal of Caddis Consultancy – which he founded in 2014 -- providing management consulting to non-government organizations (NGO) focused especially on long term sustainability. This followed his 35-year-career in the leadership of Braille Institute of America. Over those years the organization grew into the largest NGO of its type in the US, serving nearly 100,000 blind and visually impaired people across North America with a wide array of services. Les is also a past President of the National Council of Private Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired (known today as VisionServe Alliance), an association of more than 100 similar organizations in America. His educational background includes a master’s degree (MA) in communications and a master’s degree of business administration (MBA). He serves on three different NGO Boards of Trustees and lives in Altadena, California where he and his wife, Pamela raised their three daughters.

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. Paul D. Yankey

Paul Yankey teaches in the Bachelor of Innovation™ program for the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs. Most recently he was the Sales Director for Dell, Inc. managing a $400M business, and he was both the “U.S. Account Executive of the Year” for Dell and the peer nominated recipient of the prestigious “Team Leadership” award. He is a sought after speaker on topics of innovation, sales leadership, and professional accountability. Starting his career as a financial analyst in banking, Paul has since played key roles with three Fortune 100 companies and been a part of the Executive Leadership Team for three funded startups. He has traveled and worked in over 30 countries and is a member of the Board of Directors for REI, the Southern Colorado leadership Development Council, and the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Paul is also the author of the coming book entitled Selling with Love: The most success you will have in business and life. He holds an MBA from Santa Clara University, and a degree in finance from Biola University.

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.

Brian & Ginny Teel (Director, REI-Vietnam and Team Facilitators)

The opportunity to partner with, invest in, and learn from Vietnamese leaders who relentlessly pursue their nation’s welfare stirs Brian’s heart as he had pursued his responsibilities as REI-VN’s Director since 2004. Understanding that this is a significant moment in Vietnam history compels Brian to give oversight to and secure the resources needed for REI-VN’s five sector programs in Vietnam. He also helps facilitate the Business Education Program, serves on the Resource Exchange International Board of Directors as well as the leadership team for the President of REI-INC. Ginny is a licensed counselor in Colorado, serves as the newly appointed Coordinator of Staff Services for REI-VN and serves with Brian on the REI-VN leadership team. She also has expertise in Life Management Skills.

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.

Tran Phuong Lien (Head of REI-VN Project Office)

Since 1994, Mrs. Lien has truly been ‘the face of REI’ in Vietnam. She serves as REI-VN’s Representative for Vietnamese Relations in Hanoi and heads REI-VN’s officially recognized office there. Lien plays a critical role in linking and matching REI’s program contribution with local Vietnamese priorities. On REI’s first survey trip, Lien served as the official translator for the team and was so effective that REI’s first Director Doug Sparks hired her. Trained as an educator, Lien brings her passion for learning to her work, always looking to align REI-VN presenters in settings that best utilize their gifts and skills. Along with five REI-VN surgeons, Lien was highly honored in 2007 when the Ministry of Health presented her with the National Hero’s Award. She also received the Certificate of Merit from the Mayor of Hanoi, and twice received Certificates of Merit from the Mayor of Ho Chi Minh City. Lien lives in Hanoi with her husband, Dr. Long, who is a PhD chemical engineering professor. They have two grown sons, Giang and Minh, and first granddaughter, Minh Anh.

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.

Pham Van Toan (REI Hanoi Office Staff)

Mr. Toan recently joined REI’s Hanoi office staff in August. He’s a man who enjoys helping people and works hard (Mrs. Lien’s kind words about him). Toan was born in 1983, and is now married and has a son. Toan graduated from Vietnam Forestry University in June 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Forest Economics, and also has accounting, human resources, and administrative experience. He has enjoyed his work in the service field, too, where he learned the importance of his well-liked phrase, “To give is to get”. Therefore, Toan also loves the slogan of REI: Building People to Build a Nation. He is now purposing himself to do just that. Both Mrs. Lien and Miss Nga are helping him to “know the ropes” and also discover the joy of the REI family feeling.