OUR NEWSLETTER

KARLA HILL-DONISCH

Senior Consultant

New Point Strategies LLC

Karla Hill-Donisch is a Senior Consultant with NewPoint Strategies. She works with NewPoint clients on a range of issues covering Diversity and Inclusion, Harassment Prevention, and Conflict Management. She is highly skilled in working with client teams to ensure that DEI and workplace respectful culture programs and commitments are implemented and sustained throughout the organization. She is currently on the NewPoint DEI team to provide ongoing support to client leadership and department heads who need guidance in designing strategies that achieve DEI objectives. Karla has substantial expertise in the non-profit and private sectors, government, and universities.

TIMOTHY KANE

 Diversity Inclusion Expert,

New Point Strategies LLC

Timothy Kane is a Senior Consultant and Trainer with NewPoint Strategies, working with clients on a range of issues covering Diversity and Inclusion, LGBTQIA, Harassment Prevention, and Conflict Management. His skill set highlights include cross-cultural competency and exchange, problem solving and communication, as well as leadership development and strategic planning.

Timothy is currently on the training team for the State Department Diplomatic Security Training Center and Loudoun County Government. Timothy provides interactive presentations on emerging issues surrounding the LGBTQIA community. He is also working on a digital animation
training tool for NewPoint on Diversity and Harassment.

Timothy creates safe space for authentic dialogue and empowering communication regarding personal identities, individual strength and organizational success. Through dialogue facilitation and interactive presentations, Timothy promotes outcomes-based strategies to enhance interpersonal skills and cultural integration. His ten years of experience includes leadership and consulting roles within Higher Education, Federal Government, Public Service and International Development.
Timothy’s clients include Department of State, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Institute of International Education, World Bank, as well as numerous non-profit agencies, colleges and universities. Timothy has engaged over 4,500 international visitors from over 80 countries regarding themes of community building, leadership development, as well as diversity and inclusion. As the former Director of the Office of Community Service at The George Washington University (GW), Timothy promoted civic engagement among 25,000 students and 8,000 staff and faculty. Timothy oversaw university-wide civic engagement campaigns with community partners including The White House. As the current Associate Director of the GW Multicultural Student Services Center, Timothy has fine-tuned engagement of topics related to sexual, gender and religious diversity and inclusion. He specializes in promoting promising practices for community building and bias response, including development of policy and procedure. Timothy received his Bachelor’s of Arts from Hamilton College, his Masters of Divinity from Harvard University, and his Masters of Theology in Justice and Peace Studies from Maryknoll School of Theology. As a certified instructor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Timothy also holds a Certificate in International Development from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, as well as Graduate Certificates in HIV/AIDS Studies, International Education and Islamic Studies from George Washington University.

MARIA MORUKIAN

Diversity Inclusion Consultant, New Point Strategies LLC

Maria Morukian is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for NewPoint Strategies. She is a NewPoint leader on Gender and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion issues in the workplace. Maria has over 15 years of experience as an organizational development trainer, consultant and coach, specializing in diversity and inclusion best practices and high-risk employment issues such as harassment prevention and anti-bullying strategies. She works with federal, corporate and nonprofit organizations, helping everyone from aspiring leaders to senior executives, to build strong, healthy, inclusive organizations. She currently leads NewPoint’s work on Unconscious Bias with several government and non-profit organizations. She has delivered successful webinars on implicit bias to CCAR, HUC, Reform Congregation search committees, and also presented at the Reform Conference on Conscience in Washington DC.

Maria’s clients include the Department of State, Department of the Navy, Marine Corps, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, General Services Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of the Treasury, Department of the Interior, Library of Congress, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Agency for International Development, Spitzer Auto World, Lorain Public Schools, Syngenta Seeds LLC, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and Delta Airlines.

Maria formerly served as the Practice Director for Leadership and Management at Management Concepts, where she led efforts to develop in-person and virtual training and consulting solutions, including a number of diversity and inclusion focused projects.  Maria also served as a leadership development specialist for the U.S. Department of State, where she provided training, coaching, and consulting on leadership skills, diversity, inclusion, employee relations, EEO, and global diversity and cultural competence. She also served as an EEO Counselor during her five-year tenure with the Department.

Maria served as the Executive Director for the National Multi-Cultural Institute, where she led efforts to develop and deliver customized organizational change initiatives focused on diversity, inclusion, anti-discrimination and harassment, and global diversity competency, for organizations ranging from the International Monetary Fund to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Maria currently serves on the faculty of the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Executive Institute, where she trains and coaches senior executives in the federal government on leadership, with a particular focus on building diverse, inclusive, and innovative teams and organizations. She currently leads a number of diversity and inclusion training and consulting efforts, partnering with the OPM’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and providing anti-bias training across federal government.

Maria is currently an adjunct faculty at American University’s School of International Service, leading graduate courses on intercultural competence, diversity and inclusion. She previously served as adjunct faculty at George Washington University teaching cultural competence training design.Maria earned her dual Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan in Organizational Studies and Spanish and Master’s in International Communication from American University. She regularly presents at conferences, including the Training Officers Consortium, Federally Employed Women, and Blacks in Government, on issues of diversity and inclusion.

ARDRA M. O’NEAL

Senior Legal Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Ardra M. O’Neal, Esq. is the Founding Partner of The O’Neal Firm, LLP. Ms. O’Neal has specialized in labor and employment law for nearly twenty years. She litigates state and federal court employment related lawsuits and counsels executives, and human resource professionals nation-wide on a full range of issues concerning employer-employee relations including but not limited to: wage disputes, breach of contract claims, employee leave matters, independent contractor classifications and discrimination and harassment claims. 

Prior to launching The O’Neal Firm LLP, Ms. O’Neal was one of four Senior Labor and Employment Attorneys for Sodexho USA, a Fortune 500 corporation employing nearly 150,000 employees in the United States, and over 360,000 globally. Ms. O’Neal has also practiced law with one of the nation’s largest law firms and was lead defense counsel in all areas of labor and employment litigation.

Because of her extensive expertise, Ms. O’Neal is frequently called upon to lecture on employment law issues. Some of these engagements include: 2002 Loriman Education Services Virginia Personnel Law seminar; 2002 Alexandria, VA Chamber of Commerce Employment Law seminar; 2003 DC Chamber of Commerce Proper Classification of Independent Contractors seminar; 2003 DC Chamber of Commerce Termination and Severance seminar; 2004 Virginia Employment Law CLE seminar, 2006 National Employment Law Council conference, and 2011, 2012 and 2013 Lawline Continuing Legal Education seminars on various employment law matters. She is also a co-author of Employment Law In Virginia, a comprehensive treatise analyzing the complexities of Virginia employment laws. 

Ms. O’Neal obtained her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1996. She won several moot court competition awards including First Place on the National Moot Court Team. Ms. O’Neal completed her undergraduate studies at Johnson C. Smith University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was the Valedictorian of the Class of 1992.

KESHA CHIAPPINELLI

Sexual Harassment & Assault Prevention Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Kesha Chiappinelli is a Consultant at New Point Strategies and is a subject matter expert on sexual assault in the military. She is committed to the advancement of the military justice system in regard to the prosecution of sexual assault cases. She is a passionate consultant and trainer who recently completed a successful active duty Air Force career as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate.

Before receiving her commission she completed her legal studies at New York Law School in 2009. Kesha was a judicial intern for a New York State Supreme Court Judge in the Commercial Division where cases of fraud, misrepresentation, derivative actions, and contract disputes are heard. She also had the unique opportunity of interning for a legal analyst at Fox News. She researched and drafted articles which appeared on the Fox News website. Each topic was hand-picked from current events and the legal facets of each topic were analyzed. Kesha also got an inside look at the inner workings of national television news production via access to the recording studios.

While active duty she was stationed at Beale Air Force, a busy legal office with a heavy caseload. Her work as Trial Counsel included high profile sexual assault cases with multiple victims, child victims and child pornography. Some of the cases were of public interest and required coordination with Public Affairs. Additionally, many of the victims she interviewed were victims of retaliation. This ignited a passion for helping to eradicate retaliation and reprisal in the military.

In addition to her role as Trial Counsel she was Chief of Legal Assistance and Employment Law and spearheaded a legal internship program with UC Davis School of Law. She had the opportunity to put her knowledge of employment law to work when she collaborated with the AUSA in Sacramento and an Air Force Civilian attorney on a discrimination case involving civilian employees. Together with the AUSA they coordinated multiple interviews of civilian employees and deposed the alleged victim. She also drafted lengthy internal reports and interrogatories in an effort to find a resolution.

Kesha truly enjoys helping others and when she isn’t busy with her young son she volunteers for an international organization devoted to helping other mothers.

DAISY LUNG

Senior Research Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Daisy Lung is an expert on sexual assault prevention for NewPoint Strategies. She provides research and data to the NewPoint team on a range of sexual misconduct issues and recommends services for professional assistance.  Daisy is the Sexual Assault Services Coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College. She specializes in crisis counseling and advocacy for survivors of gender based violence. Her hands on support includes accompanying survivors to police interviews, medical forensic exams and court hearings. She leads trainings on topics such as “Consent” and “Healthy Relationships” throughout the community as part of her commitment to violence prevention. She has built strong partnerships with state agencies and local governments as well as nonprofit organizations and is currently an active member of the following:

• Northern Virginia Victim Services Coalition
• Fairfax County Domestic Violence Network
• Fairfax County LGBTQ Task Force
• Greater Prince William Human Trafficking Task Force
• Greater Prince William Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention Council
• Asian Americans Against Family Abuse

Recognizing that it’s simply not enough to refer survivors to third parties for legal, medical or therapeutic resources, Daisy can provide insider knowledge with actual names of points of contacts and walk them through the intake process, further establishing trust in seeking help from other systems while mitigating further re-traumatization.

SHELLY GUGIG

Gender Pay Equity Expert,

New Point Strategies LLC

Shelley Gugig is a consultant and trainer with NewPoint Strategies LLC.  Ms. Gugig has over 25 years of results-oriented experience in the Training and Organizational Development arena.  She specializes in the areas of diversity, harassment and discrimination prevention, EEO and compliance, management and leadership skills, human resources policies/procedures, career development, and team building. Ms Gugig ‘s training experience has spanned all industries nationwide including: financial services, heath care, technology, education, insurance, transportation, publishing, law enforcement and law firms. Some of her clients include: JP Morgan Chase, Pershing, KPMG, Pfizer, and Time Warner. Ms. Gugig is the principal of Professional Training Strategies, a business consulting organization that provides services on a national basis to privately held companies as well as not for profit organizations. Professional Training Strategies provides training, organizational development, executive development and operations support to organizations in order to efficiently and effectively implement their business strategies, goals and values. Prior to starting Professional Training Strategies, Ms. Gugig served as Vice President; Director of Training and Organizational Development for Citibank. In that role, she was responsible for all business training initiatives for the New York Metropolitan area while managing and mentoring a team of more than 30 training professionals. Her team was responsible for all aspects of training and development including; EEO/compliance, sales, systems, operations, management/leadership and professional skills. The success of this team was due in part to Ms. Gugig’s strong philosophy to tie all training to business goals and outcomes and develop strong partnerships with the management team. Ms. Gugig also served as Vice President of Training for Professional Development at Citibank.  In this role, she was responsible for ensuring the development and skill acquisition of all training professionals in compliance and business matters in order to build a world class training organization. Ms. Gugig received her Master and Bachelor Degrees with Honors. Her Master Degree is in Personnel and Guidance Services from Kean College.  She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from the University of Maryland.

RACHEL CASTELLON

Gender Pay Equity Expert,

New Point Strategies LLC

Rachel Castellon is a Senior Consultant at NewPoint Strategies and is a subject matter expert (SME) on sexual harassment in the military.  She is committed to the eradication of sexual harassment and is a dedicated and passionate consultant, trainer, facilitator and coach.  Rachel recently completed a successful active duty US Air Force career that ranged from overseas duties in Italy, Republic of Korea, and deployment to the Middle East, as well as a number of stateside assignments, culminating at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI).

Rachel enlisted the first seven years of her Air Force (AF) career then was selected for a commissioning program.  She earned her second lieutenant bars and became a human resources officer for the remaining 14 years.  The final six years of her career were focused on Equal Opportunity (EO), Diversity, and Human Relations.  As a result, she was instrumental in a number of AF-level initiatives.  Highly regarded as a sage visionary, she was the number one choice to help draft and finalize historic AF EO documents and guidance, such as the AF EO Strategic Plan, the EO AF Instruction, and the career field education and training plan.  Proving her mettle on these critical documents, she handled a variety of sensitive tasks to include co-author on a courses of action package to the AF Vice Chief of Staff to gain approval in creating a training requirement for joint based civilians who were EEO personnel converting to AF positions.  Rachel also served as the Air Force Service Liaison while at DEOMI.  She was a natural choice to serve as lead of the Joint Complaint Processing working group, meticulously researching similarities and differences among the services and components as a stepping stone to devising innovative proposals for an evolving Joint Base and service-integrated deployment environment.

She was entrusted as DEOMI’s SME for the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s comprehensive study on sexual harassment in the military.  She also served as SME for HQ AF EO Office’s sexual harassment in the military briefing to a congressman; and representative to the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s during their Service specific portion of the comprehensive study on sexual harassment in the military.

Rachel was instrumental in the coordination and execution of the first AF EO World-wide Training Workshop.  She maintained direct oversight over logistics, resources, technologies, briefings, and the results were nothing short of phenomenal.  A training needs analysis was conducted to identify training gaps and isolate areas for standardization and the agenda was built upon the community’s clear message of the training needed.  Over 185 AF EO professionals were in attendance; the results of the participant surveys were very positive with 97% stating the training was right on target.

She was the first military member of the AF-level Barrier Analysis Working Group, investigating ways to overcome obstacles towards providing a diverse civilian AF workforce.  She served as a board member for the 2010 A1 Community Awards Affirmative Employment Program and Special Emphasis Program category.  She has been recognized with several awards to include Field Grade Officer of the Year (DEOMI 2010); the Col L. Joseph Brown EO Program Team Award at the Air Force level in 2008; the DEOMI Annual Team Award in 2008; the Outstanding USAF Military Equal Opportunity Individual Award for Air Force Space Command in 2007; and the USAF Military Equal Opportunity Office Award for Air Force Space Command in 2007.

Rachel is a life-long learner and has earned her associates, bachelors, masters and PhD degrees.  Her PhD dissertation study focused on sexual harassment experiences and tolerance levels, analyzing the similarities and differences among and between male and female active duty Equal Opportunity Advisors.  She also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.   She enjoys family, friends, and staying physically fit while volunteering for organizations within her community.

JUDITH GAIL

Senior Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Martha Burk is a national Gender Pay Equity Consultant, and NewPoint’s Senior Consultant on Pay Equity issues.  She designed and conducted pay equity studies for the City of Albuquerque and City of New Orleans which were the first- in- the- nation gender pay equity initiatives at the city level. These studies included project oversight, design of reporting procedures, and statistical analysis of gender pay gaps, both for city employees as well as city contractors.

Martha also consulted on Gender Pay Equity initiatives for San Francisco, State of New York, City of New York, Phoenix, Erie County, NY (Buffalo), State of Missouri, Kansas City, Mo.  She has provided several private sector consultancies governed by non-disclosure agreements.

As Money Editor for Ms. Magazine, Martha produces columns on the politics of money as it pertains to women, including equal pay, family leave, minimum wage, and other topics. She led the Working Group on Paid Family Leave, Southwest Women’s Law Center, Albuquerque, N.M.

Martha is a syndicated columnist, gender issues, distributed by Other Words to newspapers nationwide. Previously, Martha was the CEO of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, Washington, D.C., the nation’s largest coalition of women’s groups, collectively representing 10 million women.

Martha was a consultant for the State of New Mexico under Governor Bill Richardson. In this project, she designed and implemented first- in- the- nation gender pay equity initiative at the state level, including gender pay equity analysis of 17,000 State of New Mexico employees, and statistical analysis of gender pay data from entities contracting with the State.

Martha consulted with the U.S. Department of Labor, Obama Administration, and produced working papers and one-on-one consulting with Secretary of Labor and principals of the EEOC on process and outcomes on gender equity initiatives. For the National Academy of Sciences, Obama Administration, she provided consultation, and presentations regarding New Mexico pay equity initiatives. For the U.S. Department of State, Clinton, W. Bush Administrations, Martha sponsored presentations on gender equity including Kuwait, China, Lithuania, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia. For UNESCO, she sponsored seminars on gender pay equity, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania.

Martha serves on the following Boards: U.S. National Committee for U.N. Women, New York, Wider Opportunities for Women, Washington, D.C., National Committee on Pay Equity, Washington, D.C. She has a B.S, University of Houston, M.S, and Ph.D, University of Texas at Arlington, and is Licensed by the Texas State Board of Psychology. Contact: 202-247-1300

MARTHA BURKE

Gender Pay Equity Expert,

New Point Strategies LLC

Martha Burk is a national Gender Pay Equity Consultant, and NewPoint’s Senior Consultant on Pay Equity issues.  She designed and conducted pay equity studies for the City of Albuquerque and City of New Orleans which were the first- in- the- nation gender pay equity initiatives at the city level. These studies included project oversight, design of reporting procedures, and statistical analysis of gender pay gaps, both for city employees as well as city contractors.

Martha also consulted on Gender Pay Equity initiatives for San Francisco, State of New York, City of New York, Phoenix, Erie County, NY (Buffalo), State of Missouri, Kansas City, Mo.  She has provided several private sector consultancies governed by non-disclosure agreements.

As Money Editor for Ms. Magazine, Martha produces columns on the politics of money as it pertains to women, including equal pay, family leave, minimum wage, and other topics. She led the Working Group on Paid Family Leave, Southwest Women’s Law Center, Albuquerque, N.M.

Martha is a syndicated columnist, gender issues, distributed by Other Words to newspapers nationwide. Previously, Martha was the CEO of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, Washington, D.C., the nation’s largest coalition of women’s groups, collectively representing 10 million women.

Martha was a consultant for the State of New Mexico under Governor Bill Richardson. In this project, she designed and implemented first- in- the- nation gender pay equity initiative at the state level, including gender pay equity analysis of 17,000 State of New Mexico employees, and statistical analysis of gender pay data from entities contracting with the State.

Martha consulted with the U.S. Department of Labor, Obama Administration, and produced working papers and one-on-one consulting with Secretary of Labor and principals of the EEOC on process and outcomes on gender equity initiatives. For the National Academy of Sciences, Obama Administration, she provided consultation, and presentations regarding New Mexico pay equity initiatives. For the U.S. Department of State, Clinton, W. Bush Administrations, Martha sponsored presentations on gender equity including Kuwait, China, Lithuania, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia. For UNESCO, she sponsored seminars on gender pay equity, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania.

Martha serves on the following Boards: U.S. National Committee for U.N. Women, New York, Wider Opportunities for Women, Washington, D.C., National Committee on Pay Equity, Washington, D.C. She has a B.S, University of Houston, M.S, and Ph.D, University of Texas at Arlington, and is Licensed by the Texas State Board of Psychology. Contact: 202-247-1300

RAJ GUPTA

Diversity & Inclusion Expert,

New Point Strategies LLC

Raj Gupta is a senior consultant and trainer with NewPoint Strategies, LLC. He brings over 25 years of EEO expertise with the EEOC headquarters in Washington, D.C. His primary role is to provide consulting to NewPoint Strategies clients in the area of EEO compliance, complaint investigations, Affirmative Action, diversity, and harassment prevention training. Mr. Gupta has worked with NewPoint Strategies in providing consulting and training on employment issues for numerous government agencies and private clients. Mr. Gupta has had an illustrious career as senior legal and policy advisor to five Presidential Appointees at the EEOC. He represented the Commission in appellate litigation, headed a Policy Development branch, and served as an administrative judge for class actions. He represented the EEOC on Vice President Al Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) and on the NPR Diversity Task Force. He co-authored two NPR repots: “Best Practices in Achieving Workforce Diversity” and “A Report on the Status of Diversity Initiatives in the Federal Government.” Mr. Gupta is listed in the premier edition of WHO’S WHO AMONG ASIAN AMERICANS. He has been interviewed extensively for the EEOC Oral History Project and his interviews are a part of the EEOC historical collection at the U.S. National Archives. Mr. Gupta received masters of laws degrees from the university of Delhi, Columbia University, and the New York University. He graduated at the top of his law school classes at the University or Delhi. He also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Delhi. He is a member of the New Delhi bar, the New York bar, the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, and the bars of several U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts.

JIM LEWIS

Instructional Technology Producer,

New Point Strategies LLC

Mr. Lewis has served as an instructional technology producer for NewPoint Strategies on wide range of educational and training programs.  Due to his knowledge of both production and technologies he has been instrumental in translating curriculum into web-based and computer based training (CBT) platforms, as well as supporting a variety of distance learning programs.  These projects have included simulators and interactive courseware for the US Navy on topics ranging from launching planes from aircraft carriers to military spec soldering.  He has helped develop web based training projects for Hilton Hotels, AAR Airlift, and several universities. Mr. Lewis is familiar with most learning management systems (LMS) and is proficient in Macromedia, Captivate, iBooks and others.  He and his team develop and maintain for most learning platform for NewPoint Strategies. Jim also developed online registration systems for NewPoint and works with IT departments on security issues with NewPoint clients.

ALAN BERKOWITZ

Sexual Harassment & Assault Prevention Expert,

New Point Strategies LLC

Dr. Alan Berkowitz is a Senior Consultant/Trainer for NewPoint Strategies.  He is currently o the NewPoint team as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for US Navy training project for Leaders in the Pacific Fleet.  Dr. Berkowitz is an SME for the US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy on the topics of sexual assault prevention and bystander intervention as well as a Key Strategy Contributor and Reviewer for the Department of Defense 2014-2016 Sexual Assault Prevention Strategy.  From 2011-2012 he served as a Highly Qualified Expert in Sexual Assault Prevention for the Department of the Navy.  In this capacity he provided leadership training throughout the Atlantic Fleet on sexual assault prevention and bystander intervention as well as assisting in the development of the successful Great Lakes Naval Training Station sexual assault prevention program. In the last eight years Dr. Berkowitz has presented at over fifteen conferences for military leaders on their role in creating a Command Climate that can prevent sexual assault and foster effective bystander intervention.  In addition he frequently visits military bases to provide leadership training and consultation services.

Dr. Berkowitz is a prolific researcher and scholar who has written extensively on the subject of sexual assault prevention and who is frequently invited to be a keynote speaker on this topic.  He is also the founder of the “Men’s Workshop” – a sexual assault prevention program for men that has been evaluated as reducing actual sexual assaults by 75% after four months.  In addition, he is the author of a highly acclaimed book on bystander intervention that provides a model for methods of effective intervention.  Dr. Berkowitz has received five national awards for his work.

In addition to working with the military Dr. Berkowitz conducts workshops for colleges, universities, State Health Departments and Sexual Assault Prevention Coalitions on men’s responsibility for preventing rape, the use of media to prevent violence, bystander intervention theory and skills, culture-change, and the characteristics of effective prevention programs. Alan has been a presenter and on the planning committee for the first three National Sexual Assault Prevention Conferences hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of End Violence Against Women International.

Dr. Berkowitz received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Cornell University in 1981.

UDALL DEOLEO

Senior Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Udall DeOleo is a Senior Consultant for NewPoint Strategies LLC. She is an expert in training and consulting on Diversity and Inclusion, EEO, Sexual Harassment Prevention, and Conflict Management. She also specializes in executive coaching and organizational/leadership/team development.

For NewPoint Strategies, Ms. DeOleo is currently one of the lead trainers for several key clients. She has developed, designed, managed, facilitated and assessed diversity/inclusion programs for such clients as the Architect of the Capitol and the NYNJ Port Authority. Her other clients include the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, Potomac Electric Power Company, Kilpatrick Stockton, UAW/Ford, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Library of Congress, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Labor (Mining and Safety Administration), Arlington County Government, Lockheed Martin, MCI, Watson Wyatt and Abbott Pharmeuceuticals. Ms. DeOleo has also developed, designed and faciliated Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for such organizations as Potomac Electric Power Company, Howard County Government, Howard County Emergency Response Units, National Security Admininstration and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Currently, Ms. DeOleo serves as a University of Phoenix Faculty facilitating on-line Cultural Diversity courses. Formerly, she served as an Adjunct Professor teaching Managing Diversity for the Human Resource Management Masters Program at The American University.

Ms. DeOleo is a certified Executive Coach and specializes in the administration of and coaching for multi-rater assessments as developmental tools for supervisors, managers and executives. She has vast experience coaching mid and senior level leaders in the public and private sectors. Her coaching experience also includes group coaching with intact work teams with whom she effectively worked to move them to a level of high functionality.

Prior to working as an external Organization Development Consultant, Ms. DeOleo worked as an internal Organization Development/Change Management and Executive Development Consultant to Fannie Mae, EDS, MCI, Potomac Electric Power Company, and the George Washington University.

Ms. DeOleo received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Virginia and her Masters of Arts in Education and Human Development (concentration in multicultural issues, adult education and training) from the George Washington University

EVA YOUNG

Senior Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Eva Young is a Senior Consultant for NewPoint Strategies.  She currently serves on the NewPoint training team for the New York/New Jersey Port Authority.  Eva is an Organizational Development (OD) Practitioner who works independently and in collaboration with management consulting firms to design and deliver strategic interventions.  For NewPoint Strategies, Eva provides leadership and implementation on Train-the-Trainer engagements.

Eva provides technical assistance, small and large group interventions, facilitation and training in areas such as: Managing Diversity (dialogue across differences, diversity awareness and skills building, power dynamics), Retreat Facilitation, Train the Trainers, Team Training and Development (team building, communication skills, goal setting, group dynamics), Anti-Racist and Anti-Homophobic Work, Community Capacity Building, and Cultural Competency.

Eva Young has provided consultation to profit and non-profit companies interested in creating planned change and helps organizations assess their readiness for change through cultural audits.  Eva engages small and large groups in individual and collective learning processes with a commitment to action.

Eva has a Masters in Social and Organizational Learning from George Mason University, and she is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) Community Fellows.  Her educational background and professional experiences has provided Eva with the theoretical understanding to guide and design her work.  She is in a continuous learning process, and keeps deepening her own understanding of change, diversity, human relations, and productive workplaces and communities.

Some of the clients Eva Young has worked with independently or in collaboration with other consultants include: PepsiCo, Monsanto, SodexhoUSA, National Parks Conservation Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Fairfax County Public Schools, Texaco, District of Columbia Public Schools, The National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Control and Prevention, Northrop Grumman, the New York State Health Department AIDS Institute, the Tellin’ Stories Project, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Montgomery County Health Department, and the United Nations.

Eva is a founding member of the Diversity Leadership Forum, the leading organization for diversity practitioners.  In addition, Eva is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

ROGER OWEN

EEO Investigations Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Roger Owen is a senior EEO Investigator for NewPoint Strategies LLC in the Southern California area.  He just successfully completed an EEO investigation for USGS in California.  Mr. Owens is a former Federal EEO Counselor and Investigator with more than 15 years of experience in employment issues, discrimination, training, counseling, and Special Emphasis programs.  He performs counseling and training on various EEO issues surrounding Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment (ADEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Equal Pay Act, and EEO/Affirmative Action issues. Mr. Owen has given numerous training classes to employees and supervisors on all forms of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and diversity in the work force.

For the past two decades, Mr. Owen has performed EEO investigations with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  Mr. Owen performed nearly a thousand investigations to include the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Nebraska, Nevada, the Counties of Imperial, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego. He also investigated cases with Southern California cities and hundreds of private companies and organizations. Mr. Owen also mediated cases to successful conclusions during Fact Finding meetings with the Charging Party and the Respondent.  Mr. Owen had the distinction of being the highest producer of investigation cases within the Los Angeles District Office jurisdiction.  Mr. Owen’s performance was of such high quality that he received Outstanding Performance Reviews for 5-6 years in a row.

Besides counseling cases with EEOC, his last two years of federal service was with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection where he served as the Diversity and Civil Rights Officer for the agency for Southern California. Mr. Owen worked with the Complainant and management to secure a resolution of the issues brought forward at the lowest possible level.  Mr. Owen was successful in negotiating a resolution or settlement with dozens of cases. He also supervised nearly a dozen Special Emphasis committees in providing monthly EEO programs for nearly 4,000 employees in Southern California.

PATRICIA LYNCH-EPPS

Senior Policy & Law Consultant,

New Point Strategies LLC

Patricia Lynch-Epps is a Navy veteran after providing 20 years active duty in the United States Navy. She served as the Senior Legal Advisor to senior executive governing bodies, executive management, and advisory boards and as a program manager over all legal resources for military health care facilities throughout South East United States, Europe and Cuba. She is an astute litigator, manager and subject matter expert over a myriad of Federal and state laws, DoD and in particular Navy regulations, policies and directives. 

As the key legal consultant and advisor on all areas of the command climate, legal readiness and mission accomplishment, she assisted inspection teams and reviewed key aspects of command climate assessment surveys, led small group segments, and provided training to ad hoc committees and risk management departments to prep for various inspection surveys in areas affecting sexual harassment.  Her direct involvement routinely resulted in zero discrepancies.  She steered program managers on successful implementation of sexual harassment policies, liaised and coordinated with local and regional SARP managers to develop and identify areas of concern in sexual harassment and sexual assault training modules and; in the collection of evidence practices to preserve the integrity of the process. She reviewed over 100 investigations on cases involving allegation of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, indecent acts and provided astute recommendations on the dispositions of cases in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  

As Staff Judge Advocate and key legal advisor to Echelon II and III Commanders, for operational forces, she developed a Standard Operating Procedure for handling all matters forwarded by subordinate commands involving alleged offenses of rape, sexual assault, forcible sodomy, fraternization, and attempts to commit these acts for review and recommended disposition in accordance with applicable rules and regulations, to include the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Additionally, she supervised all cases forwarded for disposition by subordinate commands and delivered legal guidance and coordinated with DoD contractors and local officials to ensure the completion of forensic evidence collection kits on cases presented at all levels of the command to include the Emergency Room for potential litigation. She conducted ‘just in time’ training on cases presenting as sexual assault, battery, rape, and sexual harassment, resulting in awareness and sensitivity to affected personnel. Her recommendations were not only aimed at resolving current issues, but also, to create best practice that reduced or deterred future similar occurrences. 

Ms. Lynch-Epps’ professional affiliation and licensures include: Virginia State Bar, Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Certified Judge Advocate General, UCMJ, Article 27(b), Navy Sub-specialist designation in Health Care Law and Healthcare Administration. She possesses a Master of Laws, L.L.M., George Washington University, School of Law, Washington, DC; Certificate of Health Care Administration, George Washington University, School of Science and Health Care Administration; Juris Doctorate, Seton Hall Law School, Newark, NJ; Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, Long Island University, C. W. Post College, Greenvale, NY.

DEBORAH HORAN

Senior Consultant and Trainer,

New Point Strategies LLC

Deborah Horan is a senior consultant for NewPoint Strategies and serves as a leading expert on the issue of sexual assault and domestic violence prevention. She was a key advisor for the NewPoint project at West Point on sexual assault prevention issues. She assists in the design, protocol and delivery for the methodologies and training utilized in sexual assault prevention engagements.

Deborah Horan has more than 20 years political and policy experience, with an emphasis on issues affecting women and children. She holds a masters degree in Social Work and currently works for Kensington Wheaton Youth Services providing mental health services to individuals, families, and groups. She is a member of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Sexual Assault Prevention Advisory Committee.

As a violence prevention consultant, Ms. Horan has worked with organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the National Sexual Assault Resource Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Ms. Horan designed and implemented the Violence Against Women initiative, including activities, programs, and educational materials for patients and physicians. She also designed and implemented the National Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Project.

Ms. Horan has served as a presenter at the local, state, and national level, reviewed grants for the Department of Justice’s Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes against Women on Campus Program and coauthored several articles and monographs addressing violence against women and violence prevention.

ANNETTE CREMO, PhD

Senior Consultant and Trainer,

New Point Strategies LLC

Dr. Annette Cremo is a Senior Consultant and Trainer.  She is a leader for the NewPoint public safety training team on diversity/inclusion/implicit bias, sexual harassment/sexual assault prevention.  She is an accomplished writer, speaker, designer, trainer and consultant with more than 26 years of experience in management consulting. She acts as key strategist and business partner to stakeholders in aligning organizational development, education, and performance improvement initiatives with vision/mission. 

Dr. Cremo’s areas of expertise range from Interactive and experiential learning, Gap Analysis, Needs Assessment, Instructional Design and Delivery, Diversity, Unconscious Bias and Inclusion, virtual and distance learning, workplace civility, train the trainer among other important workplace issues.

She has provided consulting, training and design work for many clients for over 20 years on diversity/ unconscious bias and inclusion. She has also developed and taught many train-the-trainer courses teaching selected individuals to teach the customized curriculum.

Key recent clients include Pennsylvania Offices of Public Safety (including the PA State Police, Department of Corrections, Veteran Affairs and Probation and Parole), Pennsylvania State,  U.S. Department of  Defense, and the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, where she designed and implemented diversity training curricula and Train-the-Trainer courses as part of a comprehensive diversity program. 

Currently Dr. Cremo is on the faculty of three Universities, the Touro University Worldwide, California, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Scranton, PA

Dr. Cremo has an Executive M.B.A. (ABT), University of Michigan; Ph.D. – Adult Education and Organizational Development, Psychoeducational Process, Temple Universit; M.Ed. – Training and Development / Adult Education, Pennsylvania State University; B.So.Sc. – Psychology (Counseling and Organizational Psychology), Pennsylvania State University; A.A. – Marketing, Allentown Business School. She has several published books and articles, and done multiple conference and media presentations on Leadership, Diversity/Inclusion, and Sexual Harassment

SHANE YOUNGBLOOD

NewPoint EEO Investigator,

New Point Strategies LLC

Shane Youngblood is an EEO Investigator with NewPoint Strategies.  He is an experienced EEO professional with more than 10 years of experience investigating claims in both the public and private sector.  A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, Mr. Youngblood began his career as an investigator with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Birmingham, Alabama where he investigated over 100 charges of discriminations.  

Mr. Youngblood’s private sector experience includes handling fair employment practice issues in both a consulting role with Bashen Consulting based out of Houston, Texas, and with The Home Depot and Randstad North America.  Because of his expertise in the field, Mr. Youngblood handled new hire fair employment practices training for Randstad during his tenure, and he is the author of a Society of Human Resources Management legal report published in 2005.

An independent Federal sector EEO professional since 2008, Mr. Youngblood has provided both investigative and Final Agency Decision expertise with a number of agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.  Mr. Youngblood has written nearly 100 Final Agency Decisions and completed over 30 Federal sector investigations. 

Mr. Youngblood is committed to timely, quality work and has a proven track record of meeting deadlines, following agency guidelines and thorough investigative work.  Mr. Youngblood has completed the EEOC’s 32-hour new investigator training and is up to date with his eight-hour refresher course requirement as of June, 7, 2007. 

JANICE DOMBI, COLONEL (Retired US Army)

Senior Consultant and Trainer,

New Point Strategies LLC

Janice Dombi is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for NewPoint Strategies LLC. She is a member of the NewPoint team on sexual harassment/sexual assault prevention training for NewPoint clients with the US military, government agencies, universities, and technical and scientific companies in private industry.  

Janice Dombi (COL, Ret) specializes in working with teams to develop a culture of treating individuals with dignity and respect.  Her methods in active participation workshops including “Finding Your Voice” and “Thriving as a Woman in a Male Dominant Profession” emphasize confidence and interpersonal skills development linked with situational awareness.  Workshops are designed to provide tools and techniques to give participants the confidence and skills to be their own first line of defense against sexual harassment and sexual assault.  

Janice Dombi has more than 30 years of professional leadership experience in organizational management, strategic planning, construction program management, and leader development as an active duty officer in the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).  Her military accomplishments included command assignments at all levels earmarked by highly successful leadership programs, human resource management, logistics management, and fiscal programming. She was the first woman to command a USACE Division, responsible for a $2.5 Billion construction program, 2800 civilian employees and 40 military throughout a 10-state western region.  She was also the first woman to command the USACE District in the Republic of Korea staffed by US military civilians and Korean Nationals with a $3.5 Billion construction program.   

Janice is the co-owner of the “In Her Boots” program with TF SASA, LLC, a program conceived during her deployment to Iraq, with the goal of reducing the number of sexual assaults in the military.  She taught history as an Associate Professor at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY.  She was a round table host and presenter at the US Military Academy Corbin Leadership Forum Sexual Assault Prevention Conference in Boston, MA.  She consulted for the Homeless Veteran Affordable Housing Project – Life Skills Program and Female Homeless Veteran Awareness project – Multinational Housing Corporation, Waco, TX.  She conducted Sexual Assault/Prevention Training for MacDonald-Bedford, Alameda, CA.  She was elected as an Academic Fellow with the Society of American Military Engineers and has earned numerous awards and decorations.  She is certified John Maxwell speaker, trainer, and coach.  Janice has master’s degrees in Human Resource Development, Management, US History, and Strategic Studies.  

MAURA WEIR

Suicide Prevention Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Maura Weir is a Senior Consultant with NewPoint Strategies and is currently serving on the NewPoint team on Suicide Prevention for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Fleet.  As Recovery and Wellness Coordinator at a local college in Massachusetts she specializes in health promotion and education for students and the larger community. She is currently providing technical advice in developing alcohol and drug prevention, intervention and protocols for the campus.

Maura is responsible for the development, coordination, and evaluation of campus outreach, awareness, and bystander programming that targets student well-being, healthy relationships, gender-based violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and alcohol and other drug misuse. She is also responsible for promoting, coordinating, and implementing the facilitation of evidence-based alcohol and other drug related prevention programs.

Maura‘s  presentations and workshops for all partners and constituents in the college community are always booked to capacity because of her approach and connection with the audience.  She is able to use her vast knowledge and humor appropriately to catch the interest of the audience. The feedback is always positive and leave the audience wanting more.  These abilities have made her a sought after presenter in many health subjects including suicide prevention, alcohol and drug misuse and Mental Health First Aid.

She is also a seasoned trainer in other evidence based best practice programs including the internationally known Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training; CONNECT postvention module, Mental Health First Aid, and Breaking Free from Depression curriculum.

Maura has received citations and awards from state and local levels for her outstanding leadership in the field of suicide prevention and alcohol and drug misuse education. She was the recipient of the 2012 Leadership Award in Suicide Prevention sponsored by the Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention for her dedication and commitment to the topic of suicidology   She has also been recognized by the Massachusetts Army National Guard for her well-received training of their Suicide Intervention Officers.

Maura has presented at the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Annual Conference and the European Symposium for Suicide and Suicidal Behavior.  Maura serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention. She is an active member of AAS and the International Youth Research Committee.  She has personally trained over 8,000 people in suicide prevention and alcohol and drug misuse, intervention and recovery work.

Maura is currently working on her Doctorate in Psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and has received a Master’s in Youth Health and Education Management from the University of Melbourne, Australia.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the National University of Ireland.

TONYA SAUNDERS

Diversity & Inclusion Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Tonya Saunders, is a Public Policy expert and serves on the team developing “de-escalation” strategies for community policing  and intimate partner violence for NewPoint.  Founder of Washington Premier Group a government relations and Public Policy firm, that represents a range of private and public clients. Ms. Saunders has an extensive background in federal government affairs and legislative policy that spans over 20 years.

She began her career on the staff of Jay Rocefeller and later became a Sr. Vice President at McAuiffe, Kelly & Raffaelli (a firm founded by Governor Terry McAuliffe). In a chilling period, as a victim of stalking and intimate partner violence, Ms. Saunders was forced to flee for her life. Ms. Saunders used her professional skills and abilities to help legislate for victims of stalking in the aftermath of her own victimization. She was determined to move beyond her own issues and use that experience to advocate for other victims.  She chose to work on behalf of the still, little understood and frequently over-looked crime of stalking.  She has met with and helped others to understand the importance of addressing the special needs of stalking victims.  She frequently provides training and shares her insights with law enforcement, victim advocates, allied professionals and agents of the criminal justice system.  She has worked with the commonwealth of Virginia in adding laws to assist victims of stalking. She has served as a Victim Assistance Network (VAN) Volunteer, answering the critical hotline calls from victims across Northern Virginia. She has appeared on The Today Show informing viewers who find themselves in dangerous relationships, based on her own personal experience – how to remain safe. She is a victim survivor who has chosen to turn adversity into victory by using her exceptional professional skills and experience, coupled with her compassionate nature to support and empower other victims.

Notable Awards and Commendations:

2007 Victory Award (Fairfax County Victim Services, Fairfax County Police)

2008 Department of Justice Victim Advocates Award of the Year

2008 National College of District Attorneys Advocacy Award

TV/Media Appearances: ID Show: January, 2010, “On the Case with Paula Zahn – Stalking Awareness Month”

Today Show: August, 2005 “How to Recognize a Dangerous Relationship”

GORDON SUMNER

Organizational Development Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Gordon Sumner, Jr., PhD, is a Senior Consultant for NewPoint Stratgies LLC. Dr. Sumner is on the NewPoint team for sexual assault prevention services for the military service branches. He provides direction and leadership to the team to ensure NewPoint’s service offerings are consistent with DoD core principles and procedures. Dr. Sumner is also the founder of Gordon Sumner Consulting, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and Native American Small Business providing professional consulting services focusing on developing sound business strategies for firms with a focus on Federal government actions, increasing the firms’ visibility to the Federal, state and local governments, large and small businesses and associations.

He provides project support for veteran businesses, Guard and Reserve components, and family and employer support programs. Prior to establishing Gordon Sumner Consulting, Dr. Sumner served as the Executive Director for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).  As a presidential appointee and member of the Senior Executive Service he provided executive leadership to the largest volunteer organization within the Department of Defense promoting cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and assisted in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. He was a leader in ensuring the principles of Diversity and Inclusion were adhered to in the makeup of personnel for key committees in the organization.  Since 2012 he provides support to the Unicorn Group who is committed to delivering effective business development solutions for our clients by tapping executive relationships.

After retiring from the US Army as a Colonel select in 1997, Gordon served as a Project Manager, Program Manager, Director and Managing Director, SYColeman, formally SY Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of L3 Communications, as a consultant to the Chief of Staff, Army and establishing the Active Component / Reserve Component Integration Directorate as well as delivering state-of-the-art solutions to customers, expanded leading market positions to deliver value to all of our stakeholders, and provided innovative solutions to a broad base of customers, from the U.S. government and its allies to the world’s most prestigious corporations.  He then served as the VP, Government Services Division with Peduzzi Associates, LTD, providing talent, knowledge and experience to commercial and government clients in Washington, D.C. and around the world via two areas of concentration — Business Development and Services for small start-ups and large established businesses. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Adult Education from Madison University, a Master of Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from Auburn University, a Master of Education (with Honors) from Boston University and a BS, Music Performance and Music Education, Jacksonville State University.  He is also a Graduate at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Gordon currently serves as a Senior Fellow and Affiliate Faculty, George Mason University; Council Member, Graduate Education Development Council, Auburn University; Scholar, Washington Scholars Program, The Admiral Carey Foundation; Board of Advisors, Office of Military Services, George Mason University.  He served on the Board of Governors, Jacksonville State University.  He is the Secretary, Board of Directors, Veterans Moving Forward, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide service dogs to veterans with physical and mental health challenges. Gordon is a member of a variety of veteran service organizations, associations and business groups where he has served in many leadership positions at the local and national levels.

CONNIE KIRKLAND

Sexual Harassment & Assault Prevention Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Connie J. Kirkland, M.A. is a senior consultant for NewPoint Strategies and serves as a leading expert on the issue of sexual assault prevention. She was a key advisor for the NewPoint team project at West Point on sexual assault prevention. She assists in the design, protocol and delivery for the methodologies and training utilized in sexual assault prevention engagements. Connie was a primary advisor in NewPoint’s development of the STOP application on sexual assault prevention for colleges and universities. As Founder and Director of the Office of Student Mental health and Behavior at the Northern Virginia Community College, Connie provides behavioral intervention and response services for Sexual Assault to a community of over 80,000. Connie has worked for over 27 years in crime victim advocacy, as a college instructor, and as a criminal justice researcher and trainer. She is an ATSS Certified Trauma Specialist (CTS), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor. She has authored legislative bills, training manuals, and materials related to crime victim issues, specializing in violence against women. In 2003, Ms. Kirkland partnered with the US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center to co-produce a manual designed for law enforcement and medical investigators, titled “Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Resource Guide.” She was recognized in 2002 in several ways for her expertise in sexual assault and stalking. She was appointed by the Virginia Attorney General to his Advisory Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She was also appointed to the Virginia Statewide Sexual Violence Strategic Planning Team. In addition she authored “Campus Stalking,” a bulletin for the US Department of Justice Violence Against Women Office. She was also the Consulting Editor of Campus Safety & Security: Forms, Checklists & Guidelines (2nd Edition) (2002). The recent release of Net Crimes and Misdemeanors (2002), a book on cyberstalking by J. A. Hitchcock featured the advocacy of Ms. Kirkland with victims of campus cyberstalking. Connie served as Chair of the Northern Virginia Turn Off the Violence Coalition, a major community violence prevention initiative from 1993 through 2001. Connie’s sexual assault research and innovative programming has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice, Violence Against Women Office and the National Crime Prevention Council as a Promising Practices resource. She has also been recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice for her work in the area of sexual assault and stalking protocols, serving as expert resource, national speaker, and federal grant peer reviewer. She is also a consultant specializing in crisis management following workplace violence, campus security initiatives, and public policy development.

KARYN TRADER-LEIGH

Diversity & Inclusion Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Dr. Karyn Trader -Leigh is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for NewPoint Strategies LLC.  She is currently on the team for Employee Relations training at FSI, State Department. Trader-Leigh provides consulting in organization Development, Human Capital, Diversity and Inclusion.  Karyn has served as CEO of KTA Global Partners for 18 years, providing consulting services in Human Capital planning, developing talent management systems, performance management accountability and performance assessment systems, leadership development, succession planning, culture change, and capacity building.  Karyn is currently involved in a system wide performance management project driven by the Government Performance and Results ACT (GPRA). As a researcher she has been involved in global and national studies. Her portfolio of clients includes government agencies, private sector corporations, NGO’s and global multilateral institutions. Government agency work includes NSA, NASA, Homeland Security, DOD, IMF, United Nations, and Army Research Lab. Karyn has worked as a Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations Director, and Director of Training and Organization Development in Aerospace and IT organizations. She has also served as Program Director and Researcher for the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies and Adjunct Professor Hampton University School of Business. Karyn served as a senior consultant to the National Multicultural Institute for 14 years, leading diversity initiatives and training D&I advocates. Karyn’s article on Identifying Resistance in Managing Change was based on dissertation work completed in the US Department of State examining implementation of a radical change to management and support structures in U.S. embassies worldwide. Other international experience includes consulting in Eastern Europe, lecturing in the Peoples Republic of China, presenting papers in Britain, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, The Czech Republic and living and working in a war torn country in West Africa. Academic credentials include a Doctorate in Organization Change from the Pepperdine School of Education and Psychology, MA, International Transactions School of Public Policy, George Mason University, Masters Work in Organization Development, Pepperdine University. Ethnic and Conflict Management Training from Central Eastern University and the Open society Institute in The Czech Republic. Certifications include Conflict Dynamics Profile, Benchmarks (360), Executive Dimensions, Disc, and Certified Coach (ICC) international Coaching Community (London).

CHRIS KILMARTIN

Sexual Harassment / Assault Prevention  Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Dr. Christopher Kilmartin is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for NewPoint Strategies LLC and part of the NewPoint sexual assault prevention team.  He is a professional psychologist, college professor, author, stand-up comedian, actor, playwright, and consultant on gender and violence prevention. He is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA.  He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a great deal of experience consulting with businesses, college students, human services workers, athletic departments, the military, and counselors. His major scholarly work is The Masculine Self (5^th edition Sloan, 2015, now co-authored by Andrew Smiler), which has also been translated into Korean. He has also co-authored Men’s Violence Against Women: Theory, Research, and Activism, Overcoming Masculine Depression: The Pain behind the Mask: (also translated into Hebrew and Korean; 2^nd edition, 2013), and Sexual Assault in Context: Teaching College Men about Gender, a manual based on his consultation experiences. Drawing on his background as a professional stand-up comedian, Dr. Kilmartin wrote a solo theatre performance on men’s issues entitled Crimes Against Nature.  This work, an integration of his scholarly and performing interests, and performed by the author, has toured to over 150 campuses and other venues for a total of 220 performances.  He is currently touring with a lecture/storytelling/multimedia hybrid entitled Guy Fi: The Fictions that Shape Men’s Lives. Dr. Kilmartin delivered the Keynote address at the NCAA Violence Prevention Summit in 2011 and has also consulted with the U. S. Department of Education, the U.S. Army and Air Force, and the international group, Democratic Control of the Armed Forces.  He served as a consultant for three years with the United States Naval Academy on a revision of sexual assault and harassment prevention curriculum.  He was a scriptwriter for an Army training film on the same topic. Dr. Kilmartin was the Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Air Force Academy for the academic year 2013-14.  In 2007, he was the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Gender Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria, one of only 39 such honors awarded annually worldwide.  He was elected to Fellow Status in the American Psychological Association in 2008 and is a Past President of Division 51 of that organization, the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, which awarded him its Researcher of the Year distinction in 2010.  In 2015, the University of Mary Washington granted him its Professional Achievement Award.  He has been a featured presenter at the National Psychotherapy with Men Conferences.  Dr. Kilmartin is an internationally-recognized expert on gender and violence prevention.

LIZ DONEGAN

Sexual Harassment / Assault prevention  Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Sgt. Liz Donegan is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for NewPoint Strategies, LLC.  She is on the NewPoint team for sexual assault prevention training for the US military and police departments.  She recently conducted a highly effective workshop on sexual assault, stalking, child abuse and domestic violence for First Responders in the Army at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.  Her workshop covered: myths and misperceptions, understanding trauma, debunking the myth of false reports, how to interview victims, understanding predatory behavior, using pre-text communications, and overcoming the “consent” defense in non-stranger rape.

Sergeant Elizabeth Donegan is a 26-year veteran of the Austin Police Department (APD). For over nine years she led the APD Sex Crimes Unit, widely recognized for its progressive approach toward investigating sexual assault, providing better service to victims, and changing the culture surrounding the investigation of non-stranger sexual assault. Sgt. Donegan is a member of the Austin/Travis County Sexual Assault Response Resource Team (SARRT). The APD Sex Crimes Unit was recognized for its progressive approach by Human Rights Watch in their 2013 report, Improving Police Response to Sexual Assault. Sgt. Donegan currently leads the APD Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration (SOAR) unit.

Sgt. Donegan recently served as an expert panelist for the Response Systems Panel, a federal advisory committee which conducted an independent review and assessment of the systems used to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes involving adult sexual assault and related offenses under military law. She has also trained and presented at a number of training events and conferences hosted by the U.S. Department of Defense, including the U.S. Army Summit, programs at Ft. Hood and Ft. Sam Houston, and ongoing training conducted at Ft. Leonard Wood. She is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Sgt. Donegan serves as a subject matter expert for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) on projects related to sexual assault response and investigation, including the National Law Enforcement Leadership Initiative on Violence Against Women and the roll-call training series How To Bring Sexual Assault Offenders to Justice: A Law Enforcement Response. She is a published author and frequent presenter at conferences and seminars. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the first Professional Impact Award given by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) in 2011.

MAJOR BEN BROOKS

Diversity Inclusion Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Benjamin F. Brooks is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for NewPoint Strategies LLC.  He served on the NewPoint team for the NY/NJ Port Authority to provide training in Harassment Prevention and Diversity to the police force. He is currently the lead on police training for “de-escalation” in minority communities.  He is a retired Major of the Pennsylvania State Police, Management Consultant, and Founder of Major Ben’s Consulting Agency, specializing in providing assistance to companies to more effectively implement their Cultural Diversity programs.  His specific areas of expertise include: A  Unique approach to Understanding , Valuing and Managing  Diversity,  Dealing with Difficult People,  Policing Your Image,  Preventing Sexual Harassment in The Workplace, Stress Management,  and Workplace Violence. As a former licensed Private Investigator, with three decades of experience, he has a keen awareness of sensitive workplace issues. Brooks is a native of Elizabethtown, North Carolina.  In 1979, he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Kutztown University, Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He completed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Management Training Program for Senior Managers, the FBI National Academy, Pennsylvania State University Police Supervisor In-service Training, and Police Executive Development Program. He is certified by the U.S. Department of Justice for Diversity Training. Brooks’ yearning for social justice led him to enlist in the Pennsylvania State Police in 1961. He was one of the first African-Americans in the history of the State Police. Ben rose through the ranks to become the first African-American Captain/Troop Commander.  In 1987, Brooks became the first enlisted member of the Pennsylvania State Police to head the Affirmative Action/Contract Compliance Division. In that capacity, he developed the State Police’s Sexual Harassment policy and training program, and redefined the concept of Affirmative Action, and its relationship to cultural diversity. He joined a multi-agency task force which was responsible for training Police and Corrections Departments throughout Pennsylvania in the Ethnic Intimidation laws relating to hate crimes. Brooks has appeared on “About the Law,” a program at WHAG-TV an NBC affiliate, Hagerstown, Maryland on “Affirmative Action In Law Enforcement”, and “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.” Brooks is a member of the National Speakers Association, American Seminar Leaders Association, Dale Carnegie Group, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. (NOBLE). He is a published author (Human Resources strategies that work).

GWEN CRIDER

Diversity Inclusion Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Gwen Crider is a Senior Consultant with NewPoint Strategies. She works with NewPoint clients on a range of issues covering Diversity and Inclusion, Harassment Prevention, EEO, Employee Relations and Conflict Management. Currently, she leads the training team for NewPoint’s major clients, the Architect of the Capitol, State Department (FSI) and Department of Commerce where we are providing training for  employees, supervisors and managers. She is also the chief developer of the NewPoint innovative QuickPoints online training tool. Gwen Crider is an organization effectiveness consultant with expertise in strategic planning, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and team performance. Her 20 years of experience includes leadership and consulting roles with organizations in the private, non-profit, government, and education sectors. Gwen served as Executive Director of Diversity Best Practices where she provided strategic direction in the delivery of services to 160 corporate members, including Colgate-Palmolive, Chevron Corporation, IBM, Eastman Kodak, Motorola, and Cisco Systems. As Executive Director of the National MultiCultural Institute (NMCI), Gwen planned and executed professional development conferences, conducted diversity climate assessments and focus groups, and facilitated strategic planning sessions for clients including the Academy for Educational Development (AED); the International Monetary Fund; Gallaudet University, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HIV/AIDS Bureau; Arlington County (VA) Public Schools; and Valdosta State (GA) University, among others. Gwen led leadership development and diversity and inclusion initiatives in the museum field as Executive Director of the Austin Children’s Museum, Executive Director of the Science and Technology Center of Atlanta and Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air & Space Museum. As Board member for the Association of Science-Technology Centers she served as Co-Chair of its Equity & Diversity Committee; served as a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Diversity in Action Task Force for the Association of Children’s Museums, and served on the Diversity Task Force for the American Association of Museums. As an adjunct professor at George Mason University (VA), Gwen teaches “Diversity in Organizations” to 3rd and 4th year management students. She is the author of numerous articles and a frequent speaker on subjects related to leadership, diversity & inclusion, strategic partnering and workforce development. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Public Administration degree from The George Washington University.

SHILPA ALIMCHANDANI

Diversity Inclusion Expert, New Point Strategies LLC

Shilpa Alimchandani has more than 20 years of experience in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), leadership development, and intercultural learning. She is a DEI strategist, leadership coach, and facilitator who partners with clients to develop holistic solutions that lead to transformational change.

In her most recent role as the Director of Learning & Innovation for Cook Ross, she built the learning and development function from the ground up and led the organization’s curriculum and product development initiatives. With her deep knowledge of various learning modalities, intercultural leadership development, and human-centered design, Shilpa is able to craft interventions that are targeted, impactful, and appropriate for diverse, global audiences.

Before her work at Cook Ross, Shilpa designed and implemented global leadership programs for the State Department, led the development of a global learning strategy for the Peace Corps, and taught in the School of International Service at American University. She has facilitated trainings in nearly 20 countries around the world, and has received numerous awards, including twice receiving the Peace Corps’ Distinguished Service Award.

She is the author of the book Communicating Development Across Cultures: Monologues & Dialogues in Development Project Implementation (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2010), and has been an invited speaker at numerous conferences, including The Forum on Workplace Inclusion and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research (SIETAR). She has also been a guest lecturer at numerous academic institutions, including Georgetown University and the United States Institute of Peace.

Lynne Revo-Cohen is a founding partner of NewPoint Strategies LLC. She directs the firm’s strategic development in the areas of client services and products, marketing, financial management and public relations. Ms. Revo-Cohen has been a recognized expert in the field of management consulting for more than thirty years. She is an internationally known business leader, accomplished author, lecturer and consultant. Her areas of expertise cover the full range of ‘high-risk” employment issues. Her clients, numbering over 250, range from Fortune 500 companies to the Federal, State, and local government, Universities and Non-Profit organizations.

Ms. Revo-Cohen is the major architect of an on-line assessment and training tool for high risk issues, such as Diversity and Inclusion, Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention, EEO, and Culture Change to name a few. She was one of the first businesswomen to identify the “Blended Solution” – delivering training through a combination of on-line learning and instructor led techniques. She led her company’s success in winning the coveted “Blue Diamond Award” for best technology awarded in 2001 by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Revo-Cohen served for four years on the Board of Directors of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and has been active in the National Association of Women Business Owners, Women in Technology and the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Ms. Revo-Cohen was a founding member of the National Committee on Pay Equity. Ms. Revo-Cohen has a B.A. degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an M.A. degree from the University of Maryland.

Karetta Hubbard is a founding partner of NewPoint Strategies, LLC.  She directs the firm’s strategic development in the areas of client services and products, marketing, financial management and public relations. Ms. Hubbard, with more than thirty years of consulting, lecturing and managing experience in strategic management and organizational change. She focuses on innovative approaches to “shared cultural wisdom” in organizations. This concept is a core principal to the firm’s diversity practice.

Ms. Hubbard is an entrepreneur, educator and author with a depth of experience in the field of diversity. She has provided  management consulting to organizations throughout the world. She conceived and developed an innovative technological solution to provide web-based training on high-risk workplace issues to their clients. As a pioneer in the web-based training field, she directed her firm’s success in winning the prestigious Blue Diamond Award for technological achievement. Ms. Hubbard has been active in the community for more than 30 years, she was appointed to the Small Business Advisory Council (SBA), a past President of the Tyson Business and Professional Women (BPW) and the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Ms. Hubbard attended the University of Virginia and received her B.A. degree from George Mason University. She attended Catholic University’s Graduate School in Social Work.

Reza M. Mirzaiee is a UVA undergraduate student majoring in English and Computer Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, class of 2022. He performs in musical theatre and makes computer games in his free time, and made most of the things that you’re looking on the website. Thanks for looking the intern’s bio!

email: reza.manuel.mirzaiee@gmail.com