Jeffrey M. Dunn
Executive Coach & Business Consultant
Jeff Dunn is an operational expert and management executive with over 20 years of success. Jeff is the Principal in SageGuild, LLC, a business conglomerate with partnerships across a wide range of industries. The company’s core specialty is strategic, operational, and tactical enhancement of medium and small organizations. Advanced technology; aerospace and defense; information technology; and corporate financial valuation and appraisal are focus areas. Jeff has a host of contacts nationally and provides key clients with a clear vision for strategic business development. He has assisted his clients with the tactical execution of initiatives and has made a substantial impact on business growth, production, morale, efficiency and profitability.
Jeff's military career began as an AV-8B Harrier pilot & mission commander. He exhibits an enviable record of advancement in both rank and capacity. In his current role as Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Transition Director for the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Jeff acts as liaison and chief facilitator for collaboration between the Marines and the Department of Defense’s multi-billion dollar advanced research entity. Jeff is also Project Manager for the Wasp Micro Air Vehicle Project and the BigDog Quadruped Robot Project. He is in the final stages of his military career and will be shifting 100% of his time to the private sector in 2008.
Highly effective as a communicator, Jeff is an expert in analysis, consensus building, and nurturing delicate and complex relationships with thousands of senior executives, government officials, politicians and staff. He exhibits exceptional demeanor while conducting professional inquiries and is fully capable of meeting shifting management and marketplace demands. He has professionally managed a wide variety of projects, initiatives and engagements both in the United States and abroad.
Jeff's core competencies include: creating nexuses with enthusiasm and élan; fostering teams and building pride; nurturing strategic alliances and business relationships; managing federal acquisitions; budgeting analysis and justification; government and regulatory compliance; project management and implementation; designing and implementing performance metrics; designing and implementing process improvement and interpersonal/multicultural communication.
He holds an MBA from The George Washington University (Beta Gamma Sigma), a Master degree of Military Studies and an undergraduate degree in Criminology from Florida State University. Jeff is also a certified Program Management Professional, PMP.
Jeff has an outstanding work ethic and holds both superb and verifiable references. He has also received the following awards in recognition of service to his country: A Bronze Star, a Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal and several Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He is a 2007 recipient of the DARPA Sustained Excellence by a Government Agent Award.
Sarita Felder MBA, CEC
Certified Executive Leadership Coach & Business Development Consultant
Sarita was a corporate executive and now is the principal of Sarita Felder & Associates, LLC, a coaching and consulting enterprise. She provides strategic thought partnership, executive leadership coaching and business development consulting to senior and middle-level executives as well as business owners. She partners with her clients to crystallize and prioritize goals, expand their leadership and operational expertise, propel their careers and drive increased organizational effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. The result: accelerated achievement of business outcomes.
Her coaching and consulting approach is customized based on the nature and scope of the engagement. It, however, is consistently characterized by strategic thought partnership with the client wherein communications are candid and direct, delivered in a safe environment within which clients can face their truths, fears and obstacles, embrace change and take risks. A variety of methodologies and philosophies are leveraged, including action inquiry, as well as healthy doses of creativity, consultation and humor.
Sarita has a proven track record in a variety of areas. As a leader she instituted department-wide strategic plan with milestones, metrics, and budget parameters. In the area of Organizational Development she created in-house agency advertising and promotion division. In marketing and sales Sarita led more than 10 agency brand launches and re-launches and directed and managed accounts in excess of $15,000,000. In Finance and Management she built and preserved fiduciary responsibility for multimillion dollar budgets and direct management responsibility for 75+ individuals in 7 departments.
Her industry experience includes Pharmaceutical, Financial, Public Accounting, Advertising and Nonprofit.
Sarita holds an MBA in International Marketing from the Zicklin School of Business and a BA in French and Spanish from Barnard College, Columbia University. She is a Certified Empowerment Coach and serves on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise with Fairleigh Dickinson University. She has conducted Creative Leadership seminars for the Center for Creative Leadership and a Leading Creativity workshop for Synectics. Her hobbies include: Meditation, boating, weightlifting, creative communication, lifelong learning.
Lou Iorio J.D., CEC, AELC
Certified Executive Coach
Whether in a corporate, personal or entrepreneurial role, Lou has always demonstrated a passion for setting goals, implementing the action steps to achieve those goals and, stretching for higher goals when the earlier ones have been accomplished. At the same time, he recognized and was driven by helping the individual to build on their strengths, embrace opportunities for growth and breakthrough any resistance and limiting beliefs and behaviors that held them back.
The passion was first exhibited in his 20 years of corporate life. His roles and responsibilities centered around strategic and corporate planning, management reporting and analysis to assess the progress in reaching established goals; and, to react to and adjust to inevitable change. But it was never simply about the numbers because people were involved, from senior management to extensive staffs. He believed in creating an environment for personal growth and achievement within that corporate setting.
Throughout much of this time frame, Lou also consulted for a series of family businesses. Growing up in an entrepreneurial environment provided both the thirst for his own business, as well as an appreciation and empathy for the entrepreneur / small business owner. In 1988, he founded Corporate Investment International, a business sales and acquisitions firm specializing in businesses with revenues up to $30 million. As a Business Intermediary, Lou blended his financial and legal background in an area in which he saw an important need. He had seen too often the difficulties encountered by entrepreneurs as they worked to achieve their goals and dreams. This market called out for a level of professionalism not often available to the small business owner.
Lou is a Certified Executive Coach and Accredited Energy Leadership Coach. He holds a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and a BS in Business Administration from Seton Hall University.
But in addition to his formal training, he has essentially served as a coach throughout his corporate and entrepreneurial years - because it has always been about the people. Lou thoroughly enjoys working with entrepreneurs at all stages of their business life cycle - from start up to sale. It's the journey, growth and success of his clients that drives his work.
Stephen Naughton LCSW, MSW, CEC
Certified Executive Coach
Steve is a highly accomplished professional with over 30 years experience in profit and non-profit organizations. His expertise includes strategic and long term planning, customer service, operational management, project management, revenue enhancement/cost reduction, union negotiations, program development, staff development, team building, recruiting,
mentoring and individual and group psychotherapy.
Steve started his business career with a Wall Street financial services firm quickly rising to Vice President. He was responsible for the operations of information systems that provided services 24/7 to domestic and international clients. Steve participated in the firm’s merger and acquisition with the responsibility for information system operational integration. After leaving Wall Street Steve consulted internationally for the Peace Corps. In that role, he provided consulting and training to executives in government and non-government organizations throughout the South Pacific.
Steve is President of the Manhattan-Westchester division of Empowerment Associates, LLC providing consulting and Executive Coaching to senior executives.
He holds a Masters degree from Fordham University, a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the College of Mount St. Vincent, is a Certified Executive Coach and a Licensed Psychotherapist. Steve continues to be active in his community, providing workshops on a variety of topic to both seniors and youth groups.
Karen Proffitt CEC
Certified Executive Coach
Karen is President and Founder of Pinnacle Performance LLC.
Pinnacle Performance LLC partners with companies to help them achieve better business results and increase their bottom-line. Pinnacle Performance focuses on helping individuals achieve their full potential, and organizations achieve a measurable Return On Investment through strategic planning and people development.
As a Certified Executive Coach she works one-on-one with individuals to change their lives in a positive, meaningful way, to help set more effective goals and live a more fulfilling more purposeful life.
Over her 26-year business career Karen has gained extensive experience in strategic planning, marketing, sales, sales management, training and development, marketing strategy, product development, and project management.
Karen spent 17 years with a Fortune 200 company as well as mid-sized organizations plus smaller entrepreneurial companies. She has experience in various industries such as medical, market research, software, office systems, telephony, and retail gaining experience in all areas of management, sales and leadership.
She has received numerous awards for sales excellence as a top performer in addition to marketing awards for her “out of box” thinking, achieving record breaking revenues. Her leadership skills brought 17 new products to market on or ahead of schedule.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and German from Rutgers College. Karen works with organizations to have a profound impact on revenue attainment, customer satisfaction, overall business growth, increased market share, employee morale and overall sustained organizational success.
Cheryl L. Wilson, MS, CEC, CMT, CPFT
Certified Energy Coach & Trainer
Cheryl is a Certified Coach and Trainer with over 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry as a certified personal trainer and fitness consultant.
She is the President of The Zone Advantage, Inc. helping thousands of people manage their pain, stress, and find solutions to various life challenges using state-of-the-art techniques and programs.
For the past five years she has managed and operated a successful massage therapy practice and has trained with the masters in her industry whether it is in the massage therapy industry, the fitness industry or the coaching industry. Working and being mentored by the leaders in her industry has been the key to her success, along with her determination and passion to help others manage their physical, mental, and emotional energy and live to their highest potential.
Cheryl is also the Director of Operations & Training of iPEC Coaching, providing accredited education and training for individuals desiring to become certified life and corporate coaches in its schools located in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, California, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. She is a certified trainer and offers various educational seminars for the health and wellness community.
Cheryl has a Master's Degree in Computer Science from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science cum laude in Computer Science from Allegheny College. She spent 15 years working in Corporate America in the telecommunications industry as a software developer. The last part of those years she served as the district manager leading the creation, development and administration of software systems which support the telecommunication customers.