Our Professional Consultants, Coaches and Trainers...

David Spivey, MBA, PhD is the senior partner of Leadership Associates Consulting Group. He is also a member of the faculty of the University of Texas at Dallas, School of Management where he is the founder and director of the Executive Leadership Program and other executive education offerings. Prior to founding Leadership Associates in 2002 he had 25-year career as a development executive in the management consulting and technology fields.

His research into the best practices of leadership development led to the creation of the acclaimed L.E.A.P. Program curriculum. Previous participants in David\'s leadership programs have included the Mayo Clinic, Texas Instruments, Countrywide Financial, RadioShack Corp., Seimens USA, Nokia, EMC/Bear Stearns, Global 360, Inc. TXU Energy, Alcoa, and Verizon Wireless, as well as several non-profit organizations.

He earned his MBA from UT Dallas through the executive program, ranked as a “top ten EMBA in the USA.” He was awarded a post-graduate fellowship from the University of California, Berkeley which led to his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology. He is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University, Kennedy School.

David is certified in several instruments, including the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), the DiSC Personality Profile, and the Birkman Method. He is a Langevin Master Trainer, a Certified Leadership Coach and a member of the International Association for Coaching.

ASSOCIATES:

Joe Hudson is the President of the Learning E.D.G.E., Inc. He worked for 18 years at SC Johnson & Son (consistently ranked by Fortune Magazine as one of \"America\'s Top Companies to Work For\") where he was Director of Training and Development. He then served as an executive for a management consulting firm focusing on executive and upper management development for many Fortune 500 companies. He has also been facilitating executive education programs for the University of Texas at Dallas since 2003. His high-energy, interactive approach is engaging, captivating and compels personal learning and change

Joe earned his undergraduate and Masters degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma. He is the author of numerous articles on management and development topics, and is a frequent facilitator of team-building and executive development events.

Melanie Bolke is a writer, speaker and consultant who consistently receives top marks for her ability to illustrate concepts through relevant examples and stories. With more than 15 years\' experience in sales, management and leadership development and training, Melanie has worked for Dell, Inc., the City of Austin and LBJ Broadcasting. Prior to launching her speaking and consulting career, she was responsible for the leadership training function and Learning-and-Development operations for Dell\'s Americas Business Unit, representing approximately 60% of the company\'s global business.

Melanie has designed and delivered a wide variety of professional and leadership development programs for all levels of management, including: motivation, communication skills, presentation skills, performance management, talent management, change management, and interviewing skills. She is currently engaged with the U.S. State Department and frequently travels abroad fulfilling their need for staff development in various locales.

Melanie holds a dual-degree in Communications and Sociology from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. She is a Six Sigma Green-belt certified in enterprise improvement methodology and has served on volunteer teams that provided humanitarian outreach in Mexico and Asia. 

Tom Sheives, PhD is a consultant, author, speaker, and coach. He serves as the Executive Director of True Solutions Inc., and is a member of the Executive Education faculty at the University of Texas at Dallas. He recently published a book, “OPPORTUNITY unstuck!” which describes key principles discovered from his recent experience in training and coaching over 175 executives with the Panama Canal Authority.

Tom has helped companies such as Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. He leads companies to develop a solid methodology for reprogramming individual and team behaviors. Tom has written and delivered training for PMP® certification Fundamentals/Advanced Topics in Project Management Requirements Development, Leadership and Teaming. He has delivered a widely acclaimed project management simulation program and facilitates workshops on leadership and project management topics.

Tom is a graduate of Texas A&M, Baylor University, University of New Mexico, Coach U, and is currently a member of the faculty of the University of Texas at Dallas. He is an ICF-certified executive coach. He is also trained to deliver project team assessments, several 360° assessments, the Winslow Report, and the Personal Coaching Styles Inventory.

AFFILIATES:

Kevin Kress is the president of New Century Training. Kevin’s expertise includes the core skills of constructive and creative thinking, meeting facilitation, and problem solving. Kevin’s clients include Staples, Hamilton Standard, EMC, Bay Networks, Stanford University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mass Mutual, and Serco. Prior to starting New Century Training, Kevin acquired nearly 20 years of corporate executive experience focusing on talent management and learning and development, most recently as director of training for a major utility company.

Kevin earned his Master of Science in Organizational Learning – a program with a unique focus on Organizational Development and Knowledge Management theories, concepts and practices - from George Mason University.  Kevin is a certified Achieve Global and DDI facilitator, a certified Crucial Conversations™ trainer, and a Master Trainer for deBono Thinking Systems. He also is a member of the Executive Education faculty at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Sara Canaday is an executive trainer and coach specializing in personal branding, leadership and executive presence. Sara’s professional career spans 20 years and includes leadership and executive roles at USAA and Texas Mutual.  Sara served as a senior consultant for Empowerment Enterprises for seven years.

Her ability to teach executives to be skilled communicators helps them improve self confidence, builds rapport and influence with others, and establishes more fruitful business relationships.  Sara focuses on how a leader is perceived by others, uncovering hidden non-verbal behaviors that may limit effectiveness, and encourages adapting communication strategies to better resonate with others.

Sara graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communications, and from Incarnate Word University in San Antonio with a Masters in Business Administration. Her post-graduate studies include certifications in communication, business image, and emotional intelligence. She has also taught MBA-level courses in human relations at St. Edward’s University in Austin and has lectured at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin. She has been featured in a number of publications and broadcasts, including the Wall Street Journal, WBAP News Radio 820 (Dallas-Fort Worth), and Speaker Magazine.