A CENTER FOR 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:
Where the wisdom of the past, present, and future of leadership comes together for the dignity and benefit of all.
Your Donations are Tax Deductible.
Staff and Board
Staff
Kerul Kassel
President and Executive Director
Dr. Kerul Kassel has almost two decades of leadership coaching and transformative facilitation experience, with multiple coaching credentials. She has been quoted in TIME magazine, Real Simple, the Chicago Tribune, and elsewhere. Dr. Kassel received a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University, where she was recruited to help develop and teach in the Sustainability Leadership certificate program within the Organizational Development and Leadership Masters program. She’s the author of The Thinking Executive’s Guide to Sustainability (Business Expert Press, 2014) and other books, and the lead editor of Developing a Sustainability Mindset in Management Education (Routledge, 2018). Kerul is also an elected official on the Harmony Community Development District Board of Supervisors and leads a number of community initiatives. Her horses are her leadership gurus, always teaching her leadership and life lessons that she shares with her playshop participants.
Shanel Olson
Horse Care Professional
Shanel has always had a love for animals and nature, with horses giving her the greatest peace and happiness. She has been involved with horses and riding since childhood. Her love is being one-on-one with animals and seeing all the beauty the world has to offer. Aside from owner her own horses (and dogs and chickens!), she has served as a riding instructor at local equestrian facilities, boards horses at her own homestead, and owns and manages cattle...including a breeding bull!
Melanie Murphy
Horse Care Professional
Melanie has a lifelong love for horses. She was born and raised in Belgium, and at an early age she would always find her way back to the barn to either clean stalls or ride. She now shares her passion with her daughter and together they own three horses, as well as many other critters ranging from the tiniest spiders to the loudest goats. Melanie is a very outgoing person and enjoys trail-riding with family and friends, and also loves to share her passion for horses with those around her.
Dylan Boyle
Groundskeeper
From a young age Dylan has always had a love for plants and digging in the soil. Dylan built small raised beds containing vegetables and herbs for sustainable gardening while living in a small community. Since moving onto more acreage, Dylan built and maintains two raised gardens, a greenhouse and large garden for seasonal vegetables. He also has maintained growing his own bamboo as well as various fruit trees. He has also maintained his family’s grounds, as well as neighbors’ yards and shrubbery. Dylan enjoys being outside in the wilderness, kayaking, hiking and caring for his family’s local goat farm. Dylan is currently working on completing a degree in plant science and one day endeavors to have his own nursery raising unique and exotic plants and bamboo.
Board of Directors
Argerie Vasilakes
Board Member and Collaborator
Argerie Vasilakes has more than twenty years of experience as a business leader designing prosperous organizations. As an independent consultant, she works in cross-sector settings to turn industry, social and public health disruptions into sources of innovation and well-being. She co-authored Transforming Ourselves to Transform our Organizations (OD Practitioner, 2017) and writes about her partnerships within communities that learn to become resilient living systems. She holds Masters degrees in Adult Education from Cleveland State University and Positive Organization Development from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
Eva Horner
Board Member
Eva has been a child and family advocate for 30 years serving in a variety of arenas which includes school-based substance abuse prevention, child welfare, juvenile justice, and substance abuse and mental health policy. Eva is experienced in developing staff, families and systems through a lens that is trauma informed and is passionate about motivating others to be intentional and effective in helping children and families. Her expertise and passion for this work is channeled through three companies Horner Consulting Services, Child Welfare Solutions and YIN Wellness. She completed her undergraduate work at Florida State University in Family, Child and Consumer Sciences and graduate work in Community Mental Health Counseling at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. In 2012, Eva obtained her RYT-200 in yoga instruction and is currently working towards her 500 hour certification.
Eva and her husband Mat have three active children and have a rich family life.
Katrina Rogers
Board Member
Dr. Katrina Rogers is the President of Fielding Graduate University, a position she has held since 2013. She began her time at Fielding in 2005 first as the Associate Dean for Fielding and Director of the Institute for Social Innovation and in 2011 moved into the role of Provost and Senior Vice President. From 1988 – 1990 she was a Fulbright Scholar in History. She is also a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation scholarship, a post-doctoral fellowship, where she taught global environmental politics at the University of Konstanz, Germany. Rogers is an advocate for environmental and social justice issues. She has served on a number of committees and worked with international organizations such as the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and the European Union. She led conservation projects in rural communities, lobbied Congress for stronger environmental legislation, and raised more than $20 million in grants and donations for conservation efforts throughout the country.
Patty Foley
Board Member
Patty Foley, CPA, owns a CPA firm developed to assist the small business and its owner/family. Her firm focuses on financial consulting and tax compliance as they are crucial to the small business owner. Patty has extensive experience with non-profit and community boards, was president and is now trustee of a fifteen member volunteer board to raise awareness and funds to support the Lucy Robbins Welles Library, served with Friends of Connecticut Libraries, was president of the New England Lace Group and is Membership Chairperson and Public Relations Director of Newington Community Television. In 2008 she was awarded the Outstanding Friend of the year by Friends of Connecticut Libraries, and in she was honored as a Distinguished Alumna and inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame at Housatonic Community College.
Lisandra Gonzalez
Board Member
.jpg)
Lisandra Gonzalez is the Financial Controller for The Transition House. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Everett University and holds professional industry certifications from the Construction Financial Management Association. She has over fifteen years of experience in the behavioral health, manufacturing, distribution, construction, engineering, education, and hotel industries. She finds her position highly rewarding as it combines her love of accounting and analytical and organizational expertise with her passionate commitment to supporting the progress of clients.
Her personal interests are enjoying outdoor activities with her family, volunteering at her church and at The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida.
Playshop Collaborators
Debbie Zmorenski
Program Collaborator
Debbie is an accomplished Senior Leader with more than 40 years of experience in operational leadership, training and development, customer service, production manufacturing, and corporate cultural engineering. Debbie has collaborated with established and start-up organizations to assist them in creating long-term success. Her broad areas of expertise include management consulting, change management, instructional design, organizational development, management and executive coaching and training. Throughout her career, Debbie has held leadership positions with Walt Disney World and has founded, owned, and operated three advisory and training companies.
She is a skilled speaker and dynamic trainer, who has designed and delivered training for both the private and public sector.