Staff & Faculty
Staff
Executive Director
Brian Gentle
919.256.9729
Dr. Brian Gentle accepted the role of the Academy’s Executive Director in January 2009. A graduate of Yale Divinity School, Dr. Gentle received a master of arts from Columbia and a doctorate of philosophy from Duke University. He has served in churches throughout the North Carolina Conference, including Gibson Memorial in Spring Hope, Benson Memorial, St. Marks in Raleigh, Epworth in Durham and Haymount in Fayetteville.
In addition to his work within the North Carolina Conference, Dr. Gentle has served as a visiting professor at Duke University Divinity School and Southeastern Baptist Seminary. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Methodist University and is the former chairman of the board for the United Methodist Retirement Homes.
Associate Director
Leah Wiebe-Smith
919.334.6092
Leah Wiebe-Smith joined the Academy team in February 2009, initially coordinating the Academy’s events, and currently serving as the Associate Director. For nearly ten years, Wiebe-Smith pursued a career in the arts, managing public art programs for the State of Oregon, and the cities of Aurora, Colorado and Tempe, Arizona. Her most recent position was the Director of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission.
She holds a MA in Arts Management from University of Oregon and a BA from University of Colorado in Humanities, with emphases in Art History and Spanish.
Executive Assistant
Joni Earp
919.208.2169
Joni Earp joined the Academy for Leadership Excellence in October 2011. She is a graduate of The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Throughout her career, she has worked for several for non-profit organizations including The General Federation of Woman’s Clubs and the Empty Stocking Fund. Joni currently serves as the Executive Assistant and is excited to have the opportunity to share the vision of the Academy for Leadership Excellence and help fulfill its mission.
Faculty
Sheila Ahler
Partner, Cherry Bekaert & Holland, LLP
Sheila is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 30 years of experience providing tax, attest and consultation services to businesses and individuals. In November 2005, she transferred from Hilton Head Island, SC to the Firm’s Raleigh office, where she continues to serve as a Client Development Partner.
Sheila’s specific areas of expertise include start-up and emerging businesses, not-for-profit entities, real estate/construction companies, common interest realty associations and 1031 exchange transactions. She is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate and Construction Industry Group. Prior to joining Cherry, Bekaert & Holland in 1999, Sheila was the managing partner of a locally-based CPA firm in the Hilton Head area for nine years, and earlier served as a principal in a large South Carolina-based practice. Sheila held many leadership positions at the St. Andrew By-the-Sea United Methodist Church, and served as chair-elect of the Church Council.
Since moving to Raleigh Sheila’s professional affiliations include membership in the North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA) and the Administrative Section of the NC Bar Association (NCBA). She is chair of the Apex United Methodist Church finance committee and vice-chair of the NC United Methodist Conference Council on Finance and Administration.
Sheila received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, graduating Phi Kappa Phi from The Citadel as a member of The Citadel Honorary Society.
Debbie Andrews
Director of Leadership Development, First UMC, Cary, NC
Debbie is a native North Carolinian with a passion for bringing people together to brainstorm and find mutually agreeable solutions. Her role as Leadership Development Coordinator at First UMC has enabled her to work collaboratively with laity and staff to develop innovative initiatives which have resulted in improvement in areas of leadership development, efficiency, service, hospitality, and faith formation. Debbie brings over 20 years of nonprofit and volunteer management experience and is certified in Non-profit Management through Duke University. She is a graduate of North Carolina State University and currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the Academy of Leadership Excellence.
F. Joseph Diab, J.D., L.LM
Counsel to Business, Executives, and Entrepreneurs
Joe Diab works as a mediator, negotiator, and executive coach. He uses his experience as a Superior Court Mediator to provide strategic counsel to executives, professionals, and organizations facing complex negotiations and difficult disputes.
His consulting work with executives and teams at Fortune 500 companies includes coaching and training in conflict resolution, negotiation, change management, and communication skills. Joe also serves as Special Counsel to the law firm of Nexsen Pruet, where he advises clients on issues of international business transactions and corporate law with a focus on doing business from the boardroom, not the courtroom. He obtained his Law Degree and a Master's degree in International Law from Duke University, served as a legal intern for the United Nations in Washington, D.C., and completed advanced negotiation skills training at Harvard Law School.
Rev. Rick Clayton
Pastor, Hayes Barton United Methodist Church
Richard T. Clayton (Rick) was appointed to Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, Raleigh in 2004. He has served other Methodists Churches: Saint Francis, Cary; Louisburg ;Saint Paul, Rocky Mount; First Church, Wilson. He is a graduate of Barton College and received a Masters of Religious Education from Southeastern and a Masters of Divinity from Duke. Rick has served as chair of the North Carolina Conference Board of Education and Methodist Home for Children Board of Directors and the Conference Coordinator of Youth Ministries. Other committees include Board of Visitors for Methodist College, Rocky Mount District Committee on the Ministry, Vision 2000 Steering Committee, Annual Conference Planning Committee, Conference Committee on Finance and Administration, Louisburg College Board of Trustees. He has served the community as Lion’s Club President, Child Advisory Board of Directors, Smart Start Board of Directors and as a member of the Area Ministerial Association.
Rick is married to Joy who is a Choral Director for Wake County Schools. They have two children, Ryan and Alyson. Ryan is married to Meredith.
Jim Fontaine, Psy.D.
Leadership Resources, Inc.
Jim is a psychologist, executive coach, and organizational consultant. For over 31 years he has helped individuals and organizations improve their performance. He specializes in executive assessment & coaching, CEO team assessment and development, group leadership development, and organizational climate assessment and improvement. Jim received his doctorate in psychology from the Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology (College of William and Mary, Old Dominion University, and Eastern Virginia Medical School). He completed his doctoral internship at Emory University Medical School in Atlanta, Georgia, and received both a masters and an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Rev. Doug Gamble
Pastor of Mission Partnerships
Crossroads Fellowship, Raleigh, NC
During 32 years of pastoral ministry, Rev. Gamble has had an opportunity to serve a country church, a small town church, and help plant three churches. He has written a Lifestyle Evangelism course and built a small business. Rev. Gamble has served as an associate pastor four times, as a Serendipity and Navpress Small Group Ministry Trainer, a Christian education pastor, a small group pastor, a pastor of adult ministries, and now, at last, as a missions pastor! Along the way, he has been consultant to pastors and churches and was part of an early national small group pastors' network before Leadership Network emerged. Typically, Rev. Gamble has built, developed, or remodeled ministries in each place he has served. He is an entrepreneurial type pastor who seeks to build long-term partnerships and change our cities into healthy, faith-friendly communities.
Rev. Gamble specializes in ministry design and launching small group or task group efforts. His emphasis is on volunteer recruitment strategies; coalition building; partnership development between faith communities and business and government entities; non-profit fundraising and donor base cultivation; and as a church consultant with a focus in program review, evaluation, and design.
Rev. Bill Gattis
Burlington District Superintendent
Bill Gattis is currently serving in his 45th year of ministry in the NC Conference and is scheduled to retire in July 2012. He is completing eight years as Burlington District Superintendent and has served as Dean of the Cabinet since 2007. His pastoral ministry has ranged from rural churches to University UMC in Chapel Hill where he served 18 years before becoming District Superintendent. Early in his ministry, he was the NC Conference Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Bill has received coach training from Spiritual Leadership Inc, Lexington, KY, for the Abide Initiative for the small membership church renewal and Coaches Training Institute in California as a Life Coach. He is also a graduate of the Clergy Deepening Program offered by the Shalem Institute on Spirituality. He will be a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 2012. He is married to Irene, 44 years, and they have one adorable cat, Kittles.
Rev. Carol Goehring
Executive Director of Connectional Ministries, North Carolina Conference of United Methodist Churches
Carol is an Ordained Elder in the NC Conference of the United Methodist Church. Currently the Executive Director of Connectional Ministries and Church Revitalization, she served as Pastor of local churches from 1978 - 2006; as Superintendent, Fayetteville District, from 2006-2008; was Delegate to General Conference in 2004 and 2008; Alternate in 1992 and 2000; and Jurisdictional Conference in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. Carol's Annual Conference service includes the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, Commission on Worship, Task forces on Healthy Congregations, Sexual Ethics, and other ministry groups. Carol completed her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University and received her M.Div. from Duke University. She is a Certified Coach and married to The Reverend David Goehring. They have two adult children. Carol enjoys running, rafting, kayaking, cooking, and reading.
Dr. John Grinnell
President and CEO
John founded Grinnell Leadership in 1997. His extensive experience in the behavioral sciences and human relations began 28 years ago. He has worked with leaders of both private and public corporations for 22 years. Based on this experience, John and his colleagues developed Grinnell Leadership’s unique approach to management and leadership development. Their approach uses key business challenges as an “anvil against which to forge better leadership, employee alignment and business results.” Grinnell Leadership’s Executive Accelerator™, Leadership JumpStart® and Leadership Decathlon® are examples of Grinnell processes that help address significant leadership challenges. Learn more about John's approach to personal and organizational development in his ongoing Leadership Voice series.
Dr. Lisa Guion, Ph.D.
Professor, Assistant Dean for Enrichment, Outreach and Engagement, North Carolina State University
Dr. Guion holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree and a doctorate in adult and higher education (Ed.D.) specializing in education administration from North Carolina State University. She has eighteen years of experience in higher education institutions, of which fourteen years are with the Cooperative Extension Service (Extension). Her Extension work focused on faculty development related to program leadership and planning, program design and implementation, program evaluation, and planning programs for diverse audiences. Dr. Guion currently serves on the administrative team within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State as the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Outreach and Engagement.
Carlin Johnson
Director of Equipping and Sending Ministries, Edenton Street UMC, Raleigh, NC
Carlin Johnson brings to the classroom 28 years of experience in human resources, with the most recent 13 focused exclusively on personal development workshops and group facilitation. In fall 2010, she began serving as director of equipping and sending ministries at Edenton Street UMC. In her role at Edenton Street, Carlin is charged with creating a process of helping individuals discover and embrace their gifts and abilities, and employ those gifts in service to others. She is a certified trainer of several well-known workshops and team building processes, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Focus (time management), and The Four Elements of Success. Carlin’s desire is to strengthen local churches by helping clergy and laity become more effective leaders.
Dr. Korrel Kanoy, Ph.D.
Professor of Development and Child Psychology, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
Korrel Kanoy has been a college professor for 29 years. She is certified to administer and provide feedback on individual and 3600 instruments related to Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Styles and Organizational Climate and is a certified trainer for the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i). She has interpreted over 200 EQi profiles, helped numerous individuals create an Individual Development Plan to improve their performance based on their EQi scores and has coached employees related to emotional intelligence improvement. A psychology major at the University of Richmond, Dr. Kanoy earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she studied Child Development and Family Relationships.
Eric Larsen
Executive Coach
As a senior executive and an authority on leadership, Eric Larsen has lived the principles that he brings forth in his executive coaching practice. Prior to this, Eric spent 30 years at IBM, much of that time in management, leadership, and executive positions. His coaching approach is based on real life experience and focused on results. Eric is the recipient of numerous industry and IBM awards, including IBM’s highest award as the top people manager in the Americas. He has an engineering degree from NC State University, and has completed executive coursework in the Harvard Business School and the Boston University executive education programs. He has earned Professional Certification from Harvard and IBM’s Client Executive Program and has served on the Board of that program as well as providing training new members of that board. He has also completed the extensive coaching education with the Coaches’ Training Institute and successfully completed the rigorous program to receive his Coaching Certification from CTI. Eric is a member of the International Coaching Federation.
Dr. Heather A. Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Human Resources and Psychology, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
Dr. Lee is Associate Professor of Human Resources and Psychology at Peace College, Raleigh. Her area of specialization is on industrial and organizational psychology, systems performance assessment and analysis, group process analysis, leadership through teams, and leadership self-awareness assessments. She currently serves as a faculty member and co-administrator of the NC Center for Women in Public Service and NC Certified Public Manager program. She is a co-author of Building Leadership Skills in Adolescent Girls and Non-Profit Hiring Practices Should Measure Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Lee is a partner in Development Associates, a leadership consulting and coaching firm, and has been a guest speaker at numerous national and international conferences.
Ray E. Merritt
Vice President, Training and Organizational Development, Martin Marietta Materials, retired
Ray was with Martin Marietta Materials for twenty-four years. During this time, he was responsible for designing and implementing training and professional development programs throughout the corporation. He was Vice President for Training and Organizational Development when he retired in 2009. At Martin Marietta his areas of expertise included performance assessment, development of high potentials, retention and succession planning, team effectiveness, reward and recognition, and college recruiting.
Ray has also worked for the Florida Division of Youth Services and the Florida Department of Offender Rehabilitation. Prior to joining Martin Marietta in 1985, Ray taught in the Criminal Justice Department at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.
Ray has conducted numerous retreats for church councils throughout the North Carolina Lutheran Synod on goal setting and strategic planning. He is a certified lay speaker in the United Methodist Church. He is co-author of The Group Leader’s Handbook: Resources, Techniques and Survival Skills.
Ray holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University. He has received additional professional development from Penn State University, the University of Virginia, and DePaul University. He and his wife, Keri, live on Lake Gaston in Virginia.
Barry Mitsch
The Pyramid Resource Group, Inc.
Barry Mitsch is Vice President and co-founder of The Pyramid Resource Group. He has been conducting leadership and communication skills workshops for nearly 20 years and has worked with many major corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Barry is an adjunct instructor at North Carolina State University and facilitates a business communication program for MBA and professional students.
Gray Southern
Durham District Superintendent
H. Gray Southern is the Durham District Superintendent (NC Conference of The United Methodist Church). He works with the churches in Granville, Vance, Person, Orange, Wake, and Durham counties as one of the connecting links between local churches and pastors to the larger United Methodist connection. Born in Winston-Salem, NC, he grew up in Smithfield, NC, graduating from Smithfield-Selma Sr. High School. He earned his BA in Psychology and Religion from UNC-CH and then attended The Yale University Divinity School, graduating with a M. Div. Subsequently, he earned a D. Min. from The Columbia Seminary in Decatur, GA. He has also participated in the Lily Endowment’s Pastor-Theologian Program sponsored by The Center for Theological Inquiry at Princeton University.
He has served as associate pastor at St. Paul UMC in Goldsboro, pastor of Oriental UMC; pastor of West Nash UMC (Wilson); pastor of Trinity UMC (Durham); and pastor of St. James UMC (Greenville). Gray has been involved in ministries of spiritual formation, children and youth ministries, mission efforts, and camping ministries, we well as, administrative ministries such as pensions, insurance, and sustainability matters. He and his wife, Susan, a public school teacher, have two children, Kirk, a medical student, and Mary-Gray, a college freshman.
Jonathan Stewart
Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, Martin Marietta
Jon Stewart is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Martin Marietta Materials. He joined Martin Marietta Corporation in 1982, and became director of personnel for the Aggregates Company in 1984. He was named vice president of human resources for the Materials Group in 1992. Previously, Jon held increasingly responsible positions in labor and employee relations with International Harvester and Teledyne. An Ohio native, Jon is a graduate of Ohio University. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Raleigh Business & Technology Center and also serves on the Board of the Clarence E. Lightner Youth Foundation, the mission of which is to teach middle and high school students the importance of civic participation and community service.
Dr. Stephen Straus
President and Founder Developmental Associates
Dr. Stephen Straus is President and Founder of Developmental Associates. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from Duke University in Political Science. He is a former Assistant City Manager in Southern Pines.
Dr. Straus serves as an Extension Professor in the Master of Public Administration program at North Carolina State University and instructs law enforcement managers in the Administrative Officers Management Program (AOMP) and in the Law Enforcement Executive Program (LEEP) at NCSU.
He teaches a variety of courses to public and nonprofit managers that include Results-Based Management and Supervision; employee and executive selection and promotional methods; and customer/citizen-driven service.
Dr. Straus has developed recruitment and selection processes for many chief and public manager positions in local government and in higher education. He is an expert in assessing and implementing improvements in leadership, human resource practices, and organizational culture. He has also facilitated board and manager, and manager and staff retreats, and results-based strategic planning for numerous organizations.
Steve can be contacted at: (919) 812-0132 or skstraus@developmentalassociates.com
Rev Jon Strother
Raleigh District Superintendent
Jon Strothers is currently the Raleigh District Superintendent. He has served in the position since 2009. He also served on the North Carolina Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (1994-2002) and is currently serving a new term (2008-2012). He ministers regularly in Federal Prison, Butner, NC. Jon has traveled throughout the world ministering and sharing his stories. In 1997, he was invited to Sydney, Australia to share in school seminaries as a preacher and storyteller. In 2006, he ministered orphanages in Belarus and preached with ABRO (American Belarusian Relief Organization).
Jon previously served as Senior Pastor of Benson Memorial UMC. He is the founding Pastor of Windborne UMC established in 1999. Other churches he has served include Hertford UMC, Rose Hill UMC, Associate Pastor at Hayes Barton UMC and Macon Charge. Jon is a graduate of Duke Divinity School where he also completed his Masters of Divinity. In 1998, Jon recorded a CD of mostly original music with all proceeds going to Project Agape Armenia. He and his wife, Diana are part of an a capella singing group. They have three children.
Rev. Jeremy Troxler
Director, Thriving Rural Communities Initiative
Rev. Jeremy Troxler is an ordained Elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. He serves as Director of the Thriving Rural Communities Initiative based at Duke Divinity School, a program in partnership with the NC Annual Conference whose mission is to share and strengthen the gifts of North Carolina’s rural communities and churches. Jeremy grew up on a farm in Brown Summit, NC, and was baptized at Gethsemane UMC before receiving the blessing of becoming a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Duke Scholar at Duke Divinity School. He has served churches in the Channel Islands of Great Britain and in Maggie Valley, NC. Jeremy is Ada and Della’s Daddy and Margaret’s husband.
Bill Winfrey
Trainer/Author
Bill Winfrey has worked in the performance development field for 20+ years with clients across the country and at every level. He has been adjunct staff at Duke University Executive Education and is currently adjunct staff with the Center for Creative Leadership (since 1994). His work experience also includes extensive involvement in basketball coaching and ministry.
Adjunct Faculty
Sue Nilson Kibbey
Director of Connectional Ministries for the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church
Rev. Kibbey is a nationally known United Methodist pastor who has served for 10 years in West Ohio. Her 22 years in ministry clearly demonstrates an exceptional record of success in leading and growing missional based ministry, lay servant leadership, and congregational development in the local church. As the creator of Ministry by Strengths, which equips churches to deploy staff and unpaid servants into ministry, Rev. Kibbey has served as a trainer, consultant, and coach to conferences and clergy gatherings across the country. She has been named one of the top ten church administrators in America (thechurchreport.com). An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Sue is also the author of Starting a Single Adult Ministry and creator of the Ministry by Strengths program.
