Qualifications

The Training Connection's Qualifications / Experience

The Training Connection, Inc. (TTC), is a professional development firm dedicated to helping organizations grow and develop their people. Founded by Kathy Wentworth Drahosz, TTC is the outgrowth of her experience in business, product and people development.

She began with a vision of helping organizations tap into the unlimited potential of their most valuable resource - their people. To attain her vision, she placed great importance on designing organizational support systems that strengthen the connection between employee development and organizational effectiveness.

Under Kathy's direction, The Training Connection, Inc. specializes in four vital areas:

• Mentoring - Helping organizations build relationships, foster communications and create non-threatening learning environments where employees can find support for career and professional development.
• Career and Leadership Development - Helping individuals develop the skills and motivation they need to respond to the workplace of the 21st century.
• Team Building - Creating an environment where individuals learn how to collaborate effectively, value the strengths and differences of others and define their roles and responsibilities.
• DISC: Train-the-Trainer - Providing internal trainers with time-tested, reliable models for improving communication, performance and job satisfaction. The Training Connection, Inc. uses careful planning, highly experienced consultants and tested, proven products and programs, meticulously designed to meet each client's needs.

Past Experience

With over two decades of experience in mentoring, coaching & career development, TTC is a recognized firm in building leadership capability. Over 50,000 men and women worldwide have experienced the power of our training programs and products. TTC has developed and built training programs and development systems for the Prince William Forest Park, US Forest Service, Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits, U.S. Department of Commerce, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, On-Site Inspection Agency, US Army Communication and Electronics Command, US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, US Army Materiel Command; US Information Agency, Voice of America, US Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, Department of Education, Department of Navy, Department of Energy, GSA, CIA, NASA, IRS, NIH, Resolution Trust Corporation, Small Business Administration, Prince William County Social Services and Loudoun County Job Training Agency.

An Expert Cadre

The Training Connection, Inc. is composed of a cadre of human resource development professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness and employee well being. TTC's valued partners bring with them extensive experience in organizational development, in-house group facilitation and training trainers. They are strategically located throughout the country and provide low-cost nationwide accessibility and availability.

	KATHY WENTWORTH DRAHOSZ, B.S., is the founder and President of The Training Connection, Inc., and author of The Keys to Mentoring Success. Kathy brings over twenty years of experience in business, product and people development. As a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) Kathy has helped thousands of individuals worldwide experience the power of her training programs and services. A strong focus of Kathy's work has been assisting federal agencies and businesses in developing effective, formal mentoring programs. In addition to personally presenting numerous national training programs in the mentoring field, Kathy is the co-developer of Dynamic Mentoring Connections, Mentoring for Success and Discovering the Mentor Within; three practical approaches to unleashing human potential. Her most pioneering endeavor has been the development of "The Mentoring Connection," an innovative web-based delivery system designed to offer businesses and other organizations a tailor made, comprehensive, effective and cost-efficient method of establishing and managing formal mentoring programs and partnerships.
	JENNIFER CUNNINGHAM, B.A., is the Vice President of Business Operations for The Training Connection, Inc. and has almost a decade of business management and development experience. Jennifer is responsible for business development and the marketing of TTC’s mentoring programs and products. She has also been instrumental in the development of “The Mentoring Connection”, (the innovative web-based mentoring system), and serves as its Program Manager. Also a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) Jennifer has assisted in scores of mentoring training programs and serves on the Dynamic Mentoring training team.
	TRISHA MILLIGAN is a Training Coordinator for The Training Connection, Inc. and brings over five years of experience to training and event management.  Trisha manages the day-to-day operations of TTC including national coordination of travel, training events, activities and planning.  Trisha is responsible for administering and tracking the 360 degree process for TTC (known as The Success Triangle Multi-Rater) designed to give TTC’s mentoring participants objective and beneficial feedback on the key skills needed for success in today’s workplace.  Trisha also serves as a mentoring liaison providing troubleshooting tips and techniques, timely updates and reminders of status and progress in TTC's formal mentoring programs.
	ALISON SFREDDO, B.A.,is The Training Connection Inc.'s in-house writer and editor.  She has over two decades of experience in business and technical writing and provides TTC with in-depth analysis and trends for evaluating the formal mentoring climate in both public and private organizations.  In addition, Alison provides contributing articles to The Training Connection’s monthly newsletter for mentoring partners and participants providing industry trends and timely tips for supporting employee and leadership development.
	PHYLLIS CUNNINGHAM is The Training Connection, Inc.’s Training Assistant and a new addition to Team TTC.  Phyllis assists with office administration and day-to-day operations including materials and product management, billing and accounts payable and customer service.  She will typically be the first friendly voice you will hear when contacting The Training Connection, Inc. and available to assist with “The Mentoring Connection”user management issues.
	HEATHER HETLAND, B.B.A., PHR is a new addition to Team TTC and serves as the Training Coordinator. Heather is responsible for keeping communication flowing between mentoring program participants, management and the various program coordinators nationwide. She also serves as a mentoring liaison providing suggestions for building strong development plans and evaluating mentoring progress and performance in TTC's formal mentoring programs. Read about Heather’s Mentoring Experiences

The Training Connection’s Expert Cadre

	HEATHER BROWN, Ed.D. MBA,PMP, has over 18 years experience in providing workshops and seminars on Project Management, Career Development, Team Building, Communication Skills, Leadership and Conflict Management to the federal government and private sector. Heather possesses a Project Management Professional (P.M.P.) certification from the Project Management Institute. She is a sought after business education and motivational speaker and is known for her practical, down-to-earth, style and her professional content.
	ANNE TAYLOR CREGGER, M.A., is human performance consultant with over 20 years of experience in organizational development and building formal mentoring programs.  She has been successful in helping organizations and their members to develop the trust and collaboration skills necessary to accomplish their goals.  Anne’s expertise lies in communication and coaching both groups and individuals to develop and work within a trust-based work environment.
	HOWARD DOUGLAS EVANS, B.A., is a speaker, trainer and leadership developer. A retired Federal Law Enforcement Executive, Doug has designed, developed, and delivered training programs and coaching to a wide variety of domestic and foreign government officials.  This distinguished experience lends unique insight into the global perspective as well as emerging industry trends. Doug shares his impressive background by assisting those seeking to advance their careers with the motivation it takes to help them tap into their own creative talents.
	DAYNA FELLOWS, B.A., brings more than 25 years of experience to human resource development and instructional systems design.  Dayna has served as a consultant in the public, private, and non-profit sectors and specializes in coaching, leadership development, workforce planning, and performance management training.  She also serves as a national spokesperson on the topic of human capital development, integrating and accelerating professional development within business strategies.
	SHARON FITZPATRICK, B.A., specializes in mentoring, career development and diversity management.  Sharon provides a fresh and independent approach to both structural and cultural issues that an organization may be facing for the first time.  She brings a broad level of expertise and experience that reflect an understanding of the needs and challenges that organizations face today.  Sharon also provides human resource consulting and recruiting for both public and industry clients across the country.
	SANDRA GRAHAM, B.A., is a human development professional committed to coaching executives, managers and sales personnel to measurable improvements in their ability to lead, communicate and produce.  She holds numerous certifications in the performance improvement field, as well as in the field of employee testing and assessments.
	ANN HIBBARD, M.A., is a professional speaker, author and trainer specializing in communication and relationship skills. In all her endeavors, Ann helps people discover joy and meaning in their work and personal lives - especially through their connections with others. Ann is the author of ten books, which have sold over 100,000 copies nationwide. Since the publication of her first book in 1988, Ann has been in demand as a speaker both in the Washington, DC area and across the country.
	SHARON JENKS, B.A., is a certified Professional Behavioral and Values Analyst (PBVA), who specializes in career development, team building and mentoring. Sharon’s programs emphasize success through planning and visionary leadership that have resulted in the creation of many high performance teams throughout the country. Sharon is also a well-known executive coach having helped some of the country's top business professionals to reach their goals.  She is a past Chairman of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and serves on a number of volunteer boards.
	KANU KOGOD, Ph.D., MCC, is an expert in the field of organizational culture change.  A gifted facilitator and master certified coach, Kanu co-designed and facilitated Leadership Alchemy, an award-winning ten-month transformational leadership development program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. By trade, Kanu is an anthropologist with over eighteen years of organizational experience in research and analysis, program design, group process facilitation and executive coaching.  Her primary interest is to build long-term relationships with clients in order to help them establish organizational cultures in which all people thrive in every level of their life— individual, interpersonal and organizational.
	BRUCE MERCER, M.A., brings over 25 years of experiences to employee and leadership development.  He is a subject matter expert on subjects such as corruption and integrity awareness and leadership development.   Bruce designed and developed a variety of training programs on how to establish integrity rich organizations in over 50 countries.   His programs are internationally recognized by such organizations as the World Customs Organization, the Statement Department and the Organization of American States.
	JAN NORTHUP, PhD,is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, author and organizational strategist with over 30 years of experience in human resource development. As a Professional Behavioral and Values Analyst (PBVA), Jan travels extensively around the globe to speak, lead seminars and consult with senior executives and top ranking military officials. She is internationally known for her expertise in developing leadership, mentoring and coaching capabilities. She is also recognized for her creation and work with “The Promotable Woman: What Makes the Difference”; a multidimensional training program and book that explores the success factors of highly effective people.  In addition to her contributions as adjunct professor at some of the leading universities in the nation, Jan is also the developer of the S.P.A.C.E. training program which provides advanced preparation in non-confrontational verbal facilitation to both private and government industry.
	CHRIS ORSINI, B.A., is the Webmaster and co-creator and developer of "The Mentoring Connection". Chris has over 20 years of experience in information technology and proven expertise in the system design, project management, financial management, data warehousing and educational software.
	JIM RUNYAN, M.S., provides high-level authoritative consulting services to industry and government in the scientific, technical and operational disciplines associated with national security.  During his thirty-five year career, spanning both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency, he served in a number of key senior executive positions including Chief of Worldwide Software Support and Chief of Global Network Programs at NSA, and as Director of the Office of Technical Collection and Associate Deputy Director for Science and Technology at CIA.  Jim is widely known in the intelligence community as a highly sought-after executive coach and mentor.  He also has been successful in corporate consensus building on controversial issues, team building, and creating strategic alliances.
	JENNIFER SINEK, M.A., is a highly skilled executive and personal coach and has more than a decade of experience working with individuals, teams and organizations, helping them to identify strengths and implement strategies that will take them to the next level in their careers. Of particular merit is Jennifer's work with The Success Triangle Multi-Rater Assessment. Jennifer works one-on-one assisting participants to interpret their Success Triangle report and provides them with comprehensive assessment that will facilitate best outcomes for reaching their goals. She is highly acclaimed for her talent in discovering individual career issues and guiding her practitioners toward constructive resolution. Jennifer also serves as a visiting faculty member at Georgetown University.
	ROBERT (BOB) TAYLOR, M.A., is an executive coach with over 15 years of leadership experience within the federal government.  Previously, as a Senior Executive at the National Security Agency, Robert excelled in a number of key assignments, including Chief of Legislative Affairs, Deputy Chief of the Global Signal Technologies Group and Chief of Operations at a major overseas facility.  With a vast array of experience in intelligence, leadership and business practices, Bob brings proven practices in strategic planning, change management and business reorganization.
	JO ANN VAUGHT, an Oxford University Scholar, is a Master Facilitator and Certified Organizational Consultant with a concentration in Human Behavior, Executive Coaching and Group Development (Georgetown University). Jo Ann is certified as a mediator by the Supreme Court of Virginia and brings over 25 years of training and management experience providing confidential, cutting-edge counsel to individuals and organizations striving to achieve a balance between human and production needs in the workplace. Clients describe her as an energetic facilitator who brings a warm balance of humor and uncanny common sense.
	BONNIE WASMUND, Ph.D, is a management systems consultant based in the Washington, DC metro area. Bonnie specializes in the clarification of management roles and responsibilities, the art of communication and the logical design of databases. Bonnie is recognized for her ability to integrate technology and its use through human resources. She brings with her a strong background in facilitating meetings that target objectives and utilize the Joint Application Design (JAD) methodology. Bonnie's total approach to interactive systems design provides users with the tools they need to integrate human dynamics with technology.
	KAREN WELLER, Ph.D, is a trainer and coach with almost 15 years experience in helping individuals and organizations initiate and manage change successfully. Blending her business expertise with psychological know how, Karen offers a unique perspective on helping “derailed”employees become assets to their organizations. She also provides expertise in the areas of executive coaching, psychological assessment, team building and is well versed in 360° feedback tools and assessments. In addition, Karen holds faculty positions at various universities within the United States.
	BERRI WELLS, B.A., is a proven trainer, coach and facilitator with 15 years of experience in organizational and employee development.  She has designed initiatives for government agencies, associations, non-profits and Fortune 500 companies.  As an engaging and persuasive speaker, Berri blends humor, common sense and adult education theories as she helps individuals maximize their true potential.

Additional Topics Include

• The Promotable Woman: What Makes the Difference
• Dealing with Difficult People
• Dynamic Communication
• Personal Vitality
• Discovering the Leader Within
• Managing Change and Transition
• If Change is so Good, Then Why do I Feel so Lousy?
• Speak Like a Pro
• Supervisory and Management Development
• The Path of Dialogue
• Your Attitude is Showing
• Twenty-four Karat Customer Service
• The Executive's Quick Guide for Managing Meetings
• Emotional Intelligence
• Time Management
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Networking Tips and Techniques
• Life is More than Your To Do List
• Leadership, Managership and Chickenship
• Believe You Can and You Can!
• Stress Management
• Political Savvy