Marianne T. Scippa, Owner/President

Phil Kiracofe, Project Manager, Facilitator                               

Phil Kiracofe has been a facilitator and trainer in the fields of experiential education and organizational development since 2000.  He brings a unique academic background of Psychology, Sociology, and Kinesiology to his passion for experiential learning and group dynamics.  Mr. Kiracofe believes strongly in an interactive and multi-faceted approach to learning and often utilizes graphic facilitation techniques to complement presentation-based and experiential learning.  He has designed and facilitated programs for hundreds of companies, schools, and organizations to strengthen teams, improve effectiveness, develop leaders and create productive work environments.

Mr. Kiracofe’s affinity for non-traditional approaches to education has drawn him to a number of unique “classrooms.”  In addition to his work as an organizational development consultant, Mr. Kiracofe has served in a directorship position at an experiential education facility, facilitated the development of a sustainable business network, instructed a job readiness course for at-risk youth, designed and facilitated experiential counseling sessions at a juvenile detention center, and led wilderness-based adventure programming in the US and abroad.

Mr. Kiracofe is an avid outdoorsman and traveler passionate about music and people.  In his personal time you may find him exploring a new city, mountain biking, snowboarding through a terrain park, or body surfing in the Caribbean.

Education:

·      Bachelor of Arts, Education and its Psychological and Cultural Context, The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 2004

·      Language Certificate, Italian, La Scuola di Dante Alighieri, 2002

Certifications & Awards:

·      Certified Practitioner Myers Briggs Type Indicator by CPP

·      Certified Wilderness First Responder by SOLO

·      Certified in First Aid & CPR by American Red Cross

·      Outstanding Individual Volunteer of the Year Award, 2007-2008, Arc of Howard County

Lisa Revere, Project Manager, Facilitator

Lisa has been an international corporate facilitator and wilderness educator for over twelve years.  Her experience includes lecturing, leading wilderness and urban learning expeditions, and facilitating corporate development programs.  She works with diverse groups in a wide range of settings, from executive board rooms to the wilderness, facilitating positive growth for executives, administrators, teachers and young adults.  Lisa holds a master's degree in social psychology and has worked with organizations in Sweden, England and the U.S.  She has also currently completed her 3^rd year in a doctoral program focusing on Leadership and Change.

 Lisa brings to her work energy, insight, and multi-cultural experience, which in turn impel her clients into new perspectives and methods of problem-solving that create positive results both individually and organizationally.

 The newest addition to her client base/experience is leading 18 women from 10 countries for 5 days across the White Sands of Oman, a UNESCO based initiative to bring together diverse cultures.

Lisa has Secret Clearances and is FirstAid/CPR certified. She is planning to get WFR certification this fall/winter.

Judy Ringer, Project Manager, Facilitator

Employing best practice communication models, Judy brings to life key concepts such as self-management under pressure and appreciation of other viewpoints. Her work reflects a commitment to concrete skill building, practice, and applications of Aikido principles in “off the mat” business and leadership settings. Leaders learn to find power through alignment and direct it toward purpose and results. Teams increase their ability to work together to transform conflict, communicate clearly, and make conscious choices. 

In addition to Aikido practice, Judy is a professional singer, swims daily, and enjoys reading, walking, hula-hooping and jumping rope. She and her husband of 37 years live in Portsmouth, NH. 

Judy has written numerous articles on the relevance and application of the Aikido metaphor and is the author of two CDs, Managing Conflict in the Workplace: An Aiki Approach, and Simple Gifts: Making the Most of Life's Ki Moments.

Certifications & Awards:

•     Instructor/Coach: Conflict Dynamics Profile

•     Instructor/Coach: Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

•     Second-degree black belt and instructor in Aikido

•     Women’s Business Center Entrepreneur of the Year Award

•     APEX Award for Publishing Excellence

•     First Aid & CPR, American Red Cross

Joyce Hartpence, Project Manager, Facilitator

Certifications and Assessments used:

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Emotional Intelligence Certification from the Hay Group
• EQi
• EQi 360
• DiSC
• Belbin
• High Performing Teams

Joyce has a BS Degree in Recreational Therapy from York College of PA.  She is in the final stages of completing a MA program in Applied Healing Arts at the TAI Sophia Institute, incorporating traditional Chinese Five Element philosophy with organizational development.

Co Founder and Member of: The Experiential Training and Development Alliance: Our Mission is to promote the awareness, appreciation and use of Experiential Training and Development (ETD) services as a critical component for business transformation and success.

Andre Kotze, Project Manager, Senior Facilitator

Andre is an organizational development and team-building specialist. He has twenty years experience in private and public enterprise with a focus on international organizations in the SADC Region staffed with multinational, diverse population groups.

Andre has vast experience and skills in program design and delivery, team development, solution-focused facilitation, diversity and talent management, leadership development, unconscious processes in groups, strategic planning, systems thinking, tools of the learning organization and generative thinking processes.  As a trainer he has developed and taught courses in leadership, teaming, facilitation, systems thinking and communication. He is both multilingual and accustomed to working with multi-cultural groups.

He has designed the High Performing Team Inventory HPTI, a powerful diagnostic tool, which helps organizations understand their current reality and assist in efforts to become vigilant and open to opportunities. It enrolls employees, managers and leaders in the effort of building thriving and sustainable organizations.

Assessments utilized:

• Belbin
• MBTI
• High Performing Team Inventory (designed)
• DiSC

He has also studied education at Cape Town College in South Africa where he gained valuable skills in mountain rescue.

Lauren Demeis-Ortiz, Facilitator and Logistic Manager                                                

Lauren Demeis-Ortiz has been working in the field of Experiential Education and Organization Development since 2006.  She is currently pursuing a degree in business and is experienced in program design, facilitation, and logistics.  She has facilitated programs for diverse groups of participants in diverse environments, including ropes courses.   Having several years of management experience, she understands the challenges that organizations, large and small, face and has witnessed the effectiveness of an experiential approach as a means to overcoming these challenges and developing a highly effective organization. 

Ms. Demeis-Ortiz has a background in the health and wellness industry and believes that the health of the individual and the health of the organization are intertwined.  As an avid rock climber, she knows that achieving peak athletic performance does not happen by accident.  Peak performance requires a cycle of deliberate analysis and action and she believes this cycle applies to an organization’s ability to perform at its peak as well. 

• Certified in First Aid & CPR by American Red Cross
• Climbing Instructor Training, Sportrock Climbing Centers, 2005
• Sandy Spring Friends School Adventure Park Ropes Course Facilitator Training, 2008
• Project Ascent Ropes Course Facilitator Training, 2011

Beatrice W. Cooper, Leadership Coach and Consultant

As a professional change agent, Bebe enjoys combining her family business experience with her psychotherapy background. She works one on one with executives and emerging leaders in to increase leadership skills and capacities. Bebe also works with teams to facilitate high performance and increase satisfaction. Bebe consults with organizations on strategic vision and breakdowns of implementation. Her specialties include a systems perspective, relational dynamics and she is skilled in highlighting barriers to change while building on strengths.

Bebe holds a BA in Business from Trinity University, and an MSSW from The University of Texas at Austin. She has extensive training, certification and experience with Presence-Based Coaching (leadership development), The Enneagram Institute (personality typology), The Strozzi Institute (Somatics and leadership), as well as broad non-profit board leadership experience. She is an ICF certified coach.