Program Leaders: Walking the Talk

Daniel Pryfogle
Daniel Pryfogle manages Walking the Talk as CHHSM's director of consulting services. For more than 15 years, he has provided innovative leadership to nonprofit organizations in senior housing and healthcare, education, advocacy, children's services, and community development. Daniel's passion is to help leaders and groups explore, cultivate and proclaim their missions. Using narrative and asset-based approaches, he assists organizations with corporate discernment, leadership development, program planning, marketing and communications. Prior to launching his consulting practice in 1999, Daniel managed the communications of senior housing and healthcare provider American Baptist Homes of the West and its subsidiary consulting firm Seniority, Inc. He frequently leads workshops and retreats, and has shared his perspectives on leadership and communications with a variety of groups, including American Society on Aging, United Methodist Association, Lutheran Services in America, American Baptist Churches USA, and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. A former newspaper editor and an ordained American Baptist minister, Daniel teaches in the Duke University Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management and the Faith-Based Leadership Institute, CHHSM's Diakonal Minister Credential Program. Daniel earned his master of divinity degree from American Baptist Seminary of the West and his bachelor's degree in English from California Baptist College.

Rick King
Rick King, president and CEO of Kittleman & Associates, is a consultant to Walking the Talk. Rick has more than 35 years of nonprofit leadership experience as a chief executive officer and as a nonprofit executive search consultant. Prior to his work at Kittleman, he was national executive director of Wholistic Health Centers, Inc., a network of 14 interdisciplinary primary-care medical facilities with locations throughout the United States. He also served as the first executive director of the Illinois Youth Service Bureau Association, a statewide coalition of 72 youth development programs, and as founding executive director of Youth In Crisis, Inc. Rick holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology/sociology from Illinois Wesleyan University, a master of social work degree from Florida State University and an MBA from Dominican University. He serves on the board of directors of the First Nonprofit Insurance Companies and the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation and is vice chair of the board of trustees of Dominican University. He is the author of From Making a Profit to Making a Difference: How to Launch Your New Career in Nonprofits (2000).

Shirley Nelson
Shirley Nelson has been a CHHSM staff member for ten years and is currently vice president for operations. She is also the administrative coordinator of the Faith-Based Leadership Institute and graduated from the program as a Diakonal Minister with the Class of 2005. With more than 20 years as a professional administrator primarily with for-profit organizations in several major industries - banking, real estate, and golf course management - her observations led her to the realization of a need for a culture change in the workplace that would embrace spirituality so that one would not have to leave a part of themselves at the door on Monday morning. Beginning her career as CHHSM's administrative associate, she developed an awareness of work as ministry and experienced a sense of wholeness that brought a much deeper dimension to her profession. Having a passion for peace, she started a grassroots ecumenical lay ministry in 1997 with a focus on nourishing the spirit via rest and relaxation, spiritual retreats, silence, meditation, music, and an active creative prayer life. A 2003 graduate of Capital University, summa cum laude, she attained a bachelor's degree in the psychology of spiritual literature, majoring in religion, psychology, and English. She is a church leader, prayer practitioner, retreat facilitator, writer, and one of CHHSM practicum leaders at annual meetings.

Vincent Rubino
Vincent Rubino is a consultant on the CHHSM Walking the Talk team. Throughout his career, including his former role as president and chief executive officer of Hope Homes, Vince has provided visionary leadership toward the planning, development and operation of community-based housing, program centers, and services for individuals with disabilities. He has also been committed to quality training and development for people who work in health and human services. Vince served as chair of the Summit County Training Collaborative and chair of the University of Akron Long Term Care Training Center Advisory Committee. He has served on the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries' board of directors, completed the CHHSM Transformational Leadership Program, and was consecrated as a Diakonal Minister in 1998. Vince earned a master's degree in education and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Akron. He is a Certified Performance and Learning Professional (CPLP) with the American Society for Training & Development.

Mary Santiago
Mary Santiago is a coach, trainer and organizational development consultant. She has devoted her career to helping leaders gain insight into their natural gifts and abilities in order to have a positive, ongoing impact on their organizations. A certified executive coach and Appreciative Inquiry facilitator, Mary has worked with leaders in nonprofit, educational and corporate settings over the past 20 years. In addition to her coaching and consulting practice, Mary is a national trainer in the Learning and Development Division at T-Mobile. Previously, she served as the professional development specialist at Elon University in Elon, N.C., where she successfully launched programs for leadership development, emerging leaders, and succession planning. She has coordinated leadership development, total quality management, and process improvement as an employee and consultant for such companies as Boeing and Alaska Airlines. A passionate speaker and creative facilitator, Mary has professional certifications in Myers Briggs Assessment Interpretation and Developmental Dimensions International Facilitation. Also a poet, Mary brings artistry to everything she does. She earned her bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College and her master's from Tulane University, both in Latin American studies.

Bryan W. Sickbert
Bryan W. Sickbert serves as president/CEO of CHHSM. His diverse career has included positions in the local church, municipal government and hospital administration. Bryan holds a master of divinity degree from The Chicago Theological Seminary and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. He is an ordained minister in the UCC, board certified in healthcare management and a Diplomate of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Bryan holds particular interest and expertise in the role of senior management and governance in forming healthy cultures within faith-based institutions. He is a frequent facilitator for governing board retreats and consultant to CEOs and governance leaders. Bryan serves on the board of the Center for Faith-Based Leadership and was instrumental in the development of the Center's governance training program, "The Vocation of the Trustee." He also teaches courses on the integration of faith values and organizational life in the Faith-Based Leadership Institute.

Carol J. Tilley
Carol J. Tilley is currently president of C. J. Tilley & Associates, a consulting firm that assists not-for-profit organizations with leadership development and organizational development. From 1999-2003, Carol worked with the Ecumenical Leadership Institute as program manager and facilitator. Prior to this, Carol served for five years as executive director of the Center for Leadership Excellence at the Catholic Health Association. In this role, Carol was responsible for the overall coordination of CHA's leadership development activities for executives and emerging leaders in healthcare. In the course of her career, Carol has been a director of organizational development and training in a health care setting, assistant vice president of professional development in a financial institution, senior consultant and methods specialist in a manufacturing environment, and associate professor of philosophy at a state university. Carol received a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Duquesne University and has completed all course work for the doctorate, also from Duquesne University; she received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and chemistry from St. Louis University. Carol serves as vice chair of the Catholic Medical Mission Board in New York and serves as a volunteer with the YMCA, the Make a Wish Foundation, and the St. Louis Zoological Association.

Rebecca Wilson
Rebecca Wilson is CHHSM's director of marketing and communications, a consulting position. Rebecca has fourteen years of experience in strategic communications and grantseeking: the last seven as an independent consultant to non-profit and public sector organizations working in social services, advocacy, education, and the progressive faith community. Prior to her consulting work, Rebecca was marketing director for the Akron-Summit County Public Library, where she oversaw both the public information and political campaigns for a successful $80 million capital improvement bond issue and a subsequent successful operating renewal. Rebecca has taught business and technical writing at the University of Akron and English literature and composition to middle school students. She has served on the Vestry at Church of Our Saviour, the historic urban Episcopal church in Akron, Ohio, where she is a member. Rebecca holds a BA in English from Duke University and an MA in English from Kent State University.

Leslie Yerkes
Leslie Yerkes is the president of Catalyst Consulting, a company that she founded in 1987. Leslie's specialty is helping organizations turn challenges into opportunities. She assists non-profit companies with strategic planning, leadership coaching, team building and training, and also works in the corporate sector helping manage change to increase productivity. Leslie earned her Masters of Science in Organizational Development at Case Western Reserve University after graduating from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in education. She founded Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc. in 1987, designing the company's services to utilize the best of her organizational development and teaching skills. Leslie writes frequently for the Plain Dealer, Cleveland's daily newspaper, and other publications. She travels internationally as a lecturer and keynote speaker, has taught at John Carroll University, Baldwin-Wallace and Kent State, and serves on the faculty of the Weatherhead School of Executive Education. She is co-author of the book 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work, which has sold 60,000 copies in six languages; and author of Fun Works: Creating Places Where People Love to Work.