PDC Instructors

Samad Aidane

Samad Aidane, Ph.D., PMP, is a project management and cross-cultural leadership researcher, consultant, and trainer with over 28 years of industry experience that spans telecom, finance, health care, and government technology implementation projects.

He holds a Ph.D. for his research on racial equity practices in project management. Samad is a lecturer in the Master of Science in Project Management program at Northeastern University and the College of Business at Oregon State University. He has presented at international conferences such as Project Management Institute Global Congress, Dubai International Project Management Forum, and Oracle OpenWorld. Samad is a Certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute.

Dr. Toni Aspin

Dr. Toni Aspin is an experienced leader, consultant, coach, and educator. She is a CPA, earned a MBA in the Executive program at the University of Washington, Foster School of Business, graduated with honors from Pacific Coast Banking School, and, in 2017, earned a Ph.D. in Transformative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her doctoral dissertation investigated how corporate governance might be reframed to reflect a participatory worldview and envisioned what the impact of this shift might look like in boardroom dynamics.

Over her 30-plus-year career, she has held leadership roles in both the profit and nonprofit sectors including for the Seattle Symphony, One Reel, and Richard Hugo House. Since 2011 Toni leads her coaching consultancy practice focused on leadership development and organizational effectiveness practices. Toni is recognized for creating a robust learning environment grounded in shared practices of multi-perspectival inquiry and inclusive thinking.

Since 2013, Toni has taught courses at the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) Professional Development Center in the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program including Leadership, Performance Measurement, and Fund Development.

Jan Brazzell

Active in not-for-profit management, administration, and education for 28 years, Jan F. Brazzell founded Advancement Consulting to help not-for-profit leaders move their organizations forward. A community leader and veteran of successful fundraising campaigns throughout the Puget Sound area, Dr. Brazzell specializes in strategic planning, effective fundraising, capital/endowment campaigns, board development, group facilitation and team building for optimal performance.

Christopher Clarke

Christopher is a brewer who has been in the industry for 12+ years. He is well-versed in everything from accounting to marketing and packaging to brewing. He has a strong passion for quality control, sensory and flavor assessment.
Many of the last five years in his career have been focused on consulting, food pairings with beer, and managing a barrel-aging program for a mid-size brewery.

Christopher Clarke is a Brewer and Barrel Shepherd at 7 Seas Brewing in Tacoma. He is also a Level 2 Certified Cicerone. 

Larry Dzieza, M.P.A. 

Before retiring from Washington State in 2018, Mr. Dzieza has been employed with several agencies in the State of Washington beginning in 1990. Agencies included the Office of Financial Management, budget director for the Department of Licensing, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. His career has spanned budget and strategic management at all levels of government – cities, counties, states, and federal agencies – in both the legislative and executive branches. He has taught and lectured on public administration and technology in government courses at the Evergreen State College and the University of Washington.

In Washington D.C. he co-founded FFIS, Federal Funds Information for States a data service that provides data and allocation issues on federal grants to state government. As the Director of Policy for the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), he worked on developing policies for the National Governor’s Association regarding the state’s fiscal relationship with the federal government.

Dzieza holds an MPA in intergovernmental relations from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Political Science, from Sonoma State University.

Lisa Fleming

Lisa Fleming (she/her) has 15 years of experience working with diverse communities in a multitude of contexts including research, education, healthcare and human resources. While an undergraduate at University of Washington Tacoma, Lisa worked as a Consultant for the Career Development Center and she later obtained a Master's in Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. Her research focused primarily on organizational development, stress management, and combating workplace discrimination.

More recently, Lisa led all human resource activities as Head of People Operations for Avenue Homes, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment company. Lisa supports students of the Professional Development Center by using her educational background and industry experience to bring a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to UW Tacoma's educational offerings. When Lisa isn't sifting through journal articles, she enjoys cooking, traveling, podcasts and attending live shows (when possible).

Nora Flemming de Sandoval

An educator with over twenty years of diverse classroom experience, I encourage students of all ages to make learning their own by tapping into their lived experiences. I enjoy using technology both in and outside of the classroom as a tool to connect people with one another and to information from around the globe. I also consider writing my lifelong avocation.

Tina Hagedorn

Tina Hagedorn is the founder and executive consultant for Hagedorn and Associates with over 20 years committed to ethical leadership development and generating superior earnings for clients. Her work is integral to significant valuation projects and resulting proceeds. She has a reputation for versatility with diverse constituents in demanding environments and is recognized for excellent leadership and management skills.

She provides focused consulting in the areas of financial and economic analysis, facilitation of executive strategic planning workshops and retreats, facilitation of executive leadership development workshops and retreats, tribal enterprise projects, including casino expansion, program development and marketing, conflict resolution, and contract negotiation.

Tina holds a Leadership Executive MBA, Seattle University, Albers School of Business and Economics (2009-2011) and a Bachelors of Business Administration, Pacific Lutheran University, magna cum laude, Business Administration; Business and Economics (1994). Beta Gamma Sigma, Alpha Mu Alpha and Provost Merit Scholar.

K. Wendy Holden, M.P.A. 

Wendy Holden is a proven leader with a record of consistently achieving quality results in large, complex organizations. As a business consultant at Flat World, LLC, she uses a wide range of consulting, coaching and management tools, ranging from strategic and business planning to continuous quality improvement. Her public sector career includes serving as the Director of Performance and Accountability, Washington State Department of Health, the Deputy Director, Community, Trade and Economic Development, Deputy Executive Director & Operations Director, Port of Olympia, Deputy Director, Washington State Employment Security Department Director, Washington State Department of General Administration Executive Director, Commission on Efficiency and Accountability and Assistant Director, Management and Productivity, Office of Financial Management. Holden has an M.P.A. from Evans School, University of Washington, a B.A. in General Studies, University of Washington and is a graduate of the State and Local Senior Executive Program, John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University.

Rebekah Jones

Rebekah Jones is a Senior HR Consultant with Archbright and an Extension Lecturer here at UWT's PDC for various courses in both the HR and Non-Profit programs. She has been in the HR field for 15 years and teaching continuing education in Human Resources for 5 years and loves the connection with folks who are just entering the workforce or looking to make a change in careers!

Julia Kagochi

Julia Kagochi (she/her) is a Tacoma-based antiracism consultant and educator. Grounded by compassion, racial justice and authenticity, Julia believes in learning alongside and growing with the communities and people she serves. These values manifest themselves in the effectiveness of her facilitation style and compassion-based approach. She has a gift for relational storytelling and utilizes both personal and professional experiences to engage others in difficult conversations.

Julia has over 10 years of experience guiding and leading racial equity work within non-profit organizations, as well as a lifetime of experience navigating the world as a woman of color. She was born in the Philippines, and immigrated to the United States at 10 years old. Growing up as an English language learner and an immigrant, Julia experienced firsthand the emotional pain brought on by othering and stereotyping. Julia founded Kagochi Consulting LLC because of a personal desire to create a healing space for herself and other people of color impacted by racist work environments and systems.

When not working, you can find Julia exploring Tacoma with her partner and two children and looking for the best gluten free treats.

John Kime

John has been an instructor at the UWT Professional Development Center for 11 years teaching Lean Six Sigma White, Green, and Blackbelt classes in Tacoma, Lacey, and online.

Ariel Klein

Ariel Klein is currently the Lead Brewer of Outer Planet Brewing on Capitol Hill in Seattle and Assistant Brewer at Lowercase in Georgetown. Prior to that she was unofficially titled the "Jack of All Beers" with her work at NW Peaks Brewery where she took care of "nearly everything brewery related." She started her journey into beer in 2016 as an apprentice at Left Handed Giant Brewing in Bristol, England. She has a Master of Arts History from the Courtauld Institute at the University of London, and her B.A. of Art History from the University of Michigan. 

Angel Latterell, JD, PMP, CSM, LAP

Angel Latterell, JD, PMP, CSM, LAP has over 18 years of experience leading projects in the healthcare, research, legal, marketing and nonprofit sectors. She has taught project management since 2008 to small and large groups, as a Project Management Institute registered education provider and via other forms of custom continuing education. She is the Project Management Director for Message Lab, LLC, lead attorney and business consultant for Latterell Law & Consulting, and CEO of I Can Help with That! where she teaches mindfulness, meditation, and other forms of one-on-one transformational coaching.

Ava McGee

Educator, Collaborator and Cultivator! 

Ava has beyond 20 years of work experience in Human resources with the State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB), Cubic Global Defense (private industry), The Athena Group, and her current endeavor, Ava Mcgee, InnerWork Consulting and Coaching LLC. In her capacity as an HR professional, Ava has worked to foster a mindset of collaboration between managers and employees, building rapport and working towards the mission, vision and goals of the organization. Embracing the notion of working together as we and us and not me vs. you.

Ava is an engagement dialogue geek who has worked with various organizations in raising awareness, creating space for dialogue, and building on equity and inclusion by training/facilitating educational workshops, facilitating organizational development, change management, emotional intelligence, mindfulness and activates training modalities to achieve the most beneficial outcome for the clients she serves.  Ava thrives in breaking barriers and building bridges to progression. Ava understands that working in the capacity of an educator has its challenges and opportunities for growth, therefore, she exudes the energy she needs, while showing up as her most authentic self.

Gabrielle M. McNabb

Gabrielle has over 30 years of nursing, military, and healthcare experience. As a Clinical Workflow Analyst she has honed her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt skills by initiating and implementing process improvement programs for various departments in a military healthcare facility. In her current role as the Risk Manager in a military healthcare facility, she is continuously working on process improvement in order to make healthcare safer for the patients and staff we serve. She holds a UW Tacoma Lean Six Sigma Green, is a certified Black Belt, and teaches the Lean Six Sigma Green and White Belt classes at UW Tacoma.

Nathan T. Navarro, MBA

Nathan T. Navarro, MBA has hands-on experience in initiating and implementing successful process improvement programs and projects at The Boeing Company and Seattle City Light. He is considered a senior specialist and process improvement consultant to executive leaders, managers, customers, employees, and work teams.

In addition to teaching Lean Six Sigma and Leadership courses for the University of Washington Tacoma, Nathan teaches High Performance Management, Root Cause Analysis, and Lean courses at Everett Community College. Nathan earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix Bellevue Washington ground campus; a Business Degree, University of Phoenix San Antonio Texas ground campus; and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt certificate, University of Washington Tacoma.

Megan Oczkewicz

My name is Megan Oczkewicz, and I am a process improvement specialist at the Washington State Health Care Authority, where I have worked in process improvement for the past six years. I facilitate process improvements, team-building exercises, and large meetings across the agency. I also teach various classes on Lean Six Sigma, Change Management, and Meeting Effectiveness.
Before joining the Health Care Authority, I worked in fundraising for 15 years, raising money for a small local non-profit and then for the Evergreen State College Foundation.

I received my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Washington, Tacoma in 2018.
I’m excited to meet all of you. You can reach me anytime at megank@uw.edu.
 

Joey Pauley

People describe me as a dedicated, results-driven professional with more than 15 years of experience in organizational change and development. As an effective leader, I have a proven ability to motivate work groups while exceeding customer expectations. Facilitating multi-stakeholder collaborative solutions to messy problems was an advantage while internally leading high performing design and development teams. Recent successes, as a trusted adviser to organizations, came from leveraging my internal leadership experience and external consulting expertise.

I achieve results by assessing a client’s unique challenges and co-creating a process to achieve their goals. Next we develop individual and organizational milestones, promote clear communication and drive dispersed leadership. The result is effective communication, leadership, and collaboration based off a strategic, systemic approach that clients describe as enjoyable, entertaining, and challenging.

Dean Priebe

Since the late 1980s, I've run breweries at the nano, pub, and production scales. Along the way, I've designed 3 breweries, created over 100 recipes, and founded a brewery consulting firm. I'm excited to share my experience and help others succeed in the exciting world of beer!

Cary Randow

Cary has spent his entire professional career managing human resource programs with emphasis in total compensation programs; compensation, benefits and workplace experience. His career spans the better part of 30 years working for medium to large employers in diverse industries and business sectors.

Exciting and relevant projects managed include developing and implementing incentive pay plans for employees building the space shuttle "Endeavor" and redesigning the State of Washington's salary survey process. In his last position as Compensation Director for the State of Washington, Cary gained a wealth of experience managing total compensation in a complex and highly political environment.

As owner and Principal Consultant for the Human Resources Planning Group, Cary works with small and medium-size employers to advise on the design and implementation of total compensation plans and strategies and supporting performance management systems. Total Compensation is a business tool that is used to attract, retain and motivate a skilled and talented workforce.

An MBA from the University of Washington and a BA in Finance/Economics provides the academic foundation that complements his professional experience in this field. Cary has taught compensation, benefits and performance management at several local universities since 1994. Cary is a Certified Compensation Professional and is currently a member of its Thought Leadership working group.

Debbie Rough-Mack

Debbie Rough-Mack is an insightful and accomplished organizational development consultant, facilitator, and coach, committed to helping individuals and groups become more effective in their professional and personal lives. She is noted for combining proven methodologies with practical tools, whether it's coaching individuals one-on-one, facilitating small groups, or implementing large-scale organizational change. Debbie designs participatory processes for inclusion, accountability, and maximum potential, motivating and mobilizing the people involved.

In addition to organizational consulting, she is a regionally known speaker and conference presenter. Some of her most-requested conference workshops are How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci; Smart Risks -- Balancing Courage with Caution in a Complex World; The Agony and the Ecstasy: Understanding Change; and The Power of Honor: Personal Recognition.

Debbie holds a Master's Degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University and is a certified Systems Renewal Consultant. She has earned lifetime certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the Society of Human Resource Management. She presided over an eight-member Board of a non-profit, serving two terms as President of the American Society of Training and Development, Nisqually Chapter, and has served as President and Vice President of her investment club. Before starting her own consulting business, she held management positions in manufacturing, retail, information technology, and human resource organizations.

Debbie is an avid walker, traveler, reader and community volunteer. She is the mother of two teenage girls.

Cynthia Shaffer, PHR 

Cynthia Shaffer, PHR has over 22 years of HR Management experience in private, public, government, non-profit, and law enforcement organizations. She earned an M.A. in Human Resources Development from Webster University, 1994, an M.Ed. University of Illinois, 1994 and a B.A. in Psychology from Metropolitan State College at Denver. In her current position, she is serves as a human resources manager in a law enforcement environment with responsibility for recruitment and hiring, employee relations, classification, and training. Cynthia has taught classes in the Human Resources Management program at UW Tacoma since it began 10 years ago. She received her Professional Human Resource (PHR) certification in 1997 and specializes in the areas of training, employee relations, organizational development, mediation, conflict resolution, strategic planning, budget, and recruiting. She is a certified training instructor/facilitator in the areas of customer service, quality management systems, coaching and mentoring and increasing human effectiveness.

Alan Strand

Alan Strand is the Director of Finance and Accountability at Child Care Aware® of Washington. Alan is passionate about supporting Child Care Aware of Washington's mission by making sure finance and accounting tasks happen smoothly. Alan has more than 15 years of accounting, finance and business management experience with nonprofit organizations in Washington and California. Prior to joining Child Care Aware of WA, Alan most recently ran his own consulting business, focused on supporting nonprofits who used his expertise and background to help strengthen their financial practices. His expertise is grounded in a keen understanding of mission-based work and of nonprofits' unique accounting, reporting and decision-making needs - including complex funding structures and diverse reporting requirements.

Prior to relocating to Puget Sound, Mr. Strand spent nine years in progressively more responsible roles with the California Association of Nonprofits (CAN®) - chiefly as Director of Finance and Quality Reporting and ending his tenure there as Interim Executive Director. While at CAN, Mr. Strand developed and presented more than 40 nonprofit accounting seminars and workshops, helping more than 1,300 nonprofit professionals across the country improve their administrative and financial management skills. He also assisted countless member organizations to improve their financial systems; advised them on best practices in nonprofit accounting; and helped them develop policies, procedures and documentation to support and enhance their accountability.His extensive experience in nonprofit accounting, coupled with an ability to communicate affably and effectively about the topic, led to his role at the University of Washington, Tacoma, as faculty in their Nonprofit Management Certificate Program. 

Cass Tang, PMP

Cass Tang, PMP is the founder and President / CEO of All Project Solutions, Inc. a Pacific Northwest company since 2007 serving clients nationwide and also serves as the Manager of the UW-IT Program Management Office. Cass is a senior advisor, consultant, and a mechanical engineer with over 25 years in education, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, and technology. Communication and creating organization out of chaos is her claim to fame and she has helped to stabilize and grow organizations and boards with key processes and intuitive know-how. Cass is a past president of the Puget Sound Chapter of Project Management Institute, past vice-president of American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has provided training and management consultation for many west coast and Pacific Northwest clients.

Chastity Walck

Chastity Walck is a Senior Continuous Improvement Consultant working within state service. Chastity piloted an organization's first Lean Six Sigma training from 2016to 2018 and is currently the lead of an enterprise continuous improvement training system. Chastity served in the US Coast Guard, attended Grays Harbor College and Western Governor’s University. She was featured as a co-presenter at the 2019 Washington State Lean Transformation Conference, is a certified Change Management practitioner, Human Centered Design practitioner, and received both her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt from the University of Washington, Tacoma. She obtained her Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt in 2021.

Chastity enjoys connecting with others and helping them find value in applying problem-solving methodologies that make impactful differences for them, their work, and their customers.

Richard Wilkinson

Richard Wilkinson has served in HR and organization development leadership roles in three industries: municipal government, global health, and higher education, most recently as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Organizational Effectiveness and Development at the Tacoma campus of the University of Washington (UWT). He retired from UWT in 2019. Since retiring, Richard has taught in UWT's and Portland State University's MBA programs. He was recently appointed one of the Executives in Residence for UWT's Milgard School of Business.

He is the author of "The Manager’s Everyday Toolbox" among other publications. He is a featured practitioner in the 25th anniversary edition of Marvin Weisbord’s "Productive Workplaces" and in 2018 was awarded the Lisbeth Claus Trail Blazer Award by the HR Roundtable, a regional association of HR professionals.

He has masters degrees from the University of Southern California in public administration and Antioch University Seattle in organization development.

Brian Willett 

Brian Willett is a Business Practice and Productivity Manager who works for the Division of Environmental Public Health at the Washington State Department of Health in Olympia. He is a consultant, trainer, and facilitator specializing in the topics of performance management, Lean/Process Improvement, and strategic planning.

Before coming to the Department of Health, Brian spent 4 ½ years at the City of Vancouver, WA. Before the City of Vancouver, Brian spent an additional 24 years as a Washington State employee, working for the State Auditor's Office, the Office of Financial Management, the Employment Security Department, the Department of Transportation, and Yakima Valley Community College.

Brian earned a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development from Central Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Brigham Young University. He is also a certified Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Washington Tacoma Professional Development Center.

In his spare time, Brian can usually be found playing with his Shelby GT350 Mustang Cobra at a local race track or car show, studying old airplanes and tanks in museums, or tinkering with scale models on his workbench.