Dr. Jason Altmire is President and Chief Executive Officer of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the national trade association representing private postsecondary career schools. Since joining CECU in 2020, Jason has led the association to double-digit percentage increases in membership, revenue, and media coverage. In addition, CECU has during this time exponentially increased its member service, communications, and multimedia capabilities, including the acquisition of Career Education Review magazine and initiation of the association’s popular podcast. He also spearheaded the association’s creation of two new subsidiaries, the Alliance for Career Education in the States (ACES), and the CECU Research Foundation.

He has been a senior executive for multibillion-dollar companies in both the hospital and health insurance industries, and from 2007 to 2013, he served three terms in the United States House of Representatives. A prolific public speaker and commentator, Jason in 2017 authored the critically acclaimed book Dead Center: How Political Polarization Divided America and What We Can Do About It. He has been a frequent guest on national television news programs and a regular opinion contributor to a variety of national media outlets. He is also a member of the U.S. Speakers International Exchange program at the U.S. State Department, which designates American public speakers to represent the country at official overseas engagements.

In Congress, Jason was a bipartisan centrist known for working with both sides of the aisle, which led to an extraordinary record of legislative success. He served as a subcommittee chairman, had 29 of his legislative initiatives signed into law, and introduced a bipartisan bill that gained the most cosponsors of any congressional bill in American history. During his time in office, the nonpartisan National Journal calculated Altmire’s voting record to be at the exact midpoint of the House — the Dead Center — giving him the most centrist voting record in Congress. He also served on the House-Senate conference committee that negotiated the final language of the Higher Education Act the most recent time it was reauthorized.

He has served on more than two dozen boards and civic organizations from the local to the international level. Currently, he co-chairs the Board of Advisors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a collaborative project of the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University. He also serves on the boards of several other organizations, including: Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute, the political reform group Unite America, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and the Washington Political Film Foundation. He serves on the congressional advisory board of the Middle East Media Research Institute, and is a distinguished fellow at the European Institute for International Law and International Relations, a think tank focusing on global issues. In 2019, he was appointed to co-chair the national Commission on Civility and Effective Governance, which consisted of former cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, and members of Congress.

Dr. Jason Altmire is also an adjunct professor of healthcare management at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He earned his Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Florida, his Master’s degree in Health Administration from George Washington University, and his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida State University.

Andrew Jahn is the president of Adventist Health’s Southern California Network. In this role, Jahn leads strategy and operations for Adventist Health in the greater Los Angeles basin, which includes acute care hospitals in Los Angeles, Glendale and Simi Valley, with more than 1,000 licensed beds, 40,000 annual discharges and over 750,000 emergency department visits each year. The network includes an integrated graduate medical education program, a multispecialty physician group with over 25 outpatient clinics and three ambulatory surgery centers as well as home-based services. Andrew has served as chairman of the board for Adventist Health St. Helena, Adventist Health Glendale, Adventist Health White Memorial and Adventist Health Simi Valley and as a member of Adventist Health’s executive cabinet since 2018.

Prior to this role, Andrew was president of Adventist Health’s Care Division. He also served as president of Adventist Health Sonora and executive leadership roles at AdventHeath in Kansas City and Florida Hospital in Orlando.

Andrew is a member of the Glendale YMCA board and Union College Advisory Board, past treasurer and Executive Board member for the Hospital Council of Northern & Central California and past board member and trustee for the California Hospital Association. He holds certifications from G.E. in Lean & Six-Sigma, a Bachelor of Science from Union College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.

Edward M. Cramp represents institutions of higher education around the United States in accreditation, regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. He also serves as the managing partner of the firm’s San Diego office.

Mr. Cramp is active in the private postsecondary education community. He regularly speaks at conferences and events throughout the country on a variety of issues.

Mr. Cramp served as a judge advocate in the United States Navy, where he was appointed to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. During his time in the naval service, he defended numerous matters before courts-martial and administrative boards. He also represented the interests of the United States in claims brought against and on behalf of the Navy.

Mr. Cramp is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and LGBTQ rights. He serves on the steering committee of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion program. He regularly represents members of the LGBTQ community in civil rights matters on a pro bono basis and is active in the local LGBTQ community.

Mr. Cramp is admitted to practice in California and Illinois. He is a graduate, with honors, of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law and a graduate of the University of California, Riverside.

Rachel Friend is a Mindset Coach & Relationship Expert who has made it her mission to help you find more joy on the journey by tapping into the power of your mindset. She specializes in giving you the tools to shift your perspective so you can experience the life changing effect it will have in your personal & professional world. She believes that once you learn how to harness the power of perception, you can navigate any situation and connect more meaningfully with others — a solid recipe for joy. With a Masters Degree in Human Communication, Rachel has taught her methodology in the University setting and is excited to show you what your life could look like with a limitless perspective.

Dr. Keri Ohlrich, CEO and co-founder, is an outcome-focused senior executive with more than 20 years of success in the HR, manufacturing, consumer goods, and consulting industries. Her broad areas of expertise include strategic planning, business development, employee relations, talent management, culture change, conflict management, performance management, organizational development, workshop facilitation, and employee engagement and development. Throughout her career, Keri has held leadership positions at a variety of organizations ranging from start-up to Fortune 500 companies. In her previous roles she has created and implemented HR processes, redesigned the talent function for an organization serving 25,000 global employees, led change management for a new business strategy, and overhauled the Human Resources department. Keri obtained her PhD in Human Development and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. She holds an MS in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University, an MS in Global Human Resources from Loyola University Chicago, and a BS in Psychology and Business from Carnegie Mellon University. She resides in Pasadena, CA.

Registered Dietitian, Adjunct Professor, Pilates & Mindfulness instructor in the North County San Diego area. I am passionate about balance – incorporating health, wellness, nutrition, physical activity, and mindfulness daily while enjoying life! I love to teach and work with people to improve their lives through healthy eating and exercise while making behavior changes that last a lifetime. My true love is working with animals. Their amazing ability to connect with humans and genuine nature should be experienced by all.

A truly effective account services professional not only understands the central roles of listening and asking the right questions, but how creative and media play integral parts in ensuring campaign success. Tammy has spent more than two decades honing this craft, guiding industry giants in Healthcare, Education, Finance, and Travel and Hospitality to success. Tammy is proactive in working with cross-functional teams in Digital, Traditional Media, and Tech.

Media buying and planning is a science and an instrumental part of every successful campaign. With veteran media strategist, Jackie Post, at the helm of EXACTA’s omni-channel media services department, every marketing effort is on-target, cost-effective, and aligned perfectly with client objectives. Over the years, her keen sense of negotiation and her extensive advertising and marketing know-how in both digital and traditional formats have been key in the overall growth and success of our clients in Healthcare, Education, Finance, Travel and Hospitality, and e-Commerce. “Great creative needs the right platform and audience to succeed,” Jackie professes. “Never underestimate the power of media planning and placement with the right message.”

Kate is Special Counsel with the Higher Education Practice Group of Cooley LLP. She has been working in higher education for nearly 15 years in operational, legal, regulatory, compliance and governmental affairs capacities. She has developed expertise in accreditation, state licensing, federal Title IV and other relevant state and federal higher education statutes and regulations. Her role also includes assessing and operationalizing new and changing laws and regulations; developing compliance structures, including analysis of existing operations; conducting compliance auditing; and reviewing and developing legislative and other governmental policy. Kate has served as an institutional representative with the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education Advisory Committee since 2010.

Internationally known educational consultant and nurse educator, Tim Bristol, is a faculty member at Walden University, consultant for the Haiti Nursing Foundation and FSIL nursing school, and owner of NurseTim, Inc. Dr. Bristol helps empower schools not only across the country, but also across the globe — at all levels of education and accreditation. He has led teams through initial program approval, interim reports, and reaccreditation as a faculty member, administrator, and consultant, and specializes in active learning for class, clinical, and lab environments. Schools and government organizations around the world consult with Dr. Bristol to integrate new standards, introduce curricular innovations, make education more accessible, and develop strategic plans. As a faculty development and curriculum design specialist, he is an expert in bringing the evidence-base of nursing, healthcare, and education to students and faculty in the states, and as far away as Haiti. Dr. Bristol also writes and contributes to numerous publications, and is known for his motto: “Today we will learn how to learn.”

Elizabeth Keifer Herron, a founding partner of PEAC Student Loan Assistance, is currently a member of the executive management team of CARS. Elizabeth provides client services, community outreach, and is the chief compliance specialist for the family of companies. Serving on numerous committees for higher education associations, she presents at many workshops and conferences; her presence in Washington, DC enables her to access up-to-the-minute information on a variety of legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry. Prior to founding PEAC in 1992, Elizabeth was the chief lobbyist for the Career College Association (now CECU) and served as an experiential educator for Outward Bound Professional, facilitating corporate teambuilding workshops to improve organization efficacy. She received her BA with honors in Political Science and Economics from Douglass College of Rutgers University, and resides in Washington, DC with her husband and two boys.

Chris Alvarado has been a Dale Carnegie Certified Trainer since 2012! After taking the most advanced public speaking program offered by Dale Carnegie Training – called High Impact Presentations – Chris checked out of a career in banking and immediately pursued a career as a trainer with Dale Carnegie Training, and he hasn’t looked back since. He loves to train public speaking, leadership and people skills, and he loves to help those who may have struggled for years with fears and lack of competency in these areas. He trains everyone from executives to college students. He is certified to train  High Impact Presentations and Dale Carnegie Training’s most well known program,  The Dale Carnegie Course.

Gary Byron has presented to over 40,000 people from ages kindergarten to adult.  He started 3 businesses, has an MBA in Management from Loyola Marymount University, and a BS in Chemistry from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.  When he got bored, he wrestled an alligator, did standup comedy, and coached little league baseball.  The toughest was little league baseball.

Currently, he is General Manager of Dale Carnegie Southern Los Angeles, and a certified Dale Carnegie Senior Trainer.   His training specialties are Sales, Effective Communication and Human Relations, and High Impact Presentations.

One of Nancy’s greatest joys is working directly with individuals and leaders, and witnessing their transformations. Prior to joining Dale Carnegie of Southern Los Angeles in 2004, she excelled throughout a 20-year career with Delta Air Lines. In 2000, she was promoted to Learning Manager, where she regularly developed management teams. In 2004, specializing in aerospace, her Dale Carnegie career highlighted her passion to influence individuals to perform optimally. Technical experts from various STEM professions, including many Boeing and Northrop Grumman managers, have benefited from Nancy’s relationship-building coaching and her ability to help people effectively present. Using her expertise, she specializes in developing and delivering Dale Carnegie seminars for lead generation, motivation, and inspiration. She holds a Master’s degree in communication and is trainer-certified in the Dale Carnegie High Impact Presentations program.

Dr. David Gonzalez, D.P.A., M.A. is an experienced crisis communications and emergency manager. With 25 years severing the public sector, Dr. Gonzalez has implemented strategic emergency plans, handled a wide range of crises include municipal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and advised on behavioral threat assessments for higher education institutions. Holding a Doctor of Public Administration from the University of La Verne and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Biola University, Dr. Gonzalez serves in leadership positions for several community non-profit organizations, in addition to being the Faculty Vice President and Associate Professor of Public Administration and Leadership for the University of Massachusetts Global.

Kelly Guenther, COO, co-founder of Abbracci Group and the co-host of the reCHARGE® Your Life podcast, has expertise in performance consulting, cultural transformation, change management, organization design, and learning and development. Her consultative style creates the opportunity to diagnose needs and offer solutions based on a thorough understanding of the people, processes, and practices involved. Kelly’s approach is one that is holistic, focusing on the success of the individual and the organization.

Having worked in industries as diverse as healthcare, IT/technology, professional services, manufacturing, and non-profit, Kelly has honed her ability to connect with people holding positions in executive leadership to front-line employees. In prior roles, Kelly has overseen sales training programs and certification processes for over 500 VPs, sales executives, and branch managers and has led the cultural transformation initiative for a 2,500-person organization by engaging employees globally in developing core values, leadership competencies, and a robust engagement strategy.

Kelly is proud that Abbracci Group belongs to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) and is certified as a women-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as well as a women-business enterprise by the County of Los Angeles. She is certified in Prosci® change management methodology and a variety of personality assessments including Caliper and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. In addition to receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, she holds a Master of Education from Carroll University.

Having a passion for helping others, Kelly enjoys fostering animals and ensuring they find happy and healthy forever homes. She resides in Southern California with her dog, Stone.