JIM BATTIN
Jim Battin is founder and President of Strategic Consulting Group, Inc. located in Columbus, Indiana. Jim started the company in 1998 after completing a 25-year career with Cummins Engine Company, a Fortune 500 Company.

Jim's work experiences are in the fields of Industrial Engineering and Human Resources. It was this combination that led him to develop a consulting practice that focuses on performance improvement for businesses of all sizes and in a variety of industries. While at Cummins, he developed a Human Resource Audit system that was applied in 45 manufacturing plants in nine countries. Jim's Best Practices were utilized as an improvement tool across the company. As a result of a systematic approach to process improvement, the company was a finalist for the 1997 Baldridge Quality Award.

Jim has A.A.S. in Industrial Engineering and a B.S. in Psychology from Purdue University with graduate work in Organizational Psychology. He is also a member of the Society of Human Resources and the International Society of Performance Improvement.

VIOLET BLOOM
Violet Bloom is the founder and owner of Strategic HR Partners (SHRP), Inc. a human resource consulting service. SHRP has been assisting organizations with strategic planning, design and communication of employee programs and human resource practices for over 17 years.

Violet is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology. She holds the designation of Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) and has attained Fellow status with the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS). She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), WorldatWork and The International Society of Employee Benefits (ISCEBS). Violet is a current board member (and Past President) of the Raleigh/Durham/RTP Chapter of ISCEBS.

FLORENCE GANS
Florence (Flo) Gans is Owner and President of PathMakers, Inc., a Success coaching firm. She recently completed coach training from The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) based in San Rafael, CA. and is working toward full Coach Certification from CTI. She holds the position of Vice President of the Board of Directors of the local chapter of the International Coaches Federation (ICF).

Flo's background includes software design and development, process and methodology consulting, as well as project management for IBM. She has taught software methodology improvement classes in three countries. Flo has repeatedly been recognized for her outstanding achievements and contributions throughout her career.

Flo's current clients include entrepreneurs, corporate managers in the high tech and restaurant fields, lawyers, authors, and even newly certified coaches seeking more clarity, ease, and fun in their lives.

LAURIE J. SHAW, RHIT
Laurie J. Shaw is the Director of Operations for In Record Time, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in providing one-source Health Information Management (HIM) services. She has over twenty-five years experience in the HIM field. Laurie's background includes management of both staff and operations for 500+ bed acute care and specialty hospital facilities.

Laurie's focus is on sales and marketing, contract development and human resource management. As such, she plans and implements strategies, prepares and negotiates agreements and oversees all aspects of payroll and employee relations.

Laurie received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of West Florida. She participates in local community service activities as well as on the advisory board for the HUMAN approach.

RENEE D. WARD
Renee D. Ward formed Leading Influence to help businesses understand and appreciate engineers and other technical professionals. She does this by consulting with companies of various sizes and in various industries to develop or improve upon team building, communication, mentoring programs, and coaching.

Renee has over 12 years experience as an engineer, consultant, technical expert and trainer. She holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a Master's of Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University (NCSU). Renee is a Certified Industrial Ergonomist and has been since 1999.

Renee developed Leading Influence based on a combination of various leadership models, research in emotional intelligence, and years of successful, practical experience in the adult learning environment. She is currently looking at how the field of Executive Coaching can further enhance the value Leading Influence brings to it's clients.