Discussion Leaders
We value
highly-skilled Discussion Leaders who combine the experiences of
the participants.
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Barry Kirchoff
Barry is a Discussion Leader in the
Managers’ Forum, specializing in the area of Operations.
He feels that the greatest benefit of being a Discussion
Leader is the opportunity to engage with individuals
from a variety of businesses. Barry brings over thirty
years of operations and management experience to the
classroom, and also teaches a class in Business
Consulting for St. Cloud State University. He is the
Regional Director of the Central Minnesota Small
Business Development Center. Barry earned a Master of
Science Degree in Human Resources Training and
Development from St. Cloud State University, and is a
Certified Economic Development Professional.
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Bruce Busta
Bruce is the Lead Discussion Leader
for the Finance Forum, and also facilitates a case in
the Managers’ Forum. When asked about his area of
interest, Bruce says “As strange as it sounds, I really
love accounting. It is central to the success of a
business. It can be surprisingly subjective and fun!”
Bruce is a Professor of Accounting at St. Cloud State
University. He holds a PhD in Accountancy from the
University of Nebraska, and is also a visiting professor
for the Insituto de Empresa in Madrid Spain. Bruce has
been awarded several awards for his teaching, and has
published cases in business journals.
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Dean Casad
Dean is the Lead Discussion Leader for
the Managers’ Forum. When asked about his feelings on
being a Discussion Leader for the Anderson Center, Dean
stated, “I find meeting the participants, exploring
their ideas and learning about their organizations
fascinating. I also like the challenge of guiding the
participants to look at situations from fresh
perspectives.” Dean is currently the Vice-President of
Marketing for Geotek, Inc. and has a wealth of marketing
management experiences from such companies as Toro,
General Mills and General Electric. He holds an MBA from
Harvard Business School.
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Earl Edeburn
Earl puts his experience in
negotiations, operations, and technology to use as a
Discussion Leader in the Managers’ Forum. When speaking
of his role as a Discussion Leader, Earl shares, “I
enjoy engaging with the students via the Anderson
Center. Many students come into the class believing that
their circumstances are unique and leave seeing their
connection with others in their community.” He is
currently a Partner with KDV Technology and Consulting.
Earl holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management
with an MIS concentration. |
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Eric Nicholson
Eric is a Discussion Leader for the Succession
Strategies Forum. He enjoys participating in the
Succession Strategies Forum and feels that "each
succession plan is different, and the case study method
provides an excellent starting point for discussion of
the issues involved in planning and executing successful
successions." In Eric’s role as an investment banker, he
works closely with families and management teams on
ownership succession issues. Eric is currently a member
of the Senior Team at Greene Holcomb and Fisher. Eric is
a graduate of Carleton College and the University of
Minnesota Law School (JD).
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Greg Flint
Greg is a Discussion Leader for the
Foundations of Strategy Forum, having completed the
Discussion Leadership Forum in June of 2008. Greg enjoys
helping organizations align their efforts to a common
objective with a clear strategy, and then to align the
elements necessary to execute on that strategy. He is
currently the Vice-President of Operations and Strategy
at Cold Spring Granite Company. Greg’s background also
includes finance, and he serves as a board member for a
variety of non-profit and for-profit organizations. Greg
recently participated in the Harvard Advanced Management
Program. |
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Greg Schumacher
Greg is a Discussion Leader for the
Succession Strategies Forum, specializing in the area of
management succession. He enjoys being a DL at the
Anderson Center, as he feels “the participants are
experienced and motivated to learn, making it a rich
experience for all involved”. Greg is the Principal and
founder of Schumacher Executive Search in Minneapolis.
He received an MBA from the University of Minnesota and
a Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s University.
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John Mattke
As a strong advocate of case study
methodology, John not only serves as a Discussion Leader
in the Managers’ Forum, he uses case studies as a
management development tool in his organization. As
President of Cold Spring Granite, John encourages his
people to be active in their development through
participant-centered learning. John feels that “Strong
leadership provides focus through passion, patience and
a commitment to process that creates a leadership
culture that will outlive its individual leaders.” John
is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College.
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Marc Sanderson
Marc is the Lead Discussion Leader for
the Executive Forum, and also serves as the Program
Committee Chair. Marc brings his experiences as the
owner of Wilkie-Sanderson to the classroom. As a
volunteer member of the Anderson Center Board of
Directors, he backs the mission of the Center by saying,
“As adults, we learn differently. The Anderson Center
understands adult learning and implements education in a
way that works.” Marc holds an MBA from Harvard. Marc’s
passion for case-study methodology has led him to
facilitate over 40 case studies for the Anderson Center,
while also using this skill with his own management
team. |
Pat Edeburn
Pat is the Lead Discussion Leader for
the Succession Strategies Forum, and for the Foundations
of Marketing Forum. Pat believes that the case method is
one of the most powerful learning tools he’s ever
experienced. “It allows me to engage the world with
real-world, practical solutions analogous to those that
we face in business every day,” he says. Pat’s work at
Granite Equity Partners has given him insight in
planning and guiding management succession through his
work with various company leaders. Pat supports the
Anderson Center’s mission and says that “it provides a
needed and missing service to the Greater Minnesota
business community.” Pat earned his MBA at Harvard
Business School.
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Paul Cameron
Paul brings his background in finance
and sales to the classroom as a Discussion Leader for
the Finance Forum. As Chief Financial Officer for Atomic
Learning, Inc., Paul is able to take advantage of his
passion for finance... ”There is real artistry in
numbers. With a solid understanding of a company’s
success drivers, you can see not only where the company
has been but also predict where it is headed. This
information is valuable to all managers, regardless of
their department within the company. The Anderson Center
helps people see the pictures in the numbers. Equipped
with this knowledge, managers can proactively implement
change to maximize their company’s chances of success.”
Paul holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management.
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Paul Halverson
Paul is a Discussion Leader for the
Succession Strategies Forum, bringing his expertise in
the area of ownership succession and business valuation.
When asked about his thoughts on learning using the case
study methodology, he has this to offer: “I have found
the case method to be an excellent way to discuss and
present information that is both complex and personal in
nature….while it may be uncomfortable to share very
personal information in a group setting, this is largely
diminished in the case study method where you are
discussing someone else’s situation, which most likely
will have direct relevance to your own situation.” Paul
has extensive experience assisting business owners in
the transfer of ownership to family members, management
teams and third parties. Paul is currently the CEO of
Chartwell Capital Solutions. He attended the University
of St. Thomas, where he majored in Finance and
Entrepreneurship.
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Rich Sebastian
Rich is a Discussion Leader in the Negotiations Forum.
When asked about his involvement with the Anderson
Center, Rich says, “I thoroughly enjoy working with,
learning from, and being stimulated by business
professionals in our community.” Rich has extensive
experience in conflict resolution and mediation in
business and university settings. Rich earned his Ph.D.
in social psychology from the University of
Wisconsin—Madison. He has taught Organizational behavior
and Organization theory at SCSU for 26 years and served
as the Chair of the Department of Management for nine
years. |
Rick Bauerly
Rick serves as the Lead Discussion Leader for the
Governance Forum and the Negotiations Forum. Rick’s
direct experience with governance succession includes
planning for and developing advisory and full boards
from scratch to reorganization. He brings valuable board
experience to the Forums, having served on multiple
for-profit and non-profit Boards in the Central
Minnesota area, including CentraCare and DeZurik. Rick
is the Managing Partner for Granite Equity Partners, and
earned is MBA from Harvard Business School. As a
volunteer Board Member of the Anderson Center, and as
Board Chair, Rick supports the Anderson Centers’ Mission
to provide Management and Development Services in
Greater Minnesota. He says of the Anderson Center: “The
Anderson Center provides Executive-level Forums that
give leaders the tools to take their organizations to
the next level."
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Shelly Bauerly Kopel
Shelly brings her consulting
experience in Human Resources and Organizational
Development to the classroom in the Leading Change
Forum. When asked about the role of the Anderson Center,
Shelly said, “I believe in human capital and that people
can make all the difference. Consequently, I am
particularly interested in the role of leadership
development and management education in shaping and
growing organizations.” Prior to becoming the Managing
Partner for Venture Allies, LLC, Shelly was the Program
Director in a leadership development program at the
University of Minnesota. Shelly holds a Masters in
Education degree from Harvard, and a PhD in Educational
Administration from the University of Minnesota. |
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We host the
Discussion Leadership Forum annually to train and certify
Discussion Leaders who serve as facilitators of our forums.
Learn
more about the Discussion Leadership Forum.
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