Instructors

An experienced educator, leader, consultant, and leadership coach, Mary is passionate about adding value to people's lives through education and coaching. A former university professor and corporate trainer, Mary utilizes years of experience in sales, consulting, training, and education along with various assessment tools to help people and organizations in the following areas: leadership development, employee development, team building, communication skills, succession planning, and conflict resolution.

Mary received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a focus on Adult Cognition, Learning and Development from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2005. From 2006 through 2013, Mary was in the Psychology department at St. Cloud State University in Central Minnesota. During her tenure, she received numerous accolades for her teaching and engagement with the students. In 2010, Mary initiated the development of the St. Cloud State chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. She served as Faculty Advisor to the chapter until her departure in 2013. Mary was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from The National Society of Leadership and Success in 2011.

Both before and after her academic career, Mary worked in the private sector. Her prior work was as a Trainer, Team Lead, and Manager of an in house training organization for a large software organization. The wide range of experiences that Mary had in the corporate education world resulted in her asking many questions concerning adult learning and development, ultimately leading Mary down the path of pursing an advanced degree in that area. After leaving academia in 2013, Mary started her own consulting business – Ascension Leadership. She is a certified MPO (Management and Performance in Organizations) Assessment Consultant and Coach. Mary regularly leads both individual and team sessions assisting people to learn how to communicate, collaborate, and work together more efficiently and effectively towards common goals. An accomplished facilitator, Mary’s engaging leadership style in the classroom naturally lends itself towards a positive and fruitful learning environment.

Bob Bruce is a Twin Cities-based Information Architect who has expert level skills in the Microsoft Office suite of products. He’s an Excel 2013 Microsoft Certified Expert. Bob has logged thousands of hours as a software trainer, and is energized by the prospect of improving student skills and knowledge.

Many of the solutions he has developed and implemented have been for his own teams in IT, engineering, marketing, sales, and operations. He solves business problems at all levels of an organization from the board and executive team to work groups on the factory floor. His experience span from business analyst/information architect to developer and trainer.

Attorney Betsey Lund Ross is a native of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota and is actively involved in many civic organizations in the greater St. Cloud area. Betsey has established herself as one of the top lawyers in Central Minnesota area and is often asked to present to civic and business groups on a variety of legal matters. Betsey is dedicated to the greater St. Cloud area and continues to make her mark as a leader clients can count on.

Betsey received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Juris Doctor from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She received the CALI award for the highest grade in her Employment Law and Tax Law classes. She was also awarded First Place in the American Bar Association Regional Representation in Mediation Moot Court Competition.

During law school, Betsey was a litigation clerk for the League of Minnesota Cities in St. Paul, Minnesota. After graduating from law school, Betsey worked as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Jodi L. Williamson in Olmsted County (Rochester, Minnesota). Prior to establishing Lund Ross, P.A., Betsey worked as an Associate Attorney for a local law firm and then established Lund Ross, P.A. in June 2014. In 2013, Betsey was selected as a "5 Under 40" by the St. Cloud Times for her civic involvement and innovation in the legal community.

Tom Moore has more than 25 years’ on-the-ground experience in management and industry. During his career, he's helped a variety of organizations and leaders in creating operational excellence in most manufacturing and business process.  He knows business, process and people. The scope of his work includes all aspects of operational excellence from strategy development and deployment, through implementation and sustainment.

Tom is a Lean Sensei, Six Sigma Master Belt, Scrum Master and Certified Shingo Facilitator and Examiner. He combines these roles with a strong academic background: BS in Training and Development, MAs in Org. Development and Human Systems, and doctorate in Human Organizational Systems. He is a result oriented, evidence-based consultant capable of using a unique combination of theory, experience and praxis to help organizations succeed in improvement efforts and the organizational development needed to sustain those efforts.

Scott Nelson is a leadership coach, communications trainer and senior partner at Clarity Central. He is also an instructor for the University of St. Thomas Executive Education. Previously, he was a conflict resolution mediator at Mayo Clinic.

Scott started his career as a sales manager while also training and speaking on the topic of influential communication. He has done post-graduate work in ontology following his BBA in Management. He is also a firefighter with Excelsior Fire District.

Scott’s experience involves several industries as well as many different organizational and personality types. He has worked with people of incredibly varied backgrounds including Maasai tribes in Tanzania, executives in corporations, and leaders in health care, non-profits, schools, local and federal government.

As director of development at the Initiative Foundation, Carl leads donor development and grant writing initiatives to secure state, federal, and private funding. Since 2018, his team has secured over 80 grant awards, generating significant resources to support the organization's work across Central Minnesota.

Carl grew up in Arizona but loves Minnesota's four seasons—including winter. He and his family make their home in Sauk Rapids and enjoy their Midwest get-aways. And during the winter months, you can find Carl cruising the slopes at Powder Ridge in Kimball where he's a volunteer member of the local Ski Patrol.

Roseanna G. Ross is Professor Emerita of Communication Studies at St. Cloud State University. During her tenure, she served as Coordinator of the SCSU Employee Mediation Program, Department Chair, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence. With over 40 years of experience as a communication consultant and trainer, Roseanna provides training in mediation, conflict coaching, listening and team building. She is a qualified neutral under Rule 114 and is co-developer of the Ross-DeWine Conflict Management Style Instrument. Roseanna has a Ph.D. from Ohio University with a focus in interpersonal and small group communication. Professionally, she has received a number of awards including: The Conflict Resolution Center of Minneapolis Spirit of Peace Award (2015), SCSU College of Fine Arts and Humanities Leadership Award (2010), and the National Society for Experiential Learning (NSEE) Pioneer in Experiential Learning Award (2006).

Collette Rubel specializes in strategic human resource management with expertise in organizational development, instructional design, communication training, consulting and conflict resolution facilitation. She has 20 years of experience in private, public and nonprofit human resources work. Rubel is a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice and is a rostered civil facilitative mediator with the State of Minnesota. She also teaches as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Communication Studies at St. Cloud State University.

Karl serves on the Minnesota legislative commission for the Great River Road, the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and is past president of that national board. Karl was awarded the 2002 Service to Mankind Award for the Brainerd Lakes Area by the local Sertoma Club.

Starting in 2006, Karl has been providing consulting services in the areas of strategic planning, group facilitation, mediation, training, grant work and asset mapping to a variety of for and not-for-profit organizations. For the past five years, Karl has been working as a consultant to the Blandin Foundation and their Community Broadband Program, where he assists rural communities develop a plan of action and a series of grant proposals to the Foundation on how best to use broadband for community and economic development.

Prior to that, Karl was the vice president and lead staff for the community development programs at the Initiative Foundation in Little Falls for nearly nine years. This work included leadership training and grant making initiatives. The Initiative Foundation serves 14 counties in Central Minnesota.

Karl has Bachelor of Science degrees in Recreation, Park Administration and Community Education and Geography from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is a past commissioner and chair of the Crow Wing County H.R.A and past board member and president of the Gordon Rosenmeier for State and Local Government.

Karl lives on the Mississippi River near Brainerd, Minnesota. He is an avid gardener, fisherman, hunter and golfer.