ProLEAD Certificate Program — Advanced Leadership

We have all heard the saying, “Put your mask on first before helping others.” Leadership is much like this. Meaning you, as a leader, must first have your mindset and emotions right in order to lead others to the highest level. In the session, you learn how to develop a growth mindset and leverage your emotions to better serve yourself, your employees, and the company. The results of a growth mindset include seeing new opportunities not seen before, more employee productivity, creativity, innovation, engagement, and commitment.

• Class Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025

Facilitator: Ronee Anderson

Ronee Andersen helps leaders and small business owners reach their potential by leveraging leadership, a growth mindset, emotional intelligence, team building, and company culture. Ronee has her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification, an MBA with an emphasis in HR, and is certified through Coach Training Alliance. She has an Advanced Certificate in Strategic HR from Cornell University and a Certificate in Organizational Analysis from Stanford University.

In this introductory webinar, leadership coach, Joel Bennett, will help participants identify leadership behaviors they would like to improve throughout the certificate program. Using an individualized process and the Habit Builder tool, each participant will implement these new behaviors into their daily work habits.

• Class Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025 9 – 10 AM

Leadership Coach: Joel Bennett

Joel Bennett has more than 20 years of human resource experience and excels at building organizational capacity by providing customized consulting, training, and coaching services to growth focused businesses. His expertise in leadership and organizational development, performance management, and recruiting allow him to assist leaders in tackling challenging personnel and organizational issues. Joel has worked with clients in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, construction, service, education, and healthcare.

Joel graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography, and a Master's in Organization Management from the University of Phoenix. He is also a certified practitioner of the DISC assessment and an Actionable Consulting Partner for the Actionable Conversations line of leadership development tools.

Are you stressed because you spend all day working and at the end of it you have nothing to show? Gain insight on when your peak performance time is during the day and what activities you should be doing during that time. Also, receive solutions for time wasters, review tips for utilizing work resources, and examine how super productive people get it done.

• Class Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025

Facilitator: Terry Whitson

Terry Whitson is an independent training and development consultant with more than 25 years of experience in corporate training. She earned a master's degree in training and development from Drake University and an undergraduate degree in business with a marketing emphasis from the University of Iowa. Terry has been an adjunct faculty member at Kirkwood Community College since 1988 and Mount Mercy University since 2010. She has worked as a training manager and corporate trainer for several large companies. She also gained valuable insight into customer communications from her early work experience as a customer service manager.

More than ever people are looking for leaders who they can trust and respect. This is built on a foundation of ethics. In this class you will learn the vital role that the values of trust, respect and ethics play in the workplace. Behaviors that exemplify each of these values will be clarified, and the class will observe how each of the values play a role in a leader’s influence. This class will challenge and inspire you to be that kind of leader we all need now and in the future.

• Class Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Facilitator: Heather Woody

Heather L. Woody is a success coach who assists individuals personally and professionally to help them experience their greatness. She has a passion for working with people as they pursue their own road to success, goal achievement and fulfilled lives.

Heather is a master certified coach through the Certified Coach Federation and a graduate of Coach Inc., one of the largest international training organizations for professional coaches. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Communications from the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a FranklinCovey consultant/facilitator and certified in The 5 Choices, The 7 Habits Signature, and Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results Leadership.

We take proactive steps to build a retirement plan, to manage our health, even invest in cars and properties to maintain and create value, but too often leave our own careers to chance. Be the architect of your professional life, starting now. Step one as a leader happens in your current role and decisions – at the place where your expertise, your brand communication, and your relationship network meet – a blueprint. Step two is building out a career vision through strategic learning – digital technologies, industry trends, and people knowledge transfer. This course will touch on topics from LinkedIn and productivity tools to hiring and seeking feedback. Learn how to architect your career, as a professional and as a leader, like a pro.

• Class Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025 10 AM – 12 PM

Facilitator: Sandra Flikkema

Sandra delivers a unique combination of experience in coaching, training and career management, leading managers and high potentials to make strategic changes in communication, business, and relational skills. Throughout her career, she has partnered with directors, managers, and professionals to leverage their full career potential using practical, skill-building techniques to support business results. Topics she has covered include upgrading customer service, resilience, change management, coaching & leadership skills, and career management.

Sandra is notable for her tech-leaning instructional design, highly engaging interaction, capability to discern and uncover core issues, future-focused and confidence building coaching, and her ability to promote real and effective learning. She lived for several years in Europe and has traveled extensively in pursuit of her passion for diverse ideas and effective, global communication.

Currently taking engagements in corporate training, career consulting, and executive coaching, Sandra began her career with successful stints in human resources and consulting in the Chicago area, where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Business at DePaul University. She has a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from the University of Northern Iowa and is a knowledgeable and trusted advisor to assist clients reaching for optimal performance and success.

Managers negotiate every day - from convincing a direct report to come in on Saturday, to reaching a starting salary for a new hire. In this class, you’ll discover how to approach different situations, ask better questions, frame the discussions, and analyze the risks along with weighing the various options. You will practice your new negotiation skills in a safe environment with positive feedback from the instructor and other class participants.

• Class Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025

Facilitator: Helena Long

Helena Long is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in Strategic Planning, Human Resources, and Learning and Development, holding senior and executive roles in various organizations. She provides training and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and small to mid-sized businesses across diverse industries, including manufacturing, financial, and local government. Helena has led successful company-wide transformations and offers customized, high-energy training sessions focused on achieving tangible results.

According to the 80/20 principle, 80% of the work gets done by 20% of your employees. It’s very likely those employees are probably the most engaged at the company, which is why they are the most productive. What if you, as the leader, knew what to do to get more employees engaged? This class will share the key conversations leaders need to have with their teams to impact their company culture and give them a competitive edge.

• Class Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025

Facilitator: Joel Bennett

Joel Bennett has more than 20 years of human resource experience and excels at building organizational capacity by providing customized consulting, training, and coaching services to growth focused businesses. His expertise in leadership and organizational development, performance management, and recruiting allow him to assist leaders in tackling challenging personnel and organizational issues. Joel has worked with clients in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, construction, service, education, and healthcare.

Joel graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography, and a Master's in Organization Management from the University of Phoenix. He is also a certified practitioner of the DISC assessment and an Actionable Consulting Partner for the Actionable Conversations line of leadership development tools.

Dealing with difficult people and conducting those conversations is one of the most challenging tasks leaders perform. This class session will review productive and unproductive conflicts. Gain a deep appreciation for the purpose and opportunity for healthy and challenging conversations affords their organizations. Engage in strategies that offer the best results and relationship outcomes, and clarify the “what not to do” strategies.

• Class Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025

Facilitator: Heather Woody

Heather L. Woody is a success coach who assists individuals personally and professionally to help them experience their greatness. She has a passion for working with people as they pursue their own road to success, goal achievement and fulfilled lives.

Heather is a master certified coach through the Certified Coach Federation and a graduate of Coach Inc., one of the largest international training organizations for professional coaches. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Communications from the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a FranklinCovey consultant/facilitator and certified in The 5 Choices, The 7 Habits Signature, and Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results Leadership.

Are your performance reports making a difference? By the end of this class, you will be better equipped to write and deliver performance reviews that are filled with evidence and value that direct reports appreciate and specifically know what to work on to improve their work performance. Class will practice phrasing sticky scenarios and will be exposed to tools to assist them in the future.

• Class Date: Thursday, October 9, 202

Facilitator: Terry Whitson

Terry Whitson is an independent training and development consultant with more than 25 years of experience in corporate training. She earned a master's degree in training and development from Drake University and an undergraduate degree in business with a marketing emphasis from the University of Iowa. Terry has been an adjunct faculty member at Kirkwood Community College since 1988 and Mount Mercy University since 2010. She has worked as a training manager and corporate trainer for several large companies. She also gained valuable insight into customer communications from her early work experience as a customer service manager.

Today’s organization must respond to dramatic shifting forces and a leading professional's ability to think through complex and changing situations is critical to future success. Practice how to scan the external environment so it improves judgment and decision-making internally. Expand your perspective further, use tools that support strategic thinking and learn ways to engage in new methods daily.

• Class Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025

Facilitator: Dr. Celina Peerman

Dr. Celina Peerman serves as an organizational psychologist with over 25 years of experience from front line to senior level positions, in a wide range of industries and organizations. She is passionate about engaging our human resources in innovative ways to achieve even better organizational results.

While she does some traveling for nationally and internationally, Celina is focused on helping Iowa first. Making sure we are well prepared to recruit and keep the best people and companies right here is priority. Celina’s passion is for how people behave at work; the good, the bad and the worst. Her style has been described as dynamic noting the ability to draw in even the most resistant attendees through real life examples and humor.

Celina lives in Waverly with her husband David of 27 years and two teenage daughters, and a really needy dog.

The ultimate goal for a manager is to have self-sufficient, mature employees who are proactive, trusted role models in the organization and community. This is a long road of development that progresses at different speeds and takes different routes depending on the employee. In this session, participants will be challenged to raise the bar of expectations for their staff and themselves, and leave with ideas on how to do this.

• Class Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025

Facilitator: Heather Woody

Heather L. Woody is a success coach who assists individuals personally and professionally to help them experience their greatness. She has a passion for working with people as they pursue their own road to success, goal achievement and fulfilled lives.

Heather is a master certified coach through the Certified Coach Federation and a graduate of Coach Inc., one of the largest international training organizations for professional coaches. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Communications from the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a FranklinCovey consultant/facilitator and certified in The 5 Choices, The 7 Habits Signature, and Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results Leadership.

During this week you will have a scheduled one-hour, one-on-one coaching call with leadership coach, Joel Bennett. This is your time to reflect on what you are learning in the program and target new leadership behaviors you want to practice. This is a wonderful opportunity to get personalized coaching, integrate key learnings from the program into your daily leadership habits, and build a plan to measure the impact your efforts are having.

Coaching calls will be held April 14 – 30, 2025 and September 14 – 30, 2025.