Dr. Weber is a computational social scientist and an expert on media ecosystems, organizational dynamics, and the use of large-scale digital data in research. He teaches courses on strategic communication and media management. Dr. Weber joined the Naval Postgraduate School as a Senior Lecturer in 2024.

Ann is a Program Manager, Lecturer, Workshop Facilitator, and Researcher for the Center for Executive Education (CEE) at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Ann’s NPS teaching and research directions focus on strategic organizational design and development. For CEE she facilitates and codesigns strategy, leadership, and design workshops for senior leaders and their executive teams.

Ann’s NPS research work begins with emerging environmental, process, or technological trends to help identify areas to create new capabilities and organizational change to maintain relevancy and prosper. In this capacity she has worked with policy and battery experts at the OUSD Industrial Policy to craft an advanced battery policy as a complex adaptive system to better navigate global supply chains and shifting economic landscapes. Other research includes Navy Acquisition research exposing the risks imposed by mounting computer technical debt in warfighting systems, and using an oral history to document how the USMC integrates its reservists into warfighting components.

Formally trained in genetics, mathematics, and design, Ann’s ability to create synergies between technical and business trends provides the basis for the consulting corporation she has led for twenty-eight years. In this capacity she helped create immersive learning software for college and graduate level courses. Her work expanded into organizational develop and change through market shifts accelerated by rapid computer software innovations and economic globalization.

Winli McAnally has over two decades of experience in professional development and education of Navy leaders at all levels. Since 2006, Winli has been working at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Executive Education and helped establish the Navy Executive Development Program. She became the Director of the Center for Executive Education March 2015. In this role, Winli leads a diverse team focused on a comprehensive approach to developing leaders and their teams to enhance strategic organizational effectiveness and readiness. She administers an academic schedule of twenty-five formal courses for the Navy's senior leadership and designs and delivers over twenty ad hoc programs tailored to command requirements. She developed the Tailored Support (TS) course for Flag Officers transferring to new assignments; the unique TS program is acclaimed for streamlining the Flag transition process, better preparing Flags for their next assignment and enabling Flag Officers to more quickly adapt to the demands of their new commands. She and her team also develop customized Command Leadership Team courses that effectively accelerate strategic alignment and team development.

Winli is certified in a number of executive coaching tools, and serves as a facilitator for various executive-level education workshops offered to senior Navy leaders and their teams around the country.

Prior to joining CEE, Winli served as the Deputy Director of the EMBA program in the NPS Graduate School of Business and Public Policy and supported the International Defense Acquisition Resource Management Program in the School of International Graduate Studies.

Ms McAnally received her undergraduate degree from University of Virginia and holds a Master's degree in Marine Sciences and Oceanography from University of San Diego.

She spent over five years conducting biological and ecological research in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada and Mono Lake, CA; and served two years in Alaska on the NOAA Ship RAINIER.

Bob Huddleston, a native of Texas, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Marine Engineering. He served as a Naval Intelligence Officer, specializing in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. 

While in the Navy, he served in every major theater of the world, with assignments at the Squadron, Air Wing, Strike Group, Fleet, Joint, National and NATO levels. He conducted eight overseas deployments on numerous aircraft carriers and flagships and was stationed in operational intelligence assignments overseas and in the U.S.

His Navy assignments in Washington D.C. included serving as a Congressional Liaison Officer to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as the Air Warfare Intelligence Officer on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and as Deputy of the Naval Forces Department in the Office of Naval Intelligence. His last assignment was as Director of a multi-million dollar rapid-prototyping research and development center dedicated to improving the tactical utility of U.S. national reconnaissance satellites.

After the Navy, Bob Huddleston ran his own consultant practice for twelve years, providing executive-level services to senior leadership within the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Intelligence Community, and the defense industry on a wide array of strategy, policy, programmatic and technical issues.

He returned to government service in 2015 to provide oversight of the Navy’s Executive Development Program and to run the Navy Senior Leader Seminar. He currently serves as an executive coach, a lecturer and a facilitator for multiple executive development programs and workshops offered to senior leaders and their teams across the U.S.

Bob Huddleston is a graduate of the Naval War College and holds a master’s degree in International Studies. He is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and an instrument-rated private pilot. He and his wife reside in Fairfax, Virginia and have two adult sons.

Professor Neal Thornberry, PhD is the Faculty Director for Innovation Initiatives at the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is also a Professor Emeritus at Babson College in Massachusetts. He has been a visiting lecturer at Duke University, the University of North Carolina, Northwestern, Dartmouth, Ashridge Management College (UK), HEC (France), and Tsinghua University (China) and the Darden School.

His current work at NPS involves the design and delivery of the Creating a Culture of Innovation (CCI ) program for officers and civilians actively involved in Navy innovation efforts. This intensive 3-day course helps Navy personnel create both a strategy and an architecture for implementing innovation within their respective communities.

Dr. Thornberry is also involved in the Navy Senior Leaders course at NPS where he teaches innovation and change leadership to Navy officers. He is frequently asked to give keynote speeches on innovation and corporate entrepreneurship various organizations including the Coast Guard, Homeland Security, and other organizations interested in increasing their IQ (innovation quotient).

Dr. Thornberry holds a doctorate in Organizational Psychology and specializes in the areas of Innovation, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Organizational Transformation. His previous book, “Lead Like an Entrepreneur: Keeping the Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive in the Corporation” (McGraw-Hill, 2007), reflects over a decade’s experience helping organizations grow through the application of innovative thinking and entrepreneurial orientation. His EOS (Entrepreneurial Orientation Survey ) is still used as the basis for Doctoral Theses around the world. His latest book “Innovation Judo: Disarming Roadblocks & Blockheads on the Path to Creativity” (Evolve Publishing, 2014) helps leaders and innovators overcome the barriers they often face in ushering in the new. (www.amazon.com)

Professor Thornberry has written a number of articles and cases on business management in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His work has appeared in the European Management Journal, Project Management Journal, Behavioural Science, Fortune Magazine, Industry Week, Business Week, The European Management Journal, and The Journal of Management Development. His article "A View About Vision" was selected as one of the keystone articles for inclusion in Contemporary Issues in Leadership (1998).

He has taught and consulted with numerous organizations around the world including Ford Motor Company, Daimler AG, Chrysler, IBM, KCI, SmithKline-Glaxo, SAP, Nationwide Insurance, Home Depot, France Telecom, Sodexho, Arcelor Steel, Alfa Laval, GE, Fresenius Medical, Cisco Systems, and Motts. As a subject matter expert, he is often a keynote speaker for NGO’s as well as public sector & military organizations including the Navy (NWDC, CNIC, BUMED, and NAE), the United States Coast Guard, the Human Capital Institute, the U.S. Government, ATB Financial (Alberta Treasury Branches), PDI (Professional Developers of Iowa), IRI (retail industry group), the Republic of Thailand, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of Boston, and Kimberly-Clark.

Since 2005, Chip has served as a Senior Lecturer in Management for the Naval Postgraduate School in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy and the Center for Executive Education. For the Business School, he currently teaches the Capstone Course for the Executive Masters in Business Administration Program. For the Center for Executive Education, he teaches in the Navy Senior Leader Seminar for high potential Senior Officers and Civilians preparing to move into executive level assignments, he manages the Executive Development and Coaching Programs for the Center, and he coaches Admirals in between assignments helping them prepare for their next assignment.

Alan Webber is an Industry Analyst and currently the Managing Partner Altimeter Group. Alan’s research and client efforts focus on the understanding and thriving through disruptions at intersection of organization, culture, and technology. Lately, he has been focusing on better understanding customer engagement, distributed experience ecosystems, highly regulated industries (financial services, banking, insurance, legal, and others), government, and churches and non-profit organizations. Alan publishes some his findings on his professional blog Ronin Research.

Alan has deep experience in the use of multiple research and analysis methodologies including small and large-scale survey research, focus groups, qualitative interviews, systems modeling, and scenarios, and serves as the lead for Altimeter’s survey research efforts.

Alan is a recovering cubicle warrior with more than 18 years of experience working for and with commercial and government clients around the globe. Prior to Altimeter, he was a Principal Analyst at Forrester Research where he covered the B2B online user experience, digital engagement, and disruptive technologies in government. Before Forrester, Alan led various strategic planning, performance management, and eGovernment initiatives for the Federal government, served as a technology and management consultant, implemented enterprise-wide ERP and business systems, and managed the accounting department for a Fortune 500 subsidiary.

Alan has been interviewed and quoted in numerous business and technology publications including B2B Magazine, Business Week, The Washington Post, Government Computer News, Congressional Quarterly, CIO Magazine, CIO Today, Government Technology, and French CIO Magazine.

Alan holds a B.A, M.A., and M.S. from Colorado State University and completed his Ph.D. courses in technology policy and methods from The George Washington University.

Dr. Stephens works at the intersection of research and practice. A student of organizations, she works as an instructor, facilitator and researcher to bridge academia and industry, allowing each to inform and motivate the other. She is a faculty member at the Naval Postgraduate School where she is the Program Manager for the Strategic Communication Workshop and the Leadership and Communication for Senior Supervisors Program. She is also an instructor in the Navy Senior Leader Seminar at the Center for Executive Education. Dr. Stephens has facilitated extensively with organizations across enterprise and operational domains.

He has been an executive with two Fortune 500 companies and a leader of executive education at three highly respected US business schools, serving as:

• Assistant Dean, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
• Assistant Dean, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
• Director, Executive MBA, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

He has taught executive seminars for the University of Notre Dame, UC Berkeley, and UC San Diego. He has worked with the NPS Center for Executive Education since 2004 when he became the academic program director for the Navy’s Executive Business Course and later the Navy Corporate Business Course.

Thousands of executives have participated in highly-rated educational programs and coaching developed or delivered by Paul for executives from companies such as Bain & Company, Cisco Systems, Sybase, Medtronic, Experian, Energizer, Microsoft, Synopsis, British Telecom, CA Dept. of Corporations, Kodak, CA Judicial Council, Boehringer Ingelheim, Apple, Saudi Aramco, Hewlett Packard, Nestle, IFC World Bank, BancoMex, CMG IT Services, TAG Aviation, Intel, and numerous US Navy Commands within NAVSEA, NAVAIR, NAVFAC, NAVSUP, METOC, ONI, OJAG, NAVSAFECENT, NAVOBSY & BUMED.

Dr. Stames is a dynamic speaker and educator on topics related to Strategy and Leadership, such as effective leadership performance, leading change, strategic thinking, strategy and innovation, implementing strategy, global leadership, network leadership, team leadership, values-driven leadership, and credo-centered leadership.

He has led and taught in executive programs in Asia, North and South America, Europe and Africa. He has pioneered innovative, experiential executive education such as a 3-day leadership and team-building sailing program that combines the expertise of business school faculty and crew members from an Americas Cup challenger. This program has became the flagship experience for the Executive MBA at the Daniels College of Business.

As President and Founder of The Leadership Council, Dr. Stames created a national network to provide personal and professional development resources to more than 1,000 CEOs and top executives across the United States. His experience includes working with a variety of leaders including dot.com entrepreneurs, government executives, healthcare administrators, high-tech engineers, military leaders, clergy, university leaders, and nonprofit volunteers.

Paul has a BA degree from Duke University, an MA degree from Yale University, a diploma from the Advanced Management Program at Washington University, and his Doctorate from the San Francisco Theological Seminary at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley.

John M. Smart, M.S. (Futures studies, U. Houston), M.S. (Physiology, UCSD) (Civ) has 17 years experience as a foresight educator and scholar of technological change. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on foresight development, leadership, and adapting to rapid technological change at the U. Houston and UAT. He has lectured and workshopped on strategic and technology foresight process since 2004 for the Air War College, Army Science Board, Army Training and Doctrine Command, Army War College, CA Law Enforcement Command College, DARPA, FBI Futures Working Group, Navy-Joint Capabilities and Integration (N83), National Air and Space Intelligence Center, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), and the US Naval Institute. John Smart’s contribution to CEE includes work with NSLS and Transition Support, and the use of superior foresight process to improve innovation, intelligence, and security, with a particular emphasis on small teams.

Jenn Pilotti, M.S., entered the fitness field in 2001. She writes for several websites, including Breaking Muscle and Think Movement, and teaches workshops on anatomy, biomechanics, and proprioception throughout California. She also owns and maintains a private practice at Be Well Personal Training, a boutique studio in Carmel, California. She holds numerous certifications, and is a continuing education provider for the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Dr. Rich Grenhart is an experienced clinician, coach and educator. He has taught at the middle school, college and adult levels. He has been active in leadership development and executive coaching since 1998. Building on over 30 years’ experience as a clinical psychologist, he has coached and trained hundreds of leaders from first-time managers to senior executives. An active adjunct faculty member with the Center for Creative Leadership and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, he has had the opportunity to work with leaders from all corners of business, industry, government and the military.

Captain Simonia Ridley Blassingame, USN (retired), SPHR, SHRM-SCP earned her MS in Operations Research at the Naval Postgraduate School and her MS in Educational Leadership at Troy University. While on active duty, she served as military faculty with the NPS Graduate School of Business and Public Policy. As an innovative Senior Human Resources professional, she often restructured, redesigned, conceptualized, and implemented major initiatives to support strategic Navy objectives. She has a comprehensive background in a variety of human resources disciplines that include leadership and development, training and education, talent management, and data analytics. Additional competencies include strategic planning, budgetary oversight, program management, collaboration, stakeholder relationships, change management, operations management, and process improvement.

Currently she is the founder of SANE Leadership Incorporated where she coaches clients using various assessments to help individuals grow in personal leadership, reduce conflicts, and raise emotional intelligence. This improved performance has helped individuals reach goals and guided teams to higher levels of organizational effectiveness. She is the Director for Continuing & Professional Education at Gordon State College and has served as a non-profit President/CEO and as a Board Member of several non-profit organizations.

Audra Adair is a native of Arizona. After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Physiology she received four national health certifications. As a wellness educator and competitive athlete for the past fifteen years, Audra Adair has been an avid health facilitator for professionals. Drawing on her university education and experience as an Ironman triathlete, Audra uses a comprehensive approach to wellness.

During her time in Pensacola she worked as a research assistant at NAMRL (Navy Aerospace Medical Research Lab), using the ROBD (Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device) as a mode of non-exercise induced cardiac stress testing in developing a research grant. While at NAMRL
she conducted cognitive screen studies as well as pilot vigilant testing using the ROBD. After moving to Cherry Point NC, Audra became a certified Lifestyles and Weight management consultant and came to work with a Bariatric surgeon as the practice exercise physiologist. Feeling the need to be a part of the Return to Readiness program at NAS Cherry Point, she took a position as a Wellness Educator delivering PME (Professional Military Education) and directing BCP (Body Composition Program).

Audra entered into a seven year career in physical and occupational therapy in Havelock NC at a multi practitioner clinic, as a staff physiologist writing pre- and post-surgical rehab programs, researching new exercise protocol, and maintaining intra office educational requirements.

In the fall of 2009 Audra came aboard the Center for Executive Education (CEE) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) as a SME in Wellness and Health. During the past ten years at CEE, Audra has lectured at the NSLS (Navy Senior Leaders Seminar), ST (Strategic Thinking), and TS (Tailored Support) courses at various locations to include NPS, the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill, and the Darden School of Business at UVA Charlottesville. Audra has designed wellness programs for over one thousand military leaders from Captain to Vice Admiral. As the Wellness track leader at CEE, Audra has worked to develop senior leaders in broadening their scope of expertise in the areas of nutrition, stress management, sleep solutions, injury prevention and wellness.

Her competitive triathlete career began in 2000. After countless age group and overall awards she has risen to the level of a world class athlete while qualifying for multiple World Championships. Audra believes that living an active healthy lifestyle while balancing home, career and family not only lead her to a long athletic career but will serve to lead and motivate others to be their best and pursue their goals.

Erik Helzer, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations in the
Department of Defense Management at the Naval Postgraduate School. Dr. Helzer teaches and
advises senior leaders and graduate students on topics including ethical leadership, workplace
communication, organizational behavior, and decision-making. In his research and teaching, Dr. Helzer develops and applies insights from psychological, organizational, and behavioral science to understand and address problems in the fields of defense, health, education, and leadership.

In support of recent DoD initiatives, he has worked with Navy Personnel Command to improve performance assessment in the Navy; with N17’s Culture of Excellence to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within Navy commands; and with the Army Resilience Directorate to understand the impact of leadership traits on career success and well-being. He has collaborated on numerous graduate student thesis projects focused on diagnosing and addressing human-centered operational problems in the defense sector.

The academic career path has led Dr. Helzer across the United States and back. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy at Oregon State University, he moved to Ithaca, New York to complete doctoral studies in Personality and Social Psychology at Cornell University. He completed postdoctoral training at Wake Forest University and was an Assistant Professor of Management at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School before joining NPS in 2020.

Captain Joseph (Joe) Andrilla, USN, Retired, served on active duty for 30 years and has extensive propulsion engineering, combat systems engineering and project management experience. He has served as an operational warfare commander of a carrier strike group, as a Destroyer Squadron Commander and as Commanding Officer of a Pacific Fleet guided missile destroyer. He has taught Economics at the U.S. Naval Academy, been a NAVSEA major program manager and has commanded a Naval Surface Warfare Center.  Captain Andrilla has been a coach and SPEAR and SCW workshop facilitator for the past 8 years.

William (“Bill”) F. Lincoln’s proven effectiveness as an educator and trainer is enhanced by his 40+ years of experience as a practitioner of negotiations and mediation in diverse, critical and often highly volatile scenarios involving governmental, private, community, environmental and international sectors.

Education

• 1967 - MA/MD Colgate Rochester

• 1964 - BA [Cum Laude] Franklin College of Indiana

Faculty Credentials: Negotiations, Collaborative Planning and Mediation

• 2006-present - Senior Lecturer, Center for Executive Education, Naval Postgraduate School Courses: NSLS, TS, and ESC

• 1986-95 and 2005-present - Adjunct Faculty U.S. Federal Executive Institute

• 2000-2012 - Senior Faculty, VISN 20 Executive Program’s “Core Competency Leadership Series”, Veterans Administration, Puget Sound Health Care System, Center for Education and Development

• 1994-2009 - Adjunct Faculty, St. Petersburg State University [Russia], Department of Conflictology

• 1978-81 - Academic Conference Workshop Leader-Harvard University Law School, with R. Fisher & W. Ury [and so acknowledged in Getting to Yes]

• 1976-81 - Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Teaching Faculty

Professional Credentials and Recognition

• 2009 Special Recognition Award by the Russian Congress of Conflictology (in conjunction with St. Petersburg State University) Recognition of the foreigner who did the most to advance conflictology in Russia
• 2009 Distinguished Alumnus awarded by Colgate Rochester
• 2006 Greater Tacoma Peace Prize Laureate awarded by the regional Scandinavian Community
• 2004 Award of Excellence by the International Academy of Mediators
• 2003 Master Forum Award of Excellence by the Straus Center for Dispute Resolution of Pepperdine University’s School of Law
• 1994 Doctor of Humane Letters [DHL / Honorary Degree / Franklin College]
• 1981 and 1982 Wilton Park Fellow, England
• 1979-80 Appointed by US House of Representatives Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill to serve as one of nine Federal Commissioners on the United States Commission to Hear and Examine Proposals for the National Academy for Peace and Conflict Resolution. The findings and recommendations of this Commission resulted in Congress establishing the United States Institute of Peace [USIP].

International Involvements:

Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, USSR, Russia, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, England, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, China, Canada, Sudan (in accord with US laws).

2009-2014 Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Executive Education

Naval Senior Leaders Seminar. Dr. Yuengling provides subject matter expertise for the NSLS on the link between diversity, leadership and high performance. She is a noted expert on the leadership competencies required to effectively lead diverse followership, and the impact of diversity on team and organizational performance.
2010-2014 Naval Postgraduate School, Navy Executive Development Program-Tailored Support
Dr. Yuengling provides one-on-one support for the transitioning Flag Officersrequesting input on diversity and inclusion. In addition, she provides coaching on the challenges to managing a blended workforce which included military, civilian, contractor and unionized workers.

1996-Present Managing Partner, Renée Yuengling & Assoc.
Dr. Yuengling is the managing partner, and founder of a diversity, inclusion and leadership consulting firm. She is one of the foremost researchers in the link between diverse workforces and leadership, and the impact of diversity on team and organizational performance. Her groundbreaking research, “Leading Across Diversity” was published in Managing Diversity in the Military (2009). Her interests also include bringing rigor to diversity assessments, through effective and appropriate use of statistical analysis and investigative processes. She is the architect of the Department of Defense diversity competency model, which maps to the Cross Cultural Competency (3C) model developed for the Warfighters. She has published extensively on the link between diversity and performance, and the need to train diversity skills hand in hand with leadership skills.

1979-1996 Citibank, NA International Treasury Officer
Dr. Yuengling spent 17 years asan international investment banker. Her work included currency trading, gold swaps, and consulting with multinational corporations on cross border currency exposures.

Education
2009 PhD Union Institute- Organizational Development, Multiculturalism and Leadership
1979 MBA University of Wisconsin- Madison, International Finance
1974 BA San Diego State University, French Literature
 

Dr. Maria Valdes earned her Bachelor in Psychology and Master of Arts and Ph.D. in counseling from the University of Florida. Dr. Valdes is also a certified mediator. She has been an adjunct professor with the Naval Postgraduate School since 2011 and works in the Admiral and Captain Transition Support program.

Courses Dr. Valdes teaches include Success and Derailment Factors, Emotional Intelligence, Goal setting and Action Planning. She has conducted individual coaching sessions with NFLEK and delivered over fifty feedback sessions and debriefs while at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Dr. Valdes specializes in executive assessments, climate surveys, and group facilitation with senior leadership teams, and other intact teams. She also designs and delivers customized leadership development programs. She trains on topics that include feedback and coaching skills, driving high performance, diversity, managing differences, creating supportive work environments, team building, and utilizing group resources.

In the course of her 25 years as a coach, she has provided over 4,500 individual feedback sessions to executives from a variety of Fortune 500 companies and organizations in public sectors. She has taught training sessions on a variety of executive assessment and leadership development assessment instruments. Additionally, Dr. Valdes trains and develops new feedback specialists. She is fluent in Spanish and conducts executive feedback sessions in both English and Spanish.

Dr. Valdes is familiar with Center for Creative Leadership’s (CCL) research on executive success and derailment factors and has trained classes on these issues as they apply to women and minorities. She facilitates diversity classes including promotional and development issues of women and minority employees. She also trains classes on gender differences and gender communication in the workplace. In her practices she has conducted workshops on retention issues, mentoring programs, and feedback skills as they apply to non-traditional employees. She has advised the New York Bar Association on retention issues of senior associates.

Prior to her organizational practice, Dr. Valdes taught graduate and undergraduate courses in psychology, counseling, and testing. She was the Director of Human Resources for the Denver Department of Human Services for 10 years and previously was appointed to the Civil Service Commission to supervise all testing for entry-level personnel and candidates for promotion in the Police and Fire Departments within the City and County of Denver. She has worked in Western Europe, South and Central America, Puerto Rico, Turkey and the Far East. She has visited Africa, Eastern Europe, India, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.