Board of Directors

Stephanie Brown is a ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), facilitator, speaker, seasoned Human Resources (HR) professional and Principal of FWD Coaching Concepts LLC. Stephanie has held positions in the federal government to include Chief Learning Officer at the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency and is currently team lead of various Human Resources and Civilian Professional Leader Development initiatives with the Department of the Army, TRADOC.

My mission is to empower, motivate and develop leaders and coaches on their continual personal and professional journey. I am honored to be apart of the ICF Virginia commUNITY; an awesome group of coaches and businesses who together work everyday in their organizations and coaching practices to empower Virginia and the world through coaching.

Stephanie received her ACSTH coach training from the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Coach Training Program in 2015. She is a transformative coaching professional who promotes a coach-based leadership style.

Stephanie is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and ICF Mentor Coach. She graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology followed by a master’s degree in Management- Human Resources. She earned a master’s in Theology from St. Leo University in 2018. She holds the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), Senior Certified Professional (SCP) certification and the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) certification of Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

She is involved in the nonprofit community serving on advisory boards and in leadership positions with several Boards. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Stephanie came to Hampton Roads (Virginia) in 1995 with her husband who served over 23 years in the United States Navy. She cherishes her family which includes her husband Michael, three adult children (Christian, Marti and Maya) and three grandchildren (Derek, Maddison and Caralyn) and she enjoys traveling, boating, fishing, and gardening.

stephanie@fwdcoach.com

Alexa Beavers, PCC, PMP, a self-proclaimed "pragmatic idealist," has a track record of coaching leaders, cultivating change-making teams and shaping organizational transformations that deliver results. Her career spans public and private sectors, and includes leadership in education, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, animal health, financial services, non-profit, and Fortune 500 companies.

As a coach, Alexa helps her clients leverage their self-awareness, resilience, learning agility and interpersonal skills so they can bring their best selves to work and get amazing results. The Axela Group’s unique SCANTM coaching approach works especially well in these times of rapid change because it helps leaders See, Consider their options, Adapt with a coach there to support them, and “Now do it again” so they can be agile in today’s changing world. Knowing that no two coaching engagements are alike, Alexa taps into her brain-based coaching practice to help individuals uncover the path that will “Axela-rate” their impact most effectively.

As a team and transformation leader, she is recognized for her insights, innovative approaches to complex issues, humanistic leadership and disciplined drive for results as “Industry Rising Star” and “Pharmaceutical Industry Luminary” by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.

Alexa is founder and managing partner of The Axela Group and sits on the Boards of Community Veterinary Outreach, USA and The International Coaching Federation, Virginia Chapter. Some of her most recent work includes heading Culture, Change and Communications for Boehringer Ingelheim’s deal with Sanofi to acquire its animal health business. Alexa holds a Project Management Professional Certification from the Project Management Institute and has a Master of Arts in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She attends Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership and is looking forward to adding the International Coaching Federation ACC designation to her credentials in the summer of 2019. Alexa lives with her husband (who is her business partner), three children and their dog, Scout, in Richmond, Virginia.

Crystal Slusser, ACC has been with Carilion for a combined 11 years where her previous experience was in General & Trauma Surgery, HR- Education & Organizational Development, and she currently serves in the Institute for Leadership Effectiveness as a Leadership Consultant and Coach. Crystal’s focus is on leadership on-boarding initiating assessments based upon needs and completing debriefs so leaders can utilize the knowledge in the workplace, facilitating individual and team leadership developmental programs, customized individual and team consulting, and serving as a critical thinking partner and coach to help leaders overcome roadblocks to reach their full potential and achieve their professional goals.

To be able to help even more leaders out in the community and the world, Crystal has started a company that specializes in leadership development, consulting and coaching called M&S Leadership Solutions. Crystal attended Strayer University where she graduated as an honors scholar and Suma Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in business administration and a master of science in human resource management with a concentration in Organization and Human Resource Development. Crystal is a certified healthcare leadership coach with her ACC through the International Coaching Federation. Crystal’s detail orientation surrounding project management and process improvement initiatives, collaborative nature and experience running her own business contribute to the skills needed for ICF Virginia.

In her spare time, Crystal spends time with family, loves to ride her horse, workout, do home improvement projects and travel to find the bluest ocean water possible.

Personal Mission Statements and / or Values: "Everything happens for a reason…just enjoy the ride and learn from it."

Charlotte Jacobs, MBA, PCC, CPC, ELI-MP is a globally recognized Leadership and Organizational Strategist and Executive Coach with over 20 years of coaching experience. With the responsible of leading personnel at all levels and with a focus on improving performance and increasing proficiency, she has successfully implemented leadership coaching and performance-based reward programs in contact centers throughout the US and Europe.

She is the Founder of InvestNLead Coaching and Consulting Group, is currently a Leadership Coach at a Fortune 500 company and is a Module Support Coach with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She has held numerous senior leadership roles such as Implementation Manager, Senior Performance Management Coach, Principal Contact Center Consultant, Project Manager and Adjunct Professor.

An energetic facilitator and trainer, Charlotte offers experience in areas such as contact center management, process analysis and design, performance insight and analytics, customer experience strategies, human resources management, DEI, instructional design, adult learning theory, project management, organizational and change management, and risk management reporting.

She is a graduate of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) where she received her certification as a Certified Professional Coach (CPC), is an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) and is a COR.E Dynamic Specialist in Leadership, Performance, Wellbeing, and Transition. She earned a BS in Systems Organization and Management with a Concentration in Human Resources from Hampton University and an MBA from Averett University. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

As a community activist, mentor and pro bono Coach, Charlotte enjoys supporting her community. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, PMI of Hampton Roads, ICF Ignite, Urban League of Hampton Roads and currently serves in leadership roles for several nonprofit organizations. She served in past volunteer positions such as the President for an organization with 2,000 members, American Cancer Society - Hampton Relay for Life Executive Board and was a Tutor for Peninsula Reads.

Charlotte encourages maintaining a work-life balance and to do so she enjoys music, comedy, cooking, traveling, meeting new people, hosting events and spending time with family, friends, and her beloved Yorkshire Terrier.

charlotte@investnlead.com

Suzanne Currier, MA, PCC is a passionate, certified executive and leadership coach. She empowers professionals and organizations to achieve their goals through the practice of coaching.

Her career spans over 20 years of professional experience in Fortune 100 companies, small businesses, and non-profits across marketing, leadership, management, consulting, and coaching domains.

She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership, a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and a coaching credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Suzanne completed her coaches training through The University of Texas at Dallas in 2017, earned her ACC coaching credential in 2017, and earned her PCC coaching credential in 2020.

She is currently an active member of the International Coaching Federation, as well as the Virginia ICF chapter - where she serves as the Hampton Roads Special Interest Group leader.

In 2019 she founded her own private coaching practice, Currier Coaching LLC, which she continues with today as the founder and principle. In her free time she enjoys spending time in Richmond and Virginia Beach with her husband and little cockapoo puppy named Dolly.

Kim Kristensen is passionate about conflict, coaching, and training! His mission is to help people awaken to their full potential by deeply listening to them, helping them uncover learning opportunities, calling them to awareness and action, and offering them relentless support along the way.

He has been a Certified Mediator for over 15 years and has a Master's degree in Social Sciences/Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Human Resources. Kim is also a Life Coach, trainer, men's empowerment group leader and trainer, former state government manager, and former circus acrobat and animal trainer -- which ties all of it together.

Born in Sarasota, Florida, at the winter quarters for Ringling Bros. circus, Kim travelled throughout the United States and Canada while performing with his parents as an acrobat/trick rider, animal trainer, and aerialist.

At age 24, he “ran away from the circus and joined life”. The following years have been focused on adult education, psychology, management, leadership, somatic psychology, personal growth, and conflict resolution.

Kim teaches and facilitates Communication Skills, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Dealing with Difficult People, Your Brain on Conflict, Conflict Coaching, Conflict Management for Couples, Managing Team Conflicts and Agreements, Leadership & Managing Conflict, Applied Psychology, De-Escalation Techniques, Organizational Management & Leadership, Human Relations, Critical Thinking, Sociology, and Organizational Behavior at universities and other organizations.

Sara Kagarise is a Certified Coach and Industrial and Organizational Psychology Practitioner with over a decade of experience in the training and development space. Sara has a passion for leadership coaching, as it allows her the opportunity to help leaders leverage their most authentic and effective self. Sara has a goal to improve the work environment for an organization’s most important asset, its human capital.

Sara serves as a Leadership Coach for a large, non-profit healthcare organization and is the co-founder of Strategic Talent Results, LLC. By focusing on the ROI of engagements, Sara has facilitated improved profits via human capital gains including reductions in turnover, increased leadership effectiveness, and increased job satisfaction.

Sara holds credentials as an Associate Certified Coach, Project Management Professional, and a Certified ROI Professional. She holds an A.A.S. degree in Radiologic Sciences from Virginia Western Community College, a B.S. in Health Science and Health Administration from Old Dominion University, and a M.A. degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Adler University.

Sara currently resides in Roanoke where she loves doing anything outdoors including hiking, kayaking, and boating. She loves spending time with her husband and pets that include three dogs and a cat.

sara@strategictalentresults.com

Heather Dias, ACC - Ignite Director

Heather Dias is passionate about encouraging each client to be their most empowered self, especially as they go through periods of transition. She considers it a privilege to walk with each client through the "in-between", helping navigate healthy transitions while always keeping their unique purpose as their guide.

She has a Master's in Counseling Psychology and began her career as a counselor focusing on areas such as self-esteem, parenting concerns, children of divorce, life transitions, and sexual trauma. In 2019, she graduated from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) where she received her certification as a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and is an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP). Heather went on to receive her ACC coaching credential in 2020.

Besides transformational and transitional life coaching, Heather specializes in purpose-driven leadership coaching. She is a part of the Jon Gordon Leadership Development Team bringing leadership training to universities and educational institutions.

She has a heart for pro-bono coaching and has coached leaders with NGOs in Cambodia. Heather’s vision for coaching aligns perfectly with the ICF Foundation Ignite whose goal is to see coaching "accelerate and amplify a positive impact on humanity and the planet." She has thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with Ignite for the past few years.

Heather has recently relocated to the Hampton Roads area where she lives with her husband. She has three grown children (Matthew, Elizabeth, and Rachel). Her life quote is: "We are all just walking each other home."  - Ram Dass.