Timothy J. G. Edris

Timothy Edris is a team and leadership development specialist. He has over a decade of experience designing and implementing corporate and university training programs ranging from 10-person team-building sessions to 120-person managerial leadership programs.   Tim is the principal consultant at Emerging Leaders Institute.

He has a Master's of Science of Organizational Leadership as well as certifications in various OD tools and instruments.  Tim is a coach who knows how to develop the potential of the people he mentors. He has coached Presidents/CEO's down through middle managers. He has a knack for creative design and the execution of organizational learning experiences, which are memorable, and help transfer learning to rising leaders’ hearts and minds. Tim also has the ability to uncover the truth about the culture of an organization’s leadership that illuminates the way to healthy leader development. In addition to highly creative means of teaching, he has taught in more traditional settings at the collegiate level and other adult environments for over 12 years.

Tim is married to Anna Luz Edris and resides in Beaver Falls, PA. He is bi-lingual in sign language and English. In his spare time he helps coach collegiate soccer, another one of his passions, at Geneva College.

Jeanine F. Blackburn Ph.D

Dr. Jeanine Blackburn is a learning & development manager who has 20+ years of CPG experience and has over a decade of experience designing, developing and implementing corporate training programs for entry level to upper management associates. She has also designed competency models to help organizations to identify core competencies for their associates. 

Jeanine has a Ph.D in Instructional Management & Leadership from Robert Morris University, an M.S. in Human Resource Management with a concentration in Training & Development from LaRoche College and a B.S. in Business Administration from Point Park University. In addtiion, she has certifications in various OD tools and instruments including Lean/Six Sigma. 

She has done extensive research on the theory of andragogy and differentiated instruction.  Her published dissertation “Differentiated Learning Modules for Corporate Training Based on Learning Styles”, focused on the benefits of customizing training based on employees learning styles.  She has interviewed numerous training professionals throughout the United States to obtain information along with her research results to support her theory that individuals learn best when training is differentiated to meet the learners’ needs.

Jeanine is married to Russell Blackburn Jr. and resides in Kennedy Township, PA.  In her spare time she helps mentor high school students, enjoys scrapbooking and spending time with her family

Francois Guilleux Ph.D

Francois Guilleux has been facilitating experiential leadership development opportunities for 20 years. After working with adolescents in wilderness programs, Francois moved to New England where he contributed to the development of a risk prevention collaboration between Boston Public Schools, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Mass. General Hospital. Since returning to Pittsburgh in 2000, he has been involved in several change management efforts in the non-profit sector. Francois co-founded a graduate program for experiential educators at Westminster College. He has taught leadership and organizational change courses at Harvard University, Teachers College Columbia University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Francois has worked with ELI since 2006. His specializations include team development, organizational diagnosis and highly creative experiential designs. He is a facilitator of the Immunity to Change, Core Communication and I-Skills Zone seminars. Francois is trained in the administration of the Subject-Object Interview, a developmental measure used in executive coaching. He holds a masters degree in education from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was involved in the development of the new principal preparation program, the Leadership Institute for Transforming Schools (LIFTS). Francois’ research focuses on adult development and leadership education. In his other life, Francois can be found with his wife, dust-covered in the midst of renovating a home from the 1890’s in the East End of Pittsburgh or sharing time with his daughter Annelise as she discovers the world.

Seth T. Hufford

Seth is a leadership development, professional coaching, and group facilitation specialist.  He believes that by increasing the leadership capacity and awareness of individuals, we in turn create improved relationships, workplaces, and communities.  Seth works with people at all stages of their careers – young professionals, middle managers, and senior executives.    

Seth spent the last decade directing yearlong community leadership programs in both New York City and Pittsburgh.  In six years at the helm of Leadership New York, he completely redesigned the program’s curriculum by integrating the Cambridge Leadership Associates’ trademarked Adaptive Leadership methodology and crafting workshops centered on direct conversations about diversity.  During his tenure, Seth trained and coached over 300 mid-career professionals from business, government, and nonprofit organizations.

Prior to living in New York City, Seth directed Leadership Development Initiative and Leadership OnBoard – both programs of Leadership Pittsburgh Inc.  In addition to building the leadership capacity of the young professionals participating in these programs, Seth spearheaded a multi-organizational collaborative effort to train and connect these individuals to serve on nonprofit boards of directors.  Seth began his work in leadership development by incorporating and running a countywide program administered by a Chamber of Commerce in Western Pennsylvania.  He started his career in the Philadelphia office of Booz Allen Hamilton, a worldwide management consulting firm, conducting trainings for employees of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Seth holds a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College.  He is a member of the American Society for Training and Development.  When he’s not working, Seth enjoys spending time with his wife, Dorie Taylor, and their son, Nevins.  In addition to talking public policy and politics or reading about leadership theory, Seth gets his kicks from live and recorded music, international football, and the urban fabric of cities.