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Board of Directors

President

Kavita Gupta has over 20 years of experience in education and training. She was a former corporate trainer, consultant and adjunct, and has expertise in needs assessment and the design, delivery and management of training programs for universities, the private and public sector. Kavita was actively involved with ATD Global for over a decade and is the original author of A Practical Guide to Needs Assessment (Wiley, 2014 co-published by ASTD). She is also the recipient of the LA chapter Volunteer of the Month and two ATD Global Share Our Success awards. Kavita has worked with over 2,000 professionals and volunteers, served on numerous boards and chaired over 25 committees. She currently chairs the USC Rossier School of Education Online Master’s Learning Design and Technology Advisory Board. Kavita graduated Magna Cum Laude with an MS in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University and holds an MA in Sociology from Rajasthan University and a BA in Economics from Delhi University in India.

Chief Financial Officer

Anna Halbur currently works for the Foundation for Affordable Housing (FFAH) as the Controller and head of the accounting department. Anna oversees all accounting activities and financial reporting for the FFAH. Prior to joining FFAH, Anna worked in the auditing and assurance practice for KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm. While working in public accounting, she specialized in real estate, asset management, and not-for-profit clients. Anna is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Chapman University. 

Secretary

Annie Liao has over 15 years’ experience as an educator and organizational strategist. She currently serves as an instructional designer at Dine Brands Global developing training for over 1,500 IHOP restaurants. She began her career in museum education and subsequently worked in higher education designing and delivering leadership training. She has also been involved in the book publishing industry and additive manufacturing where she enjoyed the challenge of creating learning solutions for emerging technologies. Annie volunteered on the ATD-LA chapter meeting planning team and holds an M.A. from Wheaton College, Illinois and an undergraduate degree from The College of Wooster, Ohio.

Director of Marketing & Communications

As Director of Client Development at Caveo Learning, Sheri Winter is working directly with senior learning leaders and the business, helping them create learning strategies and solutions that deliver measurable impact to their organization’s goals, with a focus on strategic learning consulting, learning & performance solutions, and learning technologies. Her experience as a thought leader, published author of many learning industry magazine articles, conference speaker, workshop/webinar leader and blogger has created a network of learning professionals and business leaders that are passionate about creating value for their organizations. Sheri has a BA in Communications and more than 30 years’ experience in learning and media. She is a board member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association San Diego (HBA), Lifescience Training and Educators Network (LTEN), and Association for GXP Excellence (AGXPE).

Director of Volunteers

Valerie Quezada has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry ranging from clinical to commercial manufacturing with a variety of responsibilities. Her current role at Takeda Los Angeles is Instructional System Designer, supporting multiple business units. In this capacity she develops eLearning, designs various curricula, and facilitates training sessions. She recently obtained her M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology from California State College, Fullerton and in addition holds a B.S. in Animal Science from California State Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo. In her spare time, she explores the local trails with her horse Cowgirl.

Member-At-Large

Anupa Naik is a veteran Learning & Development professional with a comprehensive background in a variety of leadership and consulting roles, industries, and Fortune 500 companies such as AIG, L‘Oreal USA, United Airlines, and more. A Chicago native, she earned a Master’s degree in Adult Education from Loyola University Chicago, then moved to New York City where she lived, worked and also served on the Board of ATD New York. Now a new resident of the Southern California area, Anupa is excited to collaborate with the local L&D community, share experiences and explore opportunities to build our collective expertise and grow in our careers.

Member-At-Large

Danielle R. Baines, M.S. is a training and organizational development professional. She has worked in industries such as labor unions, property management, and most recently finance as a technical trainer. Danielle has eight years of experience scaling up employees and enhancing operational efficiencies by creating training and development programs. She has made her imprint in the industry not just professionally, but also by acquiring a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing as well as a master’s degree in leadership and management with an emphasis in organizational development from the University of La Verne, along with a certificate in change management through ATD. 

Director of Workshops & Webinars

Danielle Jenkins has 18 years of experience in business management, organizational behavior, and technology. She holds a doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. Her expertise is in training and development, human capital management, and EdTech. Danielle is an international speaker and has served as a presenter and facilitator at numerous conferences, workshops, and webinars on topics related to leadership, human capital management, diversity & inclusion, and education & technology. She is passionate about helping people grow and build new skills so they can advance in their careers. Danielle is the founder of Integrity Management & Consulting Group, a management consulting firm based in Los Angeles, CA.

Past President

Ben is a leader in talent development and human capital. His experience in talent and organizational development spans several industry-leading national, multinational, and global organizations and iconic brands including Weight Watchers, Guitar Center, Delta Dental, and MUFG (The Bank of Tokyo). Ben has also worked as a strategic HR business partner, led talent management and diversity & inclusion initiatives, and worked in the core HR functions of total rewards, recruiting, compliance, and employee relations. Ben served as Chapter President from 2017 to 2019 and has been a member of ATD Los Angeles since 2013. Before becoming Chapter President, he was the Director of Chapter Meetings in 2016 and the Manager of Sponsorship in 2015. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, from California State University, Long Beach, graduate studies in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and certification as a Master Trainer by Harold Stolovitch, Past President of the International Society of Performance Improvement and author of the ATD bestselling book Telling Ain't Training.

Communities of Practice Leaders

Nonprofit SIG

Esther Ramirios-Mathews has over 18 years’ experience as a learning strategist. She has worked as a learning and development leader in academia, the franchise industry, healthcare, and the non-profit field. She founded Adult Learning & Workplace Education Group, LLC, and helped healthcare clients engage in change management initiatives to comply with the Affordable Care Act requirements and served clients including Manhattan Physicians Group, LAC-USC Medical Center, and Kaiser Permanente. She has helped organizations develop Coaching Academies for Front Line Supervisors, institutionalized Professional Development Systems, and developed SME Training Workgroups. Esther holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management and a second Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Adult Learning and Curriculum Development.

OD SIG East

Jonathan Troper is director of the Center for Innovation and Change (CIC), a consulting unit at Alliant International University. He has led a highly inclusive strategic planning process that engaged all stakeholders over a two year development period. The strategic plan acts as the university’s north star. Implementation is actively underway. At Alliant, he and his colleagues launch careers. He teaches Training and Development, Business Principles, and Professional Practice. Jonathan has a background in OD, program evaluation, tech executive recruiting, and fundraising. He has co-chaired the ATD-LA OD special interest group with Scott Wimer since the turn of the century. He earned his PhD at UCLA and Bachelors at Amherst College. 

OD SIG West

Scott Wimer of Wimer Associates is a seasoned OD consultant, executive coach and facilitator with multi-industry experience in the for-profit, government, and NP sectors. He works with CEOs, executives and managers, and he specializes in coaching extremely intelligent and challenging leaders. He does teambuilding and complex facilitation to help organizations reach their goals, and he conducts highly engaging workshops on coaching, communication and performance management. Scott has a PhD in psychology from UCLA, and he is a leading authority on executive coaching and 360° feedback. Also, Scott teaches highly-rated classes at UCLA and other universities.

South Bay GIG

Sue Gabriele is an innovator and consultant in systemic school and workplace renewal. After a twenty-year career as a high school teacher and university instructor, she returned to graduate school seeking answers to problems in public education and urban workplaces. In 2002, she earned her PhD in Human Science: Social and Institutional Change. Over the last twenty years, Dr. Gabriele and associates have been exploring a new super power tool, the “GEMS RoundTable,” excellent for enriching, transforming, and increasing communication in workplaces, schools, and professional societies.  She continues writing, working and consulting in her expertise.

South Bay GIG

For the past 15 years, Anthony Markovich has collaborated with clients to deliver innovative and engaging learning experiences, first as an external consultant with Accenture, then as an internal consultant with Teradata.  He has led and contributed to the design and development of numerous web-based, in-person, and blended learning solutions, focused on enhancing the capabilities of sales professionals and people leaders.  In his current role as a Sr. Manager of Learning & Development at ZipRecruiter, Anthony is focused on elevating the organization’s onboarding experience and providing people managers leadership development opportunities.  Anthony completed his MBA at Loyola Marymount University and is now a part-time lecturer in LMU’s College of Business Administration.

Chapter Managers

Social Media Manager

Katrina Reiniers-Jackson spent twelve years working in TV, specifically in post-production, before joining the learning and development field. She’s passionate about applying L&D principles to the entertainment industry, with a focus on developing creative and often freelance employees and bringing order to chaos through process improvements supported by L&D initiatives. She earned her CPTM certification from Training Industry in 2019, and looks forward to future educational opportunities. In her spare time, she writes fiction and reads as much as she can.

Orientation Facilitator

Guy Morgenshtern is an Instructional Designer and Facilitator with a background in organizational consulting. He has worked with all types of companies, ranging from high tech start-ups to those in the airline industry. Now, working at Applied Medical, a new generation medical device company, Guy provides training in technical skills as well as leadership development. He also enjoys giving lectures and workshops on a variety of topics including career empowerment with mindfulness. Guy discovered ATD when he moved to Los Angeles in 2018 and found a community that inspires passion and creativity in talent development. Volunteering with ATD gives him the opportunity to help others and be involved in activities nurturing the field.

Office Administration

Association Administrator

Denise is the ATD-LA Association Manager and has been with the chapter since 2008. She handles the day-to-day operations, reporting, and compliances; and is your contact through email and phone. Her business, More than Just Words, is an association management and virtual assistance company. She also manages the ATD-Orange County Chapter and serves as a bridge for the two chapters. 

Office Administrator

Grant Skakun is a freelance copyeditor and business writing trainer. He is the founder of Eucrest Writing where he designs and delivers writing training seminars, writes and edits business documents, and coaches professionals on improving their writing performance. He also proofreads resumes, cover letters, and graduate and undergraduate writing. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history at the College of William & Mary. As the ATD-LA office administrator, Grant is responsible for managing email communication, updating website content, and assisting the board of directors with chapter initiatives.

Interested in becoming an ATD-LA Officer, Manager, or Volunteer?

Visit our volunteer page and complete our interest form: Click Here

ATD-Los Angeles Chapter
9852 W. Katella Ave. #187
Anaheim, CA 92804
office@atdla.org
562-908-3020
Chapter Code: CH8028

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