Ken Machande
Organization: University of Mary Washington
Ken Machande is the Interim Dean of the College of Business at the University of Mary Washington. Ken earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Mary Washington College, earned an MBA from Albany State University (GA), and he is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. In 2000, he began teaching accounting courses at UMW as a part-time instructor and has been affiliated with the University in some capacity ever since.
Machande has a particular interest in, and experience at, not-for-profit enterprises. He served six-years Comptroller for George Washington’s Fredericksburg Foundation in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a not-for-profit organization that owns and operates two National Historic Landmarks: Historic Kenmore and George Washington’s Ferry Farm.
He has volunteered as the treasurer for the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter (six years), the treasurer for Friends of the Rappahannock, a not-for-profit river advocacy group (9 years), and treasurer for Serenity Home, an addiction recovery organization (six years.
Prior to joining Mary Washington, Ken served in the United States Marine Corps for 21 years.
Dr. Kim Gower
Organization: University of Mary Washington
Dr. Kim Gower is an Assistant Professor of Management in the College of Business at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She earned her Ph.D. in Management from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012, and her dissertation research incorporated the use and misuse of 360 feedback in leadership assessment.
At UMW Dr. Gower teaches Management, Leadership and Social Justice (FSEM, senior and MBA levels), and Organizational Behavior and Leadership (MBA) She enjoys instilling a love for active learning and service in her students.
At the international education and research service level, Dr. Gower was the 2019-2020 Chair of the Management Education and Development (MED) Division (1800 members) of the Academy of Management.
Recently, Dr. Gower’s research has appeared in the Sage Publishing 2020 edition of “Management Today: Best Practices for the Modern Workplace” with Dr. Terri A. Scandura, and as a co-editor of the Edward Elgar Publishing book, “Teaching with Technology”, a Handbook for Leadership and Management Education (Allen, Gower, and Allen). Oxford Publishing will soon have a Scandura and Gower article out on LMX Leadership that covers the entirety of the theory.
As an active member of the UMW community, Dr. Gower Chairs the Academic Affairs Committee, She also is in her sixth year as faculty liaison for the UMW Women’s Lacrosse Team.
Dr. Gower has extensive experience consulting with organizations in a full range of areas including Conflict Management, Organizational Change, Leadership Development, and Process Improvement, particularly in the rapidly changing global landscape.
Judith Koke
Organization: The Institute for Learning Innovation
Based in Toronto, Canada, Judith Koke is a dynamic leader in the free choice learning ecosystem, with a strong track record of creating organizational change through the integration of research into evidence-based decision-making. As evidenced by her leadership roles at the Art Gallery of Ontario and The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Judith challenges museums to broaden and deepen their relationships with diverse audiences.
Currently the Deputy Director of the Institute for Learning Innovation, Judith’s career combines audience and learning research with museum leadership. She has been invited to work with numerous museum boards to build their understanding of the changing role of museums today, and worked with numerous museums in the effort to become more visitor-centered.
Judith has published extensively and taught in numerous graduate programs. Her passion for lifelong learning is currently being channeled into researching and developing the next generation of truly effective professional learning opportunities.
Charmaine McClarie
Organization: McClarie Group
Charmaine McClarie is an author, C-suite advisor, keynote speaker, executive coach and executive presence authority who helps leaders have their best year ever. She has worked with leaders in 27 industries across five continents. Her clients include top executives from Coca-Cola, Gilead Sciences, Humana, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, Starbucks and T-Mobile.
For more than two decades, 98% of Charmaine’s clients are promoted within 18 months. For CEOs, that might mean a promotion to corporate directorship. For other senior leaders, that might mean a promotion from SVP to EVP or even CEO.
Charmaine works predominately with C-suite leaders and executives with demonstrated readiness to be in the C-suite, coaching them on leadership acumen, communications ability and executive presence.
Charmaine and her work have been profiled in People, Forbes, Harvard Management Update, The London Times and The New York Times. She is on the faculty as a leadership and communications expert at the University of Missouri Kansas City Bloch School of Management, EMBA program, and is a visiting lecturer at the Smith College Executive Education program.
Philip Needles
Organization: Montgomery County Community College & UMW Continuing & Professional Studies
Mr. Needles currently serves as Vice President of Engagement and Student Experience at Montgomery County Community College. During his time with the College, Mr. Needles has provided leadership and support for multiple strategic initiatives at the College including operational launch of the Culinary Arts Institute and Virtual Campus, grant-supported efforts sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and development and launch of the College’s eSports program and Global Academy platform. Mr. Needles has been a national presenter at EDUCAUSE, Achieving the Dream, AACRAO, and AACC conferences, and has also co-published multiple writings.
Mr. Needles joined the College serving as Dean of Business and Entrepreneurial Initiatives overseeing academic and professional business programs, the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Culinary Arts Institute, Virtual Campus, and Center for Workforce Development. He has also served as Strategic Advisor to the President, and is a graduate of the League for Innovation's Executive Leadership Institute. Previously, Mr. Needles served as Dean of the Institute for Business and Information Technology at Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington. Prior to that appointment he served as Assistant Dean for Strategy and Planning at UMKC’s Bloch School of Management and also as Programs Manager for UMKC’s Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Mr. Needles began his career in education at the University of Miami School of Business Administration where he was Assistant to the Dean for Planning and Assessment. He also oversaw the school’s Entrepreneurship Program and was the recipient of the school’s Excellence in Teaching Award.
Professionally, Mr. Needles has served as: Content Consultant for a Walt Disney Internet Group International entertainment and educational product in Europe, Japan, Latin America, and Australia; Director of Programming for Disney TeleVentures, a Walt Disney Company interactive television and broadband content joint venture; and Senior Consultant with Andersen Consulting (now accenture). He also co-founded and oversaw business operations for an integrated entertainment experience media company.
Kimberly Young
Organization: Continuing and Professional Studies at the University of Mary Washington
Kimberly Young is responsible for working with state, regional, and local government, business, and non-profit agencies and organizations to support regional growth and economic development.
Kimberly was previously responsible for global and executive programs at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri-Kansas City. She was National Director of Marketing at ARAMARK Corporation and a Manager in the strategy practice at Ernst & Young.
She is very active in her local community serving on her region’s Growth Opportunity Virginia board, the Women’s Colloquium board, Stafford County School Division Superintendent’s Business Advisory Board, Spotsylvania County School Division Strategic Planning Committee, and is an appointee of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board of Trustees.
Kimberly has more than 25 years of experience in business strategy and education. Her expertise is in strategic innovation, building and leading high performing teams, and program management. Through her work with Ernst & Young and Aramark Corporation, her client list includes companies such as Coca Cola, Sprint, Eli Lilly, 3M Corporation, Boeing, and Cerner Corporation among others.
She earned her B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and earned both an MBA and a Master of Management in Hospitality from Cornell University.