Faculty

Degrees

LLM, Wayne State University
JD, Wayne State University
BS, University of Detroit

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant
ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Richard Davidson is an attorney/C.P.A. who possesses a consistent track record of using accounting and tax expertise, analytical skills, and sound business judgment while working with accounting, finance, legal, and tax professionals to devise and implement tax minimization and audit resolution strategies.

Since becoming a full-time professor at Walsh in 2013, Davidson has demonstrated the ability to successfully communicate tax technical concepts in a classroom environment while establishing effective teaching relationships with students and collaborative working relationships with faculty and administration colleagues.

Degrees

DSc, Capitol Technology University
MS, Ferris State University
BS, Ferris State University

Licenses and Certifications

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Biography

Dr. Dave Schippers brings decades of industry experience in information technology, cybersecurity, and project management to Walsh. In industry, he has worked on large core system designs, quality assurance testing and system implementations, impacting regional, national and international business operations nearing a billion dollars. From a technology support perspective, Dr. Schippers has been responsible for technology operations team, ensuring system operations in environments responsible for over $300 million in sales. As a technology leader, he directed a technology group and security operations, supporting 25 sites, three operations and thousands of users in a technologically diverse infrastructure. His leadership includes implementing over $8 million in technology bonds, acquiring federal USF funding, designing and implementing physical and video security systems, and engineering new security alert system components. He also consults as a professional investigator and cybersecurity professional, offering digital investigation and information security services.

Dr. Schippers began teaching as an adjunct instructor in 2013 with Ferris State University’s Information Security and Intelligence program, teaching forensics, advanced forensics, cybersecurity and geographic information systems courses. At Walsh, he has instilled in-depth hands on labs to technical courses. He was the architect of Walsh’s Advanced Team-Based Attack/Defend Techniques. Walsh’s Technology Advisory Board members hailed the class as a unique opportunity for students in Michigan to advance their cybersecurity skills. Also, Dr. Schippers created and designed Walsh’s Bachelor of Science Information Technology Automotive Cybersecurity concentration, setting Walsh as the first institution in the nation with an automotive cybersecurity program.

Dr. Schippers research and investigation experience includes digital image forensics with a focus on GPS data and GPS accuracy. He participated in and designed a multi-agency functional system test of emergency response/notification software for GPS accuracy and reliability. His GPS and image forensics work prompted a webinar for a global forensics company and a speaking engagement for their global forensics conference. Dr. Schippers has spoken frequently on GPS, cybersecurity, digital forensics, image forensics and technology leadership at local, regional, national and international conferences. In September 2018, he spoke at the Auto ISAC international automotive cybersecurity conference on talent generation in automotive cybersecurity and cybersecurity. He is also active in cybersecurity research and industry technology initiatives in the region.

Dr. Schippers has published the following:

Refereed Journal Articles
Journal Article (Published)
Barrios, R. M., Schippers, D., Heiden, C. M., Pappas, G. (2019). A cybersecurity strategy for Industry 4.0. SPIE DEFENSE + COMMERCIAL SENSING, VOLUME 11009

Journal Article (Published)
Barrios, R., Schippers, D., Heiden, C. M. (2019). A cybersecurity strategy for Industry 4.0. SPIE, 11009(11009OD).

Along with other intellectual contributions as:

Magazine/Trade Publication (Published)
Schippers, D. A. (2012). How To – The Black Bag Acquisition Part 1 (1st ed., vol. 1, pp. 16-19). eForensics Magazine Computer.

Magazine/Trade Publication (Published)
Schippers, D. A. (2012). How To – The Black Bag Acquisition Part 2 (1st ed., vol. 1, pp. 20-23). eForensics Magazine Computer.

Degrees

BBA, University of Michigan – Dearborn
MST, Walsh College

Licenses and Certifications

CMA – Certified Management Accountant
CPA – Certified Public Accountant
CIA – Certified Internal Auditor

Biography

John Alfonsi is Managing Director of Cendrowski Corporate Advisors (CCA) and shareholder of Cendrowski Selecky Professional Corporation. He has provided business valuation, litigation support, forensic accounting, and tax consulting services to clients for more than 25 years.

Mr. Alfonsi specializes in;

• tax planning and consulting for private equity funds
• venture capital funds
• hedge funds
• partnerships
• corporations
• estates
• REITs
• high net worth individuals.

He has helped clients develop innovative tax structures to minimize their federal, state, and local tax burdens. Together with other CCA team members, John has established an excellent reputation with the IRS and has served as an advocate for clients in the event of tax controversy.

With respect to litigation support activities, John is a recognized business valuation and economic damages expert, and has presented expert witness testimony in these areas on numerous occasions. Among other engagements, he has provided business valuation services for M&A transactions, corporate divestitures, marital dissolutions, joint ventures, estate and gift tax matters, and has analyzed economic damages for both plaintiffs and defendants. On each engagement, John uses his training as a forensic accountant to formulate comprehensive and understandable analyses.

With respect to his forensic accounting expertise, John has assisted attorneys throughout all phases of investigations from pre-case assessment through expert witness testimony. Among other engagements, John has provided forensic accounting services related to procurement reviews, tenant/landlord lease verification, and income/cash flow assessments.

He has authored articles appearing in The Value Examiner, Practical Law, and Michigan CPA, and has presented at numerous business conferences.

Degrees

PhD, University of Southern Illinois
MA, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
BA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Biography

Michael Francesco Alioto is adjunct professor of Marketing at Walsh. He teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in marketing research, consumer insights, global research, political science, qualitative methods, and quantitative applications. He also teaches in the DBA and DM doctoral programs where he has responsibilities for the research methods courses.

Alioto is a consultant for Global 1000 companies on the agency side of the business and has worked in the automotive, manufacturing, and telecommunication sectors. He has been involved in product and services development, branding, and marketing studies from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint. Alioto has specialized in the global and multicultural areas with experience in 20 countries across four continents, as well as working with the applications of behavioral approaches and methods to marketing and marketing research problems.

He is a frequent speaker at American Marketing Association (AMA) and ESOMAR conferences where a number of his works have been published. He contributed to the edited books, ESOMAR: Excellence in International Research (years 2002-2004, where his papers were nominated for the Best Paper Award). Alioto also presented frequently at the ESOMAR Latin American and Qualitative Conferences, as well as at various ESOMAR Congress around the globe. He has also contributed works to various American Marketing Association Conferences and has been published in the AMA Marketing News, Alert Magazine, Survey Magazine, and ESOMAR RW Connect. Alioto is a member of the AMA, ESOMAR, and the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences.

Alioto’s applied and academic research interests include the humanization of marketing research, behavioral economics, non-linear complexity modeling, the psychological framework of the consumer, regime change in Southern Europe and Latin America, European coalition government formation, and globalization.

He specializes in both quantitative and qualitative methods, with a main focus on the comparative method, formal logical theory/game theory, ethnographies/anthropological methods, causal analysis, and theory building.

Degrees

DBA, Argosy University
MSF, Walsh College of Accountancy and Business
Master of Science in Administration, Central Michigan University
BBA, Northwood University

Biography

Kathy Armstrong has worked in Finance for over 16 years and currently is a Strategic Operations Manager for a major insurance company. She has been a life-long resident of Michigan except for a five-year stint in the Chicago area. Kathy lives in Clarkston with her husband of 38 years. She has five grown children and 9 grandchildren.

Degrees

MSF, Walsh College

Licenses and Certifications

CAIA – Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst

Biography

Assistant Treasurer and Chief Investment Office at FCA Automobiles

Degrees

MSIA
BBA

Licenses and Certifications

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor

Degrees

MS, University of Phoenix
BE, Gujarat University

Licenses and Certifications

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Degrees

MBA, Indiana University
BBA, Temple University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant
CMA – Certified Management Accountant

Biography

Senior Finance and Accounting professional with over 25 years of experience with multinational corporations including experience within the automotive and financial sectors.

Degrees

Doctor of Management in Organization Leadership/IS & Technology, University of Phoenix
MBA, Wayne State University
BS, University of Western Ontario

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
BS, Walsh College

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
MA, Wayne State University
BS, Western Michigan University

Licenses and Certifications

CMA – Certified Management Accountant

Gregory V. Todd has taught courses in management accounting, financial theory and practice, financial management, and financial markets and institutions in the Walsh BBA, MBA, and MSF programs. Along with his teaching responsibilities, he has served in a number of administrative positions, including Chair of the Finance and Economics Department and as the founding President of the Faculty Senate. He has also been a member of various college committees and contributed to the design and development of the Walsh Finance Lab.

Prior to joining the Walsh faculty, Gregory was Vice-President of Finance for a Detroit area tier-one automotive supplier and taught in the Wayne State University College of Life-Long Learning. He joined the Walsh adjunct faculty in 1991 and the full-time faculty in 1999. Now retired, he teaches in the BBA program as an adjunct faculty member.

His primary academic interests are monetary theory and policy, financial markets and institutions, and the Federal Reserve System.

Degrees

DBA, Lawrence Technological University
MA, Central Michigan University
BS, Wayne State University

Degrees

JD, Wayne State University – School of Law
MS, Walsh College
BBA, Walsh College

Licenses and Certifications

CFE – Certified Fraud Examiner
CFA – Chartered Financial Analyst
CMA – Certified Management Accountant
ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

William M. Greshak is a Professor in the Finance and Economics Department at Walsh. Greshak began his teaching career at Walsh in 1993 before relocating out-of-state in 1998 and returning to Walsh in 2010. His primary instructional responsibilities have included both undergraduate and graduate courses online and in the classroom.

Greshak also brings 15 years of professional experience, including consulting with businesses for a wide array of financial issues, including, forensic accounting, budgets, projections, corporate valuations, internal investigations, mergers and acquisitions, industry/performance trends, fraud detection and deterrence, and internal controls covering a wide range of industries. In addition, he has also served as a state prosecutor where Greshak prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony fraud violations in district, as well as circuit court.

Degrees

DM, University of Maryland University College
MBA, University of Michigan
BS, Lawrence Technological University

Biography

Laura Frost serves as Professor of Management at Walsh in Troy, Michigan, where she teaches and researches in the area of strategic management. Her focus is on strategy process, and in particular, on involving middle managers and others in the organization in both the development and execution of strategy.

Dr. Frost has over fifteen years of industry experience in the areas of product development and manufacturing, in both SMEs and Fortune 500 companies.

Degrees

PhD, Michigan State University
MEd, Saginaw Valley State University
BBA, Saginaw Valley State University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Biography

Maria A. Gistinger, CPA, PhD, teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in the accounting department in the areas of financial accounting, managerial accounting, accounting communications, international accounting, ethics, and governmental and not-for-profit accounting. She serves on the outcomes assessment committee representing the accounting department.

Dr. Gistinger brings her extensive background in public school finance. She has always had a special interest in governmental entities in fiscal distress. Her doctoral dissertation titled, “Michigan Schools Reaction to Budgetary Distress,” focused on ways that public schools were adapting to fiscal crisis. Dr. Gistinger’s research agenda includes qualitative research methods focused on fiscal management in not-for-profit entities.

Outside of Walsh, Dr. Gistinger was most recently the Assistant Superintendent for Finance at Brighton Area Schools. She has held similar positions at Iosco RESA, Birmingham Public Schools, Oak Park Schools and East Lansing Schools. She has also worked in public accounting where she prepared tax returns and financial statements and audited municipalities and school districts as well as other not-for-profit entities.

Dr. Gistinger’s professional memberships and affiliations include being a member of Michigan School Business Officials where she regularly presents to her peers at workshops on school budgeting. She is also a member of the Association of School Business Officials International, and the Livingston County School Business Officials and is the district chair for the annual United Way campaign.

Degrees

MAC, Walsh College
Bachelor of Accountancy, Walsh College

Biography

Mona Asni is currently employed full time as controller at Implant Recycling LLC. She was previously employed in public accounting at Edwards, Ellis and Associates, P.C. Her responsibilities and experiences include preparing compiled financial statements, agreed-upon procedures reports, corporate tax returns, partnership tax returns, individual tax returns and payroll tax returns, as well as performing training and bookkeeping services for small businesses using QuickBooks accounting software.

Ms. Asni joined the adjunct faculty of Walsh in September 2012. Prior to becoming an adjunct faculty member, she worked as a tutor for the Communications Lab and as an accounting courses tutor at Walsh.

She was awarded the Walter B. Fisher Award for Excellence in Accounting (2006) and the Bureau of National Affairs Graduate Accounting Award (2012) from Walsh.

Degrees

MS, Grand Valley State University
JD, Michigan State University
MBA, Grand Valley State University
BS, Ohio State University

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Joshua Casto is currently a Portfolio Manager and Assistant Vice President for Huntington National Bank in Southfield, MI. His current responsibilities include structuring, underwriting, closing, and monitoring broadly-syndicated, complex commercial real estate loans while working with relationship managers, treasury management and capital markets to assist in optimizing customer relationships.

Mr. Casto has more than 13 years experience in commercial real estate lending. He has held roles in construction lending, commercial loan closing and due diligence, credit analysis and portfolio management. While the majority of his experience and expertise is in middle market commercial real estate lending, he also spent a portion of his career working with institutional REIT customers as well as permanent lending.

Degrees

MA, Central Michigan University
Bachelor of Engineering Technology, Wayne State University

Biography

Joseph R. Corace has spent over 30 years as a business strategist and corporate architect serving large and small business entities. Known for organizational leadership, strategic planning and business development, his expertise also encompasses performance improvement, P/L management, merger and acquisitions, marketing and startup and turnaround operations.

Mr. Corace is a servant leader with a decisive and proactive management style. Engineering oriented and operations drive, he is committed to advocating integrity, honesty and ethical business practices.

Biography

Gary Cummings held several positions, including work in Brazil, during his 32 year career with General Motors. Mr. Cummings was actively engaged in the development of many GM products. He is most proud of his chassis leadership role in the launching of the 1998 Camaro and Firebird as well as the 1999 Corvette Z06 titanium exhaust system. He was nominated for the GM Chairman’s Award in 1998 and in 2004 won the U.S.Black Engineer of the Year award in the Corporate Promotion of Education category.

Post retirement, Mr. Cummings served as Assistant Vice President at a local Community College. He worked to grow strategic alliances between the Community College and four year institutions. Mr. Cummings is currently serving as the JTEKT NA Technical Center Engineering Director. JTEKT supplies Steering, Driveline and Bearing systems to the automotive industry. Mr. Cummings is leading all Steering and Driveline technical, and applications, engineering activities in NA for JTEKT.

Mr. Cummings has been teaching Quantitative Management and Management classes at Walsh since the 1980’s. He has also served on Statistics curriculum and text book focus groups for McGraw Hill, as well as a Statistics textbook critiquer for Prentice Hall.

Degrees

MSF, Walsh College
BS, Lawrence Institute of Technology

Biography

Anthony Curti has served as division president for Acrisure, Inc since 2012. He began his career with Curti Insurance Agency, Inc., a family-owned firm, acquired by Standard Federal Bank (SFB), in 1996. He became president and chief operating officer of SFB’s insurance subsidiary and later became managing director, ABN AMRO Insurance Services, Inc., later merged and named LaSalle Insurance Services.

He was promoted to executive vice president and led LaSalle Bank’s full-service national insurance agency from 1999 until 2006. He later focused on building a network of independent insurance agencies and a consulting practice to financial institutions.

Curti recently completed a term as president, Michigan Association of Professional Insurance Agents. He remains on their board of directors and chairs a host of association activities. He was elected as national director, representing Michigan with The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, in 2013.

In addition to teaching at Walsh, Curti he also has served on the faculty of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, involved with risk management and insurance.

Degrees

MS, Rochester Institute of Technology
BS, Louisiana Tech University

Biography

Mr. Dakrouni is currently is in a Global Telecommunication Field that provides world class architecture, engineering, deployment, and support for all Wide Area Networks, Local Area Networks, Network Security, Applied Networking, Unified Communication, Voice and Video Systems.

He was recently in Network Operations Support as a team lead and SME for global and domestic core network. Mr. Dakrouni has also held position in Project Management, Infrastructure support as an Infrastructure Specialist team lead in a Data Center environment for both UNIX and Windows platforms, and in the network support as a Network Engineer.

Previous experiences positions included Quality Assurance and software delivery. In addition, he has 15 years of experience teaching as a part time adjunct professor.

Degrees

MBA, Walsh College
MS in Management, Walsh College
BBA, Walsh College

Degrees

LLM, New York University
JD, Duke University
BBA, Adelphi University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant
ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Alan M. Gallatin, JD, LLM, CPA, is an adjunct assistant professor in the Accounting and Tax Department of Walsh College. He joined the College’s faculty in 2015 with a focus on accounting for income taxes and corporate taxation.

Currently a Principal in the National Tax Office of Plante Moran, Gallatin has more than 25 years of professional experience. He provides his clients with wide-ranging tax services focused on compliance and planning. His broad expertise includes individual and business tax planning, accounting methods and periods, federal tax credits, accounting for income taxes and internal controls related to income taxes. He has been a member of multiple firms’ national ASC 740 core teams.

Gallatin’s public speaking includes local and national presentations on ASC 740, accounting methods, corporate taxation and individual tax planning. He has been quoted and published in the Detroit Free Press, Crain’s Business Detroit, New Jersey CPA, New Jersey Business Magazine, AICPA’s The Tax Adviser, and on WWJ radio and WDIV TV.

Degrees

MBA/MSF, Walsh College
JD, Pennsylvania State University
BA, University of Detroit Mercy

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Degrees

JD, The Ohio State University
MBA, Case Western Reserve University
BA, University of Rochester

Biography

Joseph Han has been employed as a REIT tax executive since 2014. His responsibilities include, among other things:

• Maintaining REIT status by monitoring tax laws, reviewing annual audit memos prepared by legal counsel, and preparing interim tests as financial transactions are considered by management
• Completing final review of all income tax returns, domestic and foreign
• Coordinating tax legal counsel review, resolves tax issues and coordinates changes;
• Actively monitoring the activities of Sun Homes and other Taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) entities to preserve their TRS status within the REIT tax laws;
• Ensuring a current log of all tax filings and related due dates for approximately 500 related entities (partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations) is maintained and closely monitored;
• Overseeing all SEC tax-related reporting requirements such as tax provisions.

From 2001 to 2014, Mr. Han worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Merger and Acquisition tax director. His responsibilities included, among other things:

• Writing private letter rulings, technical memorandums, and opinion letters for two Big Three automotive companies and other Fortune Five Hundred companies
• Working with various foreign investors and/or private equity firms on tax implications regarding REIT and real estate partnership structures and FIRPTA
• Providing detailed tax structuring advice for external acquisitions, including whether to buy assets or shares; 4) reviewing quarterly and year-end tax provisions, valuation allowance, and contingency calculation (FIN48/ASC 740-10)
• Previewing deferred tax footnotes for financial statement reporting purposes;
• Providing detailed tax structuring advice for internal reorganizations focused on maximizing the client’s tax efficiency with its organizational structure, thereby minimizing tax liability, but maximizing shareholders’ value.

Since 2015, Mr. Han has taught as an adjunct assistant professor at Walsh and Madonna University in Michigan with responsibilities including various tax courses in underrate and masters programs.

Degrees

JD, Michigan State University College of Law
BS, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Eric R. Skinner is the associate area counsel for the Large Business and International Division of the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Detroit, Michigan. The Office of Chief Counsel’s Large Business and International (LB&I) Division serves corporations, subchapter S corporations, and partnerships with assets greater than $10 million. These entities typically have large numbers of employees, deal with complicated issues involving tax law and accounting principles, and conduct their operations in an expanding global environment.

Skinner has been with the Office of Chief Counsel since 1995. He has extensive experience in tax litigation, criminal tax, corporate tax and international transactions. Skinner also serves as an IRS liaison to the Taxation Section of the Michigan State Bar. Prior to joining the IRS, Skinner was a tax attorney with the Detroit office of Deloitte and Touche. A graduate of Michigan State University College of Law, he also serves as an adjunct professor in the Tax LL.M. Program at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.

Degrees

MBA, Wayne State University
BA, Michigan State University

Licenses and Certifications

CTP – Certified Treasury Professional

Biography

Stephen Sholty taught as an adjunct instructor for Walsh from 1982 to 1985. He returned to Walsh in 2008 to teach finance classes and a treasury management course for undergraduate and graduate students. He also manages the Walsh Finance Lab.

Mr. Sholty spent most of his corporate career as a treasury manager with Ford Motor Credit Company and Ford Motor Company where he managed and marketed commercial paper and medium-term note programs to institutional investors throughout North America. He has been registered and served as a securities representative, a securities principal and a financial and operations principal.

Degrees

MBA, University of Michigan
BA, Wayne State University

Biography

As part of Ford’s D-Ford human centered design group, Professor McCracken conducts research to gain insight into customer wants needs for future Ford and Lincoln products in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and other markets.

Before joining Ford, he was a senior vice president for consumer insights and strategy at Young & Rubicam Advertising. Professor McCracken’s experience also includes launching the Visteon corporate brand identity across seven countries and directing the communication launch strategy for the MGM Grand Casino.

Degrees

Northcenral University
MS, Michigan State University
BSME, Michigan State University

Biography

Javad Katibai has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Quantitative Methods department at Walsh since 1989 teaching graduate and undergraduate statistics courses and has become full time Assistant Professor in IT and Decision Sciences Department starting Winter, 2020. He has also offered professional seminars at Walsh on topics of Statistics for Business, Budgeting and Forecasting, and Continuous Process Improvement.

Mr. Katibai’s automotive and academic career at General Motors Corporation spans well over three decades as Engineering Group Manager, Vehicle System Engineer, Designing Engineer, and as an instructor teaching “Fundamentals of Statistical Process Control,” “Correlation and Regression Analysis” and “Statistical Methods for Comparison – Hypothesis Testing” training courses. Javad Katibai is a certified Design for Six Sigma, DFSS, Black Belt utilizing application of quality management, including statistics methods, to the design of chassis and powertrain integration systems. He has also acted as course mentor at General Motors Technical Education Distance Learning program proctoring business and engineering courses offered by universities offering degree programs at General Motors.

Degrees

MS, Dakota State University
MSA, Central Michigan University
BBA, Walsh College

Biography

Christopher Heiden has 20 years of experience in information technology, digital marketing, and database technologies. He has spent the last nine years working in the marketing cloud division for a big data provider and also consults as an individual contributor to a big data provider. In addition to teaching at Walsh, Heiden has taught information technology courses at St. Clair Community College since 2007. He works with the latest in data science technologies through his academic studies and practice.

Heiden is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration in analytics and decision support. His research areas are database, data science, cloud computing, data analytics, data privacy and security.

Degrees

MA, Michigan State University
BS, Michigan Technological University

Biography

Ms. Angela Heiden brings 18 years of experience teaching college level mathematics, from remedial mathematics up to calculus 3. She teaches as an adjunct faculty member for both Walsh College and Saint Clair County Community College.

Degrees

MBA, Northwest Missouri State University
BS, Oakland University

Biography

Mr. Hendricks is an Academic Dean at Oakland Community College for Business and Information Technologies. He has taught a wide range of topics in business and especially enjoys teaching management courses.

Mr. Hendricks has also taught in the computer information system field. Mr. Hendricks is married with two teenage sons. He is also the proud owner of two rescue dogs.

Degrees

MAC, Walsh College
MSF, Walsh College
BSBA, Wayne State University

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
BSA, University of Michigan – Dearborn

Licenses and Certifications

CGMA – Charted Global Management Accountant
CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Degrees

MSIA, Walsh College
BS in Business Info Technology, Walsh College

Biography

Mr. Konja is a tech-savvy enthusiast of technology with a passion for teaching and learning. Mr. Konja is also a technology adjunct professor at other local colleges teaching various courses within computer information systems. As a committed and proven educator, he strives to educate and enhance knowledge.

Mr. Konja brings nearly 20 years of real world information technology experience into the classroom. He has rolled out many systems and worked with a variety of stakeholders throughout his career. He consistently works to improve processes and support technology proactively.

Prior to working within Information Technology, he managed within the retail industry for several years.

Degrees

MBA, Capella University
BBA, Walsh College

Degrees

MST, Wayne State University
BS in Business Administration, Wayne State University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Biography

Ms. Kelly Lehman is a CPA licensed in the state of Michigan with ten years of relevant work experience in both the fields of accounting and taxation. She is a member of the AICPA and the MICPA. She teaches as an adjunct faculty member for both Walsh College and Northwood University.

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
BS, Michigan State University

Degrees

MA, Eastern Michigan University
BA, University of Detroit

Biography

Jill Peplinski, M.A., is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Communications at Walsh. She has been teaching since 1999 and has been involved in preparing students for standardized writing tests, developing undergraduate and graduate courses, designing instructional enhancement materials, and mentoring new instructors.

For more than 25 years, Peplinski has been a writing coach and consultant, working in the retail, manufacturing, and non-profit sectors. She conducts workshops on giving winning presentations, improving interpersonal communication skills, and writing for successful outcomes. Clients include Fairlane Town Center, in Dearborn, Michigan, HMS Manufacturing, in Troy, Michigan, and Benefit Review Services in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Peplinski began her professional career in journalism, writing for local and national publications, including The Detroit News, Dearborn Press & Guide, and Observer & Eccentric newspapers. She was Contributing Editor of Introspective Magazine. In addition to working as Public Education Director at a non-profit agency, in Detroit, Michigan, she worked in a long-term contract position for Textron, in Troy, Michigan, ensuring compliance documentation standards were met for the Automotive Industry Action Group.

Degrees

MBA, Lawrence Technological University
BA, Siena Heights University

Degrees

MSF, Walsh College
BSE, University of Michigan

Biography

Mr. Steven M. Ranger is a clinical assistant professor in the finance department at Walsh. His primary instructional responsibilities at Walsh include financial statement analysis and computer applications for business and finance. Mr. Ranger has instructed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses for both Finance and Management majors since he joined Walsh in 2001 as an adjunct associate professor.

Mr. Ranger worked in the environmental services field on a full-time basis as both Engineer and Project Manager for 12 years before changing careers and accepting a position as a residential loan officer for a mortgage broker located in southeastern Michigan. After two years in residential lending, he became a senior financial analyst with a privately-held property management and development company and maintained this position until 2007 when he dedicated himself full-time to Cedar Real Estate Investments, a real estate management and development company he started with two other partners.

Mr. Ranger’s varied positions in the field of real estate have required that he become adept at preparing and analyzing the financial statements of not only the properties he manages but also those financial statements applicable to properties being considered for acquisition. It is also essential to Mr. Ranger’s business to be able to gather insight into the financial strengths and weaknesses of Cedar Real Estate’s tenants through the review of their financial statements.

Mr. Ranger’s experiences in environmental engineering and project management have helped him to establish an expertise in capital budgeting and financial forecasting. He continues to keep track of progress and activities in the specialized area of real estate associated with brownfield redevelopment, and he looks forward to blending both his engineering and finance expertise in this field through Cedar Real Estate. Mr. Ranger is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Michigan and has been so for over 20 years.

Degrees

MSF, Walsh College
BA, Michigan State University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Degrees

MS, University of Cincinnati
BS, Michigan Technological University

Licenses and Certifications

SSB – Six Sigma Black Belt
SSG – Six Sigma Green Belt

Biography

Hamed Sadrnia has been teaching graduate and undergraduate Quantitative methods at Walsh since 1992. He has worked for General Motors in various capacities since 1985 and is a member of various professional societies such as SAE. He also holds six sigma black belt certification.

Degrees

Master of Arts in Economics, University of Detroit Mercy
BBA, Northwood University

Degrees

DSc, Capitol Technology University
MS, National University
BS, State University of New York

Licenses and Certifications

PMP – Project Management Professional
CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Biography

Michael was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. He has been working in various fields of information technology (IT) for over 18 years. He has earned 20 industry recognized professional certifications within the realm of IT, Cybersecurity & Project Management. Michael gained organizational leadership experience from earning the Eagle Scout Award as a teenager, from several leadership development opportunities while active duty in the United States Marine Corps, from graduating the 9 month Executive Leadership Program in January of 2017, and from graduating the 1 year Executive Potential leadership development program in March of 2022. He was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps after 8 years of service. He served in 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and 5th Marine Regiment. Michael deployed in 2010 with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, participating in Operation Tomodachi near Okinawa Japan. He later deployed again in 2012 participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, in Helmand Province Afghanistan.

Dr. Simko has worked as a network administrator, system administrator, cybersecurity architect, Cybersecurity Manager, VOIP engineer and service desk technician. Michael is currently employed as a Director of Communications, overseeing Network Operations, Cybersecurity, Incident Management, Asset Management, Telecom and Service Desk divisions.

When not engaged with work, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, the outdoors, exercise and fitness, designing tech, martial arts & traveling.

Degrees

MST, Walsh College
JD, Wayne State University
BS in Business Administration, Wayne State University

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney
CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Biography

Mr. Skiba comes to Walsh with over 29 years of experience in taxation, including over 23 years of experience in public accounting. Prior to his current position as Managing Director in BDO’s State and Local Tax Practice, he worked in the utilities, manufacturing and technology industries. Mr. Skiba has extensive experience in indirect tax including sales & use tax and motor fuel excise tax.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. Mr. Skiba is a Certified Public Accountant and licensed attorney.

Degrees

PhD, Pacifica Graduate Institute
MA, Pacifica Graduate Institute
BS, Rochester University

Biography

Drew H. Smith, Ph.D. is the Director of Online Learning at Walsh College in Troy, MI, where he oversees the design, development, and technical support for all of Walsh’s online and hybrid courses. He has a passion for moving higher education forward into a new pedagogical model focused on transformation rather than information.

His occupational interests include academic integrity in the digital age, engaging emotional intelligence in online education, and optimizing assessments around real-world experiences.

Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. in Depth Psychology which focuses on the unconscious and transpersonal aspects of what it means to be human. He is a certified MBTI Steps 1 and 2 consultant and has over 20 years management and leadership experience in the non-profit sector.

Degrees

MS, University of Michigan – Dearborn
BA, Michigan State University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant
CFE – Certified Fraud Examiner

Biography

Eric Sumners has served as an adjunct instructor of accounting at Walsh since 2014 and teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in the areas of auditing and introductory accounting.

Mr. Sumners has been a CFO and auditor working in public accounting, as an internal auditor and for a governmental agency. He has worked in an array of industries but has also specialized in financial institutions providing external and internal audit services to banks, credit unions and insurance companies. He is also a member of ISACA.

Degrees

MBA, University of Iowa
Bachelor of Commerce, University of Bombay

Biography

Punita Sura is an adjunct assistant professor with the Accounting & Taxation department at Walsh. She has over fifteen years of consulting experience in accounting and information systems across multiple industries, with specialized knowledge of the healthcare industry.

Prior to joining Walsh, Ms. Sura worked at Trinity Information Services for nine years as a Product Manager responsible for implementing and supporting General Financial and Patient Financial Systems at 11 hospitals in Michigan and Iowa. She directed a team of 16 business and technical analysts to implement customized financial applications at client hospitals. She also led a Patient Accounting Directors’ User Group to help identify best practices across hospitals and prioritize user issues/requests for enhancements.

In addition, Ms. Sura has over six years of consulting experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she was primarily responsible for designing and implementing solutions for various financial systems and customized applications across diverse industries.

Degrees

JD, Michigan State University College of Law
BA, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Peter Arvant devotes his practice to complex commercial litigation with particular emphasis on contract disputes, shareholder disagreements, insurance coverage questions, and probate litigation. In addition to extensive experience in state and federal trial courts, Professor Arvant has argued cases in the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.

He has also represented clients in litigation throughout the country, including Nevada, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Arizona.

Degrees

MBA, University of Michigan
PhD, University of Michigan
BS, University of Michigan

Degrees

DBA, Walden University
MA, Walsh College
MS, Walsh College

Degrees

DBA, Lawrence Technological University
MBA, Lawrence Technological University
BS, Lawrence Technological University

Biography

Dr. John Cox currently works in the office of Product Development Quality at FCA US LLC. Since first joining the former Chrysler Corporation early in his career as a Product Development Engineer, Dr. Cox has put his extensive academic background in electrical engineering and business administration to use, holding various and diverse positions of increasing responsibility within the company.

He has also served as a primary enabler in the execution of advanced technology collaborative research agreements between FCA and the U.S. Department of Energy, other industry partners, and universities.

His primary areas of research include emotional intelligence, working collaboratively, and building on positive behaviors in organizations and individuals.

Degrees

MS, Michigan State University
BA, Michigan State University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Degrees

MBA/MSF, Walsh College
BA, Oberlin College

Biography

Ryan Drews is currently a VP Financial Consultant working for a large Investment Management Company. Prior to this position, Mr. Drews owned and operated his own investment management company serving as Chief Investment Officer for different investment portfolios. He also has experience in manufacturing and automotive where he was a CFO for a small manufacturing company, and an analyst at General Motors.

Mr. Drews has a passion for teaching, consulting, and leadership. He enjoys teaching investment management techniques with a focus on trading different financial instruments utilizing technical analysis. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) with a specialization in Finance from Liberty University.

When Ryan is not working, he is most likely spending time with his son playing sports and other activities. In addition, Ryan enjoys giving back to the community by coaching and providing sports instruction to athletes of all ages.

Degrees

MS, Rensselaer
PhD, University of Kansas
Master of Philosophy, University of Kansas
MA, University of Kansas
BS, Iowa State University

Biography

Dr. Kurt Godden has worked more than 25 years in the auto industry, beginning at General Motors Research. He currently works as a Senior Analytics Scientist for Ford Motor in the Global Data Insight and Analytics skill team.

Dr. Godden has also held positions at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Labs, Bank of America, a small startup, and began his career as a computer science faculty member at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Dr. Godden has numerous publications and has been an invited speaker at both national and international conferences. He has been awarded three U.S. patents, two of them as the sole inventor.

Degrees

DBA, Walden University
MS, Walsh College
MBA, Oakland University
BA, Oakland University

Biography

Bryan K. Kieler joined PNC Bank in February 2019 to serve as the SVP, Community Development Banking Michigan Market Manager. Kieler oversees PNC’s community development lending, investments, and sits on their local foundation board that provides grants to support strengthening nonprofits and communities throughout Michigan.

Before joining PNC Bank, Kieler served as IFF’s Director of Lending in Ohio (and previously in Michigan) where he was responsible for evaluating complex loan requests, coordinating with IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team, and fostering strategic partnerships that led to transformational change. Over a 4+ year period, Kieler facilitated the structuring and approval of loans totaling more than $75 million for nonprofits serving low-income communities and people with disabilities in Michigan and Ohio.

Kieler has 19+ years of experience in the financial services and lending industry. Previously, to IFF, he served as the Vice President for Huntington Bank in its Community Development Group, where he was responsible for the portfolio management of the community development loans involving Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC).

Kieler is also an adjunct professor at University of Detroit Mercy, where he teaches structured community development finance; Walsh College, where he teaches finance and management graduate level courses; and at the DeVos school of Management at Northwood University, where he teaches financial management. Additionally, Kieler is a board member with Midtown Detroit Inc., Accounting Aid Society, Haven of Oakland County, Junior Achievement of Southeast Michigan, Starfish Family Services, Venture Inc. (OLHSA’s affordable housing arm), Haven of Oakland, and the executive advisory committee for Winning Futures.

Kieler is a Baldrige Framework Quality Excellence Examiner and is active with a number of nonprofit boards. His dissertation uses the Malcolm Baldrige Framework to help nonprofit organizations explore reducing their reliance on government grants by diversifying revenues.

Degrees

MS in Information Systems, Walsh College
MAC, Walsh College
BBA, Walsh College

Licenses and Certifications

PMP – Project Management Professional
CPA – Certified Public Accountant
GSR – Series 7

Biography

Jodi G. Krausman, CPA, PMP, is an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Information Technology Department and teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in the areas of IT Leadership, Information Technology, and Project Management.

Ms. Krausman is a Project Management Manager for a large national bank. As a Project Management Manager she has primary responsibility for finances, communication and management of a Project Coordinator team and Staffing Team for a Technical Project Management Office. Prior to this position she spent most of her career as a Chief of Staff, Controller or Project Manager working primarily in the insurance industry.

Ms. Krausman’s professional memberships and affiliations include being a member of the Institute of Management Accountants, Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Project Management Institute.

Degrees

MBA, University of Detroit
BBA, University of Detroit

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant
CFF – Certified in Financial Forensics

Biography

John Naglick is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Walsh and the Chief Deputy CFO/Finance Director for the City of Detroit. Prior to his current position, he was Finance Director for the City of Pontiac, Michigan.

In addition to his work with troubled units of government, he served as a Director with AlixPartners, LLP from 2007 to 2010, an international turnaround and financial advisory consultancy. He has also served in the role of Chief Financial Officer for a number of for-profit corporations.

Naglick has also been a member of the Board of Directors for Ominicare, Inc, a NYSE listed company and for Preferred Health Plan, a predecessor organization to Health Alliance Plan and part of the Henry Ford Health System. He is also a past President of the University of Detroit Mercy National Alumni Board.

Degrees

Master of Accounting, University of Michigan
BBA, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Biography

Harry Pianko has more than 15 years of experience in various finance and accounting positions within multiple industries in the for profit, not for profit, and governmental sectors. Pianko is currently the CFO of Peckham, Inc., a Lansing-based not for profit.

Prior to joining Peckham, Inc., Harry was the CFO for the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is also a past president of VegMichigan, for which he was selected as a member of Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40.

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
BS, Wayne State University

Licenses and Certifications

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Biography

Thomas Petz is an expert practitioner with PHP, SQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Social Media, and AJAX technologies.

In 2015, Mr. Petz was named Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year from the Alliance for Excellence in Online Education. In his spare time, he enjoys boating, cooking, reading, and tinkering with technology.

Degrees

MAC, Walsh College
BA, University of Detroit Mercy

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Degrees

PhD, Walden University
MS, Eastern Michigan University

Biography

James Gerrity has over 20 years of supervisory, human resource development and operations management experience that he brings into discussing quantitative methods and business analytics, as well as coaching approaches involving empathy tactics, engagement, and collaboration to innovate together.

Gerrity has applied quantitative approaches to risk management, as well as improving client service. Just knowing the ins and outs of the financial process isn’t sufficient. Developing and sustaining relationships within an ethical environment, especially through 360 feedback, is critical to succeeding together today.

Gerrity has been active in coaching and developing staff over the past two decades. He has been in various managerial positions with the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and its predecessor firms since 2000, and is FINRA Series 3, 4, 7, 8, 24, 27, 63, and 65 licensed.

Degrees

DBA, Nova Southeastern University
MBA, Oakland University

Degrees

PhD, University of Oklahoma

Biography

Before coming to Walsh as an adjunct faculty member in 1985, Dr. Scafe taught at Purdue University, the University of Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma University, Central Michigan University, and St. Mary’s College. She joined the Walsh faculty full time as the Chair of the Management Department and Director of the MSM Program in 1991. In 1992, she became Interim Dean and was named Dean shortly thereafter. In September 1997, Dr. Scafe returned to the faculty ranks to teach statistics. She retired from full-time status in December 2019 after 35 plus years of service.

Degrees

JD, Michigan State University College of Law
MST, Walsh College
MBA, Oakland University
BS, Oakland University

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney
CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Biography

Lee Sartori is a partner and practicing attorney with the law firm of Howard & Howard in its metro Detroit, Michigan office. The majority of Mr. Sartori’s practice is devoted to the areas of general corporate, commercial transactions, real estate and tax law.

He represents and counsels a number of individuals, and closely-held and publicly-traded businesses, engaged in a diverse array of industries on a wide variety of legal and business matters including mergers and acquisitions, transaction structuring, contract negotiations and drafting, licensing, financing, entity structuring, succession planning, estate and tax planning, shareholder and member disputes, and general corporate matters.

Mr. Sartori has made appearances on his clients’ behalf in various federal and state courts and has acted as an arbitrator in complex business dispute matters.

Mr. Sartori received a J.D., summa cum laude, from the Michigan State University College of Law, where he was the recipient of Jurisprudence Awards in Arbitration, Commercial Transactions, Constitutional Law, and Estate Planning & Drafting and other honors.

Mr. Sartori is a member of the American Bar Association and its sections on Business Law, International Law, and Taxation, and the State Bar of Michigan and its sections on Business Law, International Law, Real Property, and Taxation. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and its Division of Taxation, and the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants.

Mr. Sartori is an adjunct professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and an adjunct professor, Business Law and Taxation Department, for Walsh’s graduate school of business. He has taught in excess of 50 semesters of graduate school education in corporate law and taxation. Mr. Sartori periodically teaches a course he designed in “business divorce” at Michigan State University College of Law entitled, “Closely-Held Business: Shareholder and Member Disputes.”

Mr. Sartori’s publications include: Communications Made to Tax Advisors for Tax Planning or Defending Tax Controversy Purposes: “When What You Say May Be Used Against You,” CCH State Tax Review, Vol. 60, Issue No. 31 (1999). Mr. Sartori is also acknowledged by the authors of Federal Tax Research 7th and 8th Editions (Raabe, Whittenburg, and Sanders, Thomson South-Western Publishing, 2005, 2008) for his contributions to their text.

Mr. Sartori is admitted to practice in the state courts of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the U.S. Tax Court.

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
BS, Walsh College

Biography

After completing an associates’ in Education, Paul promtly went to work in the automotive industry, working up to shop foreman of two dealerships on the east coast. After being recognized for his diagnostic skills, he was offered a field engineering position with VWAG.

In 2016 he accepted a position with their OBD II team and relocated to Michigan. He is active in several SAE EE Diagnostics committees and currently chairs J1930.

Degrees

PhD, The Ohio State University
MA, The Ohio State University
B.S.ED., The Ohio State University

Biography

Dr. Sheila R. Ronis is President of The University Group, Inc., a management consulting firm and think tank specializing in strategic management, visioning, leadership, national security and public policy.

She is also an Adjunct Professor of Management at Walsh where she retired as Distinguished Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Complex and Strategic Decisions (CCSD). In addition, Dr. Ronis is an Associate with Argonne National Laboratory University of Chicago. She serves on the National Defense University Foundation Board of Directors as Chairman Emeritus.

Dr. Ronis currently is an active member of the Federal Foresight Community of Interest in Washington, D.C. where she and Leon S. Fuerth also support the broader federal government and global foresight communities.

Degrees

MS, Walsh College
BBA, Walsh College

Biography

Joanne Hebert has 23 years of experience in mentoring, educating, and selling at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals. Joanne achieved five President Circle Awards for ranking in the top 15% of the nation for sales. Throughout her career, she created and facilitated workshops used to train sales representatives in the areas of scientific knowledge, business acumen, and customer engagement.

Additionally, Joanne was a national trainer for physicians on the National Speaker Bureau. She served as a member of the National Convention Team, Women’s Leadership, and Inclusion & Diversity. As a manager, she led five different districts focused on launching products, achieving sales goals, and gaining access to medications. At Stem Healthcare, Joanne conducted research on marketing strategies for the top Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the U.S.

Joanne is a Registered Nurse and worked at Ascension caring for patients on the medical surgical unit. Prior to working in healthcare, Joanne was a consultant and a top sales representative for commercial office equipment.

Currently, Joanne teaches K1-K12 student for several districts and has tutored those with severe behavioral problems. Joanne assisted her daughter during the pandemic in making and delivering 1500 care packages to front line workers including health care professionals, fire fighters, and policemen.

Joanne is pursuing a doctoral degree in management at Walsh.

Degrees

MATESOL, Madonna University
BBA, Walsh College

Biography

Lisa Loch joined the adjunct faculty of Walsh in June 2015 and teaches Accounting Communications.

Prior to becoming an adjunct faculty member at Walsh, Loch spent five years as a Writing Workshop instructor in the Accounting Communications courses. Loch has also been an ESL Writing Lab tutor for Walsh since the fall of 2014 and worked as a tutor for students with Individual Education Plans in the ACCESS department at Oakland Community College from 2007-2014.

Loch taught freshman Writing Composition and ESL Grammar at Madonna University in Livonia, Mich., prior to joining the adjunct faculty team at Walsh College. She remains an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Madonna University.

Before pursuing a career as an educator, Loch worked for a small CPA firm and an upstream oil and gas production company in Dallas, Tex. She has also worked as a controller for a nonprofit healthcare agency in the Detroit area.

Loch has always been active in her community, most recently as Treasurer for the Knollwood Fairways Civic Association and Social Committee Chairperson for the Silver Pointe Association.

Degrees

MAC, Walsh College
MA, Wayne State University
BS, Arizona State University

Licenses and Certifications

CPA – Certified Public Accountant

Degrees

PhD, Capella University
MS in Management, Walsh College
BBA, Eastern Michigan University

Licenses and Certifications

SHRM-SCP – Society of Human Resources-Senior Certified Professional
SPHR – Senior Professional in Human Resources

Degrees

MA, Wayne State University
BA, Michigan State University

Degrees

MBA, Walsh College
BA, Michigan State University

Biography

Heather Swarthout is a professor in the Communications Department with a background in teaching English to non-native English speakers. She is also a tutoring lab instructor and provides supplemental instruction for communications classes and the Master of Arts in Business program.

Prior to pursing her graduate studies, Ms. Swarthout earned a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from the International TEFL Academy in Leon, Nicaragua. As a private language teacher, she has taught university students in Nicaragua and business professionals here in Metro Detroit.

Degrees

PhD, Walden University
MSM, Colorado Technical University
BS, Strayer University

Biography

Dr. Michelle Moore is a professor, researcher, cyber security policy analyst and author in the areas of cyber security doctrine and globally dispersed enterprise governance. With over two decades of experience as a Cyber Security Professional and almost ten years of experience as a professional educator, her work supports both national and international defensive cyber strategies.

Within the field of technology, she specializes in the governance policies, disaster recovery protocols, physical security defenses, and academic matters relating to the protection of critical infrastructure that supports the interests of the nation’s defensive posture in cyberspace. As an educator, Dr. Moore has a broad range of instructional experience on the subjects of business, management, and cyber security at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with various universities.

Throughout her career, Dr. Moore has supported multiple organizations as a government contractor and as a civilian government employee. These include Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer, and MCI WorldCom. She currently supports the United States Marine Corps Headquarters Office, where she leads the Contingency Planning and Physical Security efforts for cyberspace and sits on the National Security Agency (NSA) TEMPEST Advisory Group as the primary representative for the Marine Corps.

Degrees

PhD, Michigan State University
MA, Michigan State University
MA, Michigan State University
BA, Michigan State University

Biography

Dr. Lee Meadows is an adjunct professor of Management at Walsh teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Human Resources, Management, Leadership and Organizational Design.

His career portfolio includes having served as Area Director of University Housing Programs at Michigan State University, a supervisor of Human Resources at General Motors, a Senior Consultant for Change Management at EDS, a Management Change Consultant for A.T.Kearney, a Manager of Training and Development for the Kellogg Foundation and Director of Training for Con-Way Transportation He has been an active consultant for leadership development, management training and change management for several profit, non-profit and government agencies.

Dr. Meadows has authored several leadership columns for the Novi News and the Michigan Chronicle. He is a sought after keynote speaker and conference presenter specializing in leadership, diversity and inclusion and management training. He has, also, been an active teacher of adult learners and is keenly aware of the challenges that come with being a full-time professional and a part-time student.

Degrees

DIT, Capella University
MBA, University of Michigan
BA, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
CIA – Certified Internal Auditor

Biography

Director, Security Governance & Risk at General Motors in Detroit, MI

Degrees

DM, Walsh College
MBA, Walsh College

Biography

Dr. Kathryn H. Baker is an adjunct professor at Walsh. She teaches graduate courses in management communications.

Dr. Baker earned a Doctorate of Management in Executive Leadership from Walsh in 2014. Her doctoral dissertation titled, “Business Coaching and Leader Efficacy Development: A Comparative Study,” focused on the business coaching experience and its impact on leader efficacy development. She currently owns and operates AdviCoach of Michigan, a business coaching practice where she and two associates coach business owners and executives, helping them increase profits, build teams of great people, and execute on solid strategies for growth.

With over 10 years of corporate experience, Dr. Baker worked for Ingersoll Rand in the Fluid Technologies Group, as a Business Unit Manager responsible for the Dispensing Technologies business in Rochester Hills, Mich. In addition, she held positions at Ingersoll Rand as a global marketing manager, a tier-one industry manager, and originally as an area sales manager. Dr. Baker has extensive experience in the disciplines of business development, sales, marketing, strategic planning, and organizational development.

Dr. Baker regularly conducts seminars and workshops on strategic planning and communication, building a performance culture, brand differentiation, sales, and business profitability strategies. She is currently a board member for the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce where she serves as treasurer.

Degrees

EdD, Walden University
MS, Walsh College
BS, Oakland University

Biography

Dr. Michael Balsamo is currently the dean of Learning Resources at Macomb Community College. He started at Macomb in 2000 as an adjunct instructor and joined the college in 2005 as the Associate Dean of Business.

Prior to Macomb, Dr. Balsamo was a project manager at a large international contracting company servicing primarily the big three auto companies. His experiences include engineering, manufacturing, and architectural design.

Degrees

JD, Wayne State University Law School
BGS, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Professor Benham has been in private practice since 1986 and is currently has a solo practice with an office in Bingham Farms, Michigan. In addition to her law degree she completed a Risk Management Course and Civil Mediation Training. Professor Benham serves as a hearing panelist for the Michigan Attorney Grievance Board.

Degrees

DBA, Lawrence Technological University
MBA, Wayne State University
BS, University of Michigan – Dearborn

Licenses and Certifications

CFA – Chartered Financial Analyst
CIA – Certified Internal Auditor

Degrees

PhD, The University of Texas at Dallas
MS, The University of Texas at Dallas
BA, The University of Texas at Dallas

Biography

Dr. Kruti Lehenbauer has over 15 years of experience in teaching classes in economics, statistics, public policy, and critical thinking at the undergraduate, masters, as well as doctoral levels.

She has worked as the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas for three years and is currently a full-time Associate Professor of Business Economics at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. She serves as an adjunct faculty member in economics at Northwood University and at Walsh.

Degrees

PhD, The University to Michigan
MBA, Wayne State University

Biography

Edward D. Callaghan is a member of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission. He has been on the Commission since June 20, 2011 and served as its Chair from his appointment until December 18, 2019.

Dr. Callaghan was a full-time faculty member at Oakland Community College (OCC) from 2005 to 2015 and, currently, is an Adjunct Professor at OCC and at Walsh College. Callaghan was a full-time faculty member at OCC from 2005 to 2015 and was President of the College’s Orchard Ridge campus and, also, the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and College Communications. Chair Callaghan has negotiated labor contracts in the public sector for more than 30 years representing public employers, including: the Dearborn Public Schools, Wayne County Community College, Henry Ford Community College and Oakland Community College.

Dr. Callaghan’s extensive collective bargaining experience includes handling MERC elections, unfair labor practice claims, and mediation cases. He has also served as an Act 312 arbitrator for police and fire municipal disputes and as a fact finder for governmental units in Michigan on behalf of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission.

Degrees

PhD, Michigan State University
MAT- Master of Arts in Teaching, Purdue University
MA, Central Michigan University
MA, Central Michigan University
BA, Central Michigan University

Biography

David Dieterle is an adjunct professor in the Finance & Economics Department at Walsh and past president and chief academic officer, Michigan Council on Economic Education (MCEE). Dieterle is National Teaching Fellow for the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) and a writer/editor for ABC-CLIO Publishers. He was editor and contributing author of Economic Thinkers: A Biographical Encyclopedia (2013), a co-editor and contributing author of Government and the Economy: An Encyclopedia (2014), and editor and contributing author to Economics: The Definitive Encyclopedia from Theory to Practice (2017), a four-volume compilation on Economics.

He was a co-author of Social Studies In Our Nation’s High Schools: A National Random Survey of Social Studies Teachers’ Professional Opinions, Values, and Classroom Practices (A Vital Issues Session at the 2009 National Council for the Social Studies Conference) and co-authored Economic Experiences (1990) for South-western Publishing. Dr. Dieterle has been a reviewer for Financial Markets and Institutions (Pearson Publishing) and textbook power point developer for International Economics (Pearson Publishing).

Dr. Dieterle is an award winning teacher specializing in teaching economics to teachers and students. He taught in Michigan Public Schools for 11 years. He previously taught economics at Central Michigan, Edgewood College, Northern Illinois, University of Cincinnati, and University of Michigan-Flint. He consulted with Michigan, Illinois, and Nebraska departments of education, Learning to Give, Junior Achievement, and Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan. His writings have appeared in Social Education, Newspaper In Education programs (Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press), Economics for the Clergy, and for the Stock Market Game (Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association personal investment program).

Dieterle has presented papers to the Zambian Ministry of Education and Malawi Ministry of Education proposing a national curriculum to include economic and entrepreneurship education in their national teacher preparation programs in both countries.

Degrees

LLM, University of Miami
JD, Detroit College of Law
BMA, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Daniel Hoops has been a practicing attorney since 1995 and joined PNC Private Bank in December 2019 as a Senior Vice President. Prior to joining PNC, Dan was a Partner and founder of the Paesano, Akkashian, Apkarian lawfirm in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Daniel’s areas of expertise include estate, tax and business succession planning; film, television, and music development; complex probate and commercial litigation; and charitable giving. During his career, he has worked with a variety of clients in the finance and banking, automotive, construction, medical, and entertainment industries. In addition to servicing clients as a member of the Florida Bar, Dan’s clients have taken him to Australia and various countries throughout Asia and Europe. Daniel has been engaged as an expert witness and mediator in various probate and beneficiary disputes, including testifying in contested estate matter in Belgrade, Serbia.

Mr. Hoops is a frequent lecturer on estate planning topics nationally and is a co-author of several legal publications, including Planning for Estates and Administration in Michigan (Thomson Reuters) 1991-present; Family Estate Planning Guide (Thomson Reuters) 1992-present; Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010: Law, Explanation and Analysis Practical Analysis (CCH): 2010; Sunset of the 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief Acts: Law, Explanation and Analysis Practical Analysis (CCH): 2010; Virtual Worlds and E-Commerce: Technologies and Applications for Building Customer Relationships, Author, Legal Perspectives (IGI Global): 2010; Connecting the Dots: Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project (Wayne State University Press, 2008); Bringing and Defending a Will Contest in Michigan (MSU-DCL Law Review, 1997); and How To Build A Successful Estate Practice (WestGroup) 1994-1997.

In addition to his professional work, Mr. Hoops has been a board member and general counsel of the internationally recognized Heidelberg Project from 2001 to 2011, 2014-present and was the faculty advisor and assistant coach for the Northwood University Men’s Lacrosse team.

Degrees

JD, Detroit College of Law
BA, Hope College

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Steven A. Harms practiced in the area of retail and commercial collection law and is a retired partner in the ongoing law firm, Muller, Muller, Richmond, Harms & Myers, Birmingham and Grand Rapids, MI., established in 1961.

He is a frequent lecturer on collection, bankruptcy and related topics and has authored hundreds of outlines and materials for the seminars he has given in Michigan and around the United States for various organizations, including the International Association of Commercial Collectors, having received its volunteer of the year award in 2014.

He has served as a mediator in Oakland County and is an adjunct professor of business law at Walsh in Troy.

Mr. Harms was a frequent contributor to ICLE’s (Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education for attorneys) educational programs.

He has authored two books and a number of book chapters, and he spoke at several ICLE seminars each year through 2014. He co-authored “International Commercial Secured Transactions” (Thomson Reuters 2010), a look at secured transactions around the world, with each country’s requirements included. One of his books was authored for the For Dummies series (the famous yellow and black series now amounting to some 1600 plus volumes).

Mr. Harms was been listed in “Who’s Who in American Law” from 1985 through 2013, was rated AV Preeminent through Martindale-Hubbell, and was named a Michigan Super Lawyer for 2007 to 2013 by the publishers of “Law and Politics.” He was also the recipient of the online instructor of the year award (2007) at Walsh, given by the Alliance for Excellence in Online Education.

Degrees

LLM, University of Florida
JD, Wayne State University Law School
BBA, University of Michigan

Licenses and Certifications

ATT – Licensed Attorney

Biography

Eric Gould actively practices law, focusing on business and tax planning matters. He assists clients in forming, maintaining, growing, acquiring and disposing of businesses. He has successfully resolved matters with the Internal Revenue Service and Michigan Department of Treasury at the administrative level and before federal and state courts. He was awarded an AV Preeminent Peer Review rating by Martindale Hubbell. This is the highest rating available of an attorney’s legal ability and professional ethics.

Professor Gould is a frequent lecturer, regularly speaking to accounting and financial advisory professionals, including the Detroit chapters of the National Association of Black Accountants and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. He currently serves as a vice chair of the Tax and Accounting Interest Group of the Health Law Section of the American Bar Association. Professor Gould is a trustee and the current vice chairperson of the City of Farmington Hills Employees Retirement System.

Degrees

Bachelor’s, University of Texas at Brownsville
MBA, MSIT, Walsh College

Licenses and Certifications

CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, and CCDP

Stephen Finazzo has over 18 years of experience in information technology and has held various technical and leadership positions. During his career, he has worked at multiple large enterprises including General Motors, Cisco Systems, and Pfizer. Stephen also previously worked in Matamoros, Mexico for five years as part of an international assignment with Fisher Corporation.

Stephen obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Brownsville as well as an MBA and MSITL from Walsh. He also holds several active Cisco certifications including his CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, and CCDP.

Stephen is currently employed as the Director of Global Network Operations and Local Area Network Services for Pfizer. He is responsible for the daily operational health of Pfizer’s network infrastructure as well as running the team designing and architecting Pfizer’s next generation local area network. He has had the privilege of supporting many critical initiatives including Pfizer’s Covid-19 mission control team, the Covid-19 Change Advisory Board and multiple VRBPAC Events.

Stephen resides in Macomb, MI with his wife and two children. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar and spending time with family.