Category

Announcements

May 25
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Announcing Our Q1 2023 PURE Award Winner

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We are pleased to announce the Q1 2023 winner of the PURE Service Award: Dan Epstein.

Dan is a Senior Instructional Design Consultant whose expertise in instructional design and development, videography and video direction contributed greatly to the success of our global food and beverage client’s drive-thru optimization projects.

Dan’s work with our client and the team was instrumental in the project’s success. He was able to translate our client’s needs and requirements into actionable tasks. He found a more effective and less costly alternative for filming drone footage, and even traveled across multiple states to be on location to ensure the success of the video shoot. His collaboration with the team of consultants was pivotal in moving the work forward and the resulting overall success of the project.

Dan was very adaptable to changes throughout the project and used many of his skills to ensure the video met the needed professional standards.

The client had this to say about Dan and the team’s contributions: “Thanks to all of you for the support and guidance along the way with all four videos. It was a really good team, and I am so pleased with all that you have done. THANK YOU!!! It has been an honor working with such a talented group of folks.”

 

CARA’s PURE Service Program provides a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well our consultants’ service delivery meets our clients’ needs. CARA’s service delivery process is based on the PURE service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well they demonstrate our PURE values: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s consultants are nominated based on client feedback, PURE evaluations, and team interaction with the consultants. After careful consideration of each candidate, CARA selects the PURE award recipients. The PURE award program is the foundation of CARA’s culture, aligning us with our clients’ and consultants’ values in service excellence.

 

Feb 10
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Announcing Our Q4 2022 PURE Award Winner

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We are pleased to announce our latest winner of the PURE Service Award: Stacy Porcelli.

Stacy is an Organizational Change Management Consultant whose expertise in change strategy and communication proved to be the perfect solution for our global pharmaceutical client.

Stacy’s work with our client’s IT organization included aligning leaders on benefits and guiding principles to establish ownership and accountability, as well as empowering program sponsors to act as change agents that role model behavior and communicate changes to their team members.

The client had this to say about Stacy’s contributions to the project’s success:

“Stacy provides originality, creativity, proactiveness and user experience risk insight. I would definitely work with her again on another program or project. She consistently reaches out to engage myself and team to gain a holistic point of view to better understand how she can lean in. Stacy helps create a space for us to identify shared roadblocks and a forum for us to quickly strategize ways to overcome them. On several occasions, she has created a forum for us to share what we are experiencing and without being asked in 24 hours has turned around a tool/template for both workstreams to leverage.”

CARA’s PURE Service Program provides a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well our consultants’ service delivery meets our clients’ needs. CARA’s service delivery process is based on the PURE service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well they demonstrate our PURE values: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s consultants are nominated based on client feedback, PURE evaluations, and team interaction with the consultants. After careful consideration of each candidate, CARA selects the PURE award recipients. The PURE award program is the foundation of CARA’s culture, aligning us with our clients’ and consultants’ values in service excellence.

Dec 13
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We Are Thrilled to Welcome Ginny Coulthard and Paula Teich to CARA!

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce the hiring of two new members to our Project Solutions team: Ginny Coulthard, Senior Organizational Change Management (OCM) Manager, and Paula Teich, Learning Engagement Manager. Ginny and Paula will report to Melissa Noonan, Senior Director, Project Solutions.

“We are thrilled to have Ginny and Paula as part of the CARA team”, said Melissa. “They are both extremely talented professionals who have great experience, and, most importantly, they also epitomize CARA’s PURE values.”

Ginny Coulthard

Ginny is a Senior OCM professional with over 25 years of business experience and extensive expertise in change management, strategic planning and implementation, information technology, business process mapping and measurements, data analytics and reporting, and program/project management.

Her deep experience streamlining operations using change leadership and influencing skills optimizing systems and business processes coupled with her collaborative, results-oriented approach, enables her to help individuals, teams, and organizations navigate change and deliver impact.

Paula Teich

Paula is a Learning and Development professional with over 20 years of business experience in learning solutions design, team leadership and direction, needs analysis, instructional design, curriculum design and development, and project/program management.

As a growth-minded team player who demonstrates a keen understanding of her clients’ business priorities and challenges, Paula accelerates results through relevant learning solutions that deliver impact.

Oct 12
1

The CARA Group, Inc. Welcomes Our New Controller, Eileen Spulak!

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce the hiring of Eileen Spulak to the position of Controller. Eileen reports to CARA’s President & CEO, Michelle Reid-Powell. In this role, she will focus on leading the Accounting department to ensure CARA provides the highest levels of satisfaction for all stakeholders.

“I’m thrilled that Eileen has joined the team and am confident that she will lead our Accounting function with professionalism, efficiency, technical excellence, and an eye toward the future”, said Michelle.

Eileen comes to CARA with over twenty years of accounting experience including streamlining processes and maximizing efficiencies, strengthening financial stability, and initiating growth. She also has extensive leadership and management experience, and a true passion for execution.

Eileen has a BBA with a concentration in Accounting from Loyola University, Chicago.

Aug 15
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Announcing Our Q2 2022 PURE Award Winners

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We are pleased to announce our latest winners of the PURE Service Award: Nicholas Hutchings, Denise Jeffries, Janet Kearney, Ramona Soto Stevenson, and Sherrill Voegel.

Nicholas Hutchings

Nicholas Hutchings is an ERP Instructional Designer and his proven expertise in instructional design, system implementation and ERP experience has been a huge asset to our client’s project needs.

The client had this to say about Nicholas: He is a strong communicator able to deliver effective messaging at all levels within the organization from SME to VP. Not only does he demonstrate an extreme sense of urgency and is proactive, but the standard also that he imposes on himself goes well beyond expectations. Consultatively, he can determine areas of most importance and pursues them with tenacity. This project is constantly evolving, and Nicholas has taken on a team leadership role, leads by example, is proactive, brings order to chaos in a systemic and logical manner, and has great EQ. His business savvy and ERP experience are amazing, he consistently demonstrates creativity in overcoming roadblocks, and has poured himself in becoming part of the solution. Nicholas has gained the respect and trust of all our team. and is my right hand.

Denise Jeffries, Janet Kearney, Ramona Soto Stevenson and Sherrill Voegel

Denise, Janet, Mona, and Sherrill are instructional designers and have proven time and time again their expertise, collaborative style and creative solutions have been nothing short of beneficial to our client’s needs.

The client had this to say about Denise, Janet, Ramona (Mona) and Sherrill: Over the past several years the criticality of strong Instructional Designers supporting my Change Management team has been vital. We have had two transformational projects impacting thousands of global employees. How lucky we have been to have four amazing CARA Instructional Designers part of the team. Mona, Denise, Sherill, and Janet are integral members helping to create and update thousands of SAP training materials while also going above and beyond by providing areas for improvements and leveraging new tools to deliver adult learning. There is no task we cannot give one of these four that they won’t tackle with excellence. It is also unique to have so many similarly skilled consultants on the same project/team. Mona, Denise, Sherill, and Janet strong camaraderie and support for one another bleeds over into the work they deliver for my team. Individually and collectively, they exemplify CARA’s PURE values and we are honored to have them part of our team.

CARA’s PURE Service Program provides a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well our consultants’ service delivery meets our clients’ needs. CARA’s service delivery process is based on the PURE service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well they demonstrate our PURE values: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s consultants are nominated based on client feedback, PURE evaluations, and team interaction with the consultants. After careful consideration of each candidate, CARA selects the PURE award recipients. The PURE award program is the foundation of CARA’s culture, aligning us with our clients’ and consultants’ values in service excellence.

 

Jul 26
0

We Are Thrilled to Welcome Tiffany Elhrisse to CARA!

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce the hiring of Tiffany Elhrisse to the position of Human Resources/Talent Coordinator. In this role, Tiffany will with work closely with the Senior Vice President of Talent and CARA leadership, supporting CARA staff and consultants with onboarding, updating and communicating policies and benefits, and coordinating and collaborating on employee engagement.

“Tiffany stepped into her HR role at CARA at a time of growth and is the right person for the job! She is a shining example of our leadership principles. She values people, radiates a positive attitude and pursues what is possible to ensure that our staff and consultants have the support they need to focus on client success”, said Allyson Carter, SVP Talent Management, The CARA Group.

Tiffany comes to CARA with a B.S. in Management and a focus on Human Resources. She has HR and customer service experience and believes in cultivating relationships, using creative approaches to engage and drive change, and has a passion for helping others. Tiffany’s personal mantra is: “You can’t be mad at the results you didn’t achieve for the work you didn’t do.”

Jul 19
1

Elizabeth (King) Geary Promoted to Talent Manager!

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CARA is thrilled to announce the promotion of Elizabeth (King) Geary to Talent Manager! Most recently serving as CARA’s HR Generalist, Elizabeth has supported CARA in various roles since she joined as a recruiting coordinator in 2013.

“I am excited to see Elizabeth partnering with our staff and consultants in new ways. Her desire to learn and grow along with her passion and mission to enable the success and engagement of others will make her a fabulous Talent Manager”, said Allyson Carter, SVP Talent Management.

In Elizabeth’s new role as a Talent Manager, she will use her skills as a relationship builder and a collaborator to foster relationships with our consultants while supporting/coaching them throughout the project to ensure both their satisfaction as well as client satisfaction.

Elizabeth will also work collaboratively as a member of our cross-functional Portfolio Teams discussing client project needs, reviewing consultant qualifications, and recommending consultants for projects.

We are very excited to see Elizabeth in this new role, as she has a passion for the industry and helping others continuously change, learn, grow. Elizabeth’s enthusiasm is evidenced everyday by her work, and we are fortunate to have her on our team.

Jun 10
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Announcing Our 2022 Dan King Scholarship Recipients

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We are pleased to announce our 2022 Dan King Scholarship Recipients: Jessica Bullock, Elizabeth L. Burke, and Eileen Terrell. CARA’s co-founder, Dan King, was a lifelong learner who believed in human potential and that is why he started this business. In honor of Dan, CARA provides annual scholarships to eligible consultants who have demonstrated a commitment to CARA and their own continuous learning.

Jessica Bullock

Jessica exemplifies the goals of the Dan King Scholarship through her ongoing commitment to continuous learning and dedication to the broader profession. Jessica, a dedicated Organizational Change Management consultant, has made significant contributions over the past two years on a large-scale, global transformation initiative. She has also written CARA blog posts and was recognized as a CARA PURE Award winner in 2021, has presented at conferences, and mentored young professionals.

Jessica plans to use her scholarship to further refine her coaching skills through an Agile Coaching certification.

Elizabeth L. Burke

Elizabeth is a dedicated Communications Specialist supporting a wide range of client needs and industries, allowing her to bridge information gaps based on these diverse experiences. Her focused approach in developing thorough technical documentation allows for efficient execution of tasks.

Elizabeth’s enthusiasm to share information convinced her to serve on the Chicago – Society for Technical Communications Administrative Counsel. Her contributions as a manager of several committees ultimately led her to serve two terms as President.

Elizabeth intends to use her scholarship in two ways: 1. Attending 2022’s in-person eLearning & Technology Showcase to learn of the changes in technology use and communication trends brought on by the pandemic and 2. Exploring technology tools through LinkedIn training to grow her technology tools knowledge.

Eileen Terrell

Eileen has worked with CARA for over 10 years both as a staff employee (Service Delivery Manager) and consultant. Eileen has had the opportunity to wear many hats: learning strategist, project manager, and instructional designer on a variety of client projects. Networking and building authentic relationships are important to Eileen and she is currently serving as a National Advisor for Chapters through ATD (Association for Talent Development) as one way to stay connected with other talent development professionals.

Eileen has a passion for continuing to enhance and build her capabilities and plans to use her scholarship funds to obtain a certification in Change Management.

Thank you, Jessica, Elizabeth, and Eileen, for consistently demonstrating your commitment to CARA and to Change, Learn, Grow.

 

 

May 18
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The CARA Group Named to Training Industry, Inc. 2022 Custom Content Development Watch List

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The CARA Group is honored to be named to Training Industry, Inc’s 2022 Custom Content Development Watch List.

“We are proud to be recognized by Training Industry, Inc., as we believe this award speaks to our ability to understand the unique needs of each client, and design, manage, and deliver best-in-class solutions to drive workforce performance,” said Michelle Reid-Powell, CARA President and CEO.

Tom Whelan, Director of corporate research at Training Industry, Inc. had this to say regarding these Watch Lists1: “The emerging companies chosen for our Custom Content Development Watch List create a learning environment with their comprehensive solutions to align with business objectives,” said Tom Whelan, director of corporate research at Training Industry, Inc. “These companies create this learning environment through developing engaging content with the latest learning technologies in gamification, eLearning and virtual training.”

Contact us to learn more how CARA can partner with you to help you achieve your learning goals.

 

About The CARA Group

The CARA Group is a consulting firm focused on change management, learning, and communications solutions that enable the workforce of the future. Our unparalleled commitment to the success of our clients and consultants makes CARA solutions unique. https://www.thecaragroup.com.

About Training Industry, Inc.

Training Industry (https://trainingindustry.com) is the most trusted source of information on the business of learning. Our authority is built on deep ties with more than 450 expert contributors who share insights and actionable information with their peers. Training Industry’s courses, live events, articles, magazine, webinars, podcast, research and reports generate more than 10 million industry interactions each year, while the Top 20 Training Companies Lists help business leaders find the right training partners.

Footnotes:

  1. Training Industry 2022 Custom Content Development award press release

 

 

 

May 18
0

We Are Thrilled to Welcome Maureen Heideman and Gary Krukar to CARA!

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to the Project Solutions team: Maureen Heideman, Senior Solutions Consultant, and Gary Krukar, Engagement Manager, effective March 2022. Maureen and Gary will report to Melissa Noonan, Senior Director, Project Solutions.

“I am excited that both Maureen and Gary are officially part of the broader CARA team”, said Melissa. “Their skills, expertise and contributions will be critical to positioning CARA for continued growth and our ability to offer increased value to our clients through CARA’s project solutions.”

Maureen Heideman

Maureen is a solutions consultant and instructional designer who has worked with Fortune 500 clients and government agencies to create interactive training solutions that balance training, performance support, assessment, coaching, critical thinking, and refection to encourage high-level transfer of learning.

As a learning lead in instructional design, Maureen has been recognized with four Brandon Hall awards.

Gary Krukar

Gary is a hands-on practitioner, consultant, and manager with over 25 years of experience. He has provided instructional analysis, design and development, project management, and process improvement consulting services to a variety of clients in many industries, embracing change and encouraging growth through knowledge sharing along the way.

Throughout his career, Gary has successfully managed, coached, and led others to design, develop, and implement learning solutions that drive human performance and successful business outcomes.