Photo by Donna A. Korones

Carole Johnson, J.D.
A co-founder and President of the Equity Consulting Group, she has thirty years experience as a prominent executive coach and international trainer. With demonstrated accomplishments in litigation prevention and leadership development, Dr. Johnson has developed cutting-edge, practical tools and programs for corporate and non-profit executive leadership teams. She is well-known for transforming "teams in trouble" into collaborative, self-directed, successful entities. She is an inspiring keynote speaker, and has formally coached numerous senior leaders and  global executives worldwide. She was Executive Producer of Sticks, Stones and Stereotypes/Palos, Piedras, Y Estereotipos, an internationally acclaimed, award-winning film-curriculum for young people on issues of racism and homophobia. Sticks and Stones has been used in more than 5,000 schools throughout the United States, Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.  Dr. Johnson is a non-practicing lawyer and former project director in the United States Federal Desegregation Centers Program. She holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Western New England College School of Law.

        
Jamie Washington, Ph.D.
A Senior Consultant with The Equity Consulting Group, he is an internationally recognized trainer and presenter on leadership, organizational change, and diversity issues. Dr. Washington has extensive experience in both public and private sector leadership development, particularly on issues of racism, sexism, homophobia and religious conflicts. His most recent work has been a series of seminars and keynote presentations in South Africa. He is former Vice President for Student Affairs and Assistant Professor of Women's Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He holds a Ph.D from the University of Maryland in Multicultural Education and a Masters degree from Howard University Graduate School of Divinity.

Joan Steinau Lester, Ed.D.
A co-founder of The Equity Consulting Group, Dr. Lester has managed scores of organizational change initiatives over the last twenty-five years. She has been a frequent business commentator on National Public Radio, for "All Things Considered" and "Marketplace," and is regularly sought as an expert on diversity issues in business by national media. She is the author of The Future of White Men and Other Diversity Dilemmas (Conari Press) and Taking Charge: Every Woman's Action Guide to Personal, Political and Professional Success. (Conari Press) Most recently she published Fire In My Soul, A Biography of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (Simon and Schuster). She holds a doctoral degree in Multicultural Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

        
Jonathan Poullard, M.S.
Mr. Poullard has been a consultant with the Equity Consulting Group for sixteen years. As a dynamic presenter and trainer he has delivered cutting-edge empowerment programs for educational and corporate managers throughout the United States. He has extensive experience in leadership development, with special expertise in strategic team-building programs "through a diversity lens." Mr. Poullard serves as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of California, Berkeley, where his organization is responsible for program functions for more than 34,000 students.

Mercedes Martin, M.S.
Ms. Martin, a Project Director in the former Equity Institute, has been a consultant for fifteen years. She is a native Spanish-speaking coach, with particular expertise in global team building and conflict resolution. Ms. Martin has conducted leadership development programs in Nigeria, and throughout South and Central America. She is an adjunct faculty member at San Francisco State University-Human Resource Diversity Management Program, University of Santa Cruz-Executive Leadership Institute, and John F. Kennedy University-Women's Leadership Forum. She holds a Masters Degree in Leadership Development, Bachelors Degree in Transcultural Nursing, and she was a United States Air Force Officer for twelve years, where she was a certified Master Facilitator in Total Quality Management.

Felicia J. Lee, Ph.D.
Dr. Lee has consulted extensively with universities, community agencies, and business groups. She has extensive experience in executive coaching, diversity leadership development, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and team-building. She received additional training from the Asian Pacific Dispute Resolution Center Mediation Program, and she has collaborated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennial Scholars Program as a scholarship reader and moderator at the annual Gates Leadership Conference. Dr. Lee is currently Chief of Staff for the Division of Student Affairs at the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.

        
Michael Bell, B.S.
Mr. Bell, a consultant with the Equity Group for eight years, is an expert on organizational development and strategic planning. He has extensive experience developing and delivering team building and mentoring programs. As co-author with Ms. Martin, he published the research:Best Practices for Corporate Mentoring Programs. He has developed cultural competency measures for programs throughout the world. Mr. Bell is an advanced facilitator in the conflict resolution model of Powerful Non-Defensive Communication (PNDC). He is a graduate of Cornell University. His doctoral studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies were in cross-cultural communication, with a focus on "Adult Learning and Change."