Dr. Brenda Kelleher-Flight | Coach and Mediator
Brenda really enjoys new challenges. She started her career in the retail industry. After a short time, she was offered a variety of opportunities in the banking and telecommunications sectors.
One of her bosses advised her to go to school and do something that would challenge her intellectually. Without thinking she enrolled in a nursing program. She really found working as a nurse, nursing educator, and director of nursing very fulfilling.
Realizing she wanted a family which required more balance in her life, she began teaching students with exceptionalities in the k-12 education system and held positions as a principal, consultant, and Director of Student Support Services.
Following her thirst for knowledge, she enrolled in a doctoral program and while those studies she was offered the opportunity to work with boards of all types throughout her province. This opportunity provided her with the opportunity to practice what she was learning and contribute in a larger way to society. Simultaneously, she honed her skills in the area of conflict resolution.
It is important to mention that along the way she was in the naval reserve, sold real estate and was part owner of a uniform company.
Many of the opportunities came without her looking for them. She says, “The truth is I really enjoy working with individuals, boards, organizations and businesses that want to attune to their truth.”
To help her along the way, she had the support husband and two children. Also, many individuals and mentors have challenged her ways of thinking and modes of operating. She believes that the richness of those experiences make her who she is today.
What you are about to read next is a formal introduction. If you connect with this first part you are a good fit to work with GDP Consulting.
Governance
Brenda is highly proficient at leading not-for-profit boards, college boards, school boards, aboriginal councils/governments/boards, and business teams. Specific areas of expertise include research, governance policy, strategic and business plan development, risk analysis, management policy development, and formulating/updating of constitutions and bylaws.
Brenda’s research in the area of board governance, decision making and defining and creating the distinction between governance and management is invaluable, as she supports boards and individuals to fulfill their personal and professional goals. She is skilled at ensuring that decisions are made only by those who know the organization. She provides the framework and ensures that all those charged with decision making are aware of the potential advantages and disadvantages of various options.
She is a master at moving quickly to the root of each issue, while working skillfully with the legislative, policy, and resource context of the organization. Her knowledge and expertise are invaluable in assisting teams to scan, evaluate, and make decisions to meet their legal and moral obligations.
Coaching
Brenda is a qualified mediator. Her success as a coach brings referrals to her. Most of her clients are individuals and managers who are professionals in a specific field but have not had managerial training or mentoring or taught the skills necessary for successful interactions. Some of her clients are individuals facing challenges and need to learn conflict resolution skills or prepare for face-to-face meetings to resolve work or personal issues. The key is that when her clients learn how to center, the keys to charisma, and how to network successfully they are always successful in their future endeavours.
As well, she works effectively with personnel to determine what is interfering with interpersonal relationships, to decide what is holding them back in their career paths, and to set realistic goals for their professional and personal growth.
The number of coaching clients she accepts at one time is limited in order to ensure she can meet her clients’ needs.
Facilitating
Brenda is well known for her facilitation skills. Her calm manner and ability to deal with diversity and complex issues enables her ensure participants can speak their truth. The group members feeling heard and the goals of the sessions are always reached.
Brenda specializes in resolving group conflict, building teams, visioning, and ensuring that the goals for each facilitation are met. She is known to assist organizations to build strong cultures, increase the entity’s ability to increase performance and to assist employees to enjoy the work environment.
SOME RECENT PROJECTS
- Developer strategic, business and activity planning processes
- Developer business plans
- Trainer, facilitators
- Trainer, policy development specialists
- Trainer, networking and connecting in business
- Developer and lead consultant, training school board trustees in the areas of board governance, school board legislation, policy development, and communication
- Lead consultant, strategic planning with public sector boards and a not-for-profit agency
- Consultant, governance training for Aboriginal group
- Consultant, business refocusing with a private corporation
- Lead consultant, training for a consultant to deliver governance materials in another language
- Developer of constitution, bylaws and policies (public sector & not-for-profit)
- Developer, managment policies
- Coach, conflict resolution via phone, Skype and face-to-face
APPLICABLE TEACHING/TRAINING EXPERIENCE
- 10 day workshop to train policy development specialists
- Team building workshop
- Personal Development Workshops
- Workshops, Governance, Communication, Policy Development, Legislation for Public Sector, Not-for-Profit and Aboriginal Groups
- Workshops, Constitution, Bylaw and Policy Development
- Workshop, Strategic Planning for Public Sector and Not-for-Profit Organizations
- Workshop, Assessing the Effectiveness of Your Website
- Author of Governance training materials on the topics of Governance, Policy Development and Communication
- Author, DecisionMaking Model of Governance: A Handbook for Board Members and CEOs of Public Sector Organizations
- Author, Quarterly Newsletters and Special Report
RECENT POSITIONS
- President, GDP Consulting Inc. 2005- Present
- 2000-2006, Director of the Accountability Office, Government of NL
- 1989-2000, Director and Consultant in Student Support Services and Coordinator for the Model of Service for Children and Youth for four Departments of Government
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. University of South Australia – Governance
- A.D.R. University of Windsor Law School / Stitt Feld Handy Group (Executive Certificate in Conflict Management); Q.Med.
- M.Ed. St. Michael’s College, Vermont (special education)
- M.Ed. Memorial University of Newfoundland (administration)
- B.Sc.N. University of Windsor
ASSOCIATIONS
- Institute of Corporate Directors
- ADR Atlantic (Alternative Dispute Resolution)
- Cambridge Who’s Who
- NLOWE
- St. John’s Board of Trade
- HRPNL
- Extraordinary Women
- Association for Strategic Planning
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