Who We Are

William R. Bryan, Ph.D.

Bill is the founder and CEO of The Bryan Group, LLC, a consulting firm founded in 2019 that provides high-level capacity building services to organizations in the education and business sectors. Services include strategic planning, leader and organization development to include talent and performance management and executive search. The search business has a focus on finding top performing education leaders, e.g., higher education executives and K-12 district superintendents, and is the only firm in the country that employs a competency and behavioral science-based approach. Bill has been founder, co-founder, or advisor to a dozen start-ups. The following is sample of other work experiences:

Former Positions:

• Co-founder and VP for Leadership and Organization Development of the Center for Secondary School Redesign (CSSR), which has been incorporated into NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges). CSSR was an education consulting firm that focused on improving student performance. For 14 years Bill provided management, leadership, and organization development services to schools and districts across the country, to include those in 14 different states.
• Founder and president of Bryan Associates, Inc. a national management consulting firm providing talent and performance management services to organizations in every sector to include a dozen Fortune 500 companies.

Current Positions and Engagements:

• Founder of The Bryan Group Resources, LLC, an intellectual property firm that provides workbooks, protocols, assessment tools, policies, articles, white papers, etc. to multiple sectors to enhance their talent and performance management functions.
• Partner in a high-tech start-up, focused on the development of an application supporting social-emotional intelligence competency development of students and in staff of both education and business organizations.
• Advisory team member of the Education Innovation Collaborative (EIC) in NV. The goal of this organization is to enhance NV student performance at every level through the establishment of learning labs that employ cutting edge student driven learning practices.
• Executive coach and advisory board member of Oaks & Crown, a leader development firm providing services to young Christian African entrepreneurs and business leaders.
• Advisory board member for the Robinhood Ranch whose mission is to create a sanctuary of learning, healing, and self-regulation for children in foster care.
• Advisory board member and coach for Move Mountains, a business consulting firm that provides talent and performance management services to different type and size businesses.

After graduating from Dartmouth College, Bill entered the Army, where he achieved the rank of Captain and was the commanding officer of companies in South Korea and the US. Following his Army service, Bill obtained a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The George Washington University with a specialty in child, adolescent, and family psychotherapy. He started a group psychology practice and held a variety of positions to include university teaching and school consultation.

Based on his clinical and academic experience, Bill was hired to create and direct the student counseling services at Bryant University. His interest in communication skills training and work with businesses led to a position as project director with McBer and Company, a Boston consulting firm specializing in applied motivation and competency research that was led by Dr. David McClelland, the head of the Harvard Psychology Department. In this role, for four years he conducted applied competency and motivation research aimed at improving the performance of Fortune 500 companies and military organizations.

After McBer, Bill founded Bryan Associates, Inc. (BAI) and ran this national consulting firm for 23 years. BAI provided management, leadership, and organization development services to a wide variety of companies in the private, non-profit, and government sectors. A sample of the clients served includes Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Citicorp, CKE Restaurants, Entergy Corporation, Exxon, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, IMS Health, Johnson & Johnson, Kidder Peabody, Major League Baseball, Mobil, New York Life, the New York Stock Exchange, Southwestern Bell, the U.S. Navy, the YMCA of the USA, and the University of Rhode Island.

To sum up Bill’s capabilities, he is a highly skilled consultant, manager, leader, and entrepreneur with demonstrated competence and success in multiple sectors in the following areas:

• Leadership and leader development
• Competency and behavioral science-based executive search and selection
• Executive coaching
• Applied motivation and competency research
• Alignment of operational and human resource capabilities with organization objectives – creation of competency-based HR functions
• Competency-based hiring practices
• Talent management – applied competency and talent research and applications, e.g., training, professional development, performance appraisal, succession planning, and creating staffing plans
• Change leadership – implementation of major organization initiatives
• Design, development, and delivery of interventions to create high performing organizations
• Organization and position design
• Project management
• Performance management
• Team building, creating high-performing teams, and meeting management
• Strategic planning
• Customer/stakeholder needs and satisfaction research and solution implementation
• Course and workshop design and facilitation

Bill is an experienced speaker at both the local and national level. He is a member of the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Northern Nevada Human Resource Association. His involvement in academia includes positions at Providence College (psychology and counseling), Bryant University (counseling), University of Rhode Island (labor relations, organization development – undergraduate and MBA, and advisor to the executive MBA program), American University (NTL/MA program in HR development), and New England College (Ed.D. leadership program instructor and dissertation advisor).

Bill has authored many white papers, articles, and professional development programs. He was the lead contributor for Breaking Ranks® II and the Breaking Ranks® in the Middle Implementation Guide titled: Breaking Ranks®: A Field Guide for Leading Change. He led and authored a study of the characteristics of superior-performing quality leaders in 13 top tier organizations, to include: Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Harvard, Hewlett-Packard, Marriott Corporation, NYNEX, and Texas Instruments. He has two book projects in the works – one on leadership and one on enhanced hiring practices. He is engaged in a study that identifies how school-age children cope with adversity and develop the social-emotional intelligence competencies required for success in education, work, and life.

Nora Bryan Behrens

Nora Bryan Behrens is the TBG West Coast General Manager, leading search and product development activities with a specialization in nation-wide candidate recruiting. She has a BA from Dartmouth College and has spent twenty years in marketing and operations management positions for both online and brick-and-mortar corporations. She has technical expertise in executing systems that support executive search activities such as candidate application management, creating effective recruiting and marketing materials, and search committee training.

Nora has extensive experience in the non-profit and advocacy arenas which includes roles as the Board Chair of Family TIES of Nevada, the Parent Co-Chair of the Nevada Interagency Coordinating Council, and founder of the CP Parent Network – the only support and networking group for parents of children with disabilities in the state of Nevada. She is passionate about making education accessible to all students at all levels through systems improvement and strong leadership.

Ross Morse

Ross Morse is the Bryan Group East Coast General Manager where he manages executive searches, strategic planning, and organization development through process improvement with both educational and business sectors.

Ross also works as the Human Resources Administrator for a small New Hampshire business employing 50-100 workers employing a focus on internal talent development and the formation and support of high-performing teams. Ross is certified through the University of New Hampshire as a Scrum Master. This certification uses Agile Methodologies to increase efficiency and productivity at all levels.

Ross has been working with Dr. Bryan since 2008 and became a consultant for the firm in 2019. His background in community engagement and data analyzing strengthens the processes TBG utilizes to ensure the best fit for executive leadership placement.

Ross has a BA from Emerson College in Boston, MA in Public Relations/Advertising and is a Certified Agile Scrum Master through the University of New Hampshire.

Dr. Sherrell Hobbs

Dr. Sherrell Hobbs is a TBG Senior Consultant. Dr. Hobbs is widely recognized for her ability to spearhead transformative changes across a variety of education sectors. Her extensive experience in executive leadership and special education has enabled her to build high-performing teams and develop innovative programs that drive both academic and operational excellence.

Dr. Hobbs has served in pivotal roles that showcase her leadership and strategic vision. As the Executive Director of Doctors Charter School in Florida from 2022 to 2024, she led initiatives that elevated school performance through focused curriculum development, financial management, and the forging of meaningful community partnerships.

Currently, as the CEO and President of Victory Educational Solutions in Florida, Dr. Hobbs guides 
C-suite executives through transformative changes. Her bespoke workshops and strategic professional development initiatives empower leaders across various organizational settings to thrive.

Beyond these impressive roles, Dr. Hobbs has collaborated with HYA Hazard, Young, Attea Associates to conduct executive searches. Her expertise in leadership has been pivotal in hiring directors, executive directors, and other education leaders. Her visionary approach and deep understanding of education dynamics make her an invaluable asset in executive recruitment and team building.

Dr. Hobbs’ education background is equally impressive. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in School Administration and Special Education from Wayne State University, a Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus on Special Education and Education Leadership from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Management from Davenport University.

Keisha Stephenson Taylor, Ed.D

Keisha Stephenson Taylor, Ed.D is a TBG Senior Consultant and Diversity Sourcing Manager. She is the Director of Educational Partnerships at NAF and has been a part of growing and developing the professional development opportunities for over 3,000 educators in the network. She leads the annual professional development conferences and institutes across the US and manages partnerships with curriculum and postsecondary partners.

A former curriculum supervisor in the area of language arts and professional development, her teaching experience was in the English content area where she served as a teacher and team facilitator on a 9th grade small learning community team. In addition, she also served as a Coalition of Essential Schools whole school reform facilitator.

Keisha has been appointed to various state advisories throughout her career, and most recently as a board member of Learning Forward NJ. She has been a supervisor, teacher, team leader, and a school improvement coach.

Keisha’s expertise is in personalization. She worked on the CSSR team for several years on a variety of projects to create student advisory programs for students in grades 9-12 in which students and staff are trained in student led conferencing. Keisha has also been involved in a number of whole school redesign projects in Smaller Learning Communities schools.

Keisha holds a B.A. in English and Secondary Education, a M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Rowan University as well as a Ed.D. in Innovation and Leadership from Wilmington University. Keisha resides in NJ.

Virginia Eves, MS

Virginia Eves, MS is a TBG Senior Consultant. She has spent the majority of her educational experience, both in the classroom and as an administrator, focused on closing achievement and opportunity gaps for students, particularly low-income students, students of color, and those with special needs, who are often underserved in an educational system that should provide supports and assistance necessary for them to succeed.

Virginia’s belief that all students can learn at high levels is best evidenced by the successes and awards that were bestowed upon Madison High School during her tenure as Principal there. After earning the Breakthrough High School Award, Ms. Eves was asked to relate the challenges of overcoming resistant staff and community, as well as barriers to student success, she encountered at Madison High School in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). In Chapter 6, “Collaborative Leadership Changes and Challenges to the Idea of ‘Traditional’ Neighborhood Schools,” the chapter she was asked to write for author Dr. Joe DiMartino’s book, The Personalized High School: Making Learning Count for Adolescents, she told the story of the “Renaissance of Madison High.”

As a central office administrator, Virginia had oversight and management of Transitional Kindergarten-Grade 12 Instructional Support Services (Assistant Superintendent), Office of College, Career and Technical Education (Director), and 20 Innovative Small High Schools and six Alternative High Schools (Program Manager).

Virginia holds a BS in Education and Psychology from University of Iowa and an MS in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.

Michele L. Munson

Michele L. Munson, Ed.D., is a TBG Senior Consultant. She brings thirty years in educational administration 16 years as a Superintendent, plus experience as assistant superintendent and bureau administration at the New Hampshire Department of Education, and NH EPSCoR. Through her work, she has demonstrated expertise in: researching and analyzing root causes of equity; promoting and integrating STEM; supporting teachers to develop and to use effective instructional practices; enhancing compensatory education strategies; developing differentiated and personalized curriculum; assisting school reform efforts; as well as planning and coordinating professional development, and student assessment. Having participated in many national projects and working with representatives from numerous states, she brings an understanding of varied state protocols and statutes to our work.

Michele also relies on 20 years of teaching and consulting that encompassed all grade levels (K-12) in multiple school systems in a wide range of economic, cultural, and demographic situations to enhance her understanding of the needs of schools, students, and communities.

A recognized educator of the Gifted, Michele, named New Hampshire Gifted Educator of the Year in 2005, has won numerous awards for; fostering creativity and innovation, and for developing the Connecticut Invention Convention, The Young Inventors and Creators Program with the US Patent and Trademark Office, and Innovations Across Generations programs. She was also one of the initiators of the University of New Hampshire’s Tech Camps that she directed for 7 years.

Michele is a strong advocate for public education and brings her expertise and excitement for helping school systems and their communities make a real difference to their children to our team.

Susan Bradley

Susan Bradley is a TBG Senior Consultant. Susan has also been a Learning Disabilities Field Placement Faculty with Granite State College since 2015.  Susan teaches the Advanced Endorsement capstone course: Advanced Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction for Learning Disabilities, EDU 740.  Susan received her B.S. degree in Communication Disorders at Northwestern University and her M.Ed. degree in Special Education at the University of Pittsburgh.

Susan is currently serving as the Out of District Coordinator in the Pittsfield, New Hampshire school district.  For fifteen years prior to this assignment, she served as a special education case manager at Pittsfield Elementary School.  This past year Susan concluded her position as a Co-Project Manager for the district level systems change project for the Pittsfield, NH school district, which was a six-year grant funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.  Susan has previously had the opportunity to be a school change coach with the Center for Secondary School Redesign.  Susan has taught in Maryland, Ohio, Texas, and California in the field of special education.

Janet Allison

Janet Allison is a veteran educator, administrator and consultant, whose experience transcends a variety of fields in teaching and learning, public school administration, strategic planning, and best practice 21st Century school reform initiatives. For a period of close to 28 years, Janet served the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in her professional roles for the Commission on Public and Secondary Schools (CPSS) where she led the CPSS mission of maintaining and sustaining relevant and dynamic Standards of Accreditation which define and ensure a quality education, support for member schools through self-evaluation, peer review and ongoing monitoring, support for research-based practices that are critical to continuous school improvement, and model delivery for a culture of self-reflection, collaboration and inquiry. Prior to that Janet was a middle and high school teacher and building administrator.

Since her retirement in 2015 she continues to serve as both a professional advisor, facilitator and consultant in support of many educational reform initiatives, school improvement plans, and research-based, school-wide 21st century learning implementation plans. Janet has also maintained and sustained participation in a number of professional activities and associations and has conducted over thirty-five accreditation visits to international schools.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and a B.A degree from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. Janet has also completed advanced graduate study in the fields of Computer Science and Social Science via the Continuing Education Program at Northeastern University.

Janet Allison is a veteran educator, administrator and consultant, whose experience transcends a variety of fields in teaching and learning, public school administration, strategic planning, and best practice 21st Century school reform initiatives. For a period of close to 28 years, Janet served the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in her professional roles for the Commission on Public and Secondary Schools (CPSS) where she led the CPSS mission of maintaining and sustaining relevant and dynamic Standards of Accreditation which define and ensure a quality education, support for member schools through self-evaluation, peer review and ongoing monitoring, support for research-based practices that are critical to continuous school improvement, and model delivery for a culture of self-reflection, collaboration and inquiry. Prior to that Janet was a middle and high school teacher and building administrator.

Since her retirement in 2015 she continues to serve as both a professional advisor, facilitator and consultant in support of many educational reform initiatives, school improvement plans, and research-based, school-wide 21st century learning implementation plans. Janet has also maintained and sustained participation in a number of professional activities and associations and has conducted over thirty-five accreditation visits to international schools.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and a B.A degree from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. Janet has also completed advanced graduate study in the fields of Computer Science and Social Science via the Continuing Education Program at Northeastern University.

Joe DiMartino

Joe DiMartino is founder and president of the Center for Secondary School Redesign (CSSR), which builds on work started at Brown University where he served as Director of Secondary School Redesign. CSSR provides substantial technical assistance to numerous districts and schools that are seeking to personalize learning for adolescents including as the primary TA provider for the New England Network for Personalization and Performance Assessment (NENPP). NENPP included 13 high schools in 4 New England states and was awarded an i3 grant to assist schools to move toward personalization and performance assessment. CSSR was also the primary TA provider for the Springdale AR Race to the Top District efforts to increase personalized learning district wide. Both of these projects include a move away from seat time to competency for earning course credit.

In addition to writing numerous published articles, Joe has co-authored three books: Personalizing the High School Experience for Each Student, and the Facilitator’s Guide for High Schools at Work: Creating Student Centered Learning, both published by ASCD, and They’re not Stupid: Unleashing the Genius of Each Student published by Rowman and Littlefield. He also co-edited Personalized Learning: Preparing High School Students to Create their Futures, published by Rowman Littlefield and The Personalized High School: Making Learning Count for Adolescents published by Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Joe holds a B.A. from Brown University, an M.Ed. in Special Education and Counseling from Rhode Island College, studied in the MBA program at Bryant University and has completed the coursework for a Ph.D. in Culturally Responsive Education from Brown University. Joe is first and foremost a parent and grandparent, often stating that he has learned much more from his six children, including the four adopted from outside the United States, than he could ever hope to teach them. Helping to create learning environments where diversity is valued, as exemplified in his family, is a prime motivator for Joe.

Dr. Bill Preble

Dr. Bill Preble is a Professor of Education at New England College (NEC) in Henniker, NH. He currently teaches in NEC’s Doctoral Program (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership, teaching courses on Qualitative and Quantitative Research, Contemporary Issues in K-12 Education and Educational Reform. He also teaches Educational Psychology and a course called, “Is Math Literacy a Civil Right?” in NEC’s undergraduate program. Bill was the 2015 Faculty of the Year Award Recipient from New England College’s Education Division and the 2011 Kilgore Award-winning Professor of the Year at NEC.

Bill is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for School Climate and Learning, a national research and professional development center that works with schools, diverse teams of student leaders, teachers and parents to understand and improve school climate, adult culture, school safety, and personalized teaching and learning.

Bill is a former elementary teacher, middle school social studies teacher and elementary school principal. Bill is the author of several books, chapters and articles including: Transforming School Climate and Learning written with Rick Gordon and The Respectful School co-written with Steven Wessler. He has published several articles in ASCD’s Educational Leadership journal about his work in schools as well as The New Hampshire Journal of Education.

Bill is married to Holly Preble and they have two adult children, Christopher and Anna Li. Bill is also a motivated and available drummer and cajon player.

Barrett M. Christina

Barrett M. Christina is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association. Hired at NHSBA in 2005, Mr. Christina has served as the Association’s Staff Attorney, Director of Governmental Relations, Chief Trainer and Associate Executive Director, before being appointed Executive Director in 2017. In his years at NHSBA, Mr. Christina has provided trainings to thousands of school board members, testified on dozens of bills before the NH Legislature, drafted many pieces of legislation, and has provided school board members and school administrators with legal guidance, trainings and support on all matters relative to school board governance.

Mr. Christina is a 2004 graduate of Franklin Pierce Law Center (now known as the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law) and is a 1996 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego with a B.A. in History. He resides in Dover, NH.

Aaron Fuentes

Aaron Fuentes is a student at Edward C Reed High School. He currently serves as the Finance Director of the Nevada HSDA. A politically affiliated group. He has been a member of leadership since elementary school, and is the current Student Body Treasurer of his high school. Apart from that, Aaron is also Treasurer of his Spanish club, making him responsible for managing his club and school’s finances. Aaron took part in the months long superintendent search process for the Washoe County School District. Academically, he is a member of the Reed High school Biomedical Academy, a program dedicated in preparing young individuals in healthcare related careers. Aaron is an athlete, participating in varsity Lacrosse. He’s also an active participant in Robotics, Debate, Bowling, student council and, Key club. He hopes to attend Saint Mary’s College of California after high school and enter a career in politics and medicine.

Ricardo LeBlanc-Esparza

Ricardo LeBlanc-Esparza has 31 years of experience serving as a teacher and administrator in high-poverty schools. His experience includes serving as the principal of Granger High School in the state of Washington which was comprised of 90 percent students of color and 90 percent students of poverty. The school had less than a 50 percent graduation rate, and the community also had the highest reported crime rate in the region. By developing a team approach which involved parents, students, educators, and the community working toward a common goal, Ricardo helped Granger High achieve a 90 percent graduation rate, and the crime rate in the community decreased to the lowest reported crime rate in the Yakima Valley. The school’s remarkable turnaround was featured in the Education Trust publication, “It’s Being Done.” Ricardo also led an alternative school in the Denver metro-area designed for teen mothers and their children. This school was the subject of a television series, “High School Moms” broadcast on the Discovery channel.

Ricardo has since retired from being a full time educator and is now consulting across the nation helping schools design and implement systems that will help all students reach their academic and social potential. He has co-authored two books through Solution Tree, “Breaking the Poverty Barrier” and “Strengthening the Connection Between School and Home.” His experience of elementary and secondary education gives him a unique perspective on the development of a student throughout their K-12 experience. He has delivered numerous presentations focused on helping educators learn how to break the poverty barrier. He has also written for numerous educational publications. Ricardo has a passion and strong belief that all students can be successful if the correct systems are implemented in a school-wide manner.

Dr. John Theis

Dr. John Theis is the founder of Whole Student Learning and creator of the SeeMe ForMe app. He created this company to fill crucial gaps in the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health space. Dr. Theis started his career working with students experiencing developmental and behavioral challenges. He maintained dual roles as a social worker and classroom teacher. He established a tech-focused approach during his doctoral work while receiving his Education Administration and Leadership doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He was a professor in the Education Department at St. Cloud State University. More recently, he was the Chief Academic Officer for a non-profit educational service organization, leading the development of standards-based curriculum and assessments for the PreK through Grade 12 population. He maintained his whole student approach by infusing social-emotional and mental health content into all subject areas. Dr. Theis is ecstatic to see the education sector begin to fund initiatives that focus attention on the whole student; encapsulating the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

Shawn T, Loescher, Ed.D.

Shawn T, Loescher, Ed.D., is an active practitioner and currently serves as the COO of a large school district with a focus on excellence and innovation in education in the greater San Diego Metropolitan region. He was one of 16 worldwide awardees of the TED-Ed Innovative Educators for 2019-2020. Dr. Loescher earned his doctorate from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University with a focus on leadership, innovation, theory, and policy. He is an America Educational Research Association (AERA) awarded scholarly practitioner in the field of action research and sciences. He is is a sought after keynote speaker, guest lecturer, TED Talk speaker, consultant, and think tank participant.

Dr. Sherrell Hobbs

Dr. Sherrell Hobbs is a dedicated visionary leader known for her unwavering commitment to uplifting marginalized voices and advocating for those in need. With a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a Doctorate in Philosophy, she has forged a multifaceted career marked by creativity and strategic prowess. Currently serving as the Executive Director of Doctors Charter School in Miami Shores, Dr. Hobbs continues her legacy of educational excellence. Her leadership, marked by integrity and vision, has garnered respect and recognition from peers, media, and publications.