Meet the Team
As the four primary leaders of Resilient Leadership LLC, Jim Burns, Jim Moyer, Bridgette Theurer and Bob Duggan are the driving force of the RL Model and are responsible for growing the coaching, training and consulting business based on that model. Together, they provide the professional expertise required to deploy the RL Model to both professional coaches and to senior leaders and their teams in the for-profit, not-for-profit, and government sectors.
Jim Burns
During his 38 years with Marriott International, Jim held a variety of positions including Restaurant Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, Regional Director of Human Resources, Vice President of Total Quality Management, Vice President of Service Development, and Brand Executive for MHRS — to name only a few of his many positions.
Jim’s wide range of leadership experiences enables him to apply Resilient Leadership resources in ways that connect with leaders at all levels of an organization. He provides keen insight into Resilient Leadership concepts, methods and tools and can quickly demonstrate how these tools can be used to lead more effectively. As he often says: “The secret sauce of leadership is knowing how to recognize and manage emotional process.”
Jim Moyer
Jim is a founding member of Resilient Leadership, LLC, and is the co-author with Bob Duggan of the book Resilient Leadership. Jim is an Executive Coach and strategic planning and organizational development consultant with over 30 years experience in for-profit, not-for-profit, and government organizations.
Jim has successfully grown his consulting and coaching practice since 1998. Before he began his consulting practice Jim worked for 25 years at Marriott International as a manager, director, and senior executive in Strategy, Organizational Development, Human Resources, Quality and Loss Prevention.
Bridgette Theurer
Bridgette Theurer is a Resilient Leadership Senior Associate and the co-author of Resilient Leadership 2.0 (with Bob Duggan). She has been instrumental in the design and development of Resilient Leadership training programs, including a 9-month leadership development program for the FDA. She facilitates our 3-day Coach Certification Course and has helped to certify over 100 coaches in the Resilient Leadership model.
As an Executive Coach, Bridgette specializes in coaching senior and emerging leaders facing significant growth and change. Her clients have included larger organizations such as the Marriott Corporation, Sodexo USA, and Booz Allen as well as numerous small businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises. In 2015 she co-authored her first book, Missing Conversations: 9 Questions all Leaders Should Ask Themselves (with Heather Jelks). She has been coaching and consulting in the Washington, D.C. area for over 20 years.
Dr. Bob Duggan
Dr. Bob Duggan is a founding member of Resilient Leadership, LLC and is the co-author of the book Resilient Leadership (with Jim Moyer), Resilient Leadership 2.0 (with Bridgette Theurer) and of the Resilient Leadership training materials now available in a variety of formats. Bob is a veteran Executive Coach and organizational development consultant, a prolific and widely published author, and a speaker and workshop facilitator both in this country and internationally.
In his work with individuals and organizations implementing the Resilient Leadership model, he brings a diverse background that includes counseling, teaching at the university level, leadership of an organization that achieved national recognition for excellence, and success in working with CEOs and executive teams in the corporate world, government, and non-profit settings.
RL Associates
Heather, AnaLia and Irvine are veteran RL Associates. As long term certified RL Coaches and RL Trainers, they offer an extensive depth of knowledge and experience with the RL Model. All three have blended the concepts of RL into a broad offering of training and coaching services.
Heather Jelks
Resilient Leadership Associate
Heather O’Neill Jelks is a certified Executive and Somatic Coach, speaker, and associate at Resilient Leadership, LLC. She partners with non-profit executives as well as leaders in business, health care, and the federal government, such as the The Humane Society, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Holy Cross Health, and Morgan Stanley/Smith Barney, to help them elevate their individual and team performance and enhance their well-being.
She’s worked with Bob Duggan, Bridgette Theurer, and Jim Moyer to deliver RL training at the FDA and weaves RL principles and practices into all of her leadership coaching engagements. An avid runner and mindfulness meditation practitioner, Heather introduces her clients to leadership concepts and best practices that deepen resilience, wisdom, and well-being. She recently co-authored with Bridgette Theurer the book, Missing Conversations: 9 Questions All Leaders Should Ask Themselves.
AnaLia Medina
Resilient Leadership Associate
AnaLia Medina is a certified Executive Coach, strategy consultant, and associate at Resilient Leadership, LLC. She specializes in collaborative culture, helping leaders and teams bring their individual and collective best thinking and creative solutions to their toughest problems. With 20 years’ experience, she has a proven track record working with federal government leaders and decision-makers in the United States and globally, as well as private sector professionals specializing in health care, finance, law enforcement and regulatory affairs.
She has worked in various capacities including business development, leadership development, solutions consulting and training. Her clients have included Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Veterans Affairs as well as small for profit companies. AnaLia has a Masters Certificate in Leadership & Management and certifications in Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Project Management and CoActive Coaching.
Irvine Nugent PH.D., PCC
Resilient Leadership Associate
Irvine Nugent, Ph.D., PCC is an Executive Coach, speaker, trainer, and associate at Resilient Leadership, LLC. He possesses fifteen-plus years in senior leadership roles in organizations of various sizes, stages of growth and different sectors. As an executive coach, Irvine offers a unique combination of experience and skills to assist leaders and individuals reach the next level and fully realize their inner potential. Through active listening and observation, Irvine quickly gets to the heart of the matter with clarity and compassion.
Born in Northern Ireland Irvine brings to his practice a rich and varied experience. Growing up in a society torn apart by conflict and violence he has always been attracted to discovering ways to help leaders develop greater resilience in the face of chaos and change. He has been privileged to work with many different cultures, learning firsthand the challenges of effective communication and understanding. He is an ATD credential Master Trainer and Certified World Class Speaking Coach and has offered seminars on various topics of leadership all over the country.
RL Trainers
In June of 2020, six of our best Certified RL Coaches finalized their in-depth study of Resilient Leadership concepts, practices and tools to become Certified RL Trainers. We are excited to recognize and introduce these professionals as the newest members of our RL cadre. All of them are experienced and highly skilled leadership coaches and trainers who are now prepared to join us in our nationwide expansion of Resilient Leadership service.
Jennifer Bigelow Ed.D.
Resilient Leadership Trainer
Jennifer Bigelow is a successful school leader with over 20 years of experience in public and private schools. Jennifer has a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the North Carolina State University and specialized in organizational leadership in her program. She has presented to groups locally and nationally in the area of Catholic school leadership, organizational fit, collaborative leadership, and resilient leadership. Jennifer completed the Resilient Leadership Coaching Certification in December 2018. She currently serves as the Associate Superintendent of Schools for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.
Jim Burns
Resilient Leadership Trainer
Jim is a Managing Partner in Resilient Leadership LLC as well as a Certified RL Coach and RL Trainer. With both coaching and training experience in the Federal sector and the hospitality industry, Jim brings a unique mix of first-hand knowledge to his work. His engagements always include customized “real world” examples to clarify concepts and to demonstrate how recognizing and managing emotional process opens up possibilities for personal growth and for professional development that leads to bigger and better results for the organization.
Tracey Cairnie MS PCC
Resilient Leadership Trainer
Tracey Cairnie is a professional certified coach (PCC) and has a master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Tracey is a frequent trainer and consultant to corporations and federal, state and local government agencies, non-profit organizations, and individual executives, in various topics, including organizational and leadership development, communications, group dynamics and performance optimization. Tracey has nearly 30 years of experience working with clients involved in the fields of science, business, legal, finance, health care, and education, among others.
Christine Kopec
Resilient Leadership Trainer
Christine founded the Avante Leadership Group in 2009 to help organizations solve their communication-related issues for bottom-line business results. Her communication and team-building training programs have changed the lives of professionals at the US Army, Sandia National Laboratories, Lockheed Martin, Spectra Logic Corp, Long View Systems and more. Christine is a certified facilitator and award-winning authorized partner for Everything Workplace DiSC©. She is also certified in The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™ program based on New York Times bestselling author, Patrick Lencioni’s work, and a certified Resilient Leadership Coach.
Mike Nowland
Resilient Leadership Trainer
Mike Nowland understands that his purpose is to help managers be better, do better and live better! To achieve this, he uses the principles and concepts of Resilient Leadership to coach managers in new ways of seeing, thinking and leading their teams, and more importantly, themselves. He’s a persuasive and empathetic communicator with over 30 years of senior level experience in Leadership Development and Human Resources with companies like Marriott International, ResMed and Kisco Senior Living.
Faith Schneider
Resilient Leadership Trainer
Faith Schneider is an Executive Leadership Coach and organizational change facilitator with over thirty years of experience serving corporations, Federal Government agencies, and nonprofits. Faith served for 24 years in the U.S. Navy (Active and Reserve) including the first aircraft carrier deployment with women. Her first job out of college was with the Congressional House Banking Committee. Her introduction to organizational systems took place at a large science, technology and engineering company where she worked for nine years.