About Our Board | The volunteers of the Lake Superior Chapter of ATD are leaders who represent many roles within the training and human resources development profession here in the Northland. These leaders use their management, marketing and technical skills to plan, administer and implement the events, programs and projects of the Chapter. Through their guidance, the organization serves the educational and professional development needs of its members. Would you like to learn more about joining our board? Maybe you don't have time for a full board commitment but would like to volunteer in some way? We have many opportunities! |
Your 2025 Board of Directors
President | Kim completed her MBA in Leadership and Change from the College of St. Scholastica in 2018 and also holds a degree in communicating arts from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She has a long history in providing and supporting learning and staff development opportunities and she firmly believes that everyone, regardless of position title, has the choice to shine and to lead. She is passionate about lifelong learning both for herself and in fostering opportunities for others to grow. After 18 years in healthcare, in positions of progressing responsibility, Kim accepted her first position with the State of Minnesota in 2018, as a Training Director for the Department of Corrections. Kim is currently working as a Training & Development Specialist for the Department of Transportation. In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with her family, watching classic films, cooking, and reading. |
Past President Steve Hamlin | Steve has been a chapter member, a board Member-at-Large, President-elect, and now he is excited to take the reigns from Lisa as President. Steve earned the Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) certification from ATD in 2019, and started teaching at Lake superior College in 2020 (and loves it!). Before that, he trained new hire technicians at a large aircraft maintenance company in Indiana and in Duluth. He has many years of experience in the aviation maintenance field including military, airline and third-party providers. He is also a certified CPR instructor with National Safety Council. If not out fishing on the big lake, Steve can be found working on something around the house, spending time with family, or signing up for the next 5k race. |
| Treasurer | José Cabrera is a learning and organizational development analyst at ALLETE. He has a Master’s degree in education, holds ATD's Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) certification, and is a Certified ROI Professional. He has a background in human resources and in employee training and development. José has a passion for educating, equipping, and encouraging people to achieve their goals and dreams. In his spare time, José enjoys spending time with family, writing code, cooking, and playing disc golf.
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Secretary | Director of Learning and Development, National Bank of Commerce Heather Ramacker is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) with 13 years of experience in the banking industry and 9 years specializing in talent development. As the Director of Learning and Development at National Bank of Commerce (NBC), Heather oversees a dynamic team of three L&D specialists, driving innovative programs that align with NBC’s core values of accountability, integrity, respect, and teamwork. Heather leads impactful initiatives which equips employees with the skills to excel in leadership roles, and onboarding programs designed to support seamless transitions for new team members. She leverages technology and innovative techniques to empower teams to deliver more engaging and effective training experiences. Outside of her professional life, Heather channels her love for adventure into guiding wilderness trips and whitewater rafting, blending leadership and teamwork in nature's playground. Her passion for growth and development, whether in the office or the great outdoors, inspires those around her to aim higher and achieve more. |
| VP Membership | Barb is a strategy coach and personalized development enthusiast, helping individuals and organizations find and implement strategies that align with their talents, values, and needs. Over 20 years of experience as an educator, in the classroom, professional development and coaching, provides her with many opportunities to see diverse, intense, often unrecognized, talents demonstrated by individuals of all ages. Barb’s mission to understand and support the great potential in others is guided by positive psychology and prompted her creation of Perception Coaching LLC. Barb earned a PhD in Educational Psychology as well a certificate for Talent Development and Gifted Education from the University of Minnesota. She is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach (StrengthsFinder), EQ-i 2.0 and 360 Certified Coach (Emotional Intelligence), as well as a Board Certified Executive and Life Coach (BCC). Her biggest takeaway: Communication, productivity, engagement, and happiness are all positively impacted by developing a strengths-based culture. |
![]() | VP Programming | Haley Bengtson is a Performance Coach at Perception Coaching LLC, helping to provide accountability and develop systems to improve productivity. She is a talent and strengths development enthusiast that enjoys helping people find their best path forward. She started as a facilitator in workshops during the summer of 2020, and has since added coaching and presenting to her skillset. Haley finds joy in helping sort through the chaos and clearing up miscommunications by creating a common language through strengths and preferences. |
VP Marketing | Stacy Johnston is an experienced trainer and solutions specialist, with a diverse Human Resource and legal background. Stacy is a licensed attorney and has earned the SHRM-CP credentials. Stacy is the founder of HR Learning Lab and Audacity HR Solutions and an instructor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Stacy is the VP of Marketing on our Board, and is a member of ATD (Association for Talent Development), NHRA (Northland HR Association), SHRM (Society for HR Management) and NSA (National Speakers Association). |
VP | Juli has a degree in Management with an HR concentration from The College of St. Scholastica. She has been working in Staff Development since 2003 for St. Louis County. She develops training in various topics and formats to meet the training needs for County staff. Juli is a Continuous Improvement champion trained in multiple CI tools and an Everything Workplace DiSC certified instructor. She enjoys helping teams make things simpler, easier and more streamlined, in both process and people. |
Member-at Large | Michelle is an Organizational Development Specialist for St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services. She has over 25 years of experience leading, managing and training professionals in the human service industry. In addition to her leadership skills she is well versed in team, program, and organizational development. She has been trained in strategic and business management tools such as the Balanced Scorecard from the Harvard School of Business and LEAN processes. Michelle’s education includes a Masters in Management and Bachelors in Criminology/Sociology. She is an associate level instructor of the Crisis Prevention Institute, certified in Life Space Crisis Intervention and a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor. |
Position Open-Your Picture Here! | Social Media Coordinator |