ESI Board of Advisors

Etty DeVeaux, Administrator, University of Minnesota

For 10+ years Etty DeVeaux has helped executive leaders and teams at the University of Minnesota become more successful through strategic planning, alignment, and guided change.  Her work includes policy analysis, development, and implementation; and organizational effectiveness.  She has helped to reform the University’s system-wide administrative policy framework, now a national best practice model; to revamp the institution’s security infrastructure program; to ensure successful implementation of code requirements for the University’s TCB Bank football stadium; and to advise the University’s Board of Regents on the selection of its current president.

Etty serves as chair of the board of directors for SAGE academy, is a member of the University’s President’s Policy Advisory Committee, and chair of the President’s Emerging Leaders selection committee.  An excellent public speaker and facilitator, she also enjoys coaching and mentoring emerging leaders, and designing leadership development and talent retention initiatives.  She holds a master’s degree from Augsburg, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.

Libby Carrier Doran, Co-Founder, LymanDoran

Libby Carrier Doran, co-founder of LymanDoran, has spent more than 16 years working in management consulting and executive search.  Libby’s career began with Novations Group, a national management consulting firm, where she spent five years working with Fortune 1000 corporations on a variety of strategic engagements.  She subsequently worked for seven years with a regional executive search firm before founding her own firm, To Point B, in 2007 to assist small and mid-sized organizations with strategic planning, organizational development, and executive search.  Libby holds a master's degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College.  She is a founding Board Member of Admission Possible and an Advisory Board Member for the Minneapolis Foundation’s North Star Fund.

Chris Schwartz, Group Manager Human Resources, Beckman Coulter, Inc

Key areas of workplace excellence are centered around recruitment, employee relations, and organization development. Accountability and Leadership are key success factors in achieving excellence in these areas.

• Featured in the article "Tips to Transcend the Turnover Trap" in the July 7, 1995 edition of City Business.
• Recipient of American Medical Systems Presidential Leadership Challenge Award, 4th Quarter, 2001 (recognized for cost savings and customer service).
• Recipient of American Medical Systems Performance for Profits Award, 2nd Quarter, 2005 (recognized for innovation and cost savings in recruiting).
• Frequent public speaker at the Manufacturers Alliance, Carver/Scott County Workforce Centers and University of Minnesota Post Doc panels
• Currently serving on the Technical Advisory Board at the University of MN for the College of Continuing Education.

University of Minnesota, College of Human Ecology  -- Twin Cities, MN
Bachelor of Science, Human Relations

University of St. Thomas, Management Center –- Minneapolis, MN
Mini MBA

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management –- Minneapolis, MN
Human Resource Generalist (HRG) Certificate

Keith Sherman, Vice President Client Services, Popular Front 

This 28 year marketing/advertising executive has held key account management positions with Dalton Sherman Inc, Martin|Williams, Publicis & Hal Riney, The Richards Group and Tracy Locke.  Over the years Keith has led initiatives on successful local, regional, national, and international marketing/advertising campaigns.  He also launched a party supplies company called Write on Riot that has distribution in Walmart and Target.  Keith has numerous marketing, advertising, and civic awards including the distinction of building one of the brands of the decade. 

Keith believes that brands thrive when team members know what their noble cause is; simply put, why they are in their workplace, why they should care and what they should do.  "We create stronger emotional connections when we live the brand, and employee training/coaching is a big part of that." 

A graduate of the University of Iowa, Keith is an avid tennis player and enjoys time with his wife of 24 years, Melanie, and their two "turbo-charged" sons Elliott (16) and Noah (14).  Keith is Vice Chair for his beloved Children's HeartLink and has enjoyed coaching for the Edina Basketball Association and Edina Baseball Association for the past eight years.

Jay Stroebel, Director of Results Management, City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Public Schools

 Jay Stroebel has been employed 15 years in the public sector working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.  Jay is currently working at both the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Public Schools.  In Jay’s current position at the City, he heads up the City’s strategic planning, performance measurement and business process improvement efforts.  Jay’s work at Minneapolis Public Schools is focused on the establishment of a performance accountability system for the district.  Jay also serves as a director on his Church’s Leadership Council and was a three-time Baldrige examiner for the Minnesota Council for Quality.  Jay graduated from St. Olaf College with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and received a master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota. 

Beyond these professional experiences, Jay brings a personal passion in helping organizations improve themselves.  He believes one of the best strategies to improve an organization and its environment is for the organization to empower its employees with the tools and opportunity to improve the workplace and systems they work within everyday.  Once you have a workplace with invested and engaged employees, your have an organization set up for success.