Jeff Keeler Leadership Academy, Class Of 2009 Building Team Fishel's Future

Eleven Teammates from across the country have successfully completed the first Jeff Keeler Leadership Academy (JKLA) program.

In 2007, Team Fishel partnered with outside consultants to develop a curriculum for an 18-month leadership development program.

Two-day sessions were conducted approximately every three months during the 18-month time frame. The final session was conducted in October 2009; it included one day of session content review and one day of testing. Final exams included a written exam, role-plays, and an oral exam conducted by members of Team Fishel's Board of Advisors. Each participant made a 10-minute presentation to the Officers and Area Managers.

The curriculum included such topics as Business Strategy, Teammate Development, Do Work Profitably, Positive Cash Flow, Safety, Fleet Management, and Contract Administration. For each topic, Subject Matter Experts (SME) from within the Company were identified to assist with the development of the session content and material, and to be in attendance to help facilitate and teach. SME's included a cross- section of Officers, Area Managers, and fellow Teammates from around the country.

"This academy impacted my leadership approach and will give me a playbook to refer to when managing my team," said Christa Druin, JKLA graduate and Division Manager for Louisville Technologies. "I was challenged beyond my comfort zone so many times during this experience, which has helped me grow into a confident and effective leader. It has been an honor to be a part of the first class of JKLA, and I am grateful to Team Fishel for investing in my future."

In addition to the classroom Sessions, there were four Action Learning assignments requiring the group to divide into teams and research real business problems. Their individual problem statements, findings, and recommendations were presented to the entire class of participants, and shared with Team Fishel Corporate Officers.


"I was honored to be a part of the first JKLA program," said John Palladino, JKLA graduate and Project Manager in Manassas, Virginia. "Often times it was very difficult to balance my normal work responsibilities with the additional assignments from the program. But in the end I was very glad to have seen it through, and I think I am far better prepared for the future here at Team Fishel."

A celebration dinner was held in October, during which the participants received their Certificates of Completion from Chairman Diane Keeler and President/CEO John Phillips. Attendance at the dinner included the participants, Officers and Area Managers; guests included the consulting team of Robert Stringer and Kate Merritt, who were instrumental in the design and facilitation of the JKLA program.

John Phillips believes the JKLA will allow Team Fishel to develop our next generation of leaders. "With this foundation, we can look for future growth opportunities that will allow Team Fishel to prosper in the future and continue to be The Best Choice for our Customers, Teammates, and suppliers," he said.

Diane Keeler agrees that the hard work put forth by the first graduating class of the JKLA goes a long way towards ensuring the successful future of Team Fishel.

"The Jeff Keeler Leadership Academy surpassed my wildest expectations," Keeler said. "With a laser focus on the key factors for running our business, a significant training course for future leaders was developed. Thanks to the graduates of the first Leadership class for their commitment of time and energy to in-depth learning; the Teammates from all over the country who served as Subject Matter Experts and gave credibility to the course work; and special thanks to Greg Grabovac, Craig Mathes, Peggy Sumption and consultants Bob Stringer, Kate Merritt and Dave Stringer for putting together an excellent, participatory, experiential course to capture the most important aspects of running a profitable business. It was a win-win-win for all of Team Fishel!"

Team Fishel is looking forward to a new Jeff Keeler Leadership Academy class scheduled to begin in April 2010.