Professional Skills Development

Marie Watkins is CEO of Polaris Talent Inc. She has 25 years in HR and Talent Acquisition for companies from 2 people to 200K. She is passionate about helping companies find the right talent to hire and in helping job seekers find a job they enjoy going to on Monday morning. Marie is a subject matter expert in entrepreneurship and leadership. She volunteers her time with WWBIC and Gener8tor to mentor growing companies. Marie has a Bachelor's degree from UC-San Diego, a Master's degree from Claremont Graduate University, and certificates from Palomar College and UCSD Extension. She is a Racine native who splits her time between SE Wisconsin and San Diego, CA and put the HQ of Polaris Talent Inc in Racine in 2017 as a way to commit to helping the business community in the city.   

Here's a link to her blog to see some of her written work and areas she is passionate about.  

Jackie Hartley is the Founder and managing member of Go Partner LLC, which provides consultation services for schools, non-profits and other community groups looking to create change. Jackie has a degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and has more than 17 years of experience with direct service, program development, grant writing and facilitation. Jackie is a collaborative leader that helps to create sustainable, meaningful changes for systems and individuals. Her energetic, positive and inclusive approach with community partners has led to several successful community efforts and continues to inspire her to develop solutions that strengthen and transform individuals and communities.  

Sheronda Glass has worked for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside since 2016 and is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, and Employee Engagement. She is a human resources executive with 25+ years of HR experience having worked in a variety of industries, including healthcare, consumer products/manufacturing, and most recently, K-12 education. She has extensive experience in the areas of HR strategic planning, conflict resolution, performance management, labor relations, and diversity management. She has also worked as a consultant for over six years, consulting in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She is a certified trainer/facilitator in the areas of conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, performance management, and cultural competency. 

Sheronda received her Ph.D. in Business Management with a specialization in Human Resources from Capella University. She has taught human resources courses including Performance Management, Introduction to Human Resources Management, and currently teaches Essential Personal Skills for Project Management and Staffing Organizations. She has also achieved the Professional in Human Resources certification awarded from the Society for Human Resources Management and the HR Certification Institute. She is a facilitator for the prep course for SHRM professional certifications and SHRM Essentials for non-HR managers. She is the recipient of the 2018 Milwaukee Business Journal HR Award and the UW System 2019 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award. 

Dr. Kinkade is a clinical and consulting psychologist with over 30 years of experience in both clinical and corporate arenas. He is active as a corporate trainer, consultant and coach, focusing on Leadership Development and Performance Management from a Strengths-based, Purpose-Driven, Inside-Out perspective. 

Dr. Kinkade has private clinical and consulting practice with offices in Racine and Pewaukee Wisconsin. His clinical specialties include the Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) of Anxiety, Mood and Personality Disorders. His consulting/coaching practice focuses on developing leaders from the Inside-Out (Self-Team-Organization) with an emphasis on self-awareness and emotional intelligence.