about | Instructors

Expert Instructors

UMKC TalentLink enlists expert instructors that include UMKC faculty and leaders in their field. Our instructors provide insight, guidance, and resources to build practical skills in a wide range of subjects – Leadership and Soft Skills, Project Management, Talent Acquisition, Business Operations, Data Analytics, and more. They lead in-person and online courses that are interactive, skills-focused, and designed to help you achieve your professional goals.

Molly Weaver

Talent Acquisition

Molly Weaver is an innovative talent acquisition strategist with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations design and implement candidate-focused experiences that attract top talent. 

Jenna Eschenbrenner

Human resources, employee relations, and compliance

Jenna Eschenbrenner simplifies the need-to-know details of how to maintain compliant and efficient human resource practices for organizations who have a small HR team or who are without an onsite HR professional. 

Warren Wandling

Business Operations and Leadership

Warren Wandling is an expert facilitator, leadership coach, keynote speaker, and communication expert. He partners with leadership-driven companies and individuals to increase their productivity, clarify their purpose, and improve communication skills.

Terry Trafton

Employee engagement, productivity, and well-being

TT2 Consulting founder Terry Trafton helps individuals, leaders, and organizations maneuver through the complexities of engagement, productivity, and well-being. 

Shannon Swift

Leadership development

Shannon Swift has spent over three decades developing leaders at different levels of experience and responsibility in a variety of corporate environments. 

Desiree Bosch

Portfolio Management, Program Management, Project Management

Congruent Connections founder Desiree Bosch has more than 25 years of experience in program and project management, including experience in industries such as management consulting, mechanical engineering, software engineering, insurance, and construction 

Sam Sapp

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity expert Sam Sapp is the founder of Lockbaud, a technology support firm with a strong emphasis on cutting-edge cybersecurity and exceptional customer experience.

Krista Shelton

Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation

Krista Shelton, CFE, is president of Focused Forensic Solutions, a forensic accounting and fraud investigation firm.

Jonathan Jones

Leadership development, Gallup CliftonStrengths®

Certified Gallup CliftonStrengths® coach Jonathan Jones helps others to discover their strengths and leverage them to achieve their goals.

Dr. Brent Never

Data Science and Analytics

Brent Never (Ph.D., Indiana University) is an Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management. 

Erin Blocher

Business Communications

UMKC Bloch School business communication professor Erin Blocher has over 15 years of experience working with clients in the nonprofit, healthcare, and government fields.

Dr. Nathan Mauck

Finance

 Nathan Mauck, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at UMKC.

Jermaine Jamison

Diversity Equity Inclusion

Jermaine Jamison is  SHRM-KC Director of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging, the co-founder of Jamison Perry, a recruiting and staffing organization, and president of 3E, LLC, a provider of talent management consulting, DEI consulting, and organizational training and career coaching.

Jeremy Gray

Leadership, Soft Skills

Jeremy Gray is the principal consultant at Noble Consulting. He leads a course on soft skills and workplace readiness for UMKC TalentLink. 

William Kay

Finance

William Kay is the CEO and owner of W. Kay & Associates, LLC. He specializes in assisting businesses to improve performance in the areas of strategic planning, finance and accounting, budgeting, project management, marketing, and sales.

Dr. Alex Francisco

Data Science and Analytics

Dr. Alex Francisco (PhD, University of Missouri–Kansas City) is the senior population health scientist at the Kansas City Health Department.

Ron House

Data Science and Analytics, Tableau

Ron House is a GIS business intelligence leader with over 20 years of experience leveraging data for telecommunications and commercial real estate.

Sarah Wolters

DEI, IDI, Agile Project Management

Sarah Wolters brings over a decade of experience in education. Her multifaceted background uniquely positions her as an educator, DEI advocate, and agile project management expert.

Daniel Maenle

Data Science and Analytics, SQL

Daniel Maenle  is currently President of the Kansas City SQL Servers User Group and is an active speaker/participant of SQL Saturdays. 

Dr. Jin Yao

Data Science and Analytics

Dr. Jin Yao (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is a human service data analyst with the Johnson County Government. 

Dr. Neal Wilson

Data Science and Analytics

Dr. Neal Wilson (Ph.D. UMKC) is the Senior Research Associate at the Center for Economic information and Special Faculty in the School of Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts.

Christel Gollnick

Intergenerational Communications

Christel Gollnick, MSOL, is the founder of Roots & Rounds, a nonprofit focused on improving outcomes through more respectful and inclusive communication across different age groups.

Annie Alexander

Improving Practice Management

Annie Alexander (RN, MBA, CMRM) is the CEO and co-Founder of CiBR Solutions. She has more than 10 years of experience in healthcare IT management and as a strategist in revenue cycle management.

Professional Development Instructors Wanted

Are you an experienced contract instructor or trainer with subject matter expertise? You may be able to help UMKC TalentLink meet growing demand for our professional development training.

UMKC TalentLink specializes in non-degree professional development and training for individuals and Kansas City’s employers.

Contact UMKC TalentLink via the form below. We will respond when a qualified prospective contract instructor’s skills, background, and requirements fits our needs.