Ralph Nichols
President & C.E.O.

Ralph Nichols is the founder of the Ralph Nichols Group, Inc. which offers the Dale Carnegie Courses in southern Michigan and southwestern Ontario. He became a Licensee for Dale Carnegie & Associates in 1968. He received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut, and served as a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard for six years before resigning to pursue a career with the Dale Carnegie organization. He is personally active and visible in the marketplace. He was selected for the cover of the January, 1986 issue of U.S. News & World Report, and was featured on ABC's 20/20 show. He has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs. He is the originator of the Positively Yes! Campaign in Michigan.

Ralph is deeply involved in the educational community. He was a featured speaker for Wayne State University's Awards Banquet. He conducted one of the top rated sessions for ASTD's National Conference on Technical & Skills Training. He is a past trustee of the 4H division of Michigan State University. He was president on the board of directors of Henry Ford Community College. He was a trustee of Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. He also serves as a consultant and is on the board of directors for several small private companies.

Robert J. Herrera
Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Bob Herrera
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Ralph Nichols Groups, Inc.
Livonia, Mi.

Bob Herrera has established himself as one of the top trainers in the world. Herrera is presently ranked number 23 on the Dale Carnegie and Associates Top Trainer Rankings out of 2,700 certified instructors worldwide. In the summer 2007 issue of CORP! Magazine he is recognized for his work with Ralph Nichols in developing the Dale Carnegie Sales Advantage course into the premiere sales training program in Southern Michigan.

Bob Herrera is responsible for priming ambitious sales professionals to overcome the challenges of selling. How? He builds within them a burning desire to be their best, and then delivers proven strategies for winning new business. His clients include sales professionals from a wide variety of companies including Palace Sports & Entertainment, Comerica, Solutia, Borg Warner, Xede Consulting Group, and Greektown Casino.

As a speaker on topics such as profitable selling, time management, goal setting, positive attitude, and customer loyalty, he is known for his humorous and insightful delivery that leaves audiences energized and inspired. His clients then take the information into the real world and get results!

Herrera coordinates and holds seminars on entrepreneurship and sales in collaboration with the board at Northwood University, Baker College, Michigan State University, and Macomb Community College

Herrera is the owner of Herrera Enterprises Corp., involved in the renovation of properties in greater Detroit. He is also the cofounder of Cariflow, an investment group in Royal Oak, Mi, which promotes financial literacy among young entrepreneurs.

Mark Will
Vice President of Strategic Alliances

At the age of 17, Mark Will was managing three gas stations for Pierce Oil Co. While in college, Mark started Computerized Business Services, Inc. which provided accounting and computer consulting services for local companies. After college he served as Controller, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of small automotive supplier companies. He has a BBA degree in Accounting Information Systems (degree in Accounting with minor in Computer Science). In 1998 became an instructor of the Dale Carnegie Course: Effective Communication and Human Relations and in 2002 became a certified instructor of the Managerial Development Course. Mark is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances for the Ralph Nichols Group.

Liz Scavnicky
Account Manager

Liz Scavnicky brings over ten years of business development, interactive marketing, account and project management experience to Dale Carnegie Training. Most recently, Liz was Director of Business Development at StartupNation, LLC where she grew the Dell, Discover, Microsoft, UPS Store and Visa accounts. Prior to StartupNation, LLC, Liz significantly grew the General Mills, NWA, Target and Yahoo! accounts at ePrize, LLC.

Before joining ePrize, Liz lived in Minneapolis where she managed the Best Buy account for Handleman Company. Prior to her tenure at Handleman Company, Liz worked on several web-based applications and CRM initiatives for General Motors and GMAC Financial Services.

Liz earned her MBA in International Business from the University of Michigan in 2002. She has completed semesters abroad at the University of Montpellier in Montpellier, France and Hong Kong Baptist University. Having been awarded a Presidential scholarship, Liz earned her Bachelors degree at Wayne State University in 1998. Liz is fluent in French.

Liz is a member of the Michigan Council of Women in Technology; 313 Digital - Metro Detroit's Premier Digital Organization and the Adcraft Club of Detroit.

What being an instructor means to Liz..."It amazes me that while the adoption of continuous process improvement, e.g. Kaizen, programs are prevalent amongst businesses, few individuals actually set goals and measure performance. How else can one fully ascertain personal and professional growth? Serving as an instructor enables me to share Dale Carnegie's principles on Human Relations and Business Development- indeed tried and true methods for achieving success in any-thing, sale, skill, dream- a person desires. There is no greater reward than to witness class members improve their personal and professional skills by leaps and bounds!"

Susan Dooley
Automotive Team

Susan Dooley graduated Cum Laude from Michigan State University in 1992 with a degree in Environmental Science. The first 10 years of her career were spent lobbying for waste reduction and recycling initiatives within the public and private sectors. She was instrumental in securing financing for a million dollar recycling facility, and administered contracts providing services to a population of over 350,000. She partially credits her success in the environmental realm to the training she received as a student of Dale Carnegie. In 1999, Susan turned her passion for the training into a full time career, becoming certified as an Instructor and Performance Coach. Susan is a multi-course instructor, delivering the Dale Carnegie Course, The Sales Advantage, and customized products related to Leadership and Performance Improvement. Susan has personally trained over 2000 individuals, and serves customers in multiple industries.

Carol Kocan
Health Care Industry Focus

Carol Kocan has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She worked in the medical field as a Medical Technician doing drug analysis and toxicology. Carol is a multi-course instructor trained in presenting The Dale Carnegie Course, High Impact Presentations, Leadership Training for Managers, Leadership Advantage, and workshops in the Professional Development Series. With her knowledge of the healthcare industry, she partners with clients to develop collaborative skills to increase professionalism and gain a competitive edge.

Linda Meloche

Graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University in 1984. She has been a Dale Carnegie instructor since 1986 and has personally trained over 2500 people. She has worked with companies in Southeastern Michigan in the development of leadership, quality service, communications, human relations, coaching, team-building, goal setting and management skills. Linda is also host of cable TV show "Around Town with Linda" in her hometown of Chelsea.

Patti Rapson
Automotive Team

Patti Rapson brings a great depth of experience to the automotive team of the Ralph Nichols Group, Inc. For more than 20 years she has been developing and delivering training specifically for the automotive industry, and has personally trained over 10,000 employees from top executives to entry level positions. Patti is consistently in the top 10% of Dale Carnegie salespeople worldwide, and combines her experience and understanding of today's automotive industry to partner with big and small manufacturing companies to improve morale, promote behavioral changes, and develop individual employee leadership. She has been honored by DaimlerChrysler for the 'Highest Standards of Professionalism' in her instruction of the Dale Carnegie Course. Patti is adept at understanding the needs of an organization and developing programs that enhance the objectives and targets of that organization.

Sue Scott
Automotive Team

Sue Scott has been an account manager and instructor for Dale Carnegie Training, Inc. for more than twenty years. As an Automotive Team Specialist, she assists HR departments to align with their company's business strategies and their managers, doing whatever it takes to help that company compete and gain market share. Working strategically with clients allows Sue to customize programs to meet customer needs and ultimately has a direct impact on their bottom line.

She has worked with such companies as General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler's Jeep Plant in Toledo, Lear Corporation, American Axle and Manufacturing, The Polk Company and ASC, Inc. In addition she has provided customized programs for Comerica, the Plumbing and Heating Industry of Detroit, Limbach Company, David Ruskin, Chapter 13 Trustee and a number of smaller companies, ensuring all of them desired business results.

Sue is a multi-course instructor, including the Dale Carnegie Course, the Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers, the Dale Carnegie Leadership Advantage, the High Impact Presentations Program, and the Professional Development Series. Both Sue's undergraduate degree, from the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington, and her Masters, from Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, are in Education, which bring a solid foundation to her dedication to quality results.

Sue maintains her instructional excellence by attending seminars and industry briefings as well as by attending the annual Dale Carnegie "renewal event". During this process trainers receive ongoing coaching and support and are required to demonstrate their competencies. Her commitment to continuous learning gives her the extra edge expected of a leader in her field.

Kathy Tosoian
Director of Educational Services & Youth Development

Kathy Tosoian is a certified instructor of the Dale Carnegie® Course, motivating and inspiring audiences since joining the Ralph Nichols Group in 1993. Kathy combines her love for people and her passion for teaching to help individuals develop their confidence, people skills, leadership abilities, and communication skills. Her clients encompass a variety of organizations in the educational, automotive, service, sales, and business communities.

While Kathy enjoys teaching people of all ages and backgrounds, she is especially qualified and gifted to work with teens and young adults in both urban and suburban settings. Earning her undergraduate degree in Education, and a Master's Degree in Counseling, she is highly competent and experienced to teach the Dale Carnegie® Course for Teens & Adults. Her warm and friendly approach and her facilitation style promotes participation in an atmosphere of support and encouragement, where teens feel secure expressing themselves while gaining confidence through speaking. In addition to self-confidence, participants effectively learn to strengthen relationships, overcome fear and shyness, manage stress and worry, create life goals, maintain a positive attitude, develop leadership skills, make better decisions, handle peer pressure, communicate more effectively, and more. Kathy takes a personal interest in helping teens to strive for success and live up to their potential. She has a large following of young adults who maintain contact with her long after graduation from her class, often requesting to be included on her graduate assistant team over and over again. Her passion for the course and her enthusiasm are contagious.

Creating and presenting workshops and customized training for educators, students, parent groups, and organizations is her specialty. As a motivational speaker, Kathy inspires, entertains, and educates her audiences. She also is experienced at teaching a goal-setting mentoring program for high school students.

Kathy is an active member of the Michigan Counseling Association and Birmingham/Bloomfield Families in Action. She resides on the board of directors for two local non-profit organizations, helping to make a difference for those less fortunate.

Kathy is currently hosting a weekly cable TV show, "Good News" in the greater Detroit area and co-host for another show, "The Business Edge".

Bob Stackpoole
UAW Specialist

Bob Stackpoole has been an award winning instructor of the world famous Dale Carnegie Course, & the Dale Carnegie Sales Course since 1971. He has trained thousands of people in the United States, Canada and the West Indies, at all levels of the market place, from the shop floor to the executive suite. He regularly speaks to business and industry and sales groups. Besides conducting customer relations training for Siemens technical support staff and Barclay's Bank of England, Bob has trained more than 15,000 people from the Big Three in the areas of human relations, cooperation and teamwork. As a result of his experience motivating and developing people, he has earned the reputation as a man who can tailor the material to fit the specific needs of the client and the participants, causing measurable behavioral change. Participants enjoy his common sense, humorous and dynamic style, which makes change and development an exciting experience.

Victoria Davis
Vice President Strategic Operations

Victoria Davis has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Master of Science in Manufacturing and System Engineering. She worked in the automotive industry in Supplier Quality, Product Design and Business Excellence. Her experience in program management in the US and in Germany lead to her role as an instructor for the Product Development Process at Siemens VDO. As a member of the automotive team with Ralph Nichols Group, Inc., Vicki applies her technical expertise as an instructor of the People Side of Process Improvement. Vicki's thorough understanding of product development and manufacturing enables her to partner with manufacturing companies to develop their people, meeting company objectives and getting results.