Our Consulting Team
Frances Kochan, PhD
Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus, College of Education, Auburn University
Frances brings decades of mentoring expertise to every engagement. As Dean Emeritus and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor at Auburn University's College of Education, she has edited fifteen books and authored more than one hundred articles on mentoring. The International Mentoring Association honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award, and the University Council on Educational Administration named her recipient of the Jay Scribner Mentoring Award. Frances designs, evaluates, and strengthens mentoring programs for educational and non-educational institutions alike — pairing a researcher's rigor with a practitioner's eye for what actually works inside an organization.
"Without her support, I would not be confidently leading the mentoring program I designed at my institute. Her mentorship has been transformative in my professional growth."
David Johnson, Walla Walla Community College
Ellen H. Reames, EdD
Professor of Educational Leadership, Auburn University
Ellen specializes in mentoring that supports well-being and develops emerging leaders. A Professor of Educational Leadership at Auburn University, she has published five books — including The Art and Science of Mentoring (2021) — and sixty-nine articles in the field. As a designer of the state-funded Alabama New Principals Mentoring Program, she trains mentors using a framework that integrates classic mentoring research with Seligman's PERMA Model of well-being. School districts across Alabama know her for professional development that's grounded in evidence, easy to apply, and (clients tell her) genuinely fun to attend.
"We learned so much about mentoring and the tools we can use with our mentees. She is both knowledgeable and finds fun ways to make the content very engaging."
Dr. Shannon McCurdy, Assistant Superintendent, Baldwin County Schools
Linda Searby, PhD
Professor Emeritus, University of Florida
Linda has dedicated her career to mentoring across every level of education — K–12 classrooms, school administration, and three university faculties (UAB, Auburn, and the University of Florida, where she retired as Professor Emeritus). She co-edited the International Handbook of Mentoring and serves as senior co-editor of the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education. A Fulbright Specialist who has trained mentors from Florida to New Brunswick, Linda brings deep expertise in comprehensive mentor training, mentee mindset development, and building sustainable mentoring cultures. Organizations call her for clear frameworks and warm, generous facilitation.
"Dr. Searby's professionalism is second-to-none, and her listeners quickly learn about her caring nature and deep commitment to education and leadership development"
Dr. Lyle "Steamer" Hamm, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, University of New Brunswick