Office and People Directory

Ptarmigan Abbott

Biography

Ptarmigan Abbott is the Academic Operations Manager for the Stiller School of Business. She enjoys spending her days working closely with the Dean and faculty, providing a high level of administrative and management support to ensure the smooth functioning of day-to-day operations for the Stiller School of Business. Prior to joining the Stiller School of Business, Ptarmigan was the Director of Events and Operations for the Snelling Center for Government and Operations Coordinator for one of Howard Center’s largest sites. Ptarmigan received her Bachelors of Arts from Middlebury College and her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Outside of work, Ptarmigan can be found spending time outdoors with skiing, camping and paddling as particular favorites, and playing agility with her dogs.

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Everett Ackerman

Biography

Everett was a 2016 graduate of Champlain who stayed in the Burlington area after graduating to fulfill a role at a local Marketing agency. Through the years, Everett grew his skills and expertise in a number of strategic positions at New Breed Marketing. After 5 years, Everett started his own consulting firm, focused on helping local startups build their revenue growth potential through aligned Marketing, Sales and Operations focused activities. Everett now is a Principal Account Executive at New Breed, Co-Founder at Oakheart Accelerator, Co-Franchise Owner of GoliathTech Twinstate and teaches Marketing classes at Champlain College.

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Teresa Anderson

Biography

Marketing communications executive with strong B2B and B2C brand-building expertise. Track record of success developing and implementing brand and growth strategies. Successfully built teams to advance organizational priorities through brand development, acquisition, retention, customer engagement, consumer research, digital, and sales. Results oriented, consensus builder, team player, and motivational leader.

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Erika Austin

Biography

Erika Austin is a Digital Marketing Consultant specializing in SEO, Advertising and Analytics with 15 years of developing data-driven digital marketing strategies and campaigns. Erika has been working with agencies and other marketers to improve their skills and offer a new data-driven perspective on their marketing efforts.

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Robert Bloch

Biography

Arguably, Robert Bloch has had three careers. He “retired” in 2019, but for the twelve years prior, he had been mentoring and supporting student entrepreneurs, both commercial and social, as Director of Champlain College’s innovative BYOBiz (Build Your Own Business) program, precursor to today’s CIE, and teaching in the Stiller School. Robert’s first career was in the corporate world beginning with eight years in brand management at General Foods and later as the Chief Marketing and Sales Executive worldwide for both Four Seasons Hotels and Marriott. This was followed by eight years as an entrepreneur, starting two companies, one successful the other not so much.

Robert has three grown children and four grandchildren. He enjoys motorcycling, the outdoors, golf, gardening, teaching and renovating a home with my wife Nancy. He holds a BA in Government from Cornell University and a MBA from Harvard University.

Robert is very excited about getting to know you and helping you explore the fascinating world of business and your potential role in that world.

Favorite Quote

“Be the ball.”

—Ty Webb

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Fritz Burkhardt

Biography

Fritz Burkhardt teaches finance and economics courses in the Stiller School of Business.

Fritz holds a PhD in Finance from Northwestern University, an MBA with High Honors from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and a B.A. from Middlebury College in Economics and Russian and East European Studies with Honors.

Fritz has worked on Wall Street as a research analyst covering Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and in London as an investment banker in mergers and acquisitions.

Fritz is a Chartered Financial Analyst, is Vice President of CFA Society Vermont, and is the Chairperson of Vermont Educational & Health Buildings Financial Agency.

Fritz has taught finance classes at Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame and Champlain College. He encourages students to develop the analytical and critical thinking skills to make good decisions for themselves personally and professionally.

Fritz’s research interests include private equity, investment banking, and agency issues. He consults on financial matters, with recent work focusing on private equity, financial institutions, and healthcare fields.

Fritz is an accomplished Ultimate Frisbee player, winning multiple national championships and one world championship.

Distinctions & Awards

Ultimate Frisbee: Beach World Champion 2015 Grand Masters Division, U.S. National Champion 2013 Grand Masters Division, U.S. National Champion 2010 Masters Division, 2008 Masters Division
University of Chicago: Dean’s Award of Distinction for outstanding social and community contributions
Northwestern University: Zell Center for Risk Research Fellowship
Middlebury College: Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, Frederick C. Dirks Award for Outstanding Achievement in Economics

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“Why be a song when you can be a symphony.”

—Tim Booth

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Charles Bush

Biography

Chuck Bush is a visiting professor at the Stiller School of Business, where he teaches entrepreneurship, accounting, and finance and has played a supporting role at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His classes are informed by his professional expertise as well as his involvement in Vermont’s thriving startup and venture capital community.

Before joining the Stiller School of Business, Professor Bush was an adjunct professor at the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Students recognized his exceptional teaching abilities and deep knowledge of finance with the Golden Apple teaching award in 2019. Professor Bush played a pivotal role in the establishment of CSUN’s Advanced Financial Modeling Boot Camp (AFMBC), a program that has successfully prepared over 150 high-performing students for careers in financial services at top tier institutions.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Professor Bush remains actively involved in the corporate world through his company, Great Road Capital, Inc. (GRC). Since its inception in 2004, GRC has been dedicated to helping businesses innovate and thrive. With over 30 years of experience in strategy consulting and investment banking, Professor Bush has provided invaluable guidance to companies across various sectors, including media, SaaS, healthcare, edtech, and fintech.

Professor Bush views every teaching opportunity as a chance for mutual learning. With a steadfast commitment to inspiring and empowering the next generation of business leaders, Professor Bush strives to create an engaging and supportive classroom environment. He welcomes connections with students and colleagues, whether through social media or personal conversations, as he is dedicated to supporting their growth and fostering their success.

Professor Bush started his career at strategy consulting firm Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte) in Cambridge, MA and was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in Los Angeles, CA. He received a BA in Economics from Harvard College and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• FINRA SIE, Series 7, Series 79, Series 63
• Institute of Management Accountants, Member

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

Finance:

• A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel
• Flash Boys by Michael Lewis

Brain science, meditation & mindfulness:

• Your Brain at Work by David Rock
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Mindfulness by Joseph Goldstein

History:

• Presidential biographies, including anything written by Doris Kearns Goodwin
• King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild
• The Pity of it All by Amos Elon
• The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Kimberly Byrd

Biography

Professor Kimberly Byrd is an instructor in the Richard P. Stiller School of Business at Champlain. She was born in the Republic of Panama and lived there until she was 18 years old. Her family owns several businesses including a construction company, a property management company, a personal training company and a landscaping company.

She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting with honors. She then tackled the Certified Public Accountant exam and passed. She worked for several years in the business world and decided to take on the challenge of a master’s degree in accounting. She felt the best option for her to accomplish this goal was online classes due to her workload, family schedule and many responsibilities. She knows personally what a sacrifice it is to make the commitment to attend college while having so many other obligations. She also graduated with honors from her master’s program.

She loves being a student and learning about the ever-changing accounting field. She knows personally how important and reassuring it is to have an instructor who is there for you and wants you to succeed. She has been in the accounting profession for over 28 years and had been teaching accounting online for over 16 years. She has worked in private, public, governmental, and non-profit organizations. She has also worked for several accounting firms.

She says she enjoys Champlain because she has a true passion for teaching and finds it rewarding to interact with students on both a professional and personal level. She says she enjoys having students from all over the country and collaborating with them to make the most out of their learning experience at Champlain.

Distinctions & Awards

Francine Page Excellence in Teaching Award

Favorite Quote

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

—Thomas Jefferson

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Damian Dunbar

Biography

Dr. Dunbar thoroughly enjoys bringing his leadership expertise into the educational environment to share his experiences and bring coursework alive. He is highly experienced in employee development and training, human resources, financial analysis, budget operations, personnel development, and leadership management. He served in the United States Army as an analyst for the United States Government. While on active duty, he served as an instructor, writer, developer, and program evaluator at the United States Army Finance School located at Fort Jackson, SC. His primary motivation for working in education is his experience, interest, and passion for developing others’ talents and defining their goals.

Throughout his career, he has been highly dedicated to the learning, training, and advancement of others. He incorporated professional and adult learning and education into each position. He has 30 + years of experience developing programs to assess workforce capabilities and deficiencies, allowing individualized programs to enhance employee skills and he enjoys doing this for his students. His goal in the online classroom is to create a comfortable and interactive learning environment based on respect rather than fear of the subject matter. To achieve that, he builds a strong rapport with his students to be presented in an environment conducive to learning. Likewise, communication is essential to an effective teaching and learning process in the academic setting.

Distinctions & Awards

Certified Defense Financial Manager (American Society of Military Comptrollers)

Publications & Abstracts

PUBLICATIONS & ABSTRACTS

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

Kappa Alpha Psi, Woodbridge Alumni Chapter

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People
• A People’s History of the United States
• Reckless Endangerment

Favorite Quote

“Education and work are the levers to uplift people.”

—W.E.B DuBois

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Christopher Ewing

Biography

Professor in business and psychology, consultant and Six Sigma Black Belt. Leader of healthcare teams and call centers. Author and researcher on Cultivated Leadership™.

Publications & Abstracts

Living Your Leadership: Grow Intentionally, Thrive with Integrity, and Serve Humbly

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• Horizon Research Publishing Corporation, Peer Editor
• Mensa, Member

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Bass, B.M. (1985). Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations. New York: Free Press.
• Greenleaf, R.K. (1977). Servant Leadership. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.
• George, B. (2003). Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Favorite Quote

Humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak, but of the strong.

—Pope Francis

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Thomas Funk

Biography

Thomas Funk is a lifelong digital marketer and ecommerce business manager who joined Champlain College as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing in 2020. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor teaching digital marketing and analytics.

His business background includes stints as Ecommerce Director at Ann Clark Ltd, Marketing Director at Gardener’s Supply Company, and Senior Manager of Keurig and Green Mountain Coffee where he led email marketing, paid search, SEO, the loyalty program and a 165K-member subscription business. As VP of Marketing at Timberline Interactive, he performed online marketing for Wine of the Month Club, Terry Precision Cycling, Lake Champlain Chocolates, VBT Bicycle Vacations, Garrett Wade, Dakin Farms and Liberty Orchards. Prior to Timberline, he helped build and manage the websites of Vermont Teddy Bear Company and PajamaGram.

Funk is frequent conference speaker and the author of three business books: Advanced Social Media Marketing (Apress), Social Media Playbook for Business (ABC-CLIO) and Web 2.0 and Beyond (Praeger).

Publications & Abstracts

Advanced Social Media Marketing: How to Lead, Launch, and Manage a Successful Social Media Program

Social Media Playbook for Business: Reaching Your Online Community with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and More

Web 2.0 and Beyond: Understanding the New Online Business Models, Trends, and Technologies

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Jessie Leigh Gagnon (Hough)

Biography

Jessie is a passionate writer, producer, and anthropologist who lives for games, film, and interactive media. Her creative side has melted over and fused to her project management side, and she thrives on opportunities to solve problems, hit milestones, mentor others, and make a positive impact in the lives of people and projects. With over eleven years in the game industry, Jessie has worked on AAA titles like League of Legends and volunteers time for organizations like Women in Games. She has a track record of happy, healthy, interdisciplinary teams and successful projects that shipped with clarity of vision, data-informed decision making, and an empathetic, people-driven focus. A specialist in crunch prevention and conflict resolution, she dedicates much of her spare time these days to helping developers with traditionally marginalized identities learn to thrive in game development.

Distinctions & Awards

Lambda Alpha Anthropological Honors Society, Global Citizenship Certificate,

Publications & Abstracts

“Cosplay,” World Book Encyclopedia; 2014
“Escape from the Mainstream: The Japanese Cosplay Youth Subculture,” Franklin Pierce University; 2008, Temple University Japan; 2010

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

American Anthropological Association

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, by Jesse Schell
• Agile Game Development, Clinton Keith
• The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking

Favorite Quote

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

—Margaret Mead

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Lindsey Godwin

Biography

Lindsey Godwin, Ph.D. is a professor, practitioner, and possibilitizer who has a passion for creating transformational learning spaces for individuals and organizations. She holds a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, where she studied with the founding thought leaders in Appreciative Inquiry. She currently holds the Robert P. Stiller Endowed Chair of Management in the Stiller School of Business at Champlain College (Vermont, USA), where she also serves as the Academic Director of the David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and the lead faculty for the MS in Leadership and MS in Organization Development & Human Relations programs. An acclaimed instructor, she earned the Edward Lyman Phelps Professorship, Champlain College’s highest recognition for a faculty member. A sought-after international speaker, consultant, facilitator, and author, her article on “Earthshot OD” was recently named one of the most impactful articles of all time for the field of Organization Development. Learn more about Lindsey’s work at lindseygodwin.com.

Distinctions & Awards

Edward Lyman Phelps Professorship

Publications & Abstracts

View my work.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“Anyone can slay a dragon, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That’s what takes a real hero.”

—Brian Andreas

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Kenneth Heskett

Biography

In addition to his role as an adjunct lecturer, Ken is the IT Internal Audit manager for Ensemble Health Partners RCM and brings the lessons of more than 8 years experience in internal auditing and 20 years of working in various roles in information technology from network administrator to IT department manager into the classroom. He holds a Master of Business Administration specializing in project management, and is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and Certified Internal Auditor. He currently serves on the board of the ISACA New England chapter and formerly served on the board of Richmond Rescue. He is author is several articles in professional journals including the AHIA 2021 New Perspectives Article of the Year award for his writing about auditing data centers. A veteran of the US Marine Corps, Ken continues service to his community as an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America and serves as Scoutmaster for his sons’ scout troop. He is married to Jennifer, a high school biology and environmental sciences teacher, and has 4 boys (two of whom are Eagle Scouts)Miles, Collin, Jeremy, and Alden, 4 cats, a dog, and a bearded dragon.

Distinctions & Awards

New Perspectives Article of the Year Award Issued by Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors · Sep 2021

Publications & Abstracts

• Audit the Remote Worker’s Toolbox – Test Endpoint Security
• Defense-in-Depth Cybersecurity Strategy – Consider the adequacy of layers
• Third-Party Risk to Information Systems – Protect from Threats Beyond Cybersecurity
• Business Continuity Planning – Assess the Process
• Data Center Audits – Ensure Equipment Availability
• Fight Identity Fraud – Audit Use of the Limited Access Death Master File

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

ISACA New England Chapter

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Mindwalk (1990) – A conversation between a physicist, a politician, and an artist about science, politics, and society each bringing a different perspective, shot on location at Mont Saint-Michel.
• Any episode, but especially “Spider” from the HBO Miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998) – The encapsulation of a project management and leadership into an engaging story of the development of the lunar module during the Apollo program in the 1960s.

Favorite Quote

“Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.”

—Omar N. Bradley

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page 

Rebecca Holt

Biography

Becky began her career in journalism, where she was an award-winning newspaper and online editor for 20 years. She then spent a decade as a nonprofit development and communications director. Since 2016, Becky has helped nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals (youth and adults) learn how to share their stories through interactive workshops, personalized trainings, and one-on-one coaching. She also writes creative fiction for young adults. Becky has a Bachelor’s of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Distinctions & Awards

Gannett Supervisor of the Year (2008)
Missouri Lifestyle: National Award for General Excellence, First Place (2008)
Vermont Press Association: Outstanding Website, Daily (2008)
Gannett Chairman Award (2007)
Missouri Lifestyle: National Award for General Excellence, Second Place (2007)
Missouri Lifestyle: National Award for General Excellence, First Place (2004)

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• Member of Griffiths Leadership Society for Women, University of Missouri Alumni Association
• Church Street Marketplace Commissioner, City of Burlington, Vermont (2019-present; current Vice Chair)

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“The sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to us. Journey wisely.”

—Alexandra Elle

• Copy Link to Share 
• View this Person's Detail Page