World-Class Instruction

The program instructors rank among the most distinguished business scholars, coaches and consultants in the world.

Melvin Smith, PhD

Melvin L. Smith, PhD is a retired Professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Faculty Director of Executive Education at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. Smith holds a BS degree in General Management and Accounting from Purdue University and an MBA in Marketing from Clark-Atlanta University. He received his PhD in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business.

Smith's research and teaching focus on leadership and emotional intelligence in the workplace, as well as social exchange relationships, social networks, and leadership development through executive coaching.

Smith has provided training and/or consulting services to executives in the United States, Canada, Scotland, Dubai, New Zealand, India and Trinidad. In addition, he has served as a visiting professor at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain where he co-taught a senior executive education course on emotionally intelligent leadership.

Prior to completing his doctoral work at the University of Pittsburgh, Melvin spent more than fifteen years in a series of sales/marketing management, and organization development positions with a number of Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Pepsi-Cola, and H.J. Heinz.

Smith is co-author of the book Helping People Change (with Richard Boyatzis and Ellen Van Oosten). He has also published in a variety of journals including: Harvard Business Review, Academy of Management Learning & Education, Journal of Management Development, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science and Organizational Dynamics.

“The Executive Leadership Development Experience (ELDE) provides a psychologically safe space to discuss leadership challenges unique to program participants. Not only do participants gain meaningful insight into principles of outstanding leadership, they also build a cohesive community of support that lasts well beyond the conclusion of the program. Offering this much needed program to the audience we are targeting has been one of the highlights of my career.”

Jeremy Hunter, PhD

Jeremy Hunter, PhD is a global authority on mindfulness and leadership as well as the great-grandson of a sumo wrestler.

He serves as the Founding Director of the Executive Mind Leadership Institute as well as Associate Professor of Practice at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management. He is also co-founder and partner of Transform LLC in Tokyo, Japan.

For nearly two decades, he has helped leaders develop themselves while retaining their humanity in the face of monumental change and challenge. He is primarily concerned with the quality of human experience and how to live a meaningful, engaged and effective life.

He works with healthy companies that aspire to greatness. He has designed and led leadership development programs for a wide variety of organizations, including Fortune 200 aerospace, Fortune 50 banking and finance, the arts and civic non-profits. Program impacts have led to both positive professional, personal and financial outcomes for participants.

Hunter has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times, the Los Angeles Times and National Public Radio's Morning Edition.

His work is informed by the experience of living day-to-day for 17 years with a potentially terminal illness. When faced with the need for life-saving surgery more than a dozen former students came forward as organ donors.

Dr. Hunter received his Ph.D. from University of Chicago. He also holds degrees from Harvard University and Wittenberg University.

Dr. Carmen Foster, Ed.D.

Carmen F. Foster, EdD, is an inclusive leader with more than three decades of service in the government, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. Dr. Foster provides executive coaching for senior executives in federal agencies and, most recently, served as a faculty member for the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is the great-great-granddaughter of an enslaved nurse and healer from the American South.

Since 1991, she has served as Director of Master's Program in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, Executive Director at the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies, and Executive Director of the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University.

During her tenure at the Kennedy School, she received a Kellogg National Leadership Fellow grant for a self-designed study throughout Ghana, South Africa, China, and Brazil to investigate the global nexus of leadership, spirituality, and healing for women and communities of color.

Carmen received her doctor of education degree from the University of Virginia and holds additional degrees from Harvard University, Clarion University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. She has also completed Harvard's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program with Jon Kabat-Zinn, and is a certified administrator for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

While she has significant expertise in adaptive leadership, organizational analysis, and social capital development, her historical scholarship researches the dynamics of race and education, and the use of genealogy for healing.

Ellen Burts-Cooper, PhD

Ellen Burts-Cooper, PhD, is the senior managing partner of Improve Consulting and Training Group, a firm that provides personal and professional development training, coaching and consultation. Improve has been featured in Time Magazine, Black Voices, Smart Business Magazine, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Cleveland Jewish News, Cleveland.com and Crain’s Cleveland Business. Burts-Cooper works across numerous industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, education, retail, utilities, governmental agencies, not-for-profit and small businesses.

Burts-Cooper is on faculty at Case Western Reserve University in the Weatherhead Executive Education Program and The Institute for Management Studies (IMS). She currently serves on the board of directors of First Federal of Lakewood and Sea-Land Chemical Company. She is the author of the books: aMAZEing Organizational Teams: Navigating 7 Critical Attributes for Cohesion, Productivity and Resilience and Canine Instinct: A Guide to Survival and Advancement in Corporate America.

Previously, Burts-Cooper served as a senior vice president and senior director of operational excellence, IT performance management and governance for PNC Financial Services. Prior to the financial services industry, Burts-Cooper worked in the electronics industry where she led global teams in several functions at 3M Company in St. Paul, Minnesota.

She earned a BS in chemistry from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, her PhD in organic/polymer chemistry from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, her MBA from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business, her Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification from 3M Company, her Multicultural Competency in Wellness and her Resilience and Thriving Facilitator Certificates from the National Wellness Institute.

Burts-Cooper is also an active volunteer and supporter for a host of community-related organizations across the U.S. and provides college scholarships through her fund at The Cleveland Foundation. She is a member of the Private Directors Association and the National Wellness Institute.

Heather Burton

Heather E. Burton, Ph.D., D-Min., is an award-winning executive leader, educator, and dynamic speaker with over 25 years of experience inspiring audiences across corporate, academic, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors. Renowned for her expertise in leadership development, diversity and inclusion, organizational transformation, and identity empowerment, Dr. Burton brings a unique blend of strategic vision and authentic engagement to every stage.

As Associate Vice President for Campus Engagement and Enrichment at Case Western Reserve University (2020-2025), she provided senior-level leadership in advancing equity, inclusion, and faculty diversity. Her work shaped institutional culture and drove systemic change through strategic initiatives and national collaborations.

Dr. Burton is also the Founder and CEO of Crimson Heights Ministries, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and fostering community development. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Public Affairs, a Doctor of Ministry in Black Church Studies, and master's degrees in Public Administration and Social Work, along with certification in Executive Coaching.

A sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator, Dr. Burton has delivered impactful presentations at national conferences, leadership summits, and corporate events, including the Women in Manufacturing Summit and the Faculty Women of Color Conference. Her signature topics include:

Executive Leadership & Strategic Change
Inclusive Leadership and Organizational Culture
Identity and Empowerment in Leadership
Faith-Driven Leadership and Resilience

Her thought leadership is reflected in forthcoming books Out of the Shadows: Intergenerational Women's Voices for Women and Ministry (Judson Press, 2026) and Student Success in Historically Black Spaces (Routledge, 2026).

Dr. Burton's contributions have earned numerous honors, including the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, Who's Who in Black Cleveland, and multiple community leadership awards. Her proven ability to inspire, strategize, and lead with impact makes her a powerful voice for organizations seeking transformation and growth.

Courtney McCluney

Dr. Courtney L. McCluney (she/her) is an award winning educator, researcher, consultant, and advisor reimagining ways to foster equity and wellness in the workplace. Trained as a social scientist, Dr. McCluney has received several grants and recognition for her work on racial equity and inclusion including groundbreaking research on the emotional tax and racial codeswitching as factors that affect Black workers' well-being and success. Her work is featured in several peer reviewed academic publications and she is a contributing writer to Forbes and the Harvard Business Review. Dr. McCluney completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, earned her PhD in Psychology at the University of Michigan and BA in Psychology and Interpersonal/Organizational Communications at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a former Research Fellow at Catalyst, Inc. and previously served as an AmeriCorps Social Impact Fellow. Dr. McCluney aims to disrupt organizational processes and norms that maintain systemic inequities in society.