Breakfast Club

Dan Cleveland
Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Relationships
Element K

Dan Cleveland brings more than 10 years of industry experience to Element K. Since joining the company in 1992, he has played a key role in the ongoing success of its Internet strategy, leading the efforts to develop its first online learning site, LearnItOnline. In his current role, Cleveland is responsible for developing and delivering on the company's strategy for expanding sales of online solutions through strategic relationships and indirect channel partners, including Barnes & Noble, Adobe and Best Buy. Cleveland has held a number of sales, marketing and management positions at Element K and its predecessor, ZD Education. Prior to that, Cleveland was an account manager with Aetna Capital Management. Before that, he was an actuarial analyst with A. Foster Higgins & Co. Cleveland earned a B.S. in mathematics and physics at Drake University.

Sharon M. Daniels
President and Chief Executive Officer
AchieveGlobal

Sharon Daniels has overall responsibility for managing AchieveGlobal. Daniels first began her tenure with AchieveGlobal in 1991. Since that time she also served as chief operating officer and chief executive officer of two other training companies in the industry during an absence from AchieveGlobal. During her four-year absence from AchieveGlobal, Daniels served as president and CEO of Communispond. Daniels’ career prior to her work in the training industry was in the field of banking. In her 15 years at Southeast Bank, she held numerous roles in operations, mergers and acquisitions, branch management, and training and consulting. She holds a bachelor’s in education from the University of Florida and a master’s in training and organizational development from the University of South Florida. She has more than 25 years of experience in general management and sales leadership roles.

Michael E. Echols, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Bellevue University and Bellevue University's Human Capital Lab

An internationally known thought leader on evaluating and improving ROI on human capital, Dr. Michael E. Echols' three books on the subject are must-reads in CEO, COO and CLO suites around the globe. Named one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals” in the United States by Training Industry Inc., Echols earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Carnegie Mellon University, his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and his Ph.D. from the College of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. His thesis was in operations research and information process.

Jonathan M. Kayes
Chief Learning Officer
Central Intelligence Agency

Jonathan M. Kayes has served with the Central Intelligence Agency since 1983 and as the agency's first chief learning officer since 2006. As CLO, he has been an active advocate of online learning and leadership development. The majority of Kayes' career has been in the Clandestine Service, splitting his assignments between the field and jobs at CIA headquarters. He graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in political science. Since 2007, Kayes has been in an online master’s of distance education program with the University of Maryland. Among other awards, the CIA has awarded Kayes the Intelligence Commendation Medal and the Donovan Award.

Mike Prokopeak
Vice President, Editorial Director
MediaTec Publishing Inc.

Mike Prokopeak is editorial director of MediaTec Publishing Inc. Mike directs content for the CLO Symposium live conference series, the CLO Breakfast Club programs and all MediaTec magazines, as well as the e-Seminar series, research initiatives and special projects.

Mike brings a wide range of experience in journalism, publishing, and marketing along with a proven track record of editorial achievement to MediaTec. After joining Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine in Flagstaff (Ariz.) as a reporter, he worked his way up to editor in chief, eventually taking on general manager responsibilities for the magazine and its sister publication, Flagstaff Live, both owned by Pulitzer Newspapers Inc. He directed the editorial, design, advertising, and events departments and successfully led a complete redesign of the publications. Mike has also worked with leading educational publishing companies, including Houghton Mifflin Company and the Great Books Foundation. A former teacher and Peace Corps volunteer, Mike brings in-depth experience in continuing education and training to MediaTec.

ESI International Director, eContent Strategy
01/14/2010
The Director, eContent Strategy is responsible for providing ESI’s executive team with strategic-level direction to implement alternative blended learning delivery formats to our worldwide client base.

Senior Manager, Global Learning & Talent Development
11/19/2009
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) is an organization of member firms devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice. We are focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in nearly 150 countries.

Director, Leadership & Organizational Development Parkland Health & Hospital System
10/26/2009
Parkland Health & Hospital System (www.parklandhospital.com) located in Dallas, Texas has been voted one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report for 16 consecutive years and recently named one of the "Top 100 Hospitals to Work For" by Nursing Professionals Magazine.