At the University of Dallas, we emphasize a practical approach to building principled and moral leaders. Our Executive Education faculty have a depth of knowledge and experience in many industries, and when they are not teaching in the classroom they are consulting in the boardroom. Each individual brings a different element of expertise to the table, but they all highly qualified to maximize the leadership potential of their students.
Founder Management Skills Resource, Inc.
Executive Consultant
Deborah Avrin, SPHR, has been a human resources professional for over 18 years, holds a BBA in Human Resources and an MS in Organizational Behavior. Since 1999, her company Management Skills Resource Inc, has worked with organizations that want to build the confidence, competence and courage of their management teams through creative training workshops. Her training style is interactive and inspiring, which makes her a sought after facilitator for human resources and management development workshops.
Ms. Avrin holds a lifetime Senior Professional in Human Resources certification and keeps current in training and human resources trends by her affiliation with Dallas HR and Dallas ASTD where she served as the 2007 President and as a SHRM Learning Systems instructor through the University of Dallas since 2001. Ms. Avrin is the author of The Management Map: Navigation Tools for the New Manager.
Goals-Based Specialist at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Instructor for CFP Certificate
Sean joined the financial services industry in 2012 at Fidelity Investments and then went on to work at Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor working with families and then spent some time at JPMorgan coaching and developing other Financial Advisors. In 2019, Sean moved to Charles Schwab as a Planning Consultant where he works with clients as a financial planner helping clients prioritize their goals, creating a plan for reaching them, and providing portfolio recommendations.
Sean holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and holds the Series 7 and 66 FINRA registrations as well as his Texas life, health and variable annuity insurance licenses. He is a graduate of Midwestern State University, with a BBA degree in Finance.
Sean is a native Texan, who, in his spare time, enjoys traveling with his wife, Kati. In addition to traveling, they enjoy spending time with family and their 3 pets. Sean is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dallas and a member of FPA Dallas/Fort Worth.
Bryan Carlson, CFP®
Patt Chowdhury is Managing Principal at Patt Chowdhury Advisors LLC, a consulting firm offering program and project planning, business research, and training. She is an experienced marketing executive and senior manager with extensive experience in program and project management, marketing operations, product management, process development, and information technology at iconic Fortune 500 brands, including American Airlines, Sabre, Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Hewlett Packard, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise managing worldwide programs generating annual revenues of as much as $1 billion.
As a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and PMI Dallas Chapter, she is Vice President of Programs, overseeing more than 80 events a year that provide project managers networking and professional development opportunities. With more than 4,500 members, it is one of the largest chapters in the world. Patt is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP ®), a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®), earned a certificate in Product Management from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, and is a Six Sigma Belt Black.
Patt has been an adjunct faculty member at The University of Dallas for 26 years and teaches marketing and management courses in the Gupta College of Business and project management in the UD Executive Education department. She holds a Master of Management degree in Telecommunications Management, and an MBA in International Management from The University of Dallas. Patt holds a BS in Business Administration, with a major in Marketing, from the New York Institute of Technology. Patt is also a doctoral student in Adult Learning and Workforce Development at the Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Patt is a recipient of the 2018-2019 Gupta College of Business Adjunct Faculty Excellence award and the Adjunct Faculty Achievement Award in 2006 for online course development and teaching excellence. She was a key member of the team that developed and launched the very successful online MBA program for The University of Dallas. Patt was born in Boston, grew up in the New York City suburbs, and lives in North Texas.
Affiliate Assistant Professor
Executive Coach
Instructor for Custom Corporate Leadership Training
Dr. Ben Dilla is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Management in the Gupta College of Business and has taught at the University of Dallas since 2014. He earned his M.S. & Ph.D. in industrial & organizational psychology from Purdue University and a BS in behavioral sciences & leadership from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
His career as an industrial & organizational psychologist has taken him to a diverse range of industries and organizations including the military (U.S. Air Force), financial services (Fannie Mae), transportation & customer service (American Airlines), and healthcare (UT Southwestern Medical Center & Parkland Hospital), as well as consulting to organizations in retail, high tech, transportation, manufacturing and financial services.
Ben is a Board Certified Coach (BCC) and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and takes an appreciative inquiry approach in his consulting work.
Founder and Primary Consultant - The Ferrell Consulting Group, LLC
Instructor for PHR/SPHR Certification
Arthur Ferrell is the Founder and Primary Consultant for The Ferrell Consulting Group, LLC. - (TFCG). TFCG provides human resources consulting services for prospective clients in various industries who are in need of assistance in a myriad of HR matters. Arthur has served in HR Leadership roles in various sectors, to include, the Vice President of Human Resources at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Director, Employee Relations at Parkland Health and Hospital System, the Senior Director, Human Resources for Conifer Health Solutions, the Vice President/Divisional HR Manager for Comerica Bank; and in Director, Human Resources roles at Texas Health Resources, Pier 1 Imports and Yum Brands, (Pizza Hut).
Arthur holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas. He has also earned his professional designations as both a Senior Professional in Human (SPHR) through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI); and the Society of Human Resource Management - Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification through the Society for Human Resource Management.
Arthur has served as an adjunct facilitator for the University of Dallas since 2003, where he has facilitated and instructed the study course for Human Resources professionals seeking their professional credentials as Professional in Human Resources – PHR; Senior Professional in Human Resources – SPHR or Global Professional in Human Resources – GPHR certifications.
Manager, Corporate Planning & Business Excellence, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Instructor for PHR/SPHR Certification
Dr. Susan Frear is the Manager of Payroll and HR Information Systems at the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas. Prior to her work at the Bank, she was the Director of Education for two nonprofit organizations, the Center for Nonprofit Management and DallasHR (a local SHRM affiliated chapter). She has a background in employee development and operations management in the manufacturing, higher education and nonprofit sectors.
She recently received her doctorate from the University of North Texas in the College of Information’s Applied Technology and Performance Improvement department. She has had the opportunity to actively explore the intersection between academic research in performance and the practical application of best practices in the talent management arena. Susan’s areas of interest in the human resource field include performance management, data analytics, change management, technology, and strategy. Susan has been providing support to HR professionals preparing to sit for the PHR/SPHR for over five years.
Donna Howard, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Instructor for PHR/SPHR Certification
Donna is a strategic HR business partner and has been for many organizations. Most recently, she was Chief Human Resources Officer for Hoy Health, LLC, a healthcare technology company, providing services to vulnerable populations. She was also Vice President, Human Resources for Fresenius Kidney Care, North America’s leading provider of dialysis services and products to more than 221,000 patients with chronic kidney disease. She was also CHRO for Sonic Healthcare USA, Inc., a leader of medical reference laboratories. She’s held Vice President positions for previous organizations including Ernst & Young, Brink’s Home Security and ACE America’s Cash Express.
Her areas of expertise include mergers/acquisitions, improving employee engagement, and improving company financials with applicable HR programs. In addition to teaching this certification course, Donna has also been an instructor of this course at UT-Austin and University of Houston. She’s been teaching this class for more than 20 years.
She has served as Executive Director of the HRSouthwest Conference and is Past President of the Dallas HR Management Association. Her education includes an MBA in Human Resources from the University of Texas at Arlington and a BBA in Finance from Texas Christian University.
CFP Professional, Lakeview Financial Solutions
Instructor for CFP Certificate
Rodney Jarrell, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with Lakeview Financial Solutions and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1981. After spending many years in the financial industry where he helped hundreds of people with their life plan, he moved into the retirement and college planning industry. Rodney became interested in retirement planning when more and more of his college planning clients started asking for help with their retirement plans. With diligent analysis and research, he has helped many families navigate their way through the minefield of retirement planning.
Rodney Jarrell has both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He has been married to his wife Janice for 46 years and has two children and one grandson. His daughter Kirsten is a Doctor of Audiology in Rowlett and his son Mark is an Integration Architect in Austin.
M. Scott Koger, CISSP, CRISC
Information Systems Security Officer, NOAA
Instructor for CISSP Certification
Mr. M. Scott Koger currently serves as the ISSO (Information System Security Officer)
for NOAA’s Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System at the National Climatic
Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina where he is responsible for information security
and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining NOAA, Scott served as the Security Analyst
for Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina where he was responsible
for operational network security, policy development and regulatory compliance with
FERPA, GLBA, PCI-DSS and HIPAA.
Before joining WCU, Scott spent an eventful year with the Sewerage and Water Board
of New Orleans as the Systems Development Project Lead during the disaster recovery
and reconstitution efforts in the months following Hurricane Katrina. Previous to
that he was an Information Technology Projects Consultant for the University of New
Orleans. While at UNO he also served as an Adjunct Instructor for the department of
Management. His research efforts include distance education; disaster recovery; network
security and design; and regulatory compliance.
Professor of Cybersecurity
Instructor for CISSP Certification
Brett J. L. Landry is the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business dean and professor of cybersecurity. For more than 25 years, he has worked in information security in the public and private sectors. Landry has been instrumental in the college’s AACSB accreditation efforts, the implementation of M.S. in technology programs, and university technology initiatives. Additionally, he is responsible for the University of Dallas’ certification as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Information Assurance by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Landry earned his doctorate from Mississippi State University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
Rosemary Maellaro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Instructor for Custom Corporate Leadership Training
With more than 20 years of HR management experience, Dr. Rosemary Maellaro, decided to share her expertise through teaching. Dr. Maellaro moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 1987 working for The Southland Corporation, now 7-Eleven, Inc. She joined the faculty of the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas as an adjunct professor in 1993, while serving as the Vice President of Human Resources for Black-eyed Pea Restaurants. She found the classroom experience exhilarating and came to the realization that she wanted to pursue a career in higher education.
After discovering her desire to teach, she began a nine year journey in obtaining her Ph.D. and became a full-time faculty member of the University in 1998. Dr. Maellaro is currently an associate professor and teaches masters level courses in organization development and leadership, as well as Agile Organizations in the DBA program.
Dr. Maellaro developed The Effective Leader course, based on her dissertation study that determined the ideal interpersonal skills local hiring managers seek in MBA graduates. The course focuses on developing the people skills leaders need to succeed in today's organizations, as well as effective team dynamics. The online version of this class received QM Certification in 2015 for meeting quality course design standards.
Dr. Maellaro also facilitates leadership development classes for the College of Business' Executive Education Center. She has served the College of Business as the Academic Program Director for the Human Resource Management concentration from 1996 to 2001 and for the Organization Development concentration from 2002 to 2010.
Jim is part of the People and Culture leadership team for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, one of the reserve banks that, along with the Board of Governors, constitutes the central bank of the United States, aka "The Fed." In his role, he helps shape HR strategy and advises senior leadership to support the Bank's mission. Prior to joining The Fed, Jim was a Senior Vice President in Human Resources at Citi, serving as a senior advisor to executives responsible for Global Operations Strategy, Consumer Learning, Consumer Location & Supplier Strategy, and Global Citi Service Centers while also providing HR oversight to leaders of 37 North American sites and 47,000 employees. Before that, Jim was a Human Resources Director at The M/A/R/C Group, a member of the Omnicom Group. Currently, he also serves as President of The Price Group LLC and as an Adjunct Faculty member in the University of Dallas Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business, where he has taught courses in Leadership, Management, Human Resources, and Professional Development and helped launch the Executive Education PMP program.
Jim earned an MBA and a graduate certificate in Human Resources Management from the University of Dallas and holds certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Human Resources Credentialing Institute; a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional; a Certified Professional in Talent Development by the Association of Talent Development; a Certified Diversity Executive by the Institute for Diversity Certification; and a Certified Agile Practitioner, Disciplined Agile Scrum Master, and Professional in Project Management by the Project Management Institute. Among other experiences, Jim is a graduate of civic programs such as Leadership Denton and the Leadership Arts Institute. In addition to frequently working with community and diversity organizations, Jim has presented at numerous leadership and diversity conferences. Jim's core expertise includes the breadth and depth of Human Resources/Human Capital Management; Organizational Behavior, Effectiveness, and Development; Talent Development and Performance Management; Diversity and Inclusion; Leadership Training; Executive Coaching; Career Guidance; and Project Management. When not working, teaching, or writing his dissertation related to diversity climate and the construct of thriving at work, Jim is a fine art mosaicist and can usually be found in the studio with his English cocker spaniel and a pile of smalti.
Carol Rogers, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Managing Director, Human Resources, Barings Multifamily Capital
Instructor for PHR/SPHR Certification
Carol has more than 20 years’ experience implementing and supporting the delivery of Human Resources strategy, initiatives, and programs through various Human Resources leadership roles and in a variety of different industries.
Her Human Resources experience includes company-wide HRIS implementations, acquisition integrations, and Human Resources operational initiatives. Ms. Rogers specializes in partnering with business leaders to influence and lead organizational design and change, resource planning, and innovative customer-focused strategies that align with the organization’s needs.
Carol is HRCI certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) as well as the Society of Human Resources Management-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). She holds a MBA in Management from University of Arlington and a BBA in Human Resources Management from University of North Texas.
Senior VP North Texas Regional Sales Manager, BBVA Compass
Instructor for CTP Certification
Ernest L. Smith is senior vice president North Texas Regional Sales Manager at BBVA Compass. Smith is responsible for a staff of 10 TM professionals, providing TM product Sales and Support to clients in the North Texas region. Before joining BBVA Compass, Smith spent 16 years at JPMorgan Chase, including six years as a Commercial Banker and three years as a Private Client Advisor. Prior to Chase, he spent three years at South Main Bank as Credit Officer and Compliance Officer. Smith has 23 years of banking experience and 15 years of Treasury Management experience. He received his B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Arizona and his M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Mr. Smith has been teaching for the University of Dallas since 2011. He is active in the local AFP chapter and has been part of the committee that reviews test questions on the actual CTP exam.
Stephen Stetz, MBA, MS, CFP®Licensed Financial Representative, Fidelity Investments
Instructor for CFP Certificate
Steve was born in Kansas and lived in Oklahoma before moving to Texas in 1992. He has worked for a leading financial services firm since 2011 where his goal is to empower and educate his clients. His current role focuses on fee based discretionary managed accounts. He partners with clients each day to help them determine an appropriate asset allocation for their investment portfolios, as well as create and sustain successful financial plans. Throughout his career in financial services, he has been consistently recognized for his performance and leadership. He has also served as a mentor to newer representatives where he helped his peers succeed in their role and increase their knowledge of the financial markets.
Steve became a CFP® professional in July 2014. Along with his certification he also holds the FINRA 7, 63, Texas Life & Health, and Texas Property & Casualty insurance licenses. He received a B.B.A. in Management in 2005 from Texas Tech University. After working for 3 years, he went back to attend graduate school in August of 2008 where he received an MBA and a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning graduating in December 2010.
He and his wife, Allison, have been married since 2007 and have 2 amazing sons, Mason and Jackson. Outside of work, Steve enjoys spending time with his family and attending their children’s many activities including baseball, soccer, and Cub Scouts.
Steve is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dallas and teaches Live Review classes around the US. Steve is a member of FPA Dallas/Fort Worth.
Founder Truitt, LLC. & Instructor, Zahn Associates, Inc.
Instructor for CFP Certificate and FP&A Certification
Brandon worked at Fidelity Investments for 14 years in a variety of leadership roles focusing on workplace benefits and financial plan delivery. During his tenure there he helped launch their executive compensation group, workplace guidance department, and was in charge of operational execution for over 300 financial planning professionals. These teams address a myriad of investment issues specializing in employee benefits like, DC plans, DB plans, company stock and option plans, employer insurance programs, and all of Fidelity’s personal investing products, accounts, and services. Brandon holds his Series 7, 9, 10, and 66 licenses as well as the CRPC®, MPAS®, and CFP® designations.
Brandon currently teaches in Dallas, but grew up in Austin, Texas. He attended McNeil High School and was recognized as a National Merit Scholar, National AP Scholar, and graduated top ten in his class. He earned his undergraduate degree studying English and Philosophy from Texas A&M University. There, he was recognized as a University Scholar and Lechner Scholar by the honor’s department. Brandon also holds a Master’s of Science in Personal Financial Planning and is currently working towards his FP&A™ designation specializing in corporate financial planning.
In his spare time Brandon is a member of the Dallas Fort Worth FPA® chapter and likes to read, write, play tennis, and work on home improvement projects. He currently teaches Zahn Live Review classes and is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Dallas CFP® Certification Professional Education Program.
Tamara Trummer, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
HR Director & HR Business Partner, HR Consulting Services - Plano
Instructor for PHR/SPHR Certificate
Tamara is a native of Enid, OK and attended Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, OK, later transferring to Central OK State University in Edmond, OK, where she received a BA degree in Journalism. While living in Oklahoma City, OK, she worked at Deaconess Hospital, a Westinghouse Electric heat pump manufacturing facility, and a Control Data floppy disk manufacturing plant, in Human Resources positions that also included writing and editing. She decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Journalism at the University of OK (OU) in Norman, OK, and later an MBA degree in Management at OK City University. During this time, she received her SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification, and in 2015, her SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional) certification.
Hadson Corporation, a mid-sized oil & gas firm where Tamara was HR Manager, moved its corporate offices from OKC to Dallas, and she transferred here with the company. She later went to work for ADP (Automatic Data Processing), and SPR Inc. (a Y2K compliance company focused on large mainframe systems), before joining Ericsson Inc., a global Swedish telecom infrastructure company, as a Sr. Manager and later Director of HR. She worked for 11 years at Ericsson and moved with the company to regional offices in Atlanta, GA and San Antonio, TX before moving back to their North American corporate offices in Plano, TX.
While in Dallas, Tamara has served as HR Committee Chair and Board of Directors member for My Possibilities, a non-profit which provides educational and socialization services to adults with special needs. She has also been a volunteer workshop presenter and image consultant for Attitudes & Attire, as well as holding volunteer leadership positions for several years on the local Dallas HR Management Association Board of Directors and HR Southwest Conference Board of Directors. She is a member of Executives in Action, a non-profit which pairs executives in transition with community non-profits in need of project assistance, where she has completed a project for The Assistance Center of Collin County.
Tamara has most recently worked as an HR Director and HRBP for Anthelio Healthcare Services, and in an HR Consulting capacity for a variety of small to mid-sized companies in industries which include transportation, commercial real estate, healthcare, sales, education, marketing, legal, and cosmetology. She is currently working as a Career Consultant for the University of Texas –Dallas (UTD) in their Career Management Center, and is teaching a 12 - week HRCI certification study course at the University of Dallas.
Professor of Management
Instructor for Custom Corporate Leadership Training
Whittington's research has been published in The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Business Strategy among many others.
His industry experience includes over 20 years in manufacturing and distribution, including executive positions in marketing, logistics and general management. Whittington has spent over 20 years executive coaching and consulting for various organizations including Nokia, FedEx-Kinko’s, RadioShack, Siemens, Life.Church, Reynolds Metals, Ball Container, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, Valor Telecom, City of Arlington and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Associate Professor
Instructor for Custom Corporate Leadership Training
Scott Wysong holds an MBA and Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Texas at Arlington
and a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University.
He has published a number of research articles in academic outlets and conducted research
for over 100 firms, including economic impact studies for the Duck Commander Independence
Bowl, Taylor Swift ‘1989’ Concert, Red River Rally and U.S. Hot Air Balloon Championship,
Garth Brooks concerts, Christmas on Caddo Fireworks Festival, Red River Revel Arts
Festival, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Region 4 Qualifying, Texas Bass Champs
Team Tournament Sponsored by Yamaha, Battle on the Border High School Football Showcase,
Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Toruk,’ Highland Jazz & Blues Festival, Gusher Days Festival,
Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) State Wrestling Tournament, Shreveport
Mardi Gras Parades and the Red River State Fair Classic.
Since 2002, he has been an active member in the International Association of Venue
Managers (IAVM). Prior to his career in marketing, Dr. Wysong was Director of Operational
Audits for Osteopathic Health System of Texas for nearly a decade.
“Adoro Te” is a collaborative effort to seed the National Eucharistic Revival with artistic, theological and philosophical reflections.
+ Read More“The Quest: The Way of Beauty” is a collaborative effort of UD faculty in several disciplines, including art, theology, modern languages and literature.
+ Read MoreThe relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina will visit the University of Dallas on Sept. 20.
+ Read More
