Our Staff:

• Alysia Barnes-Poteat

  As one of ASPE's national account managers, Alysia has cultivated relationships with start-up to Fortune 500 companies across the country. She continually works hard to please her clients and always has a great sense of humor. With her understated, off-the-cuff remarks, it shouldn't surprise us that she performed stand-up comedy in middle and high school. Alysia attended North Carolina A&T State University where she earned a degree in marketing and a computer science minor.

• Sarah Broyer

  Sarah is the Operations Manager at ASPE. She has over 15 years of experience in the training industry, having held various positions throughout logistics and operations. From customer and instructor travel to course material production and shipping to facility booking, there isn't a problem Sarah hasn't seen or dealt with. Claiming Burlington, VT as her hometown, Sarah is one of two New Englanders at ASPE. While in the frigid Northeast, she attended Champlain College where she earned a degree in Business Management before finding her way to much more enjoyable NC climate.

• Elisabeth Burns

  Elisabeth is our Director of Operations. The Elon University graduate wears many hats with that title and is constantly busy establishing partnerships, communicating with students, and keeping everyone organized. With all those responsibilities, she also manages to enjoy some free time cooking, golfing, skiing and traveling. She may call Wisconsin home, but North Carolina has grown on her – her favorite movie is Shag. Another fun fact: she and her twin sister were born in different counties.

• Bob Clarke

  As ASPE Director of Federal Enterprise Services, Bob is located in his hometown of Falls Church, Virginia. His vast experience in the government sector, and years inside (and outside) the beltway give him a unique perspective of federal training needs. Bob earned his BA from The University of Virginia and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. A collector of LPs, Bob is a self-proclaimed audiophile who enjoys jazz, rock, classical and other genres. While not working, or engaged in a heady conversation about music or video, Bob likes to travel to locales with unique architecture and culture.

• Melanie Cleary

  Melanie is the Assistant Product Manager for the ASPE-IT division. She made her way to NC via Georgia College & State University where she earned a degree in Marketing & Management. After school, Melanie found herself working for one of the country's largest hotel chains as a Customer Service representative. After spending time with the ASPE Customer Service, Melanie found herself ready for a new challenge with Product Management. When she's not working or reading (she's in 2 book clubs…nerd), Melanie enjoys yoga/pilates, gardening, cooking new things with her hubby, and traveling to different places.

• Katie Cothran

  Katie is a Product Manager for the ASPE-ROI line of training. A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication and avid Carolina fan, she's one of the only Tar Heels in a pack of wolves and devils. Despite congenial office rivalries, her leadership and management of the company's direct mail marketing efforts is a driving force behind the company's success. When not at the office, Katie can be found playing volleyball, relaxing near water, spoiling her dog, or taking various trips across the country.

• Chris Crawley

  Chris is a training advisor for the Mideast and different parts of the Southeast. Originally from Roxboro, NC, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise & Sport Science. Given his background, Chris is also a Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach. He spends his Saturday mornings watching Independent and Foreign films like a kid watches cartoons.

• Taylor Dellostretto

  Taylor is a training advisor for the Northeast, Pacific Northwest and parts of the Midwest. A native of Mount Olive, NJ, Taylor graduated from McDaniel College in Maryland with a degree in business administration and sports management before moving to North Carolina. With an athletic background (he once swam against Michael Phelps), Taylor has become ASPE's all-star at various ASPE outings and charity events. He has proved to be a great team player on the field and in the office.

• Chelsea Goodnight

  As an Operations Specialist at ASPE, Chelsea has many responsibilities including customer service, operations support, and supporting enterprise program management. Originally from Kannapolis (3 for Dale), she is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a major in Communications and a minor in Creative Writing. Chelsea always adds a spark of entertainment to the office whether it is her story-telling about her mom being on Oprah or her quotes including "I love lamp."

• Laura Hartwick

  As an Enterprise Sales Operator, Laura works with sales, operations and clients to successfully manage the delivery of onsite training courses for Enterprise clients. She is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and is a graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. In her free time, Laura is an avid reader and a recent convert to e-reading (she loves her Kindle Fire). Even though Laura has a quiet side, she also has her daring moments...she once tried out for a business-related reality show.

• Steve Knier

  Steve Knier is ASPE's CEO. He has 21 years of experience in the training of technical and business professionals. Formerly, he was CEO of American Research Group, Inc., one of the largest privately held technical training companies in North America. He was also founder and CEO of Perceptex, a multimedia technical training company. He served as president of American Institute, Inc., an international training company instrumental in introducing one of the industry's first voice/data communication certification programs. He also co-founded National Business Institute and Professional Education Systems Inc., U.S.-based training companies that provided B2B professional development courses, legal education, and financial and business training.

• Chris Knotts, PMP

  Chris is ASPE's Creative Director, and an enterprise marketing project manager. A communication and media specialist responsible for the creative lead on many of ASPE's marketing initiatives, he has 13 years of experience in marketing, graphic communication, project management, design, and multimedia campaigns. He has performed creative campaign work for many training companies, as well as corporate clients such as Cisco, Coca-Cola, and Hilton hotels, to name a few. He graduated from East Carolina University's School of Art with a BA in communication arts. He works odd hours, debates ASPE's president on metaphysics, is an organic vegetable gardener, and an aficionado of 1970s funk.

• Traci Lester

  Traci, another one of our NC State grads, is Electronic Marketing Manager at ASPE. She is a Google AdWords Certified Professional, and is the lead on most of the electronic marketing initiatives at ASPE. When she is not engaged in a music debate with her coworkers (she was a singer in a previous life), Traci can be found wearing one of her many ASPE hats. On any given day you may see her in AdWords creating new campaigns, making website updates through DreamWeaver, on social media engaging with ASPE customers & instructors, or neck deep in HTML building an email to be sent to ASPE customers informing them of the courses coming to their area.

• David Mantica

  David, ASPE's President, has more than 20 years of experience in B2B continuing education. He has managed the initiation, development and delivery of more than 300 expert-led classes on topics in software development, IT, telecom, finance, healthcare, and marketing. David was instrumental in the development of the industry's first VoIP-enabled live online public training, and chaired CompTIA's Learning Alliance formulation committee. He has participated in and supported the work of numerous certifying bodies including the Scrum Alliance, PMI, IIBA, TrueSecure, and CompTIA. David is a regular speaker at IIBA and PMI chapters, and has presented at Comdex Chicago, OSP Conference, ACUTA conference, and 1-jobs Career Fairs.

• Aileen Martello

  A customer service specialist, Aileen is an effective communicator and core asset to ASPE. Not only does she help our customers, she helps all of us at ASPE when we need her. From taking registrations to moderating virtual course sessions, her responsibilities are many and diverse. Her experience from running her own catering business for seven years gives her a great mind for business and communication. Fortunately for us at ASPE, Aileen also shares her culinary skills on a regular basis.

• Tom McGraw

  Tom is a Training Advisor for the Great Plains, Southwest, and California. He is a local boy who found his way to ASPE after graduating from Duke University with a degree in Psychology. Tom embodies the 'ultimate nice guy' (except for when you rag on his Blue Devils). He's a Cameron Crazy at heart, but will still shake your hand, say good game, and be sympathetic that your team lost...he's that nice and it's kind of annoying :). If you're lucky enough to have Tom as your Training Advisor, be sure to ask him about his distant relation to the famous singer by the same last name.

• JT Moore

  JT Moore is the VP of Marketing at ASPE. His passion for the NC State Wolfpack is only exceeded by his love for marketing. A man of few words, and often a wallflower, spark up a conversation about marketing, social media, SEO, Google, or the like and it will be hard to get him to shut up. That same passion is evident in his work. JT was instrumental in developing ASPE's electronic marketing initiative that lead to the integrated marketing approach the company runs on today. He is a regular contributor to the various ASPE blogs and often presents for the ASPE-ROI web seminar series. Reach out to JT on twitter: @j_t_moore

• Jackie Myers

  Jackie is the Operations Specialist, Enterprise Services at ASPE. She manages the logistics associated with our onsite training sessions, which in English means she is the liaison between ASPE and our onsite customers. From facilitating checklists and paperwork to gathering attendee contact information and necessary follow-up info, Jackie is often the behind-the-scenes resource and has her hands in a lot of the dirty work. She is also a sports fanatic, and the loudest Packers fan in the office (she's part of the rather large Green Bay native crew here at ASPE). Before making her way to ASPE, Jackie attended Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN where she earned a degree in Marketing and International Marketing.

• Clay Pernell
  Vice President, Sales

  As VP of Sales and Business Development, Clay Pernell has more than 20 years of diverse sales management experience in the B2C and B2B sectors. He has previously held senior sales leadership positions in both the retail and research content industries. Clay has a successful track record of growing revenue year-after-year, in addition to the development of countless award winning sales associates. Clay has successfully called upon Fortune 500 companies and negotiated enterprise solutions. He brings a wealth of experience in market analysis, team development and new business development.

• Jennie Sykes

  Jennie is a Training Advisor for parts of the Northeast, Southeast, and West Coast. She works with clients to ensure they are in the correct class for their current needs/goals and serves as a resource for general information about our courses. Jennie is from Durham, NC and is a graduate of Meredith College with a Bachelor of Science in Child Development. She is a HUGE fan of the NC State WolfPack as well as a the Carolina Hurricanes. Jennie is a mother of two girls and enjoys spending her free time with friends and family.

• Bryan Thigpen

  Bryan helps play the role of Accountant at ASPE. He is a graduate from the School of Business at East Carolina University, but he is also a huge NC State WolfPack fan. Don't let his quiet tendencies fool you, on the inside Bryan is a HUGE fanatic of both Superman and Twilight. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and dogs.

• Derek Scott

  A talented designer and artist, Derek is an integral part of the ASPE marketing team. Derek earned his bachelor's in Fine Arts from UNC-Greensboro, and is an active member of the NC art community. His creativity and skillset are a huge asset to the team. However, Derek's biggest contribution may be his pure entertainment value. His self-described hobbies include "watching movies, reading and lurking." It's hard to describe Derek, but if you imagine the manchild of a Capital One Viking and a starving artist, you'd be pretty close. When asked for something interesting about himself nobody knows, he said: "I often play dead while at home, but it goes unnoticed." He might be quiet at home, but he sure makes up for it at the office.

• John Voorhees

  John is the Chief Operating Officer at ASPE, and advises on the ASPE-IT product line. His extensive experience in product management and business development enables him to transform ideas into successful products and services. Before earning his M.A. at James Madison University, John earned his B.A. at The College of William & Mary. He has been a board member of the Microsoft Global Partner Advosory Council and the CompTIA Executive Learning Council. While John has become a successful leader in the training industry, he's also had time to master another craft: He used to be the frontman of a local Raleigh band called Skinny Atlas.

• Kinzie Wyche

  Kinzie is a National Account Manager at ASPE. Her dedication and leadership among the account management team is surpassed only by her devotion to her clients. Kinzie goes above and beyond to help clients discover the best skills-based training solution for them. The thing she most enjoys about her job is building long lasting relationships. Kinzie enjoys spending time with her family, boating and reading. She is originally from Asheboro, NC, and graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a communications degree.

• Jennifer Zacke

  Jennifer is Director of Enterprise Services at ASPE. She is instrumental in supporting enteprise training programs, customizing skills development plans, and developing content for large clients. She works closely to coordinate training departments with our operations and instructor staff to ensure that companies and agencies meet their training goals. She made her way to ASPE and North Carolina via Miami, so it's always a treat when she (or her husband) whips up a unique Latin dish for our company food parties.

• Frank Beanland

  Frank is ASPE's CFO. He has 20 years of experience in the IT industry in various capacities of CFO, accounting, finance, commercial, business development, technical support, account management, systems integration and entrepreneurial management. As a partner and Chief Financial Officer for Csoft International, Frank used 15 years in the retail systems industry to build and run a profitable startup software organization developing the premier Point-of-Sale solution for the retail industry and a new E-Commerce POS solution for the Wireless Telco and ASP market. He sold Csoft International to Marconi Commerce Systems in 1999.

• Carin Mills

  As a product manager, Carin oversees the strategy for all our ASPE-SDLC courses. From content development to scheduling, Carin leads the way for our business analysis, product management, agile and software testing courses. Along with that comes the responsibility of managing all of those instructors, and as you can imagine that is quite a challenge. Despite the enormous amount of responsibility and pressure we place on her (including carrying the ASPE team in various golf tournaments), she always surpasses expectations. A graduate of Rutgers University, Carin settled in Easton, PA. Maybe that's how she manages everything we throw at her – she doesn't have to see us every day.

• TJ Seiple

  TJ is the general manager of our AHC and AHSI training divisions. He brings more than 20 years of marketing and training industry experience, and was fundamental in establishing the direct mail marketing process vital to ASPE's success over the years. When Jess isn't hanging out with Snookie, The Situation, and the rest of the Jersey Shore crew (he's a remote employee located in NJ), he spends his time running and working on the side as an architectural preservationist. One of his recent projects is the renovation and preservation of an historic bridge in his hometown.