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Our Team

Peter Bailey

Top Ten Things to Know About Peter:

  1. I live fully with my best friend and wife, Catherine Crooks; my wonderful kids, Sydney and Jackson; our rescued dog, Toby; and Emmet, a most unusual cat.
  2. I love sailing, surfing, rock-climbing, writing, stone-sculpting, and learning languages (currently learning Indonesian, Japanese, Hindi, and Mandarin).
  3. Through our Organization Development practice area, I specialize in engaging business leaders and teams in transformational experiences which enhance their skills, systems, and processes for working better together.
  4. I am a multi-faceted experiential designer and facilitator who has delivered 25 years of education-based adventure and innovative training to executives and management teams in the fields of high-technology, telecom, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and customer service.
  5. I have a particular passion for possibility-thinking and cross-culture communication, and have been fortunate to have traveled and worked in over 40 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
  6. I joined the Prouty Project team in May of 2008. Prior to joining, I served for nine years as a Global Performance Consultant with Wilson Learning Worldwide, where I was a writer, designer, and lead facilitator for programs focusing on global effectiveness, customer service, principled negotiation, virtual teams, and executive coaching.
  7. My professional/community involvement includes: Board of Trustees, Outward Bound National Professional Group; Board of Advisors, Minnesota Outward Bound; Volunteer Resource, National Youth Leadership Council; Member, Association of Experiential Education (AEE); Member, American Society of Training and Development (ASTD); Member, Japan-America Society of Minnesota (JASM); and Member, Minnesota Indonesia Society (MIS).
  8. Education: St. Lawrence University, B.A. Government, Anthropology, and Creative Writing; Cornell University Graduate Program, Full-Year Asian Language Concentration on Indonesian; and Mankato State University, Master of Science (M.S.) in Experiential Education.
  9. Certifications: MBTI qualified; master leader for Wilson Learning Worldwide; certified leader: interplay dance; and United States Sailing Association: basic keelboat, basic cruising, bareboat cruising certified.
  10. My favorite quote: “Something wonderful is about to happen!”
Kari Baltzer

Top Ten Things to Know About Kari:

  1. My husband, Tim, and I live in Eden Prairie with our two children, Josh, a senior in college, and Jessi, a senior in high school, along with our dog, Jake, a French Brittany.
  2. I enjoy singing with the contemporary worship team at Wooddale Church and volunteering in the children's music ministry.
  3. I love to scuba, ski, golf, and take in new sights when we travel.
  4. We spend our summer weekends boating and playing at the cabin in Nisswa, Minnesota.
  5. As one of the firm's client services coordinators, I provide consulting support and client relationship management for Jeff Prouty and his efforts in the Strategic Planning Practice Area.
  6. Among my duties, I support Jeff with the firm's business development efforts, organize communications with our Prouty Partners, and help oversee the partnership with Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center where we hold many of our outdoor experiential activities.
  7. I also support all marketing functions for the firm, including editor of the quarterly newsletter, coordinator of our monthly Jammin' Sessions, maintain the Prouty Project website, and act as the public relations liaison with the firm's public relations firm.
  8. I joined the Prouty Project team in 2006. I have over twelve years of administrative experience assisting senior executives in the education and human resource field.
  9. Education: East Texas State University, B.S. Degree in Sociology and Business (1985).
  10. My favorite quote: "The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." ~ Mark Twain
Grayce Belvedere Young

Top Ten Things to Know About Grayce:

  1. My husband, Dan Young, and I live in Edina with our 70-pound yellow lab, named Sassie (and she is!).
  2. I love traveling the world, learning about other cultures, working out daily, reading, and spending time at our cabin in northern Wisconsin.
  3. I lead our Organization Development practice area, specializing in leadership development; strategic planning; team effectiveness; leadership coaching; talent management and succession planning; change management; performance management processes; and culture revitalization.
  4. I joined the Prouty Project team as a partner in 2007. I have over 16 years of organization development experience in the health care, legal and regulatory, technology, and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining the Prouty Project, I spent four years at UnitedHealth Group and five and half years at Thomson Reuters in a variety of organization development, strategy, business development, and sales channel management roles.
  5. My commitment to non-profit capacity building includes serving on boards and committees as well as providing strategic consulting to improve board effectiveness, governance, and strategic planning results.
  6. My professional/community involvement includes: Board of Trustees, Chair, the Women's Foundation of Minnesota; Governance Committee past Chair, the Women's Foundation of Minnesota; GirlsBEST Chair, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota; Board of Directors, M.A.P. for Nonprofits; Past President, 2000 ASTD-TCC chapter.
  7. Education: University of St. Thomas, M.B.A., concentration in Marketing; DePaul University, M.A. English Literature; and University of Minnesota, B.A. English Literature.
  8. Certifications: Six Sigma Green Belt certified, Situational Leadership certified, MBTI qualified, and Career Power certified.
  9. One of my favorite quotes: “Organizations learn only through individuals who learn.” ~ Peter M. Senge. The Fifth Discipline
  10. Another one of my favorite quotes: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
Mike Felmlee

Top Ten Things to Know About Mike:

  1. My wife, Jane, and I live in Chanhassen with our children Lauren, Jeffrey, and Charlie, and our 85 pound golden retriever, Dexter.
  2. I absolutely love my daily dose of Life Time Fitness "Boot Camp", golfing, and boating with family and friends.
  3. I work with management teams, boards of directors, and staff groups to facilitate strategic planning, team, leadership development, and executive retreats.
  4. I joined the Prouty Project team as a partner in 2000 and was named CEO in 2005. I have 28 years of financial and operational management experience in the health care, manufacturing, and public accounting industries. Prior to joining the Prouty Project, I spent 12 years as a senior financial leader at Mayo Clinic Rochester where I was actively involved in the strategic planning and team development activities of a 900 plus person finance department. Prior to that, I was a Controller for a $100 M manufacturing company that supplied parts to the automotive industry.
  5. I started my career at the public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving in its Minneapolis and New York City offices.
  6. My professional/community involvement includes: Board of Directors, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities; Board of Directors, HIRED; Board of Director, Holy Family Catholic High School; Business Advisory Board, College of Business of Winona State University; and member, Legatus.
  7. Education: Graduated with honors, Winona State University, B.S. Accounting (1979).
  8. Recent conferences include: World Business Forum, New York City, NY; Balanced Scorecard (Michigan State University and The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management); Performance Management Workshop and Accelerating Change Through Human Performance (Aubrey Daniels); Continuous Improvement Facilitator Training (Juran); Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey); Empowerment for High Performing Organizations and Responsibility Based Teaming (Galindo); The Highlands Ability Battery Workshop; and Mentoring at Mayo, a Mayo Leadership Development Program.
  9. My favorite quotes: "I judge people's character not by the adversity they face but how they react to it." Anonymous
  10. "Definition of a Mission Statement: Long awkward sentence demonstrating management's inability to think clearly."  ~ Dilbert

Top Ten Things to Know About Melissa:

  1. My husband, Bayard, and I live in Eden Prairie, a southwest Minneapolis suburb.
  2. You'll find us traveling, running, taking ballroom dance lessons, cooking, and going to the orchestra.
  3. I ensure the office is running like a "Swiss watch" by managing what we call "Mission Control" (the internal operations for the firm and our client and office services coordinators).
  4. My duties include providing consulting support and client relationship management for Mike Felmlee and his efforts in the Strategic Planning and Board Development Practice Areas.
  5. I manage the firm's finances along with our controller, Jeff Knack; support all human resource functions for the firm; and handle technology needs.
  6. I began working with the Prouty Project in 2004 after spending several years working for the CEO and CFO of a publicly traded company.
  7. Education: B.S. Degree in Business Administration from Northwestern College.
  8. My community involvement includes:  Host Family and Gala Committee Member, Eden Prairie A Better Chance Foundation.
  9. How I stretch myself: I ran the Twin Cities Marathon, after being inspired by our 2005 Stretch Expedition, running the Paris Marathon.
  10. My favorite quote: "Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve." - Mary Kay Ash
Jeff Knack

Top Ten Things to Know About Jeff:

  1. My wife, Monica, and I live in Brooklyn Park with our four children, two dogs, two cats, hamster, and horse.
  2. I enjoy classic cars, NASCAR, and watching the Minnesota Twins, the Vikings, the Wild, and the Gophers.
  3. In my spare time, I like to visit the Minnesota State Parks, take road trips, and go hiking and biking.
  4. I coached girls’ softball (ages 12-15) for six years. We won the championship in my third year.
  5. As the Prouty Project's Controller, I am responsible for all financial functions of the firm including: accounts payable, accounts receivable, invoicing, and budgeting. I work closely with Melissa, the Manager of Client and Office Services, in an effort to successfully carry out these duties.
  6. I joined the Prouty Project team in September of 2005.
  7. Prior to joining, I spent four years building my business, Knack's Accounting Service, Inc. that continues to run strong today.
  8. Having served as a Controller, a General Manager, and an Accounting Supervisor for various organizations in the Twin Cities, I have found my niche in helping small companies reach high levels of financial organization.
  9. Education: University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management B.S. Business.
  10. My favorite quote: “I cannot change yesterday. I can only make the most of today, and look with hope toward tomorrow.” ~ Anonymous

Top Ten Things to Know About Cassandra:

  1. I grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with my parents and brother.
  2. I joined the Prouty Project team in June 2009. As an intern, I am happy to say that I have learned quite a lot thus far!
  3. At the Prouty Project, I do a lot of the daily office tasks and also a little bit of everything. 
  4. I am currently attending the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and will finish my degree this winter: B.A. in General Business Management and B.A. in Spanish Language.
  5. A hidden talent I have is playing the harmonica.
  6. I enjoy working out/running daily, salsa dancing, and speaking in Spanish.
  7. My favorite place to visit is my family in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana
  8. I absolutely love music and listen to genres ranging from classic rock, popular music, to world music.
  9. One of my favorite quotes is: "When faced with a challenge, look for a way, not a way out." - David Weatherford
  10. Another one of my favorite quotes is: "Don't look down on anyone unless you are helping them up." - Jesse Jackson
Jeff Prouty

Top Ten Things to Know About Jeff:

  1. My wife, Mary, and I live in Eden Prairie, a southwest Minneapolis suburb. We have two beautiful daughters, Paige and Shea, both adopted from China.
  2. I founded the business in 1987, after spending seven great years with Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Minneapolis and New York City.
  3. I love working with senior management teams and boards of directors on strategic planning and team issues.
  4. I love to climb big mountains (see STRETCH EXPEDITIONS on our website), workout at the Life Time Fitness "Boot Camp," scour magazines, and entertain on Think Tank II (see Think Tank II on our website).
  5. I am excited about: The creation of our Stretch Foundation (2005); sharing stories with you from my "radical sabbatical" (much of it in China, 2006); and participating in 2006-2010 Dancing Dads 'n Daughters competition with Paige and Shea.
  6. My professional/community involvement includes: Chairman of Sigma Phi Epsilon Iowa State University Capital Campaign; Board of Directors, JMS Companies; member, Families with Children from China; member, Association for Strategic Planning (and host of monthly Jammin' Sessions since 1999); Junior League of Minneapolis Community Volunteer of the Year (1996); and Teacher, Maasai Girls School, Monduli, Tanzania (1997).
  7. Previous Boards include: Board of Directors, Sigma Phi Epsilon National Fraternity; Board of Directors, Crisis Connection; Board of Directors, ASTD Minnesota; Board of Advisors, Junior League of Minneapolis; Board of Advisors, B.E.S.T. United Way; Board of Advisors, Stirtz Bernards; and Board of Advisors, RW Trend Inc.
  8. Education: Graduated with honors, Iowa State University, B.S. in Business Administration (1979).
  9. Recent conferences include: The Strategic Coach, Toronto, Ontario; Fitness Ridge, St. George, UT; Human Performance Institute/The Corporate Athlete, Orlando, FL; Innovative Thinking Conference, Capetown, South Africa; Strategic Leadership Forum, New York, NY.
  10. One of my favorite quotes: “Every day, our clients turn to us for deep inspiration. Their most frequent request is that they want us to proactively bring them new ideas. This must be core to our mission.” ~ Marshall Lux
Jayna Wallace

Top Ten Things to Know About Jayna:

  1. I live in Woodbury, but I am looking to move to the Eden Prairie area this fall.
  2. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and Labradoodle, Dublin.
  3. I also enjoy attending University of Minnesota sporting events, spending time with my "little sister" Brianna from the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and taking spin classes at Life Time Fitness.
  4. My older brother named me after a cartoon character! (“Jayna” is one of the Super Twins on the cartoon, Superfriends!)
  5. I went on the 2009 Stretch Expedition to South Africa and it was a trip of a lifetime! I participated in the Cape Argus Cycle tour and survived wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour!
  6. As one the firm's client services coordinators, I provide consulting support and client relationship management for Grayce Belvedere Young and Peter Bailey and their efforts in the Organization Development Practice Area.
  7. Among my duties, I manage the Think Tank II, and support the firm’s Stretch Expedition efforts.
  8. I graduated in May of 2007, and joined the Prouty Project team in February 2008 following an internship with the 3M Golf Championship in Blaine, MN, where I served as the Pro-Am Coordinator.
  9. Education: University of Minnesota, B.A. Public Relations and Business Management.
  10. My favorite quote: “Nothing is worth more than this day.” ~ Goethe

FEATURED INSPIRATION

Wisdom of Teams

Wisdom of Teams
by Jon Katzenbach

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WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

“In engaging with the Prouty Project you find partners who care about your business as much as you do."

Jesper Groenvold CEO | Paragon Strategic Solutions a subsidiary of Aon Benfield