Our Consulting Team
Cynthia Johnson
President, ReThink Higher Education Consulting, LLC
Cynthia Johnson was recently interviewed by Time Magazine for a proposed article in the ongoing series Innovators: Forging the Future for her cutting edge work as the founding director and idea person behind the first college degree program in the nation for students challenged with learning and intellectual disabilities.

Under Cynthia’s energetic leadership with the Venture Program in Washington State, she designed the creative team of faculty and experts in the fields of curriculum, assessment, and the workforce, who developed this first degree program. Cynthia created Rethink Higher Education Consulting to thoughtfully facilitate the replication and implementation of the Passport Program to colleges, universities, and organizations throughout the nation

The how and why students learn and the best methods to facilitate these practices together with her lifelong love of learning are drivers for Cynthia. She has extensive background in higher education program development, teaching postsecondary students challenged with intellectual and learning disabilities, and curriculum and assessment development. A natural net-worker, with a belief that both learning and leadership require innovation, creativity, and collaboration, Cynthia has built strategic alliances both regionally and nationally. She is a seasoned manager capable of motivating people toward common exciting educational goals that also significantly meet and exceed profitability targets.

Cynthia has a comfort level with the media, public speaking, politics, and the business community. She has been interviewed by various national media and educational journals including National Public Radio, the Chicago Tribune, Inside Higher Education, University Business Review, The Seattle Times, and KIRO Television. She recently testified before the U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education and was the featured speaker for the Social Security regional meeting held in Seattle.

Cynthia holds a Master of Educational Administration with emphasis on higher education and adult learning theory, is both a Certified Mediator Practitioner and a Registered Counselor in Washington State, holds a Certificate in Brain Research in Education, and has taught a variety of college courses including Brain Basics, Social Change in America, Personal Finance, Conversation Skills, Disability Awareness, and Family History Research.

Cynthia is the mother of five grown children who were willing participants in her first experiential learning lab. For example, she taught them the alphabet by having them dip their fingers into their favorite flavor of yogurt and then write the letters on the windows. The messy windows were worth it…her children love to read!

Media Interviews with Cynthia as Venture Director:
Seattle college program for special needs adults
October 17, 2005, National Public Radio All Things Considered
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4962487

BCC Opens One-of-a-Kind Program
October 12, 2005, KIRO Television
http://www.kirotv.com/weblinks/5091646/detail.html

A Degree of Their Own
October 2005, University Business Review
http://www.universitybusiness.com/page.cfm?p=1003



Consultants
George Lynn, MA, MPA, LMHC
Parent Trainer, Faculty Trainer
George Lynn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor from Bellevue, Washington who has pioneered the use of psychotherapy for adults and children with neuropsychological issues. He has lectured internationally on the subject, has written three popular books on parenting children with challenges, and holds Masters degrees in psychology and public administration.

His career as a psychotherapist and writer spans twenty-two years and includes extensive teaching and publication accomplishment. George has taught at the graduate level at Antioch University, the University of Puget Sound, and Chapman College, has had articles featured in several national magazines including: Bipolar Magazine, The Family Therapy Networker, and Hope. He has appeared on National Public Radio several times and he has been a keynote speaker at various educational conferences in the United States and England.

Since 1991, George has focused attention on the powerful impact of brain chemistry in the process of personal change and development. He subsequently developed a practice specialty working with individuals challenged with ADD, Tourette Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Asperger's Syndrome.

George is author of Survival Strategies For Parenting Your ADD Child, Dealing With Obsessions, Compulsions, Depression, Explosive Behavior, and Rage (Underwood Books, 1996), Survival Strategies for Parenting Children With Bipolar Disorder (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000), and Genius! Nurturing the Spirit of the Wild, Odd, and Oppositional Child (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2005). His website is http://childspirit.com.

Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D.
Workforce Trainer, Faculty Trainer
Jonathan Deutsch is Assistant Professor of Tourism and Hospitality at Kingsborough Community College and a senior fellow of the Institute for Virtual Enterprise of the City University of New York, an institute charged with developing student success through active learning interventions in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable leadership.

From his first job as a cook and job trainer at a summer camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities, he has been an advocate for learners of all abilities.

Deutsch earned his Ph.D. from The Steinhardt School of Education at New York University, studying social and cultural aspects of food and is a graduate of Drexel University and the Culinary Institute of America. He has published in such publications as the Journal of Leadership Education, the Journal of Hospitality, Tourism Education, and Food and Foodways and is Education Editor of the journal Food, Culture and Society. Contact him at jdeutsch@kingsborough.edu.

Christine Johnson, Ph.D.
Organizational Designer
Christine Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Social-Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California with an emphasis on Organizational Development. For 25 years she has been developing and remodeling organizational cultures. She works collaboratively, enabling clients to achieve their goals for productive work environments.

Christine’s clients include Kaiser-Pemanente, Agilent Technologies, and, most recently Summit Charter High School in Redwood City, California.

Since 2001, Christine has been on the Board of The Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, California (www.chconline.org) focusing on program evaluation, human resource development, and strategic planning.

In her spare time she is a builder and garden designer. She lives with her husband who is a physician and jazz musician, and their two sons, ages 19 and 15.

Laurie Stephan, Ph.D.
Curriculum Developer, Faculty Trainer
Laurie is an instructional design specialist and Program Director at the University of Washington. She has facilitated teams in instructional design at numerous colleges and universities throughout the nation, and played a key role in designing Passport's original curriculum development and alternative assessment system. Laurie has an extensive background in developing higher education instructional programs and the appropriate learning outcomes and instructional strategies that match both the student population and the institution. Laurie is a master teacher with years of experience in teaching special needs and typical students both in the United States and overseas.

Laurie is a master at conducting outreach and training workshops for end users including faculty and secondary students. She is skilled at conducting industry research, including focus groups, trends analysis, and professional association meetings to develop frameworks for educational programs in new and emerging fields. She has designed and implemented faculty training and developed online training tools and resources.

Laurie earned her Ph.D. in Applied Language Studies from the University of Washington, holds a Master in Teaching English as a Second Language, is a DACUM facilitator, and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and German.

Laurie's publications include: Alignment Online, Into Alignment: Enhancing Teaching, Learning (Anker Books, 2005), Applications of Information Technology: Trends Assessment 2004 (NWCET, 2004), and Teaching Technical and Soft Skills: Skill Standards Based Teaching (McGraw-Hill Mike Meyer's IT textbook series, 2003-2004).

Jacob Schwarz, J.D.
Legal Consultant
Jake is a law partner with Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP and has offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto, California. He focuses on representing emerging growth and high technology companies.  His practice includes advising clients with respect to business formations, licensing and joint ventures, intellectual property protection, and employment law counseling.  His clients include tech companies in industries such as software, semiconductors, systems integration, environmental sciences, aeronautics, and biotech, as well as businesses in educational services, retail, and real estate development and management.
 
Jake began his legal career as a commercial litigator with the San Francisco office of an international law firm. His professional and civic activities include the Santa Clara Country Bar Association, Palo Alto Area Bar Association, and Volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. His court admissions include California State Courts, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Northern and Central Districts of California. He is a member of the Bar of California and is a frequent guest speaker at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business. He has also been a presenter at the Center for International Legal Studies’ international law seminar in Kitzbühel, Austria.
 
Jake has a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College (magna cum laude).