OUR TEAM

People are the Core

People are the core of every business, and when the core is strong, so is the company. This is a central tenet of our business and the reason we do what we do. We also live it every day, striving to build the strengths of our own team.
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Get to know the Core team!

Maggie Frye

Founder & CEO

Maggie Frye founded Core in 2014, which, looking back, was a natural step in a career focused on organizational development, strategy, and communications. Her passion is building strong, capable leaders and effective business practices, and that passion shines through in Core’s purpose and values.

Before founding Core, Maggie served as the Global Communication & Talent Development Manager at Hobsons, an education technology solutions provider, supporting a global workforce in the areas of leadership development, internal communications, and employee engagement. She also has extensive experience in the public sector with a particular focus on clean water utilities. Ms. Frye spent several years earlier in her career working at a wastewater and stormwater utility (SD1 in Northern Kentucky). Throughout her tenure at SD1, Ms. Frye worked in communications, employee development, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning, with additional leadership responsibilities for the safety and information technologies functions.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Northern Kentucky University
  • Master’s in Strategic Organizational and Corporate Communication, University of Southern California.
  • Certifications:
    • Everything DiSC Certified Trainer (Wiley)
    • Foundations of Servant Leadership (Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership)
    • Association of Talent Development Certificate Programs: Facilitation Skills & Coaching
  • Leadership programs:
    • United Way Board Orientation & Leadership Development Program
    • SOAR Women’s Leadership Program

Maggie serves on the board of directors for Aviatra Accelerators, an entrepreneurial accelerator that enables women to start and sustain businesses by giving them the resources and network they need to be successful. One of her most personally fulfilling volunteer roles is with a non-profit she founded called EmpowHer & Move, which is a summer program for high school girls in her community that provides a transformative journey of self-discovery, leadership empowerment, friendship and physical and mental fitness.

A proud mother of two teenage boys, Maggie spends far too much of her time driving her kids and their friends around (endlessly) and watching them play football and basketball. The Fryes love the outdoors and soak up Vitamin D whenever possible. She’s married to an environmental scientist with a green thumb who has planted so many pollinators in their backyard that it’s hard to sit on the deck without bees on your lap. Maggie is an avid runner and swimmer and finds her Zen during early morning workouts – sans headphones…sans kids…sans deadlines.

Jamie Holtzapfel

Vice President of Consulting Services

A principal consultant with Core since 2017, Jamie is a strategic thinker and goal-oriented individual who is passionate about helping other people succeed. She enjoys using her background in marketing and communication to help clients achieve an outlined vision for the future through the creation and/or delivery of tailored leadership programs, team development opportunities and company strategies. As the VP of Consulting Services, she also enjoys preparing other members of the Core team for client engagements to ensure successful project execution.

Prior to joining Core, Jamie spent over a decade working for a Northern Kentucky wastewater and stormwater utility. As the Director of Communications she oversaw all internal and external communication affairs. She supported the utility’s leaders by collaborating with stakeholders to address community needs, building and facilitating outreach programs, managing media, communicating through crises and building brand awareness.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Northern Kentucky University
  • Certifications: Everything DiSC Certified Trainer (Wiley)
  • Leadership programs:
    • Leadership Northern Kentucky
    • SOAR Women’s Leadership Program
  • Queen City Game Changers

Jamie has a deep love for community and has enjoyed engaging with a number of collective impact organizations. As the immediate Past President of NKU’s Alumni Association and Board, she enjoyed working towards improving alumni and student collaboration and connection. Jamie also engaged with Notre Dame Academy and served as a mentor and guest speaker to help junior and senior girls prepare for life after high school. A past board member for Green Umbrella (the Cincinnati region’s sustainability alliance), she chaired their communication committee to help share the organization’s story and increase environmental awareness.

On a personal note, Jamie resides in Northern Kentucky with her husband, Andy, and their three children. Between her children and lots of local extended family, she can attest to the fact that there is never a dull moment in her household. Jamie enjoys being surrounded by others but warmly welcomes an opportunity to get off the grid. If you can’t reach her, she’s probably escaped to a lake or the mountains.

Anna Olsen

Consultant

Anna is a versatile professional with expertise in corporate learning and development, education, design, and marketing. She is fueled by creativity and has a passion for personal growth. She leverages her empathetic nature in the workplace and is committed to nurturing professional development in others. Anna values transparent communication, strong partnerships, and innovative thinking, believing in the importance of empowering her peers, celebrating their achievements, and being a reliable advocate.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design
  • Kent State University
  • Certifications:
    Everything DiSC Certified Trainer

Anna is an active volunteer at her children’s school, where she takes great pride in fostering a community rooted in faith, educational excellence, and kindness. Her involvement in these initiatives is deeply fulfilling.
Additionally, she has contributed her time to the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, supporting their mission to alleviate hunger and provide nourishment to those in need.

Residing in Akron, OH, Anna finds joy in life’s simple pleasures, such as listening to audiobooks on the regular, working out, and savoring quality time with her family. A fun-loving mother of two kids that she absolutely adores, she builds her life and shares her home with her husband and a plethora of lovable pets. As a family they enjoy many hours of soccer, dancing around the house, and embarking on numerous ice cream adventures. With a “work hard, relax hard” mindset, Anna embraces a balanced lifestyle while continually seeking moments of happiness and inspiration.

Beate Wright

Senior Consultant

Beate has over 33 years’ experience in the water sector as a professional engineer, leader and an International Coaching Federation certified coach. She has a unique perspective having worked in the federal, private, public and non-profit space in a technical field, progressing from technical roles to strategic leadership. Beate has also served on both National and State boards for the American Water Works Association (AWWA). 

  • Graduate, Leadership Coaching for Organizational Wellbeing, George Mason University, VA
  • Master of Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Manhattan College, NY
  • Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, Clarkson University, NY

Certifications:
o International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
o Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of VA
o Everything DiSC Certified Practitioner
o Leadership Circle Profile Certified Practitioner
o SBA certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
o SBA certified Women-Owned Small Business

Beate has served as a Director on the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Board of Directors and has served on the VA Section AWWA Board. She is spending time supporting her aging parents and is currently relocating to live near her daughters to help with babysitting her grandson and future grandchildren.

When not spending time being with family, Beate can be found enjoying the great outdoors by hiking, golfing, playing pickleball, snowshoeing, or boating – depending on the season. Reading a great book with a glass of wine in front of a wood-burning fire is also a favorite activity.

Alan Heymann

Senior Consultant

Alan has served as an executive coach to hundreds of his fellow introverts, helping them feel seen and heard, to find balance in their lives and to unleash their superpowers in an extroverted world. Alan also specializes in coaching through career and leadership transitions. He brings a warm, open and energetic presence to his coaching and facilitation clients and speaking engagements. His clients to date have spanned corporations (including the Fortune 50), nonprofit organizations, public utilities, federal, county and municipal governments. The author of two books on leadership analogies: Don’t Just Have the Soup, and Embrace Your Inner Peaches, Alan is a member of the faculty of the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership. He spent more than two decades in public, government and nonprofit communications — leading teams from 2 to more than 100 people. Alan founded Peaceful Direction in April 2019. Alan has also served as an executive leader at DC Water.

• Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching (Georgetown University)
• Juris Doctorate (The George Washington University Law School)
• Bachelor of Science in Journalism (Northwestern University)
• Adjunct faculty member (Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership)
Certifications
• Hogan Assessments, Leadership Circle Profile 360, Designing Your Life, Everything DiSC,
Certified Facilitator in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method

Alan is a frequent participant in pro-bono coaching engagements through the International Coaching Federation’s Metro DC chapter. He is a member of the Barker Adoption Foundation Board of Trustees and the Newport Mill Middle School PTSA Board. Alan has followed a plant-based diet since 2002.

Alan is a member of the Barker Adoption Foundation Board of Trustees. He’s followed a plant-based diet since 2002, enjoys running half-marathons and lives with his family outside Washington, DC. He is the son and parent of immigrants to the United States. Peaceful Direction is dedicated to supporting women, people of color and other groups historically underrepresented in Western leadership culture. Alan strives to bring principles of equity and justice into his work with all leaders.

Team Member

Jeff Eger

Senior Consultant

Jeff’s career experiences range from entrepreneurship to C-Suite leadership. Highlights include building/reinventing organizations. As Executive Director of Northern Kentucky’s Sanitation District No.1, he transformed it into a multi-jurisdictional agency providing wastewater and stormwater management services to over 46 local governments. He negotiated transformational environmental compliance with the state and U.S. EPA. He has served as CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and CEO of The Water Environment Federation.

Eger recently retired from HDR, where he built and led the company’s national stormwater practice., He has facilitated dozens of strategic plans for non-profit agencies and corporate clients, has served as Chairman of several organizations including ORSANCO (Ohio River water authority), and served on non-profit boards and public agencies, currently the Boone County Water Commission.  He believes the key to success for any organization is to focus first on its culture. Recognizing that team members are the most important resource can achieve boundless opportunities.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Northern Kentucky University

  • Graduate of Leadership Northern Kentucky, and was named one of their Leaders of Distinction

Jeff has always believed the best success comes from building and creating dreams with a team. Eger, along with his wife and a group of his friends, started the Regional Youth Leadership Program for high school juniors. Now in its 25th year, this is one of the few programs of its type that has reached across state boundaries to include students from Kentucky and Ohio schools. Eger has lived community service since high school, where as President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes he conducted a food and clothing drive for those less fortunate in his community. His favorite title is that of “coach,” having spent years coaching youth sports.

Let me tell you about my grandkids – family is number one for Jeff. He and his wife Ruth, married for 46 years, center their lives around their son and daughter and their families. After moving back from Washington D.C. six years ago, they bought a home with a pool, affectionately known as the Sunnybrook Spa & Bistro, where every weekend is family time. Jeff loves every genre of music and always has a special music playlist going, while Momma Ruth is cooking up something special for dinners. Travel during the offseason is typically centered around food destinations.

Dr. Leighann Rechtin

Senior Consultant

Leighann is a strategic Learning & Development consultant with a passion for designing impactful talent strategies that empower people & transform organizations. With a career spanning corporate, academic, and nonprofit sectors, she brings a unique ability to connect vision with practical execution, developing people-centered solutions that drive measurable results. Her expertise includes organizational development & leadership training, talent strategy & succession planning, change management & systemic transformation, curriculum design & instructional innovation, and strengths-based development & team dynamics

She served as Assistant VP of Talent Development at Ivy Tech Community College, where she led institution-wide strategies to ensure a skilled, engaged workforce. She advised senior leaders on talent management, guided systemic change efforts, and championed innovative approaches to leadership development organizational effectiveness, and change management. As a full-time Communication Professor, corporate trainer, and director of faculty professional development, Leighann also brings deep expertise in pedagogy & instructional design. She has led impactful learning initiatives focused on assessment, online engagement, applied learning, and strengths-based education.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Northern Kentucky University
  • Master of Education in Human Resource Development, Xavier University
  • Master of Arts in Communication, Northern Kentucky University
  • Doctor of Educational Leadership, Northern Kentucky University
  • Certifications:
    • Gallup Strengths Coach
    • Gallup Engagement Champion
    • Everything DiSC Wiley
    • Crucial Conversations
  • Leadership Programs:
    • Leadership Northern Kentucky
    • Women’s Institute for Leadership Development
    • Emerging Leaders
    • Leadership Academy and Pathways to Peak Leadership
    • Executive Leadership Program Development and Coaching
 

Leighann is very passionate about women in leadership, formerly serving as the president of the board of directors for the Madonna House of Northern Kentucky (a home for single mothers). She also served on the Steering Committee for the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD), and mentor’s women in early stages of career development. She is the Guiding Circle leader for the Lawrenceburg Ivy Tech Circle of Ivy, a women’s philanthropy organization. Additionally, she helps coordinate and present at women in business luncheons for the Dearborn County and Batesville chamber of commerce in Indiana. She is also very involved with her church, where she serves primarily as an announcement manager, along with leading small groups.

Leighann currently resides in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky with her husband, their youngest son, two cats and dog. They also have two young adult boys who now live outside of the home. Her family are big soccer fans and athletes, spending most of their time on or around a soccer pitch. They are also big fans of Ted Lasso and have season tickets to FCCincy soccer. Leighann really enjoys reading books and is currently involved in four book clubs. She also enjoys attending live theatre, teaching and attending Pilates Reformer classes, and all things Harry Potter.

Jennifer Hart

Senior Consultant

Jennifer is an executive coach, facilitator, and consultant with a passion for bridging the gaps between leadership and communication and aligning stakeholders with divergent viewpoints. She supports expert practitioners in increasing their personal impact and developing into great leaders. Prior to establishing Intelektularo in 2015, Jennifer’s nearly 20-year career included management-level positions in government and consulting across the United States, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe. She understands first-hand the challenge of slowing down while feeling the need to run, as well as the stress, pressure, and sleep deprivation that come with building high-stakes careers.

Education

  • Certificate, Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance, American University
  • Master of Arts, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts, American University

Certifications

  • International Coaching Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
  • Facilitator and Train-the-Trainer in the LEGO® Serious Play® Methodology
  • Everything DiSC® (Wiley)
  • The Five Behaviors™ (Wiley and Patrick Lencioni)
  • Leadership Circle 360° Profile
  • The Six Types of Working Genius (Patrick Lencioni)
  • Kolbe Index

Jennifer is an Adjunct Professorial Lecturer at American University’s School of Public Affairs, where she teaches the next generation of government leaders navigating complex organizational challenges. She’s also served as a volunteer coach at a Whole New Doctor, a program based out of Georgetown University that empowers medical students to increase resiliency and emotional intelligence through medical school and beyond.

Jennifer is a global nomad, having lived in, worked in, or visited more than 50 countries. She believes that travel is one of the most rewarding ways to practice stepping out of one’s comfort zone and loves learning other languages.

Shauna Rowland

Senior Consultant

Shauna J. Rowland is a Business Strategist based in Charleston, SC, with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations strengthen their people, optimize their processes, and operate with greater purpose and efficiency. She brings leadership experience from Big Four professional services and the pharmaceutical industry and now focuses her work primarily within the nonprofit sector.
 
Shauna’s consulting portfolio spans the nonprofit, healthcare, IT, supply chain, and education industries. Her strategic yet human-centered approach ensures that solutions are not only effective but sustainable.
 
In addition to her consulting work, Shauna previously served as a faculty member at the College of Charleston, teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in public health administration. Her passion for empowering people—whether students, leaders, or teams—continues to be a defining thread throughout her career.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Emory University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, Emory University
  • Master of Public Health, Health Policy & Management, Emory University

Certifications:

  • ProSci Change Management Certification
  • John Maxwell Leadership Coaching
  • Leadership Coaching Systems

Shauna is known for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to transform complexity into clarity. She brings logic, steadiness, and sound reasoning to even the most challenging organizational dilemmas. Guided by a belief that meaningful progress comes from addressing root causes rather than symptoms, her approach helps organizations implement solutions that create lasting, sustainable change.
 
Her skill in distilling complex issues into actionable steps has enabled leaders and teams across sectors to navigate transitions, strengthen culture, and improve operations with confidence and clarity.

Shauna resides in Charleston, SC, with her husband, two children, and their very spoiled pet bunny. With a family actively involved in sports, she is always on the move, operating at a lively and joyful pace. She stays grounded through regular workouts and channels her creativity into cooking and nutrition, often experimenting with recipes that make healthy eating both accessible and delicious. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her on a long walk or in the kitchen perfecting her next inspired creation.

Team Member

Jenny Gavin

Senior Manager, Client Service and Operations

With a professional background in software consulting in financial services and Human Resources with Accenture, Jenny brings experience with career counseling, performance assessment, and mentoring. Through various leadership positions with volunteer organizations, she also gained experience with strategic planning, bookkeeping, and event planning. She is passionate about working collaboratively to achieve great results.

  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy, Denison University

Jenny is a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati.  She loves working with the amazing families that stay there as their children receive treatment at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital.  She also volunteers with Lasagna Love providing home cooked meals for local families in need.

Jenny resides in Cincinnati, OH with her husband and two children. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, walking her dog, reading, and hanging out with family and friends. She also loves watching her son play sports and visiting her daughter in Chicago.

Julie Kleinhenz

Program Manager

With a professional background rooted in account management and client services, Julie takes great pride in ensuring that projects run efficiently while delivering the desired results. Julie brings years of experience as an account executive at an advertising agency, where she ran successful campaigns for clients in several industries. She also spent years directing sales operations at a student marketing company; keeping projects supported, organized and on track for success. Julie enjoys leveraging her previous experience, communication skills and knack for the details to assist organizations in achieving their goals.

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication, Xavier University

Julie is a busy volunteer at her children’s grade school. Whether it is being a PTO board member, leading cub scouts or coaching youth sports, she is passionate about serving her community and finding ways they can support local charities. She enjoys being a board member for her summer swim club, donating her time as secretary. Julie also finds great fulfillment as an ongoing volunteer at Lasagna Love, a global nonprofit that connects neighbors with neighbors in need through meal delivery.

Julie resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, three children and dog. As a family they love to hike, bike ride and watch local sports. When Julie is not busy with her kids’ activities, she enjoys going to concerts and comedy shows, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Nicole Byerly

Administrative Coordinator

With a professional background in client services through Real Estate, Nicole takes great pride in ensuring the smooth operation of daily activities.  Dedicated to guiding clients through every step of the process.  Highly organized and detail-oriented, with excellent communication and problem-solving skills to offer a seamless and stress-free experience.  Experienced in managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and streamlining office procedures to enhance productivity and efficiency.  Passionate about supporting the team and fostering a positive work environment.  

Real Estate, Hondros College

Nicole dedicates her time and energy as a volunteer at her children’s school, serving on multiple committees including the PTO board, sports coach, and the school’s representative for the Playground Project. She holds the conviction that no project is too large to tackle, facing challenges with determination and a proactive approach.

Nicole lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, two children, dog, and a turtle. Traveling is their family’s ideal way to reset, as it rejuvenates their spirits and broadens their horizons. When not occupied with her children, Nicole loves spending time with friends, attending concerts, and her absolute favorite activity is being near the water, especially on a boat.