Meet the Staff

 

Dr. Peterson has over 30 years’ experience in training managers and supervisors of several major Fortune 500 companies as well as numerous medium and smaller-sized firms.  Additionally, he has over twenty years of full-time university and college level teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, nine years working in the marketing department of a Fortune 250 company, and over 3 years’ experience as the Training Manager at a plant of a major US automotive manufacturing company.

 

Dr. Peterson has over twenty years of leading Six Sigma certification for all facets of business, including manufacturing, health care, government, education, and service.  He recently completed Six Sigma training for the Lee County Emergency Medical Service.  He holds a PhD in Organizational Development from Southern Illinois University.  Dr. Peterson is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and was trained in Six Sigma by General Electric.

I’Riel is a recent graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University. She received a degree in Psychology. She is a dedicated individual who enjoys helping others and making sure that she excels in all that she does. I’Riel works for Continuing Education as the Internet Marketing Specialist. I’Riel brings a warming personality to any environment and is highly skilled in customer service and leadership skills. She brings a variety of skills that are expressed through her maturity and practical experience.

 

In free time, she enjoys listening to music, cooking, writing and spending time with her dogs, family, and friends. She also volunteers with a local rescue Paws Crossed Inc. as their Adoption/Volunteer Coordinator.

Melissa is a graduate of St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in History at Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a Florida native reigning from Clearwater (claiming world’s most beautiful beach!)  She is the Lead Navigator for the FGCU Complete program which assists students who have returned to complete a baccalaureate degree. Melissa brings a strong sense of empathy and guidance and has the ability to work with any age, any background. She finds it very fulfilling to help others attain a college degree as she has a keen sense of how obtaining a higher degree can change one’s life.

 

Melissa is immersing herself in all the great outdoor activities that Southwest Florida has to offer and has become involved in volunteering for CREW Land Management and loves to hike all the great trails.  

Alisha obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Florida Gulf Coast University. She excels in administrative support, customer support, and data management and brings over five years’ experience working in the education and healthcare industries. Having held administrative positions and a track record of strong performance in high-volume, high-pressure environments, she proficiently manages administrative duties and client relations at all levels. Alisha brings her passion, dedication, and ethics to her role as an Office Assistant. She is a motivated team-player with remarkable organizational skills who finds her work to be abundantly rewarding. She also enjoys traveling and photography in her free time. 

Andrea Muench works for Continuing Education as an Office Assistant. She moved to Fort Myers from Libertyville, IL in the fall of 2014 with her husband and family. Andrea was the Department Assistant for the Education, Religion and Theater Departments at Lake Forest College for 13 years. She found it very interesting working for three diverse departments. While at Lake Forest College she was involved in Intervarsity, including being an advisor for a year, and was an Ally participant. She also started a Bible study for female staff.

 

Andrea’s passion is helping people, especially the homeless. She volunteers at the Rescue Mission, The Salvation Army and Come As You Are Ministries. In the past she volunteered weekly at Community Cooperative. In Illinois she volunteered at Feed My Starving Children, the county jail, was a mentor for homeless families in transition, served at mobile food pantries, took classes on poverty and studied the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, ADD and ADHD in children and teenagers.

 

Her other passions are the beach and animals. She and her husband go to the beach as often as they can to see the sunsets. She also dog sits Thursday through Sunday for her daughter’s dog that she has fallen in love with.

 

Andrea misses her friends, family and colleagues back in Illinois but is very happy to be in Florida and working at Florida Gulf Coast University!