Testimonials (scan down) & Client Letters (click here)
A sampling from over 3500 presentations and programs in nearly 40 states & 40+ countries out of the 49 states and 77 countries I have traveled to and in since 1950. Scan down for several samplings of testimonials from clients and participants.
Denmark, US, Holland, South Korea and South Africa
The following are samples of
feedback I have received from clients and participants from over 3,400
presentations I have made professionally since I gave my first presentation
in 1976. They are categorized by profession or occupation from A to Z.
Your sessions effectively teach the science of management and at the
same time help people learn the art of leadership.
Our supervisors leave your sessions with a much improved ability to
effectively interact with others in getting things done. The positive
results from your sessions are "real".
Our people have a better attitude about their company and about
themselves. They are better "team builders" and better "team members". I
am pleased, Alan, you are part of the "Duck Head Team"
Danny L. Stanton,
President -- Duck Head
|
Thank you again for the excellent Creative Strategies program you presented at Kimberly-Clark.
The course you developed specifically for us was exactly what we requested. The content of the course not only gave us tools to enhance creativity, but were directly applicable to our research projects.
Many times people take courses, learn new tools, but then cannot translate what they have learned to the workplace. It was filled with "true value".
David Strack
Kimberly-Clark Corp.
|
Thank you for your inspiring keynote presentation at our OPRA / ASLA conference opening ceremonies.
We had delegates giving "high 5's" to each other all week.
You always find interesting and amusing ways to remind us of the values
we share and the goals we hope to achieve and you teach us ways to hold
these values and achieve these goals
Jeffrey A. Morrow,
Cleveland Parks Assn. & Ohio Parks & Rec. Assn.
|
Your session for the GMA Environmental Conference surpassed your previous programs. You had all of us laughing and involved for the whole hour.
"If We Ain't Having Fun, Why We Doin' It?" was the perfect balance to the very serious and intensive work sessions of the conference and added to the richness of our total program.
Lee Lemke
Georgia Mining Assn.
Executive VP
|
It is obvious that our EXCEL program is making a significant difference in today's and tomorrow's leadership in the department, and we are indebted to you for helping us accomplish our goals.
Marti Fullerton --GA DOL
Deputy Commissioner
|
...I glanced through your evaluations. Here is a sampling of the comments.
- Excellent
- Exemplary presentation
- Fun, but made us think
- Very good at mixing up the crowd and involving everyone
- Wonderful presentation
- Made learning fun
- Excellent, very thought-provoking
Carol Heffernan
HRD Consultant
North Carolina CU Network
|
"Your seminars are always interesting
and I never fail to learn from them."
Donna Boggs
President & CEO
Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce
"Thanks a million! For sharing your thoughts and ideas with our group. You provided that spark and then some."
Gail B. Alsobrook
Executive Director
Auburn Chamber of Commerce
Auburn, Alabama
"As always your session was one of the highlights of the Georgia Institute. The exercises were informative and personally enlightening."
Jack Hodson
Executive Vice President
Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce
Sugar Land, Texas
"I got bunches of compliments for having you on the program. I sincerely believe your excellent assistance will have a profound effect on the quality of Jackson County's future leaders."
Claude Fullerton, Jr.
Executive Director
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce
"The program critiques reflected the curriculum was highly rated and we appreciate your contribution."
Julie H. Schmidt
Senior Vice President
Business Council of Georgia
"For a time you lectured us and taught us, but probably, and most importantly, you provided the motivation for us to reflect upon ourselves."
William W. Hubbard
Sr. Vice President, Development
Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
"Your commitment of time and energy helped our participants meet their goals of achieving quality education in the management of voluntary organizations. ...we could not put on this program without the support, help and commitment that you bring to it. Thanks a million!"
Suzanne J. Lulewicz
Faculty and Curriculum Manager
Institutes for Organization Management
National Chamber Foundation
Thank you for inspiring and challenging us at the Port Armor retreat. It was certainly a great start for our program this year. I am sure everyone took something away that will help them as leaders."
Sue R. Coombs
Program Chairperson, Leadership Henry
Henry County Chamber of Commerce
"Your presentation on left/right brain dominance at the GCCEA's management conference was indeed a highlight of our meeting."
Allen D. Stephenson
past Executive Vice President
Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
"You are so very human and personable in your presentations. Our folks...are still discussing the upbeat feeling they left with Saturday noon."
Kathy S. Cowart
Program Co-Chair
Leadership Pickens
Pickens County Chamber of Commerce
"What a pleasure to work with you. You are certainly a pleasure and delight to know.
The group was most impressed with you and all the things you taught... Thank you for all your wonderful help and ideas."
Suzan B. Spivey
Executive Vice President
Chattooga Chamber of Commerce
"In addition to being interesting, we feel that it will be very beneficial to us in our organizations. You kept everyone's attention."
Joe F. Ragland
Past President
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Executives Association
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Credit Unions & CU Leagues
"Excellent"
"Exemplary presentations"
"Fun, but made us think"
"Very good at mixing up the crowd and making one participate without embarrassing anyone"
"Wonderful presentation"
"Made learning fun"
"Excellent - very thought provoking"
From the above comments it is evident that the participants found your performance at our annual meeting outstanding.
Carol Heffernan
HRD Consultant
North Carolina Credit Union Network
"If you listen closely . . . you can still hear the applause. Great job, what a delight to have you be a part of our 56th Annual Meeting and State Convention. It was a joy to have you be our guest. Great ratings . . . 4.7 and 4.8."
Tom McWilliams, AVP
Human Resource Development
Mississippi Credit Union System
"We would like to commend you for the excellent manner in which you conducted the 'Supervisory Skills' program. We are confident that the future of AGE Federal Credit Union will be much more profitable as a result of your program."
Jeff Holcomb - Vice President
Sandy Dollar - Training Coordinator
AGE Federal Credit Union
Supervisory Program Attendee Comments:
"The most valuable supervisory training I've had!"
"Enjoyed it very much, I learned a lot about communicating with fellow employees and even family."
"I enjoyed this training and will use the materials that I have learned on my daily job."
"Super seminar ! Dynamic speaker! I am very excited about applying this to my work and home life every day. Thanks!"
Participants in a CU Supervisory session in-house:
". . . his session was excellent."
"Both his approach and materials were refreshingly imaginative. First he made the students aware of the possibility for creative problem solutions and then gave them a framework for approaching problems in a creative way. He had a nice mixture of formal presentation and class discussion."
Hugh Watson, Ph. D.
Professor of Management
Academic Coordinator for the
Southeastern Regional Credit Union School
"Thanks so much for facilitating our recent Director's educational session on "paradigms." The feedback has been positive relative both to session content and to your personal contribution toward our success in addressing and becoming more sensitive to the importance of paradigms in our everyday lives."
C. O. Padgett
Chairman
AT&T Family Federal Credit Union
Credit Union Conference Attendee Feedback:
"Kept your interest!"
"GREAT presentation, lots of examples."
"Broke the ice - made me feel very comfortable in a room full of strangers."
"Enjoyed whole session - very interesting!!"
"He thought 'Outside the Box.'quot;
"Exceeded my expectations."
"Excellent speaker! Very interesting! and FUN!"
"Always enjoy Alan's presentations."
"Great session - really got the group involved!"
"I liked the diversity of ideas introduced and the means to achieve a valuable end."
"I think you are extremely dynamic and motivating!"
"He is funny, fast and informative."
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Beginning in 1950 I have traveled in 49 states and 77 countries on or near 6 continents. Since becoming a full-time professional speaker and consultant in 1984 I have spoken professionally in 40+ of them and 40 US states.
Canada, Mexico, Trinidad, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Mauritius, South Africa, Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, USA
Here are a sample of recent feedback.
NETHERLANDS
"Thank you for your excellent
presentation at Regio Baak in Noordvijk this past weekend. I gained
a great deal that will help me with my employees."
Martin van Kesteren
PINK ELEPHANT
Voorburg, Netherlands
TURKEY
(accent marks not completely correct)
Yuzyil Isil (private school in
Istanbul)
Alan Black'in okulumuzu ziyareti
Yaklasik 30 yildir yaraticilik alaninda
egitmler veren ve alaninin uzmanlarindan syilan E. P. Torrace'dan
doktora derecesini alan Alan Black, 27 Mayis gunu okulumuza geldi.
Iste Insan, 30 Nisan 2000
Pazar
newspaper article about conference I presented at for
the 2nd time in two years
Yaraticilik Zirvesi'nde
Yaraticilign zirvesine
Eventus'un, Iste Insan
sponsorlugunda duzenledigi "Yaraticilik Zirvesi"nde
konusan Alan Black, "yaratici insan"in tanimin verdi.
Zirve, tum katilimcilarin zihnini harekete gecirdi
Turkey's 1st
Interactive Creativity Conference
with the theme "Power of
Creativity in Business"
"Specifically your keynote
performance "Break Your Crayons and Draw Outside the Lines"
together with the "In the Box Out of the Box Thinking"
received an applauding audience of 340 people. Including your
parallel session "Don't Just Sit There, Be Creative",
your overall rating was excellent evaluated by 300+ participants.
Halim Ergunalp
Director & Founder of Turkish Creativity Conferences in Istanbul
1999 and 2000
SOUTH AFRICA
(I have been involved in the ACRE - African
Creativity Conference yearly since 1998) and 4 Creativity in Education Conferences (Zulu Natal- Alpine Heath,Western Cape-Guidini Spa, Klein Kariba in Limpopo Province)...
Rekord, Pretoria, South Africa
newspaper
"n Ontploffing van kennis en
idees by
"One could not really recognize
those speakers from outside of S.A. with exception of Alan Black from
America, he had a different hat on every other hour. His CV is not
dull either. Alan is an architect, graphic artist, interior
designer, professor, cartoonist, public speaker and (creativity)
consultant."
"My first impressions of Alan
Black were shaped when I met him at the Creative Problem Solving
Institute in Buffalo in 1991. He demonstrated fun, creativity and a
zest for life not by talking about these qualities, but by
living them."
"He has presented well at several
of our conferences combining humor and creativity in a very special
way. The feedback regarding his contributions were extremely
positive which showed that his message is for all people and all
cultures."
Dr. Kobus Neethling
President: South
African Creativity Foundation
Founder & Director
of the Annual African Creativity Conference.
AUSTRALIA
Brisbane
"Well your certainly showed our
Queensland Chapter of the National Speakers Association of Australia
a different presentation on Monday!
When I first walked into the room after
you had laid out your props, I realised we were in for an interesting
night.
Alan we are all very happy that you
were able to adjust your world trip to share your wisdom with us in
Queensland
Ian Duguid, ASM
President
Queensland Chapter
National Speakers
Association of Australia
Hobart, Tasmania
"Coordinating and Collaborating
Your Creative Resources was exactly the subject the perfect subject
for the 25 people in attendance. Most of the men and women were
visual artists, photographers, poets, writers, crafters, film-makers,
as well as government policy makers.
From the discussions I've had
with many of them, I find that the creative tools you offered have
loosened up some long-held ways of thinking; generated creative
ideas; and provided new approaches to problem-solving. A great
result."
Kitty Madeson
The Coming of Age
Sandy Bay, Tasmania
Tasmania, Australia
NEW ZEALAND
"
I still keep thinking
about the presentation you gave to our National Speakers Association
branch.
It was fascinating to learn about the
different ways people act and react, and how you can place people
with different styles into groups where each different style
compliments the others.
I also thought your way of breaking
through our hangups about being "artistic" was a great
way of releasing creativity in each of us.
A marvelous presentation!!!!"
Charles Drace, CFP
Certified Financial
Planner
Member, New Zealand
National Speakers Association
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
"Attending your CREATIVITY
WORKSHOP was a great mind-opening experience for me even though I am
a creativity trainer myself. Your creative and effective use of
props coupled with your dynamic presentation kept us enthralled and
spellbound. The interaction between you and the participants, myself
included was tremendous. You really charged up our creative
energies. All of us looked forward to your next workshop session."
Yew Kam Keong (YKK),
Ph.D.
Chief Mind Unzipper
Mindbloom Inc.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SINGAPORE
"He kept the group going with
games, involvement and high enthusiastic energy. We were treated to
understand different personality types and how they will react and
their likely mode of behavior. It is astonishing to experience that
advertising conditions us to think and believe in a predictable way
and most of us are not half aware of it.
The people who came were from various
professions and they include Change Managers, Academics,
Entrepreneurs, Lecturers, HR Managers and Trainers.
Many of my friends whom I invited have
kept in touch with him because of his ability to connect with us.
Thank you Alan for a fine job in our
city."
Sng Tong Hai
Group Sales Manager
Great Eastern Life
Singapore
DENMARK
In the Danish Initiative for Creativity
and Innovation our members have a high interest for creativity and
hence a strong wish to learn and to be engaged. I must say your
workshop "S.P.R.E.A.D.ng Creative Thinking Throughout Your
Workplace" fully lived up to these expectations. Being the
chairman since the establishment of our association, February 2000, I
cannot remember having received so many positive comments to a single
event, both during and after the workshop. This is even more
impressing because your seminar attracted people of diverse
backgrounds comprising the educational sector, over large
corportions to some of our most estimated national strategic think
tanks.
Arne Stjernholm Madsen
President
Initiativ for
Kreativitet & Innovation
Copenhagen, Denmark
Dear
Alan,
I would like to give you an update since you were here!
The
program in August (appetizer with ambulance entrance) was excellent
as a
spark:
Creativity
is for us all
You
inspired us to use a few simple tools (how would a person A solve the
problem...)
and to see that creativity is in us all. The arrangement (Friday
morning) was judged by the audience to be one of the best in 2001 !
... and the group Krea112 was judged to be the most visible group of
all groups !
In
the end of the month a new business group was founded. Arne
Strernholm
was
employed for the promotion of innovation for that business unit. He
is a
very
active member of our Krea112 team !
I
could tell you about quite a few achievements for the Krea112 group,
but
limit
to one:
One
of the KREA112 groups latest activities has been a
Christmas-Idea-Calender.
Five boxes with wine and chocolate were placed in
well
visited spots in the company (kitchens ect.) together with a mail box
for
proposals / ideas concerning two catagories:
- Proposals for a scheduled Innovation Day
- Proposals for improvement of the innovative climate/enviroment at
PDS.
In
three weeks we have had 140 proposals / ideas !
The
the group selected one winner for each group and gave a presentation
to
PDS
Management.
As a
result we have been involved in the planning of an innovation day !
Kind Regards
Jan Frank Nielsen
Novo
Since 1979 I have spoken for many
various professional associations and organizations. Here is some
feedback from a cross-sampling
"On behalf of the Atlanta Chapter
of the American Institute of Architects, I want to thank you for your
excellent presentation.
You obviously have command of the
subject matter and the material was well presented.
I cannot recall a more interesting and
entertaining meeting."
Henry Teague, AIA
President
"Your session for the GMA
Environmental Conference surpassed your previous programs. You had
all of us laughing and involved for the whole hour. Your session
"If We Ain't Having Fun,
Why We Doin' It?"
was the perfect balance to the very
serious and intensive work sessions of the conference and added to
the richness of our total program."
Lee R. Lemke
Executive Vice
President
Georgia Mining
Association
"Thanks for speaking on
"creativity' recently at the Alabama Speakers Association
meeting. Your program was on target and met our expectations. I
heard comments from several of our most experience CSP speakers that
"Alan did a great job' and "thanks for getting Alan
Black to speak to our NSA Chapter.'
Personally, I thought your program was
right up there with the best we have had in several years. Thanks
for customizing your program to our group. Your handout was great!"
Christopher S. Frings,
Ph.D., CSP
President, Alabama
Speakers Association
2000-2001
"Your program on creativity was a
great example of how to think and work creatively. Your step by step
process, using great examples of how to create "outside the
box', was extremely well done.
Any group of speakers will be better at
creating new material after hearing your program."
Robert H. Henry
Past National President
National Speakers
Association
"Just wanted to let you know how
much I appreciate your participation in our CWA Leadership Schools in
October and November of this year. Once again, the participants in
the training classes gave you high marks on the evaluation forms.
Their comments
stated that you
created a relaxed atmosphere which made them feel comfortable and
allowed them to participate more during the classes."
Noah V. Savant
Assistant to the President
Communications Workers of America
District 3
AFL-CIO
"On behalf of the student ASPA
Chapter, I want to tell you how much all of us enjoyed your
presentation last week! Your discussion of different personality
types was fascinating and kept us talking during our personnel
classes for the rest of the week."
Michelle McDonald
ASPA Secretary
American Society for Personnel
Administration
"I thoroughly enjoyed your
session and the feedback I have received has been most positive.
Most members liked the part about finding out what communication
styles they tended to be.
Bob Goldman
President
Atlanta Chapter
I.C.S.A.
"Do know that the whole
experience of "Creative Thinking and Creative Problem Solving"
was a valuable one for me. Certainly I shall continue to draw on
those two days in the future.
it was particularly gratifying
to attend your session."
Brian Clay Collins
American Society of
Interior Designers
National Professional
Development Chairman
Thank you so much for the outstanding
seminar on Brain Dominance presented to the Georgia Chapter of ASID.
I enthusiastically recommend your program to other groups like ours.
The personal insight that we gained
from your impressive presentation will undoubtedly help each of us as
we pursue our individual goals.
You drew the largest crowd we've
ever had. You gave clear concise, descriptions of our
personalities. I was sure you had stolen a look at our diaries.
Overall grade? A plus. On a scale of 1
to 10---an 11. Equivalent to Siskell and Ebert's Two Thumbs
Up.
Marie Patty
WIN Women in
Networking
"
your session was
considered one of our conference's best with high marks
across the board.
As last year's President, I am
proud that I "discovered' you and got you involved with
our Association. Your style, passion, approach and spirit are a
perfect match for us.
Beyond your session, I want to thank
you as well for your professionalism, attention to detail and
frequent communication. All of these are signs of a true
professional."
Kevin Eikenberry
Chair
North American
Simulation and Gaming Association
"I want to thank you for speaking
to our group. Your presentation about teamwork came at an opportune
time. You shared with us some valuable tips on how we can work
together effectively and be successful in our efforts."
Gloria D. Lindsey CPS
President
Washington County
Chapter PSI
"
I would like to extend
our appreciation for your outstanding and highly motivative
presentation. The entire membership commented on your excellent
style and enthusiasm."
Betsy Byrd
Education Chairperson
Georgia Association of
Personal Care Homes
"
it is with the greatest
appreciation that we extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your
participation in our conference.
Your participation helped to make the
event rewarding and beneficial to all the conferees.
Your commitment and interest in
supporting the goals of community action will be realized through the
development of many recipients of our services, statewide.
Yvonne Beckles-Thomas
Annual Conference
Chairperson
Georgia Community
Action Association
"Thank you for your sensitive
facilitating of the retreat of Catholic Social Services. Your skills
and your dedication to the subject of change and stress were evident
throughout the day. We all left feeling we were glad we had given
you six hours of our time!"
B. E. Styles
Program Director
Catholic Social
Services, Inc.
"We were very impressed with your
1-day workshop, "The Fine Art of Motivation." All of us
at the workshop felt it was a day well spent. We look forward to
seeing you again."
Phil Whiters
International
Management Council
of the Central Savannah
River Area
Augusta, Georgia
"We all certainly enjoyed our day
under your guidance. Your charming manner made the already
interesting material even more exciting. Perhaps there is no
experience as much as fun as learning about ourselves. It was a
perfect use of our very limited training time, and an excellent
investment of our even more limited training budget. We all valued
our day with you
"
Cheryl Speaker
Director
Timber Ridge Conference
Center
Mableton, Georgia
"Your speech was enlightening,
motivational and fun. Thanks again for sharing your time and talents
with our club."
Susan Sealy
Vice President
Northeast Georgia
Advertising Federation
"In a word, "fantastic'
was our group's reaction to your presentation. It was thought
provoking and entertaining and I believe we all came back with our
creative juices flowing. It was also very timely in light of our
forthcoming acquisition and the challenges that creates.
Thank you again for sharing with us
your wonderfully creative techniques and helping us to be a highly
successful team within NationsBank."
William T. Kirkpatrick
Sr. Vice President
NationsBank
"Thank you for speaking at our
annual Sponsors Appreciation Night for Credit Professionals
International. I have had very positive feedback from both members
and sponsors on your program. The presentation was interesting and
thought provoking and I imagine all participants will have a more
creative approach to managing when they return to their respective
work places."
Marne Matthews,
President
Credit Professionals
International
"We appreciate your assistance
with the 1987 Inaugural Session of the Georgia Bankers Association
Management Institute. All indications are that this educational
offering was a success."
R. Alan Fisher, Ed.D.
Vice President
Education
Georgia Banking School
"Thank you so much for the
opportunity to work with you in the recent creativity thinking
seminar. The format of your session was great, and the brainstorming
portion of the seminar really helped my managers to see things in a
different perspective.
The creative portion of our planning
sessions went much more smoothly this year, and I feel confident that
it was a result of your efforts."
David D. Stovall
President, CEO
Habersham Bank
"The Northeast Georgia Bank
Administrative Institute appreciated your sharing with us at our
meeting your presentation, "Managing Today's Employees'.
The unique way in which you presented information in regard to the
decision making process of various individuals was quite thought
provoking."
Robert D. Heath
Senior Vice President
Trust Company Bank
"I want to personally thank you
for the excellent presentation you made to our Middle Management
Personnel at our recent seminar. Your presentation relating to brain
dominance and how that relates to individual personality traits was
very interesting and I think will be useful to those in attendance."
J. Wayne Norris
Vice President
First National Bank of
Athens
"Applause, applause and laughter!
That is how the program ended on Saturday at the Lebowitz Center.
Thank you again for planning,
designing, and presenting an excellent session on Creative Thinking
(Ideas, Ideas and More Ideas) for my audience. The marketing
managers were very pleased with the results of the idea generation
and are already hard at work implementing many of them in their
promotional campaigns.
We especially appreciate the way you
worked directly with each of the audience participants and the extra
time you took to do the post analysis with the marketing managers
following the session."
Harry Vardis
President
Creative Focus Inc.
"The educational sessions were
the best I've ever attended and your presentation entitled:
"It's Who We Are That Creates Success' helped make
it that way."
William H. Wiggins
President
Thiele Kaolin Company
"Last spring's R&D Team
Building program was and continues to be very beneficial. The
program you designed and presented was instrumental in catalyzing
action which has helped us become more "Team" like than
ever before."
Paul R. Kirschling
Manager, Research &
Development
Thiele Kaolin Company
"As you are aware, over 100 of us
attended (your) ten (10) day program, and clearly, it has been the
most effective supervisory training effort undertaken to date. The
comments from those who participated have been overwhemingly
positive, and I believe we are beginning to see significant changes
in the way that we manage."
Alex Cawthon
Executive Vice
President
Thiele Kaolin Company
"I was very interested in Dr.
Black's program after seeing his M.I.N.D. Design analysis at
the 1991 Georgia Mining Association convention.
Dr. Black's presentation (for us
at ECC International) and exercises were "state-of-the-art'
yet still deceivingly simple so everyone understands the message.
We consider our program a big success
and recommend it highly."
Terry C. Jackson
Plant Manager
ECC International
"Thanks so much for a job well
done! Your session for Scientific Atlanta's Marketing
Communication Department Spring Retreat created much good will. The
wonderful, highly client-focused presentation fit their needs well.
The laugher, interaction and applause
from the group during the program and at the end plus the line that
formed to have you personally sign their copies of your book: BROKEN
CRAYONS clearly showed me that it was a valuable and successful
program for all present."
Carole Ann Mackey
The communication
experts
Consultant to
Scientific Atlanta
"Wow! What a terrific job last
week you did for UPS. We all enjoyed & benefitted from your
presentation. Your material was right on target."
Dave
Drake Beam Morin, Inc.
"Thank you for the presentation
you made to our group. It was a very mixed group (large and small
HVAC contractors with differing needs and expectations). Everyone
enjoyed the day and got a lot out of it."
Ruth King
President
Business Ventures
"Your presentation was a great
beginning towards accomplishing one of my most challenging goals
to create an environment where all coworkers look forward to coming
to work and where everyone can support each other with their
strengths and look for support with their weaknesses.
Thanks again for sharing your expertise
with us."
David Rogers
Manager
Kinko's
"Thank you for the very
enlightening motivational talk at our last sales meeting. It
contained useful qualities that we all lose sight of in our daily
routines. Our sales group found the "M.I.N.D.' exercise
to be rewarding.
Again thank you for the terrific job in
inspiring our spirit."
Lincoln Biederbeck
Manager, Sales
Department
Tridom
"Both sessions created
considerable thought and conversation in the following weeks. The
principles of creative thinking were presented in a well organized
and thought provoking manner. The group interaction and role playing
helped to facilitate a basic understanding, which then promoted a
higher thought process as we expanded on the ideas during and after
the seminar."
Craig A. Sawyer
Director of Human
Resources
Thomson Multimedia
"The Communications Seminar you
taught our salaried employees was well done. The methods you used in
overcoming the fears of speaking and techniques for developing
content were well received by the group.
I can see positive results in our
day-to-day activities here at the plant."
Arnold Gurley
Johnson & Johnson
Baby Products Company
"Alan, having attended numerous
speaking engagements, I can say with confidence that your topic on
"creativity' added a definite sparkle to the luncheon and
provided a new, interesting and exciting approach to the realms of
the subject of the mind."
Karen G. Berg
Private Line Sales
Manager
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
"We here at Gulfstream certainly
enjoyed the seminar on Communciations. All the comments received
have been extremely favorable. All of the comments were very
positive."
Jim Hearon
Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation
"Almost everyone that I have
spoken with feels they gained skills, which they can use throughout
their careers.
We have also realized a better rapport
between labor and management."
Charles T. Black
Training Director
Georgia-Pacific
Corporation
"Approximately one month
following your in-house seminar, "Understanding Myself More to
Work Better With Others", we are still hearing positive
comments from our employees. The feedback from the staff has been
the highest ever for any seminar offered in our facility."
Robert E. Burton
C.E.O.
Flowers, Inc. BALLOONS
"All of the participants
(engineers, finance, managers) were extremely pleased with the way
you conducted the courses (3 months on communication skills) and the
involvement they had in the learning process.
I have seen a marked improvement in
their ability to communicate verbally and in writing."
James N. Becker
Plant Manager
EATON Corporation
Control Components
Division
"The subject of right and left
side brain dominance is a subject that immediately catches one's
attention but which most of us have considered of little practical
importance. Your presentation and the examples used showed clearly
the practical aspects of utilizing such knowledge in working with
others in a way that makes each more effective."
C. L. Henry, Jr.
Program Chairman AAIMG
Human Resource Director
Du Pont Athens,
Georgia
"I would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate you on the course you conducted for our
first line supervisors.
Normally, supervisors do not like
courses such as the one you taught, however, the comments about this
course were very favorable, and I believe they all enjoyed it."
Bob Painter
Operations Manager
Chicopee
Division of Johnson &
Johnson
"I am glad to recommend to you
Dr. Robert Alan Black as a person who is exceptionally well qualified
to conduct in-service education, staff development, and other similar
types of workshops on creative problem solving. He is quite
effective both in teaching teachers and leaders how to train students
in creative problem solving and in working with groups to help them
solve problems through the application of creative problem solving
techniques."
E. Paul Torrance, Ph.D.
Alumni Foundation
Distinguished Professor
Professor Emeritus
University of Georgia
"Alan was organized, flexible and
original. The process of creative problem solving was well explained
and became a feasible alternative to the rather haphazard approaches
many of us had been applying in our jobs."
Barbara Clinton
College of Education
University of Georgia
"Since the program I have talked
with several of those who were there for the meeting and it looks as
though your program will go down as one of the best to date."
Bill Carver
Broadcast Editor
Communications in
Academia
"Alan not only did a superb job
of presenting the specific job related information requested, but he
did it on very short notice and for an audience not typically
receptive to such programs."
Opal Tyson
Training and
Development Manager
University of Georgia
"I was so enthralled with your
presentation Saturday I am sending my District Director your
promotional materials. Thank you for helping us understand ourselves
and others more."
Barbara N. McCarthy
County Extension
Director
Rockdale County
"Thanks so much for your
interesting presentation on creativity at our recent annual meeting
in Atlanta. Your session was such a highlight of our conference.
We're still talking about the
effects of our brain dominances on our work philosophies."
Bonnie
Section Chairperson
Southern Association of
Agricultural Scientists
"Responses from the recent SAAS
meeting in Atlanta are still coming in and my colleagues are still
discussing your comments on brain side dominance. Thank you again
for your stimulating presentation."
Bonnie P. Riechert
SAAS
University of Tennessee
Institute of
Agriculture
"Thank you for speaking at the
November Science and Technology Seminar at Fernbank. Your talk on
"You, Your Brain, and the Result: Your Mind' was very
interesting. It gave us all a lot to think about."
Erin Davis
Fernbank Science Center
"As evidenced by the enthusiastic
response of the faculty, your presentation at Cedar Shoals was much
appreciated, much enjoyed. I do not believe I have ever seen the
enthusiasm as high over a staff development, as over your
presentation on learning styles. Teachers came away from the
workshop with an increased awareness in the differences in
individuals and an enlightened approach to recognizing and
understanding these differences.
I celebrate your commitment to helping
our cause."
Doug McLaughlin
Principal, Cedar Shoals
"I want to express my
appreciation for the great job that you did for the Southeast Public
Works conference. Your session on management styles was a big
success. Not only did the participants enjoy your workshop, but
several of them expressed to me that they had never been in a
training session where the instructor cared so much."
Lee Rogers
Program Coordinator
Carl Vinson Institute
of Government
University of Georgia
"I thought the presentation you
made for the Office of Instructional Development last year was
outstanding; the presentation you made yesterday even surpassed that
one. You taught us a great deal about a relevant topic
and
about ourselves."
A. P. Garbin
Professor and
Department Head
Department of Sociology
"On behalf of the faculty and
students who participated in your "Creative Problem Solving and
Creative Thinking' workshop on Saturday, I want to sincerely
thank you. It was an enlightening (and fun) morning. The content
was well-organized and presented very well. The interactions among
faculty and graduate students provided another spin-off benefit. I
especially appreciate activities which promote such interchange.
We thank you for the extensive
preparation that went into the workshop. It was very apparent, and
the responses reflected the value of that preparation."
Darrel G. Morrison
Dean
School of Environmental
Design
University of Georgia
"The creativity and excitement
that you (and your team) brought to those first sessions for
supervisors was just terrific! People in the Department still
reference ideas that came out of that series. As things have turned
out, this was a tremendous, solid foundation for what was to come
The follow-up Train-the-Trainer
sessions you did with the ten of us were exquisite! The creativity
you brought the creativity you taught us was just
amazing. To this day I'm not certain how you were able to pass
on to us so much of your ability to create. We are "walkin',
talkin' proof' that what you do works!!! Your wealth of
ideas, your humor, your attention to detail was like the frosting on
the cake or whipped cream on a sundae."
Dave Klug
Barb Jeffers
Illinois Department of
Human Services
"I really enjoyed your workshop
on the use of creative thinking and problem solving techniques that
you presented to the certified public managers. You have chosen a
very worthwhile subject for research and application."
Jesse Andrews
Director
Lawrenceville RYDC
"Alan has the unique capability
to maintain any group's interest while accomplishing an
established goal. The City of La Grange has been fortunate to have
Alan conduct its management training each month for the past two
years."
Terry Hinote
Human Resources
Director
La Grange, Georgia
"Alan's work has
consistently been given high, positive evaluations by academy
participants. They have praised his ability to focus on and help
clarify the role of the Project Engineer as a manager.
His enthusiasm and professionalism
coupled with a geniune sense of concern fro those he instructs have
earned him a position of high esteem in the eyes of the Georgia
Department of Transportation.
Phil Bryant
Training Program
Director
Georgia Department of
Transportation
"Thank you for conducting your
workshop on "Developing the Natural Creativeness in You and
Your Staff' at our annual conference. Feedback from staff
regarding the content and presentation of the subject has been
extremely positive, and I feel confident that each attendee will
benefit from the information you shared."
Sally W. DuPree,
Chairperson
Office of Fraud and
Abuse
"Please allow me this opportunity
to express my sincere appreciation for all of the outstanding
workshops you have developed for the International Association of
Personnel in Employment Security this past year..
Your workshops at our local area
conferences and at our annual state convention were very informative
and thanks to your creativity and energy, all objectives were met or
surpassed as evidenced by the comments of all who attended.
You are DYNAMIC!"
Ashley Howard
Training Director
Office of Training and
Quality
Georgia Department of
Labor
"Your energetic style and
techniques stimulated ingenuity and teamwork between the staff during
the session. You supercharged our thinking skills and helped us to
generate unique ideas that will benefit us creatively to solve
problems, and to help us explore and utilize our natural creative
instincts more often."
Tamara Ard
Deputy Director
Georgia Academy
"Thanks again for conducting the
one-day seminar entitled "Management Skills for the Mid-90's:
Into the 21st Century'.
Feedback consisted of
Interesting, enthusiastic,
motivational, informative, enjoyable"
Fabienne A. Tate
Assistant Deputy
Director
Specialized Training
Georgia Department of
Corrections
"I wish to commend you for the
fine job you did presenting the technical writing course. From my
own perspective, I found the course very helpful and informative.
Overall I thought the course was well
worth the time and expense."
Patrick C. McCaskey,
DVM
Director
United States
Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and
Inspection Service
Science and Technology
Eastern Laboratory
"You do a number of things which
all of us found extremely helpful and educational
- manner of presentation: very
personable, organized, flexible on the spot
- class control: you tactfully
handled difficult situations as they occurred
- course content: meaningful,
enjoyable
- humor: well place and effective
- chalkboard skills: highly
organized and well designed and easily understood
Ed Koenig
Warner Robbins Air
Force Base
Electronics Wing
"Participants enjoyed your
presentation "Don't Just Sit There Be Creative!'
Our participants certainly enjoyed your very energetic presentation
style. One of the participants remarked on the evaluation: "WOW!
Incredible Speaker' and many others wanted more time. This is
truly a compliment to you as a presenter."
Jennifer F. Gravely
Training Administrator
Cobb Country Government
"It was a pleasure having you
lecture at the TIME Conferences two years in a row. You received
excellent evaluations both times from more than 240 people registered
at the two conferences."
George A. Horkan, III,
R.N., EMTP
Training Coordinator
Southwest Georgia EMS
"I want to thank you for
facilitating our Botanical Garden staff retreat. I especially
appreciated your candor with our staff. Being able to openly discuss
our concerns has helped us take a big step towards better
relationships between the staff and the Garden's relationship
to the University and the general public."
Jayne L. Smith
Facilities Manager
The State Botanical
Garden of Georgia
"The seminars that you presented
on "Creativity Through Diversity' helped participants
accept their differences and learn to cope with the cultural
differences of co-workers.
Judging from the positive responses we
received from employees, your workshops were valuable learning
experiences for them. They especially commented on your ability to
make the subject matter interesting."
Michael R. Allen
Director
Internal Revenue
Service
Service Center
Southeast Region
"I really can't thank you
enough for the super contribution you made in making our Leadership
Cartersville and DeKalb Neighborhood Leadership Institute the great
successes they were. Time and Time again during the retreat your
name and information you shared with the groups was referred to
and acted upon."
(those two initial programs have lead
to 16 years of Leadership retreats
totally over 300 so far)
Walt DeNero
Original director of
the
JW Fanning Leadership
Institute
University of Georgia
"The program was great. Every
once and awhile I had to stop watching you and how people responded
to you and remember that I was involved with the program. I
certainly learned a lot and was reminded of many things about myself.
I left Friday's program with much to reflect on."
Rebecca Emery
Leadership Program
attendee
"Your message was both
entertaining and inspiring, and was one from which all community
leaders can benefit.
The session as a whole was very well
received; our participants had many fine comments about the
information and activities presented."
Anglea M. Green
Director of Community
and Leadership
Development
Leadership Athens
"What a pleasure to work with
you. You are certainly a pleasure and delight to know. The group
was most impressed with you and all the things you taught. And our
signal is "a zip over the top of the head'.
16 years of doing programs with this
group
Suzan B. Spivey
Executive Vice
President
Chattooga County
Chamber of Commerce
Leadership Chattooga
"Each year that you have
presented to the DeKalb Neighborhood Leadership Institute and Alumni
Association Institute, you have left a part of you with us. After
having listened to your thought provoking messages, we leave our
retreat knowing a little more about you, and more importantly, we
leave knowing a little more about ourselves."
18 years of working with this group
Mamie E. Lane
President
DeKalb Neighborhood
Alumni Association
"Dr. Black does an excellent job
at instilling motivation and creativity in his workshops as well as
putting all participants at ease, encouraging active participation
from all."
Annette T. Bowling
Steering Committee
Dougherty Leadership
Development Institute
"Once again let me thank you for
the diversity, excellence, creativity, imagination and ability you
bring to your seminars. Over the last 13 years you have amazed me,
not only by what you have taught but by the ways in which you have
communicated the information."
John S. Cox
President
Paulding County Chamber
of Commerce
Leadership Paulding
"The steering committee is most
grateful that you are willing to provide your valuable form of
instruction to our new group Saturday morning. Your previous
programs have all been well received by us, and kept us thinking in a
proper way to benefit from the six months of classes in the
Leadership Pickens program."
William M. Durrett
Program Chairperson
Leadership Pickens
"I got bunches of compliments for
having you on the program. I sincerely believe your excellent
assistance will have a profound effect on the quality of Jackson
County's future leaders."
Claude Fullerton, Jr.
Executive Director
Jackson County Chamber
of Commerce
Leadership Jackson
"Your program was excellent and I
thin the class members received a great benefit from your exercise
which forced them to think about their personality traits and group
them accordingly.
I appreciate your effort to work with
our emerging new young leaders and hope that we can work again on a
similar program in the future."
H. James Winkler
Leadership Macon County
"As usual your presentation was
bold and creative, yet still maintained a very warm human touch. The
class participants all commented very highly of it and I truly
believe they came away from our retreat with the sense that they
could and would look at situations and people differently.
Your active and caring style always
leaves class participants on a very positive note that seems to
extend throughout the entire year's class."
Dot Know
Leadership McDuffie
"Thank you for speaking at the
2000 Leadership Henry retreat. All or our participants thoroughly
enjoyed the event. Participants commented that through the
team-building exercises on Friday they were able to get to know their
classmates faster."
Donna M. Braddy
Leadership Henry
Co-Chair
"Thank you for providing our
instructional staff a most interesting and worthwhile workshop today
on tools and strategies to energize training programs. Several of
the participants called to tell me how useful the information and
skills that they learned today would be for future training programs
that they planned to lead for our organziation."
Jack L. Watkins, Ed.D.
Director of Education
Athens Regional Medical
Center
"I would like to thank you for an
excellent program. Your talk on "Building Effective Teams in
the Workplace" was well presented, very interesting, and
provided a large amount of good information. I heard many
complimentary comments from the participants at your program about
the excellent program content and your outstanding presentation style
that kept their attention and interest the entire 3 hours of your
presentation."
Richard F. Lefoldt, CPS
Vice President
Medicare Government
Programs
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Of Mississippi
"The evaluations are in and the
consensus from our managers is that this was the best retreat so far.
We appreciate the time you personally
invested with each of our managers. Team building and communications
are key factors for each of our managers and your presentation has
helped each manager establish clearer goals for their own
departments."
Dolly A. Ritchie
Vice President
Human Resources
Habersham Country
Medical Center
"For the opening general session,
I personally was very pleased with an unexpected benefit of the
format and method you used which was to create an atmosphere of
camaraderie and sharing that continued throughout the conference.
Also
the session you led on
effective leadership of meetings (for the board members) continues to
have impact on our (entire) organization. The national leaders for
whom you presented have had opportunities to use the skills and I
have seen evidence of their continued effect."
Thom D. Freyer,
Director
Chapter Relations and
Quality Improvement
HFMA-Healthcare Finance
Management Association
"Please accept my sincere thanks
for the great job you did for us at the HFMA Leadership Training
Conferences (San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale).
Training leaders from our 70 chapters
around the country is an exciting though sometimes difficult task.
Your presentations helped to make that effort a success."
Bonnie Phipps, FHFMA,
CPA
Chairperson
HFMA
DeKalb Medical Center
"Not only did I personally enjoy
your leadership/teamwork session presented to our Matrix but the
comments I've received, both on that session and on the
communications session, have been excellent.
Alan, I would recommend your programs
to any other HFMA chapter in the country. It's always great to
get positive feedback on our sessions, and I think I can safely say
that your sessions at Hilton Head were the highlight of the meeting."
W. Larry Sims
Program Chairperson
HFMA-Georgia Chapter
"Having our membership
participate in your "Break Your Crayons
" workshop
was great!
I can never remember having the
participants feel so much "a part' of the total
institute."
Barbara Tucknott-Miller
President Elect
HFMA-Indiana Chapter
"Thank you so much for your most
enjoyable presentation during the Alabama Chapter Annual Institute.
The audience really enjoyed your lively and entertaining
presentation. The crowd was much more relaxed than I had
anticipated. Who know, they might have even enjoyed the dots!"
LaVonda Keel
President
HFMA-Alabama Chapter
"Thank you for the presentation
you made to our Western New York HFMA Chapter. The session was
informative and "fun'."
Fred Klycek
Vice President,
Finance/CFO
St. Jerome Hospital
"I would like to thank you again
for speaking at our annual Managers' meeting at the Peachtree
Executive Conference Center.
Your presentation on Team Building was
entertaining as well as thought provoking and the highlight of the
conference."
Louis F. Stripling
President & CEO
Inter Community Cancer
Centers of America, Inc.
"I very much enjoyed your program
at the Louisiana MGMA meeting last week. I put on and attend a lot
of programs and was particularly impressed with your approach. You
make people learn without them ever knowing it."
Thomas H. Stearns,
FACMPE
Administrator
The Bone & Joint
Clinic, PC
Franklin, Tennessee
"Thank you for presenting the
seminar on "Managing Today's Professional Staff" to
MCG employees. The participants unanimously agreed that your program
was helpful and very well presented."
Mary G. Hagan
Employee
Services/Training Coordinator
Medical College of
Georgia
"I would like to thank you for
the outstanding program you presented to the Louisiana Medical Group
Managers Association. All of our members had very positive comments
about the presentation, about your creativity, about your style and
about the information you presented. I think any speaker that can
take a convention audience on Friday afternoon in the city of New
Orleans and hold the entire group without one person leaving between
1:30 and 5:00 pm is an exceptional accomplishment."
Donald H. Varnado
Medical Group
Administrator
President LMGMA
"I just wanted to express my
sincere appreciation for your exciting program yo presented to the
Paulding Memorial Medical Center's department heads at the
Timber Ridge Conference Center. What an excellent job you did in
bringing together the desired areas of teamwork, communication and
leadership style in our environment. Your ability to involve
everyone and encourage participation from those who are reluctant to
do so is unmatched.
I, along with everyone else, also enjoy
the fact that you are a down-to-earth instructor, your warmth,
sincerity and enthusiasm are contagious, and you really challenge us
regarding what we are trying to accomplish. I also personally
enjoyed the humor that you mixed into your presentation."
Ronnie T. Harris
Director, Human
Resources
Paulding Memorial
Medical Center
"I just wanted to tell you how
much I enjoyed your presentation at our Managers Meeting last
weekend. It was an excellent seminar, and I hope that others took as
much away from it as I did. I am a stronger believer that effective
learning can and must be fun. Everyone that I have spoken with had
fun! The most common comment that I have heard was "I cannot
believe the time passed so fast.' A real coompliment."
David A. Frey
Pro-Med
Professional Medical
Resources, Inc.
"Your presentation, "Break
Your Crayons and Draw Outside the Lines' was given an average
rating of 4.4 on a scale of 5.0. Written comments included, "Great
speaker to close out the meeting!' "Dr. Black was an
interesting and creative speaker,' "Bring back Dr.
Black.'" (By the way some of the evaluations were
completed with crayons).
"I found the AMA (Fundamentals of
Marketing) seminar to be enlightening. I feel that I will
successfully be able to "link' all aspects of the
"Marketing Umbrella' into one information system
(although it will most likely be one piece at a time)."
Allen H. Keough, Jr.
Marketing Analyst
Reebok International,
Ltd.
"Thank you for your inspiring
keynote presentation at our OPRA/ASLA conference. We had delegates
giving "high fives' to each other all week. You always
find interesting and amusing ways to remind us of the values we share
and the goals we hope to achieve and you teach us ways to hold these
values and achieve these goals."
Jeffrey A. Morrow
Ohio Parks &
Recreation Association, Inc.
"On behalf our 100+ delegates I
would like to express our appreciation for your contribution to our
program. Your session proved to be stimulating, entertaining and
very educational, charting the course for the balance of our two day
program."
Thad L. Studstill
Executive Director
Georgia Recreation and
Park Society, Inc.
"It gives me great pleasure to
recommend Dr. Robert Alan Black as a keynote speaker and workshop
leader. Dr. Black has been a speaker and workshop leader with the
Executive Development Program (EDP) for Recreation and Park
Professionals since 1982 each year. He has been rated "tops'
among all consultants and faculty who teach in the EDP.
Comments about the most valuable parts
of his programs usually include:
- Dr. Black's personal references
- I found out more about my personality
- It was fun and enlightening
- Tips on the dos and don'ts-things
that you can actual use not just theory
- Energy of the speaker
- Class involvement
- Reminding me that everyone can be
creative
The value that Dr. Black's
sessions add to the EDP and the profession is invaluable.
As I travel around the country I am
constantly approached by EDP graduates saying how
Dr. Black's
sessions have changed the way their department is doing business."
L. Steven Dempsey
Executive Director
Executive Development
Program
"Dr. Black's unique
approach crosses bridges rapidly and allows your staff to talk
honestly, interact in a positive manner and to trust in one another.
This help them interact in a positive manner and benefit from the
training program completely."
Jasper Cooke
Chief
Columbus State
University
Department of Public
Safety
"The purpose of this letter is to
commend you for the excellent four day Leadership Team Building and
Development presentation that you gave during our Executive
Development course in November. Not only did the students comment on
your vast knowledge, but, the practical side of your training was
also noted and appreciated by the students.
It is always a pleasure to have you at
the Georgia Public Safety Training Center."
J. Dale Mann
Director of Training
GPSTC- Georgia Public
Safety Training Center
"In only a few days we'll
begin the last year of the millennium. Of the many decisions I've
made during the last quarter of this century, I'd have to point
to your contributions with executive training as one of the most
glowing. Many teachers could take lessons from you on prior
preparation and student participation."
J. Dale Mann
Division Director
General Instruction
Division
GPSTC- Georgia Public
Safety Training Center
"The professionalism and
expertise you display are commented on by all the participants who
attend your training sessions and the success of your programs is
evidenced by the outstanding evaluations received.
Again thank you for continually
delivering outstanding training that provides executives in law
enforcement with vital information they need and deserve."
Hedy A. McDowell
Training Coordinator
Georgia Association of
Chiefs of Police
The Georgia Law Enforcement Command
College appreciates your time and expertise in Leadership Development
contributed to each class, year after year. Each of the 43 modules
of 4 1/2-days over the 14 years you have taught have contributed to the success of the
Command and Executive College Programs since 1995.
The evaluations from each of the 43 (week-long)
modules have been outstanding."
Archie Rainey,
Administrator
Georgia Law Enforcement
Command College
Executive College
Professor, Department
of Criminal Justice
Columbus State
University
"Alan' expertise in the
field of management and leadership was reflected in the excellent
presentation he provided the participants from my department. His
material was enlightening and reflected of the current trends in
management. His integration of hands-on projects greatly enhanced
the presentation and provided a clear catalyst in the learning
process. He has the unique ability to communicate his vast bank of
knowledge to the participants in such a manner that they want to
learn."
Luther M. Smart
Chief of Police
University of Georgia
"During my more than 20 years in
law enforcement, I have had the opportunity to attend many classes,
courses, seminars, schools, etc. Quite honestly, I feel that your
course of instruction is, by far, the most valuable in which I have
participated. These benefits are personal, professional and
departmental. Every organization's management, especially
governmental and law enforcement, should be afforded your program.
Your enthusiasm, personal interest in
each class member, knowledge and presentation made the course
dynamic."
Tony Gilleland
Chief of Police
Summerville Police
Department
"I want to let you know that I
really enjoyed your class.
It feels very strange, or intimidating
writing to a psychologist. I have never been in any classroom
environment that was so informal, yet, so organized.
I am very impressed with your
knowledge, expertise, and common sense. In most cases, learning is
routine; however, you made it interesting, informative, challenging
and fun.
I really appreciate the opportunity of
being a student in your class."
Roy Waters
Deputy Chef
Hazardous Material
Response Division
Columbus Georgia Fire
Department