Alumni Journeys

We believe that all things are humanly possible with good leadership.

At CCL, we believe in the power of leaders to ignite transformational change, to navigate the current moment while preparing for what comes next. See why now, more than ever, we believe that leadership never stops.

Gayla Olvera

Gayla Olvera

Listener. Counselor. Strength Finder.

For Gayla, leadership isn’t just about managing a team. As a clinical mental health professional and advocate, effective leadership is critical to helping adults and children receive the treatment they need — and the dignity they deserve.

Through CCL, Gayla learned how to look within herself to identify both strengths and weaknesses and how they influenced her style of leadership. In addition to increasing her self-awareness and showing Gayla how to look inward for strength, the program also taught her how to see the leadership qualities in others and empower them to use their unique style to greater success. Leaving with more than just concepts, Gayla has been able to apply her newfound knowledge directly in her everyday life.

Krystal Kappeler

Coach. Supporter. Creates Connections.

Boettcher Foundation’s Scholarship Coordinator, Krystal Kappeler, has long been volunteering with the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation (CCSF) in various capacities. When CCSF introduced a leadership and transition coaching program in partnership with CCL, Krystal jumped at the opportunity to join their second cohort of coaches. After a rewarding couple of years coaching freshman Coke Scholars, Krystal volunteered to help develop the next generation of CCSF coaches.

Krystal’s CCL-led coach training for leaders has been instrumental to her coaching style, her career, and even her personal life. Through the program, she learned the value of curiosity and asking powerful questions in order to develop deeper connections with people. For Krystal, the program has become an integral part of how she pays forward the scholarship foundation’s investment in her to all the communities she is a part of.

Krystal Kappeler
David Mascarina: Owning Your Story. Create Impact by Acting with Intention.

David Mascarina

Technologist. Storyteller. Rising Above.

David Mascarina tells stories for a living. As the manager of digital content and creative at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, David gets to use his skills for good, partnering with some of the most brilliant minds solving humanitarian issues and getting to be creative all at the same time. At heart, David is also a problem-solver, always seeking ways to improve how his team and organization works.

But it’s not always easy to navigate complex work politics to get your voice heard. Attending CCL’s Leadership Development Program (LDP)® helped David find the right way to use his voice and elevate his relationship with his colleagues. The program also taught him the value of managing and acting with intention, taking a more proactive approach to his leadership style and truly understanding how he can impact the big picture goals of the Foundation. All it took was a chance to rise above the day-to-day to discover his own leadership story — and it’s looking like a big success.

Dr. Ashauna Harris

Mentor. Educator. Lifelong Student.

Dr. Ashauna Harris may be the principal of a high-needs middle school, but she willingly adopted the role of student with CCL. As an educator, she sees herself as a mentor and role model for both her teachers and her students, an effort that often left her feeling stretched thin and not able to give either the attention they deserved.

Attending our flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP)® gave Dr. Harris the coaching she needed to not only establish meaningful relationships in her school community, but also pass along what she learned to her teachers. United in purpose and driven to make a difference, Dr. Harris and her teachers are now able to make that much more of a positive impact in the lives of their students.

Dr. Ashauna Harris: Adopt the Role of Student. You are Never Done Learning.
Dan Eckert: The Journey for Every Leader is Unique. But No One is Alone.

Dan Eckert

Builder. Visionary. Never Gives Up.

In the early 2000s, Dan Eckert was flying high as president and COO of a fast-growing “dot-com” business. The future looked bright — until the market crashed. After years of painstaking survival, a merger rescued the business. Dan found himself in a new leadership role at a new company, and in need of guidance on how to move forward as a leader in this next phase of his career.

The new company’s CEO saw great potential in Dan and sent him to our Leadership at the Peak program. Here, Dan recognized something transformational: the journey for every leader is unique, but no one is alone. Sharing and collaborating with others along the way makes everyone stronger. Dan awoke to his own resilience and the value of compassion and humbling self-awareness. And, he learned how to channel those attributes into building, inspiring, and mentoring a team. With CCL’s help, Dan discovered that a bend in the road can lead to even greater opportunities.

Andrea Pilon Artman

Advocate. Entrepreneur. Lives Authentically.

Andrea Pilon Artman came to CCL hoping to improve her leadership skills. But she left with so much more than that — a whole new perspective on who she is.

The Looking Glass® Experience simulation in the Leading for Organizational Impact program she attended was designed to reveal each person’s true leadership characteristics. Andrea was surprised to learn that her heart wasn’t in the career path she’d been pursuing. With the support and encouragement of her group, she shed the mask she felt she’d been wearing and let her true self show. Newly inspired to live authentically, Andrea left her job to begin her own medical device consultancy, as well as pursue a passionate advocacy for educational, social, and economic equality of all persons living within her community and beyond.

Andrea Pilon Artman: Find Your Strengths. And Find Yourself Along the Way.
Angela Gray: Healing through Leadership

Angela Gray

Nurse. Advocate. Community Healer.

Angela Gray’s West Virginia community is more than just her home — it’s her people. The public health department nursing director has always considered lifting up others in her community as part of her duty, especially amid an opioid epidemic. Seeing others suffer, Angela began working hard to reduce self-harm in the community.

Then, Angela won a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which provided access to a 2-year CCL program. The experience, with its emphasis in empathetic listening and digging deeply into behavior, completely changed her perspective. The second year focused on a specific project through which Angela created a new harm reduction/syringe exchange program that’s already proving to be effective. For Angela, this isn’t just a job. It’s a lifetime commitment to the place and people she loves. 

Eboni Preston

Outdoor Lover. Social Steward. Growing Youth.

Once on track to be a doctor, Eboni Preston’s awareness of social challenges led her to redirect her passion. At Greening Youth, she educates children and young adults about the outdoors and their environment, connecting them to food-growing programs, internships, and mentorships that fuel their own passions. Her goal: teach the next generation of environmentalists.

Eboni’s CEO nominated her for a spot in the American Express Leadership Academy, a program where CCL partners with nonprofit leaders to help unlock their full potential. Through this experience, Eboni learned how to delegate and instill in every team member a stronger sense of pride and ownership in their accomplishments. Now as a true team, Eboni and her staff can achieve their goal of teaching youth to be a part of the conversation.

Eboni Preston Alumni Story: Finding Room to Grow

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