Jennifer M. Grau, B.A. (Oberlin College), M.A. (Michigan State University)

Jennie Grau is President of Grau Interpersonal Communication, formerly Taliaferro/Grau Associates, a firm specializing in enhancing the speaking, listening, and conflict management skills of individuals, teams and organizations. Jennie has over 20 years experience conducting workshops, coaching clients, facilitating groups, and presenting to a wide variety of organizations. Her creative and exciting programs strengthen teams, develop leaders, empower presenters, and drive innovation. She has been a change agent for numerous neighborhood and community development organizations and taught university courses in Rhetoric, Persuasion, Gender, Interpersonal and Organizational Communication.

As a facilitator of adult learning Jennie conducts speaking, listening, and conflict management workshops for corporate clients, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. She works with Federal, State, and Municipal governmental organizations. For fourteen years, she was an adjunct faculty member for Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations in their Management Development program.

Jennie's public speaking has brought her before a wide range of people in a variety of contexts. She has addressed community groups, religious congregations, Kiwanis, Rotary clubs, bankers and business associations. She has presented before city councils, Mayor's Cabinets and the Michigan State Legislature. She has also made numerous television and radio appearances. Her work has been noted in the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Reports, and Lansing State Journal.

Jennie has been a member of many professional associations including: International Communication Association, the Speech Communication Association, the International Listening Association, and the American Society for Training and Development. She received her B.A. from Oberlin College, her M. A. from Michigan State University, and has completed four years of doctoral course work in organizational and interpersonal communication at Michigan State University. Jennifer has written and presented a variety of papers. She is published in both social science and business professional journals.

Carole Grau, B.A., M.A. (Brooklyn College), M.Ed. (Teachers College Columbia University)

Carole Grau has a successful and rewarding career as a communications professor, consultant, speaker, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning. She is the founder of Taliaferro/Grau Associates currently Grau Interpersonal Communication.

Carole was a faculty member of Brooklyn College, a division of the City University of New York, for 15 Years. She taught both undergraduate and graduate course work. For 16 years she was an adjunct for Cornell University's, School of Industrial Labor Relations, Off-Campus College Program. In addition to teaching in the credit program, Carole has conducted speaking and listening workshops for Cornell's Management Development Program and conflict resolution workshops for the Labor Studies Program. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Brooklyn College and an M.Ed. from Teachers College, Columbia University.

A skilled mediator, Carole is certified by the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR) at Columbia University. She has served on staff as a senior trainer in negotiation & mediation skills. Following a crisis in a New York City community, she developed a curriculum model for a peer mediation program for the New York City Board of Education. She administered that program for three years. She also has established peer mediation and negotiation services in several New Jersey High Schools for students, their faculty and administration. Carole has created negotiation & mediation skills programs in corporate and governmental settings. As a specialist in listening instruction, she has been a consultant for the listening component of the National Teachers Exam. Carole is a dynamic speaker and an insightful listener who consistently models the skills, techniques, and behaviors developed in her workshops.

Carole is a member of many professional organizations. She has presented numerous papers and frequently conducts seminars and workshops for those groups. She has been an active member of the New York Society for General Semantics for more than 10 years and has sat on their Board of Directors. She is a founding member, former Board member, and former elected official of The International Listening Association. In 2001, Ms. Grau received the International Listening Association award for Listening in the Business Sector. In 2010, she was inducted into the International Listening Association's Hall of Fame, the organization's highest honor.

Patricia N. Hunter, B.A., M.S. (Queens College, City University of New York), P.D. -Professional Diploma (St. John's University)

Patricia Hunter is a successful and engaging consultant in education, business, and community organizations. With over twenty years of expertise in communication and conflict resolution strategies and skills, she works with organizations to assess issues and develop strategies for handling them productively. Her work ranges from needs assessment, coaching, and training, to facilitating, mediating, and supporting groups as they implement change. Specific areas of training and consulting include communication, collaborative negotiation, collaborative planning, mediation, dealing with anger, diversity, team-building, and dealing with personal and cultural differences. She provides mediation services for individuals, businesses, and community mediation centers.

Pat has served as Director of Training at the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR) at Columbia University Teachers College. There she developed and presented interactive programs combining both the theories and practices of Conflict Resolution for the college students, as well as domestic, and international clients. Her work includes basic and advanced work in negotiation, mediation, and conflict and cultural differences. At Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, she has taught several programs in the Management Development Program and the Off-Campus College Program.

Pat's work in this field evolved from her work in both the corporate world and in education. Pat has consulted to large financial institutions leading teams through major systems projects, from needs analysis and project design through final implementation. As an educator in New York City Board of Education schools, Pat specialized in intergroup relations and leadership development. As a full time ombudsperson she introduced programs that resulted in decreased incidents of violence, constructive leadership development among previously disenfranchised youth, and greater community involvement.

Pat Hunter is a member of the NYS Dispute Resolution Association, The Association for Conflict Resolution, and the International Listening Association. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the NY Metro Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP). As a facilitator with AVP she led workshops in New York State prisons. She holds an M.S. in Counseling and a Professional Diploma in Administration.