About us
We have deep experience in coaching, training, facilitating workshops, strategic planning, team building, focus groups, organizational and team assessments and conflict resolution. We are flexible, objective, non-judgmental and use state-of-the-art processes for positive outcomes. We are certified coaches in emotional intelligence and DiSC. Each of our coaches have logged over 2000 hours of coaching.
Our Executives
Marilyn Manning, Ph.D. Psychology, M.A. Social Science, is the go-to coach when the stakes are high and relationships are strained. With 4,500+ coaching hours, she helps senior leaders cut through conflict, build emotional intelligence, and move forward with clarity and confidence. Known for calm, fast, and effective interventions, Marilyn helps leaders and teams reset and perform at their best.
Richard Lonergan, M.A., supports The Consulting Team with CFO expertise from 32 years in the computer, information processing, and finance industries.
His roles have included Executive Vice President of Visa International, General Manager of General Electric Computer Services, and Systems Engineering Manager for the IBM Corporation. He has a unique perspective thanks to his experience managing systems support, consulting services, and a major bank card expansion.
Additionally, Richard supports community service. He is an active member of the Board of Directors for SPUR in San Jose, the Board of Trustees of Palo Alto University, the Rotary Club of Los Altos, and the Board of the Los Altos Stage Company.
Martin Manning, COO, brings over 30 years of extensive experience in management, project coordination, customer service and administrative support to The Consulting Team.
He was the Operations Manager at "Vollkraft," Austria's most prominent organic production and wholesale company, for 19 years. Additionally, Martin was a Civil Engineer for over a decade.
Martin is deeply committed to community service. He volunteers at the "Stroke and Disability Learning Center" at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz and for "CARE," a Health Equity Program in Watsonville.
With a proactive and team-oriented leadership style, he is recognized for his strong work ethic, exceptional emotional intelligence, positive attitude, and flexibility.
Testimonials
“Dr. Marilyn Manning and The Consulting Team bring a skilled independent eye to your organization to thoughtfully access personality traits and leadership skills, both good and bad, and how to improve working relationships within your organization. She and the team come with tremendous passion for the subject matter and will challenge your thought process toward the greater good of the organization."
Bernie Escalante
Chief of Police, Santa Cruz, CA
“Marilyn and The Consulting Team’s up-front preparation with San Ramon’s City Council, attention to detail, and calm focused approach during the session helped our council and staff maximize our time together and create clear goals for the City.”
Joe Gorton
City Manager, San Ramon, CA
“Dr. Manning was very responsive and handled a very sensitive matter very effectively, bridging significant cultural differences with tremendous expertise. Her work was thorough, and she was able to conclude the matter on time.”
Linda Usoz
Attorney at Law, Stanford University
“I began working with Dr. Manning at a critical time. I was a new leader with a lot of ideas, a sense of urgency, and not much else. Dr. Manning’s ability to listen carefully, ask crucial questions, and combine the big picture with immediately applicable practices, made an immediate difference for me. Working with her helped me unlock more of my potential.”
Mitch Bostian
Head of School, The Berkeley School
Our Senior Associates
NINA MORRIS COLLINS, JD is a Harvard-trained negotiator who blends strategy with humanity. As a former Human Resources Director in the public sector, she helps leaders navigate tough conversations, manage conflict, and lead across generations with confidence. Her approach is practical, inclusive, and grounded in real-world leadership experience.
KAREN McNAMARA, MA helps organizations move from complexity to clarity. With decades of public-sector leadership experience, she supports leaders through change, operational challenges, and growth. Her style is practical, direct, and focused on results.
GARRETT CONTRERAS is a former Fire Chief and labor leader who coaches leaders in high-stakes environments. He focuses on building strong relationships, effective teams, and leadership approaches that serve both people and communities.
JO BELLACCOMO, MA is a leadership and communication expert who helps leaders show up with confidence and influence. From executive coaching to presentation skills, she equips professionals to communicate clearly and lead through change.
JAMIE KNOX, MSOL is a former Police Chief who helps leaders drive real culture change—not just talk about it. He partners with executives and leadership teams to build trust, strengthen alignment, and improve how decisions get made. His style is direct, grounded, and focused on what actually works.
JOE GORTON, MSOD is a former City Manager and Police Chief who helps leaders build trust, alignment, and strong teams. He’s known for practical coaching that strengthens communication, decision-making, and leadership presence.
SARA B. McNAMARA, MSOD designs learning and coaching experiences that help diverse teams thrive. With deep experience in workforce transformation, she supports leaders in building inclusive cultures, strong engagement, and meaningful career paths.
HEATHER DAVIDSON is a former sales and operations leader who coaches executives through growth and transition. She partners closely with clients to turn insight into action and build cultures rooted in trust and accountability.
KATHYE CITRON brings warmth and insight to leadership coaching. With 20+ years of experience, she coaches leaders to communicate clearly, build trust, and unlock potential in themselves and their teams. Clients value her ability to create space for honest conversations.
NAUSHAD GODREJ, NBC-HWC supports high-performing leaders who want sustainable success—not burnout. Using a mind-body approach, he helps clients manage stress, sharpen focus, and build habits that support long-term performance and wellbeing.
VICTORIA SMITH-RAYMOND, EdAd is a strategic facilitator who helps teams align around shared goals. She designs engaging planning sessions that turn ideas into action and help organizations navigate change with clarity.
Our Support Team
KATE WILSON is an experienced operations and executive support professional with a background in healthcare leadership and client-focused business management. After more than two decades building and managing a thriving private practice and co-founding a healthcare collective, Kate transitioned her expertise into the world of executive and organizational support.
Her work with Keynote Speakers, Inc. early in her career introduced her to the art of executive logistics and communication—skills that she has since refined through years of managing systems, clients, and cross-functional teams. In her current role as Executive Assistant to Dr. Marilyn Manning, Kate combines her strengths in organization, communication, and human connection to ensure the seamless functioning of executive and client operations. She continues to bring empathy and structure to every role she takes on.
TREVOR FOX has been providing digital media support for The Consulting Team since 2023. He supports our marketing and communication efforts through website management, custom PowerPoint slides and PDFs, video projects, and more. He is passionate about creating strategic, people-focused content that communicates information authentically, beautifully, and effectively. Trevor holds a Bachelor’s of the Arts in Digital Media Communications (Union University, 2019).
RYDER MARTIN is a technical consultant and engineering student who helps individuals and small organizations solve complex technical problems and keep their systems running smoothly. With hands-on experience across computer systems, hardware diagnostics, and mechanical–electrical projects, he brings a practical, methodical approach to troubleshooting, system integration, and long-term reliability.