Kelli Baxter

Director of the Office of Corporate and Community Services
kbaxter@kent.edu
330-244-3505

Kelli holds a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Malone College. She has more than 13 years of business management experience. In her previous position, Kelli was the executive director of a local, nonprofit organization. She has also worked with several community organizations throughout Stark County.

As director of The Office of Corporate and Community Services, Kelli leads the office in providing professional development seminars, customized human performance improvement consulting for area employers, research and evaluation services and small business counseling and training. She is a member of the office’s contract services team, as well as a member of the senior administrative team at the campus.

Julie Cremeans-Smith

Research and Evaluation Consultant, Tenure-track Psychology Faculty
jcremean@kent.edu
330-244-3459

Julie holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Kent State University. As a member of the adjunct faculty at Kent State, she co-authored several publications and presented at numerous regional and national conferences. She possesses a wide variety of expertise in focus group facilitation, survey development and implementation, quantitative and qualitative analysis, interpretation and reporting.

As research and evaluation consultant, Julie utilizes a vast array of resources and research methodologies to connect organizations with beneficial information to assist in strategic planning, performance improvement, marketing, economic development and other decision-making initiatives. Julie also teaches psychology courses as a tenure-track faculty member at Kent State Stark.

Julie Bland

Contract Services Coordinator
jbland2@kent.edu
330-244-3515

Julie is the contract services coordinator for The Office of Corporate and Community Services. She works with area companies to customize training programs and research projects to help organizations and their employees succeed. Her goal is to respond to client needs by helping to provide solutions in a timely fashion.

Julie came to Kent State Stark with more than 12 years of experience in the field of human resources, which included training and development needs for adult learners. She is a national member of SHRM and ASTD, and is actively involved in the Stark County Human Resource Association. She is a PHR (Professional in Human

Willie Shoemaker

Public Program Coordinator
wshoemak@kent.edu
330-244-3517

Willie holds a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Kent State University and a master’s in technical education from the University of Akron. Formerly a member of the adjunct faculty at Stark State College of Technology, she has 10 years of teaching experience. Before entering the classroom as an instructor, Willie was the assistant director of clinical chemistry at a local hospital.

Willie coordinates various professional development programs for The Office of Corporate and Community Services. With input from working professionals, Willie oversees and manages the supervision and management certificate programs.

Lillian Morrison

Contract Services Manager
lmorri14@kent.edu
330-244-3514

Lillian holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy. She has a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. She served eight years in the United States Air Force as a program manager, flight test manager and assistant chief of minority enrollment at the Air Force Academy. For two years, she was a store manager for an electronics retailer and home-schooled her children for 10 years.

In The Office of Corporate and Community Services, Lillian works with the contract services team to serve as a liaison between the university and the business community to bridge the expertise of the university to the business world in a real-world, practical manner. Essential to this process is our team’s ability to articulate the value-added services offered by our office and align those services to meet the individual needs of our clients.

Tami Huff

Client Relations Associate
thuff3@kent.edu
330-244-3512

Tami assists the contract services team by providing support for customized human performance improvement projects, professional development programs and conferences developed through The Office of Corporate and Community Services at Kent State University Stark Campus. She serves as the liaison for corporate clients and program consultants during the planning, execution and post-evaluation phases of each project. Tami is responsible for coordinating various aspects of training projects including contracts, materials, logistics and financials. She also assists the Research and Evaluation Coordinator with data/research collection, analysis and reporting. Tami utilizes her skills in the area of organization, administration and customer service to insure the continuous delivery of premier programming and related services to our clients and partners.

Tami received her bachelor's degree in communication arts from Eastern Nazarene College in Boston, Mass.

Mona Zink

Information Specialist
mzink@kent.edu
330-244-3508

Mona serves as the customer information resource for The Office of Corporate and Community Services by assisting program participants in the registration process and providing clients with all necessary program information. Mona assists the contract services team and public programs coordinator in providing support for open enrollment programs by processing participant registrations, maintaining program class files and coordinating program details. Mona is committed to providing excellent customer service to each client.

Ruby Groves

Administrative Assistant to the Director
rbgroves@kent.edu
330-244-3504

Ruby provides clerical support to the director of The Office of Corporate and Community Services. She works with the contract services team and public programs coordinator to design brochures, postcards and promotional pieces for open enrollment programs, customized human performance improvement projects, professional development programs and conferences developed through The Office of Corporate and Community Services at Kent State Stark. Ruby also assists the department of External Affairs as needed. Her goal is to provide the best-quality customer service to both internal and external clients.

Donald Schneck

Director, Small Business Development Center
dschneck@kent.edu
330-244-3295

Donald earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial economics from Purdue University. He has more than 30 years experience in business and industry, including a background in start-ups and non-profits. As coordinator of the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Kent State Stark, he provides free business consultation to small companies, and partners with area organizations to ensure that the small businesses of Stark and Wayne Counties are supported.

Holly Bolinger

Outreach Program Officer, Small Business Development Center
hbolinge@kent.edu
330-244-3296

A current business owner and a 16-year veteran of commercial lending, Holly acts as a small business advisor to current business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Holly is a Michigan native who has called the Canton area home for the last ten years.