Our leadership team of staff and associates includes: Mrs. Marianne Solomon, Ms. April Dennis, Dr. Don Treffinger, Dr. Laurie Abeel, Mr. James Crumel, Ms. Carole Nassab, Mr. Bob Purifico, Mrs. Susan, Beth Purifico, Dr. Pat Schoonover, Dr. Ed Selby, Dr. Cindy Shepardson, Ms. Carol Wittig, and Mr. Grover Young. Click on any name to see a brief biographical sketch.
Donald J. Treffinger, Ph.D., LL.D.
Sarasota, Florida
Dr. Donald J. Treffinger, Lead Consultant, is an internationally known researcher, writer, teacher, and presenter in the area of creativity and Creative Problem Solving, as well as in the area of gifted and talented education. Dr. Treffinger holds the Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Cornell University, and in June, 2009 received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg. He has authored or co-authored more than 60 books and monographs, including Creative Problem Solving: An Introduction and Creative Approaches to Problem Solving, and more than 350 articles. Dr. Treffinger has served as a member of the faculty of many colleges and universities, including Purdue University, the University of Kansas, and Buffalo State College. He has been the recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children's Distinguished Service Award and the E. Paul Torrance Creativity Award. In 2011, Dr. Treffinger received NAGC's Ann F. Isaacs Founder's Award and the Educator of Distinction (Legacy Series) Award of the NAGC Conceptual Foundations Network. In 2005, Dr. Treffinger received the Risorgimento Award from Destination ImagiNation, Inc., and the International Creativity Award from the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. Dr. Treffinger has served as a reviewer for many professional journals and as editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly NAGC’s quarterly research journal and Editor-in-Chief of Parenting for High Potential, NAGC’s quarterly magazine for parents. He is currently a member of the GCQ Editorial Advisory Board.
Laurie Abeel
Dr. Abeel has taught for more than15 years at the K-12 and university levels. She has served as Assessment Coordinator for two school systems, and worked for the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) as a Test Development Specialist and Staff Development Specialist. At an Associate Professor of Graduate Education at the University of Mary Washington, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, she teaches graduate education courses in the areas of gifted education, creative problem solving, and research and assessment. She is also the Virginia Affiliate Director of Destination ImagiNation® (DI).
Bob has recently come out of semi-retirement to help tackle "bullying," one of the most pressing social issues of our time. He is CEO and President of We R 3C, Inc., the third non-profit organization he has helped to build (including two international creativity programs for children and youth). We R 3C, Inc. presents a unique holistic approach to dealing with Character Education and bullying. As a process-based sequential curriculum, it speaks to the responsibility of community in ways that articulate kindness, compassion, and respect and nurtures intrinsic motivation. Bob is also a member of the Center for Creative Learning Development Laboratory Initiative group and co-author of several of its publications.
SusanBeth Purifico, M.Ed.
SusanBeth has been associated with education throughout her entire life. Professionally, she has 20 years’ experience as a classroom teacher and school librarian, followed by more than 15 years as a curriculum writer and program developer in non-profit organizations. She holds the BSE and M Ed from Memphis State and MSLS from the University of Tennessee. She has also served as an organizational International Training Director, facilitating workshops and coordinating more than 100 training volunteers around the world. Currently SusanBeth is the Director of Program Design and Development for We R 3C, Inc., a non-profit organization whose curriculum is dedicated to creating caring communities. With the Center for Creative Learning, she has been a member of our training team for CPS workshops with schools in the U.S. as well as in Singapore.
Patricia F. Schoonover, Ph.D.
Clintonville, Wisconsin. (Board of Directors)
Pat is a consultant who works with schools and other organizations, teaches CPS undergraduate and graduate courses, and works in the field with educators through the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Pat has also worked for many years in the area of gifted education and talent development. She was a elementary gifted education and Director of Gifted Programming and a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Pat’s research, writing, and training interests focus on creativity, CPS, creativity style preferences, and leadership.
Edwin C. Selby, Ph.D.
Sussex, New Jersey
Ed is an Associate with the Center, and also an Adjunct Professor with Fordham University's Graduate School of Education. He is the principal author of VIEW: An assessment of problem solving style, as well as several publications of support material for that instrument. He offers seminars and workshops helping individuals and groups to become more effective problem solvers. Ed is also the author of several articles on creativity and individual style. He served for many years as a public school music and drama teacher. He founded, and directed for 25 years, the Sussex Student Theater, in which students wrote and produced their own musical plays. Ed served as President of the Board of Directors of the Sussex County Teen Arts Festival for more than fifteen years, and is also a former member of the Sussex County Technical School Board of Education, serving two terms as Vice-President and one term as President. Currently he is serving as Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of the Sussex County Charter School for Technology. Dr. Selby's professional interests include learning styles, talent development, and developing creativity and problem solving among students and staff.
Cindy Shepardson, Ed.D.
Penn Yan, NY
Cindy was an educator in the public schools for more than 27 years. She has served as a teacher at the elementary and secondary levels, as a G/T and enrichment teacher/supervisor, and as a trainer, consultant, and facilitator for Talents Unlimited, Creative Problem Solving, and Enrichment Programming. She received an M.S. in Creative Studies from Buffalo State College, a C.A.S. in Educational Administration from Brockport State College, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Argosy University. She is a recently retired Assistant Professor at Keuka College, currently serving as Lecturer and Student Teacher Supervisor. Cindy's special interests are creativity instruction and assessment, creative climate (environmental factors that promote creative productivity, ownership, and engagement among members of learning communities), and teacher education to promote creativity and experiential learning.
Grover Young, M.A.
Sarasota, Florida
Grover is an experienced teacher, school administrator, and coordinator of gifted programming and staff development. He works with schools on the Levels of Service approach to Talent Development. Grover has also been actively involved in research on creativity characteristics and assessment. He has recently extended his work with Creative Problem Solving and Leadership Development into the area of community and homeowner organizations, enhancing Board of Directors members' efforts to manage the business affairs of their associations more effectively. Grover is co-author of The Talent Development Handbook, Enhancing and Expanding Gifted Programs: The Levels of Service Approach, and the Creative Problem Solving Kit for students, and has authored or co-authored more than 50 articles and chapters on creativity and talent development.