About Teresa Daniel, JD, PhD
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Teresa A. Daniel, JD, PhD—HR Consultant/Executive Coach, Employment Lawyer, University Dean/Faculty/Researcher, and Author—is a versatile professional with extensive hands-on management and academic experience working and teaching at the intersection of employment law, leadership, ethics, and human resources.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Human & Organizational Systems – Fielding Graduate University (February 2009)
- Dissertation— “Tough Boss” or Workplace Bully?: A Grounded Theory Study of Insights from Human Resource Professionals, a study designed to help identify and distinguish a workplace bully from a manager who is simply operating as a “tough boss” from the unique organizational perspective of HR practitioners
- Doctoral course work focused on issues related to Organizational Behavior, Leadership, and Ethics
Master of Arts in Human Development & Organizational Systems – Fielding Graduate University (2006)
Ashland Inc. Executive Development Program at Indiana University Kelley Graduate School of Business- One-Year On-Site General Management/Leadership Studies Program (1990)
Juris Doctorate – Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University (1982)
Bachelor of Science – Centre College, Double Major: Education & Psychology (1979)
WORK EXPERIENCE & KEY AREAS OF EXPERTISE
ACADEMIC FACULTY
SULLIVAN UNIVERSITY, Louisville, KY (March 2010 – Present)
Dean & Professor-Human Resource Leadership Programs
(April 2011 – Present)
Responsible for the management of the university’s Human Resource Leadership (HRL) Program. In addition, serve as Chair of the HRL concentration for the PhD in Management program with a focus on marketing and enhancing the program at all levels for long-term growth. Current member of the Provost’s Academic Affairs Leadership Cabinet, the Faculty Professional Development Advisory Committee, the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Conflict Management, the Professional Development Funding Policy Committee, First Year Advisor/Mentor to the HRL-focused PhD student cohort, Internal Mentor to Staff, and member of the Faculty Research & Publishing Sub-Committee of the Academic Council. Rotating member of the PhD Admissions Committee. Selected to participate in the inaugural class of the university’s Leadership Development Program in 2012. Courses taught using ANGEL through 2016, and the Blackboard learning management system since 2017.
Department Chair & Professor- Human Resource Leadership Programs
(March 2010 – March 2011)
Serve as Professor and Department Chair for the Human Resource Leadership Program, a unique online program for both undergraduate and master’s level students focused on the development of leadership skills for HR practitioners. Responsibilities include new course development and continuous course revision, teaching, hiring and supervision of instructors, recruitment of new students, advising current program participants, accreditation of the curriculum, and representing the university in various professional settings. Member of the Graduate School Curriculum Committee, the Faculty Committee on Professional Development, and the Academic Council. Courses taught using the ANGEL learning management system.
Sullivan University Dissertation Committee Service, Committee Chair and Committee Member
MARSHALL UNIVERSITY, Huntington, WV (August 2002 – February 2010)
Associate Graduate Faculty-College of Business (September 2005 – February 2010)
Served as Associate Graduate Faculty for Marshall’s eMBA Program, teaching on-ground courses in Business Law and Ethics in the executive program in Charleston, WV. These same courses were also delivered to students in the joint Marshall University/M.P. Birla Institute of Management MBA Programme in Bangalore, India over a period of five consecutive years (2004 – 2009).
Undergraduate Faculty- College of Business (August 2002 – June 2005)
Served as full-time undergraduate faculty from 2002 – 2005, teaching on-ground courses in the areas of Management and Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Business Law & Ethics. Research into and development of the Entrepreneurship minor degree of study, as well as the development of online business courses utilizing the WebCT learning platform.
HR CONSULTANT & EXECUTIVE COACH
, Ashland, KY (July 1998 to Present)
INTERCONNECTIONS LLC, Principal Consultant
Principal consultant and co-owner of an independent consulting practice that provides preventive counseling and training (with a focus on counterproductive work behaviors such as workplace bullying and sexual harassment), research, investigations of misconduct, expert witness litigation services, and executive coaching to high-potential leaders.
EMPLOYMENT LAWYER & HR EXECUTIVE
SPECIAL METALS CORPORATION, Huntington, WV (2000 – 2002)
Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Hired to accelerate the people-related integration efforts of the $408 million acquisition of Inco Alloys International by Special Metals Corporation, making it the world’s largest producer of high-performance nickel-based alloys. As part of the executive team, principal duties included ensuring the effectiveness of the company’s human resources, labor relations, and employee communications functions, as well as the management of safety, security and community relations, plus health and environmental issues for the company’s 2,700 employees. Targeted focus was the establishment of a new cash balance pension plan, acquisition integration, and trust enhancement through multiple two-way communications with employees. Duties spanned multiple locations, including the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, and included frequent interaction with the Personnel & Compensation Committee of the company’s Board of Directors. Active participant in the unsuccessful efforts to restructure the company and reduce costs in an effort to avoid the bankruptcy which ultimately occurred in March 2002.
ASHLAND INC, Ashland, KY (1983 – 1998)
Corporate Staff Attorney to Divisional Vice President- Human Resources
Worked for this $10 billion then-Fortune 50 company with more than 33,000 employees for more than 15 years in progressively responsible HR and legal roles. Positions held included:
Divisional Vice President- Human Resources & Communications (1996 – 1998) – As part of the executive team, principal responsibility was to conduct due diligence and lead efforts to integrate the HR and Communications functions following the merger of two coal companies, each partially owned by Ashland Inc., to form Arch Coal, Inc. Duties included the full scope of HR (e.g. training and development, compensation and benefits, employee relations, performance management, succession planning, HRIS, recruiting/retention, executive compensation and employment contracts, etc.) and Employee Communications for this $2 billion company employing more than 5,500 employees in multiple U.S. locations. Role required frequent interaction with the Personnel & Compensation Committee of the company’s Board of Directors.
Manager- Employment Policies & Practices (1988 – 1996) – Responsible for providing HR/legal policy and employment law counsel and HR and preventive legal training to Ashland’s senior management and eight subsidiaries, development of executive compensation plans and programs, employee complaint investigation and management of employment-related litigation, plus special projects (e.g. corporate-wide re-engineering and cost containment initiatives, executive development programs, legal/regulatory issues, etc.). Duties included regular quarterly updates on emerging HR and legislative issues to the company’s senior leadership, as well as presentations about special projects.
Corporate Staff Attorney (1983 – 1988) – Responsibilities for Securities and Exchange Commission-related issues and general corporate legal matters, including transactional due diligence, SEC-document preparation (e.g. Proxy Statement, Annual Report, etc.), contract drafting, merger and acquisition due diligence, as well as annual shareholder meeting preparations.
Special accomplishments and awards while at Ashland Inc.:
Prior to eligibility for the Key Manager’s annual incentive award program, was awarded the prestigious Chairman’s Award for four consecutive years for outstanding work “above and beyond expectations”.
Achieved an “Outstanding” performance rating (the highest possible) multiple years in a row for performance excellence. Receipt of this rating was extremely limited and required the pre-approval of the Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer of this then-Fortune 50 company.
Selected to attend the year-long Indiana University Executive Development Program in 1990, a program reserved for select, high potential key managers.
Selected to serve as a special project Team Leader for an aggressive $10 million cost-cutting program, working in partnership with the McKinsey consulting firm in 1993.
Nominated by Ashland’s senior management team for the Tri-State Women in Industry Award in 1995 (an award honoring women making a significant contribution to industry in a managerial, executive or professional role).
U. S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT, Cincinnati, OH (1982 – 1983)
Staff Attorney
Served as a Staff Attorney for the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, providing legal research and consultation to the justices of the Court.
O’HARA, RUBERG & TAYLOR, Covington, KY (1979 – 1982)
Law Clerk
Worked 20-hours+ per week as a Law Clerk for a 10-person law firm during all three years of law school, providing services in both legal research and trial preparation to firm partners and associates.
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC SERVICE
Founding Member, International Society for Therapeutic Jurisprudence (2018)
The ISTJ is a nonprofit organization focused on therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ). TJ is an interdisciplinary field of philosophy and practice that examines the therapeutic and anti-therapeutic properties of laws and public policies, legal and dispute resolution systems, and legal institutions.
VP- Membership & Member of the Board of Directors, Tri-State Society for Human Resource Management (2003 – 2004)
Responsible for maintaining and expanding the membership of this local chapter of the national SHRM organization for this one-year term.
Regional Co-Chair, “A More Perfect Centre” (2007) and the “Front & Centre” Campaigns (1995) for Centre College
Through a combination of public speaking at fundraisers and a variety of written communications, helped to raise more than $120 million ($50 million more than the original target) from alumni of Centre College during a contribution campaign which concluded in 2007 and more than $5 million during an earlier campaign in1995.
Founding Director, Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. (1989 – 2000)
The Foundation is a group of local businessmen and women devoted to improving the quality of education in the Ashland community through annual fundraising and year-round professional support to the Ashland public school system.
Chairman of the Board and Director, Ashland Inc. Employees Credit Union (1988-1994)
The Ashland Inc. Credit Union is an $80-million-dollar institution providing “bank-like” services to more than 33,000 employees and their families.
Media Appearances
MEMBERSHIPS & ADMISSIONS
Society for Human Resources Management
International Society for Therapeutic Jurisprudence
International Association on Workplace Bullying & Harassment
Kentucky Bar Association
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
HONORS & AWARDS
Grand Prize Category, First Place Winner, Society for Human Resource Management 3rd Annual HR Haiku Contest (2019).
Winner of the Grand Prize in SHRM’s HR haiku contest which is open to SHRM’s 285,000 members worldwide. The poem was published in the April 11 issue of the SHRM Update.
Initial Fellow, International Academy on Workplace Bullying, Mobbing and Abuse (2014)
Honored to be invited to serve as an Initial Fellow of the Academy, a joint initiative between the Workplace Bullying Institute and the New Workplace Institute. The group’s objective is “to bring together leading and emerging researchers, practitioners, writers, and advocates who are dedicated to understanding, preventing, stopping, and responding to workplace bullying and related forms of interpersonal mistreatment”. The Academy also acts as a portal for accessing and distributing the work of its members.
Kentucky Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Award (2011 and 2010)
Received the Kentucky CLE Award in both 2010 and 2011, an award which honors lawyers who have earned 62.5 continuing legal education credits within a three-year period.
Fielding Graduate University Student Research Award (2005)
Awarded a student research scholarship/stipend to further support the further study of issues related to workplace bullying.
Fulbright Senior Specialist Award (2004)
Approved candidates are eligible to be considered as a potential match for overseas assignments to fulfill requests made by universities and businesses to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
Centre College Distinguished Alumnus Award (2002)
Selected by the Alumni Association Board of Directors to receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2002. This Award is presented to select Centre College alumni “who have distinguished themselves in their professions, in their service to Centre, or in their service to humankind”.
NON-WORK INTERESTS
Traveling, hiking, cross-country skiing, nutrition and fitness, cooking, and reading