Core Faculty


Gary Gordon, Ed.D., is the Strategic Consultant for the Gallup Education Practice. He consults with school districts, businesses, and organizations on human resources selection and development, leadership, and workplace management. Gordon’s extensive background in public education and his experience consulting with Gallup’s business and education clients enable him to develop innovative education and business solutions. He is the author of Building Engaged Schools: Getting the Most From America’s Classrooms (Gallup Press, 2006).

Prior to joining Gallup in 1994, Gordon’s career in education included teaching grades 7 through 12 in public schools in Kansas and Missouri and graduate-level teaching at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He also held administrative positions in several school districts in Kansas and Missouri, serving as a junior and senior high school assistant principal, a high school principal, a director of personnel, and an assistant superintendent.

Gordon received his bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He received his doctorate in education leadership with a concentration in human resources from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He regularly contributes columns and articles to Gallup publications, and his insights on educational issues have been published in the State Education Standard and Phi Delta Kappan.

Strengths: Command | Self-Assurance | Individualization | Competition | Focus

 


Kristin J. Gregory, MAPP, is the Academic Program Manager and Strengths Performance Coach for the Clifton Strengths School’s graduate program. In this role, she focuses on student recruitment and engagement, as well as the ongoing development of the graduate program.

Through strengths performance coaching, Kristin uses developmental questions to help educators achieve new insight into their innate talents and use their untapped potential to enhance their performance in their school or university. Kristin’s goal is to help each educator grow in their understanding and intentional use of their strengths so that they can maximize them and the strengths of their students and colleagues. Kristin works with each educator to develop strengths- based goals that maximize hope, engagement, and wellbeing in the classroom or workplace.

Kristin received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University and a master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Strengths: Woo | Empathy | Individualization | Activator | Strategic

 


Tim Hodges, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Gallup University. He leads the growth, development, and performance management of more than 80 workplace consultants around the world. Hodges also collaborates with other Gallup researchers and Gallup Senior Scientists to conduct research on positive psychology, strengths-based development, and leadership development programs.

Hodges has delivered many presentations and written several journal articles, technical reports, and book chapters on topics including the Clifton StrengthsFinder, strengths-based development, and leadership development. His publications include book chapters and contributions to Positive Psychology in Practice, Organizational Behavior (10th edition), and the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work. His research has also appeared in the journals Educational Horizons, Organizational Dynamics, and College and University.

Hodges joined Gallup in 2000 as Director of Human Resources. He consulted with hiring managers, interviewed and analyzed more than 2,000 candidates for employment, and led the development of new employees in sales, consulting, and management positions. He has been in his current role since 2005.

Hodges has served as a commissioner of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE). In this role, he and other CCPE commissioners recommended policies to improve and support postsecondary education, administer student financial aid programs, review and authorize academic programs, and review and approve each new tax- funded capital construction project proposed at Nebraska’s 13 public institutions. Hodges is active in the Omaha, Nebraska community. He serves on the boards for Gallup Federal Credit Union and Christian Heritage, an organization serving at-risk children and youth. Hodges is also the Fundraising Director at Royal Family Kids Camp, and his efforts help fund a summer camp for Omaha children recovering from abuse and neglect.

Hodges received a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness and a master’s degree in leadership education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Additionally, he has a doctorate in business with a leadership major at UNL.

Strengths: Maximizer | Relator | Belief | Woo | Positivity

 


Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., Senior Scientist in Residence, is an architect of the Gallup Student Poll. A measure of hope, engagement, and wellbeing, the Student Poll taps into the hearts and minds of American students to determine what drives achievement. Dr. Lopez is the director of the annual Gallup Wellbeing Forum, which convenes scholars, leaders, and decision makers to discuss healthcare and global wellbeing. He also serves as the Research Director for the Clifton Strengths School.

Dr. Lopez leads research on the links between hope, strengths development, academic success, and overall wellbeing and collaborates with scholars around the world on these issues. He specializes in hope and strengths enhancement for students from preschool through college graduation, advocating a whole-school strengths model that also builds the strengths expertise of educators, parents, and youth development organizations. Dr. Lopez has provided strengths mentoring to thousands of college students, including academic, career, and life planning, and he advises schools, colleges, and universities on these issues. He is the coauthor of the statistical reports for the Clifton StrengthsFinder and the Clifton Youth StrengthsExplorer.

Dr. Lopez has published more than 100 articles and chapters and seven books, including Positive Psychology: Exploring the Best in People and The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology. With C.R. Snyder, he published Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths, which won the Sage Press Book of the Year Award; Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures; and The Handbook of Positive Psychology. With Cynthia Pury, he edited the book Courage, released in 2010.

Dr. Lopez is the past associate editor of the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, an editorial board member of the Journal of Positive Psychology, and an ad-hoc reviewer for many psychology journals. He is a licensed psychologist, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and educational advisor for Discovery Television.

Strengths: Futuristic | Maximizer | Arranger | Ideation | Strategic

 

Tom Matson, M.A., is the Senior Director of Leadership Development for the Gallup Education Practice. He is also an executive coach and speaker, with more than 13 years of consulting experience. During the past 18 years, Matson has spoken to an audience of thousands each year about leadership, morals, long-range planning, and visioning. He is committed to challenging leaders to become authentic leaders and fully living out their strengths each day.

As the Senior Director of Leadership Development for Gallup, Matson creates and facilitates personalized learning experiences for students, educators and leaders, leads executive team sessions, provides leadership, curriculum development and teaching to the Clifton Strengths School, devises and implements effective organizational performance strategies, provides executive performance coaching for senior education leaders, and teaches all to identify, deploy, and develop their strengths.

Matson has worked with healthcare, financial, retail, government, and biotechnology clients, as well as with universities and colleges, charitable organizations, and non-profits.

Prior to joining Gallup in 2007, Matson worked as an associate director of development for Sigma Chi Foundation and Leadership Institute; was a leadership coach, speaker, and trainer for his own consulting company, Tom Matson and Associates, Inc., and was the program director for Youthworks, Inc. In 2007, Matson was appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty to the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation.

Matson earned his bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s degree in organizational leadership from Bethel University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership.

Strengths: Strategic | Individualization | Maximizer | Relator | Activator

 

JerLene Mosley is a Consultant for the Gallup Education Practice. She has been with the company since 1988. In her role, Mosley supports schools and school districts in selecting outstanding teachers and staff members and provides strengths-based development to staff and students. She also serves as corporate liaison for Gallup’s school/community partnerships in Omaha, Nebraska.

Mosley has presented seminars for more than 100 of Gallup’s education clients. Her seminar teaching and curriculum development include programs on teacher and principal selection; Leading with Strengths, a development program for educators and administrators that introduces a strengths-based approach to leadership; and student curriculum based on strengths application and goal-setting. Mosley contributed to the development of the Clifton Youth StrengthsExplorer, a student development program designed to help middle school students and their parents and educators learn more about each student’s talents and develop them into strengths.

Mosley also teaches for the Clifton Strengths School, an institution of higher learning that provides online strengths-based professional development to educators in K-12 and higher education. These courses include Introduction to Strengths and Putting Strengths into Action for High School and Staff Development Advocates.

Prior to joining Gallup, Mosley taught instrumental music in grades 5 to 12 for four years. Mosley earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. She and her husband, Joel, reside in Omaha, Nebraska, and are the parents of a daughter, Maren.

Strengths: Individualization | Communication | Positivity | Activator | Woo

 


Nancy Oberst is a Senior Consultant for the Gallup Education Division. Her primary focus is teacher and principal of development and effectiveness. Her consulting insights help education leaders integrate selection, development, and engagement models to produce positive outcomes in K-12 schools and school districts. Her mission is to expand the use of strengths philosophy in schools to improve the lives of students and educators.

Nancy began her education career as a special education teacher in Omaha Public Schools (OPS), then served the district as a principal for several elementary schools. Nancy has over 30 years of experience in elementary education, including a 15-year career as an urban principal, 3 years as Director of Elementary Education for the Omaha Public Schools. Her achievements as a principal include opening a start-up school in downtown Omaha that served a diverse population, including immigrant families that lacked services and required assistance in navigating support systems. To support her students and their families, Nancy forged community relationships, helped open a health center, and created centers for cultural and education services at the school.

Nancy received her bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and special education and her master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She received an endorsement in education for visually impaired students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has served as a member of the advisory board of the Department of Education for Creighton University.

Strengths: Maximizer | Arranger | Individualization | Includer | Strategic

 

Mark Pogue is the Vice President of the Gallup Education Division. His mission is to create a world where all students of any age lead successful and self-directed lives, empowered with the knowledge of their talents and how to apply them. For the past 12 years, Pogue has been a consultant and speaker to higher education institutions, K-12 school districts and Fortune organizations including Toyota, Wells Fargo and Cargill on building strengths-based organizations.

Pogue led in the design and creation of StrengthsQuest and continues to direct the project worldwide. StrengthsQuest, a campus-based human development and engagement program, is designed to help students, staff, and faculty identify and apply their strengths. Since its inception there have been over 1 million participants in StrengthsQuest programs in a wide range of settings on more than 600 campuses.

Pogue has shared his message of moving from strengths to thousands of educators and students at more than 250 campuses and national conferences. He concentrates his work on public and private, secular and non-secular community colleges and universities around the world.

Pogue earned his bachelor’s degree in management science from Oklahoma State University and a graduate degree at the University of Nebraska. He and his wife, Jami, live in Minneapolis with their two daughters, Paige and Reilly.

Strengths: Self-Assurance | Activator | Ideation | Intellection | Command

 


Connie Rath, Ed.D., is Vice Chair of Gallup and Dean of Gallup University. In her role, she focuses on management and leadership education for Gallup University. Each year, more than 100,000 people participate in Gallup University courses, which are offered online, at client locations, or at the university’s campuses worldwide. She leads graduate programs in executive leadership designed in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Additional graduate programs have expanded to Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Romania.

Prior to assuming her current role, Rath’s Gallup career focused on researching and managing Gallup’s selection and development services. She led Gallup’s human resources efforts for 20 years. Under her leadership, Gallup developed more than two hundred job profiles across a wide range of positions, each designed to help organizations identify candidates with the potential for outstanding performance. Gallup has received awards for hiring and advancement of women and national ranking for diversity hiring.

Rath also has experience consulting with school districts and developing teacher and administrator selection instruments. She has designed many performance and compensation systems and consulted with companies on implementing them.

Rath’s professional and community activities have included many school and business partnerships. She is a board member of the Public Education Network and the Society of Psychologists in Management. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership School, the Advisory Council for the Department of Management and Organizations at the University of Iowa, and the Board of Advisors for the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland.

Rath earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her doctorate in education and leadership from the University of Southern California.

Strengths: Analytical | Arranger | Maximizer | Individualization | Relator

 


Tom Rath, Gallup Global Practice Leader, is a leading business thinker and one of the bestselling authors of the last decade. His first book, How Full Is Your Bucket?, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Rath’s book, StrengthsFinder 2.0, is a long-running #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers are Strengths Based Leadership and Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements. In total, Rath’s books have sold more than 3 million copies and have made more than 250 appearances on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Rath currently leads Gallup’s workplace consulting business. In this role, he guides the organization’s practices and research on employee engagement, selection, strengths-based development, leadership, and wellbeing.

Rath also serves on the board of VHL.org, an organization dedicated to cancer research and patient support. He earned degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. Tom and his wife, Ashley, and their two children, live in Washington, D.C.

Strengths: Significance | Command | Futuristic | Analytical | Competition

 

Kyle Robinson, M.A., is the Director of Programming and Career Development for Gallup’s Education Division. Kyle partners with colleges and universities to help them create and implement strength-based development programs on campus. Kyle also has responsibility to create strengths-based career development programs for students.

Kyle was first exposed to Gallup’s strength-based approach while attending graduate school and adopted a strengths philosophy as a manger of a customer service department for a manufacturing company in the Twin Cities. Impressed with the results, Kyle became a Strengths advocate and eventually came to work at Gallup in 2007. Kyle’s passion is helping people understand and develop their natural, innate talent and encourage them to find ways to do what they do best, everyday. Kyle holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and is married with one son.

 

Dr. Therese Lask has worked in Student Services for over twenty years, in four year public and private institutions. She currently serves as Director of Student Support Services, a TRIO Program, at Aims Community College in Greeley, CO. Therese has conducted research and done numerous presentations on the topic of first generation, low- income students.

Introduced to the strengths movement at the Chair Academy, Therese infused a strengths based philosophy into various components of the Student Support Services Program, including the development of a strengths based First Year Experience class for SSS students. Through various training programs and presentations, she has helped numerous TRIO and Gear Up staff implement a variety of strengths based initiatives. Therese currently conducts monthly webinars on infusing a strength based approach into core TRIO program components for Strength Quest, a division of Gallup’s Educational Practice.

Therese received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and her Master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from Colorado State University, and her doctorate in Higher Education Student Affairs Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado. Therese serves as a Strength Advisor for Strength Quest and on the Chair Academy’s International Practitioner’s Board.

Strengths: Strategic | Maximizer | Adaptability | Self Assurance | Arranger

 


Deborah J. White, Ph.D., joined the Clifton Strengths School as a faculty member in 2010. She teaches courses in the Strengths Advocate and Certificate in Strengths- Based Education programs. Debby was introduced to the strengths philosophy by Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., and Chip Anderson, Ph.D., at Gallup in 1998. Inspired by Don's vision and Chip's passion, the strengths philosophy brought core values and deep meaning to her mission to teach and learn and to inspire others to do the same.

Debby has used a strengths-based approach in many different professional assignments, including as a faculty member, academic vice president at a liberal arts college, strengths coordinator at a community college, director of a Lilly Endowment grant and director of the Center for Calling & Career at Lee University. From 2003 to 2010, Debby implemented a campuswide strengths program at Lee University that encompassed faculty and staff development; faculty strengths advising; and opportunities for strengths engagement for students from freshmen orientation through senior capstone experiences.

Debby has also used strengths in leadership development, working with scholarship students on Lee's campus, providing team coaching to college administrative groups, and offering individual strengths coaching to participants in the Women's Leadership Development Institute, a program of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

Since 2005, Debby has presented StrengthsQuest programs at many public and private universities and community colleges throughout the United States. She was recognized by Gallup in 2005 with the Strengths Architect Award for her work with strengths in higher education. Lee University also received Gallup's premier Clifton Compass Award for 2008-2009 for the comprehensive strengths program she helped develop.

Debby earned her bachelor's degree in piano performance from Northwest University and her master's degree and doctorate in psychomusicology from the University of Washington. She now resides in northern New Jersey, where she serves as a higher education consultant and as faculty with the Clifton Strengths School.

Strengths: Intellection | Ideation | Maximizer | Input | Learner