OUR LEADERSHIP

• Sherri Petro
• Jon Vencil
• Bette Huntalas

Sherri Petro is President of VPI Strategies where she specializes in unifying people, process and technology to create sustainable organizations. She conducts the research, assists the client in developing the strategy and coaches through execution in the government, non-profit and for-profit sectors. As a researcher, Sherri finds gems of wisdom which trigger scenario development. As a strategist, she uses appreciative inquiry to illuminate possibilities, encourages the use of strategic thinking skills and speaks passionately from the customer perspective. When coaching, she asks powerful and provocative questions and initiates critical conversations.

Sherri

• is an exceptionally organized project manager with both vision and execution skills.
• has researched and published over eighty articles on strategy, marketing and coaching where she simplifies complex concepts for busy professionals.
• is an expert facilitator and presenter credited with over 250 seminars.
• regularly distills her expertise as an executive coach, one-on-one with executive management.

Sherri is accustomed to the view from the top. At 26, she was named Vice President of Operations – the youngest person to achieve that title in the company's history. She appreciates first hand the challenges faced today - especially in industries facing monumental change. She worked in the medical field in the '80s, energy in the '90s and financial services during this decade. Her diverse professional background includes customer service, operations, human resources, sales, marketing, strategic planning and finance. Sherri earned the cross-departmental expertise to see client challenges from a number of angles. Ms. Petro earned a Masters in Business Administration degree with an emphasis on Strategic Planning from Pepperdine University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Youngstown State University, summa cum laude. Sherri is on the Board of the Mental Health Association San Diego County and Inei-Re HeartGate. She is a LEAD San Diego graduate.

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Jon Vencil is a collaborative associate with VPI Strategies where he specializes in decision support and strategy development. Jon has over 19 years experience in strategy development, economic and financial research, quantitative analysis, forecasting, and evaluation research. He has applied these skills in diverse industries including agriculture, banking, and energy. Regardless of the industry, Jon believes it is the use of strategic thinking skills before, during and after the strategy development process that vaults an organization to the next level. He has successfully launched and managed a variety of small manufacturing and service businesses.

He founded VPI Strategies in 1999 after leaving his position as strategic planner at San Diego Gas and Electric. In addition to addressing energy issues there, Mr. Vencil analyzed, evaluated, and designed strategies for, many non-market products and services. He served as research coordinator for the marketing department and held a variety of senior level analytical and operational positions. During the 1980's, Mr. Vencil served as senior statistical and money supply analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. During that time of turbulent financial deregulation he designed and developed statistical tests to profile peer institutions and identify potential financial problems. He has authored and published articles on topics related to strategy, marketing, and evaluation. He also serves on the board of trustees for the Federal Employees Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit entity. Jon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from San Francisco State University. He earned his Master of Science degree in Applied Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

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Bette Huntalas is a collaborative associate with VPI Strategies where she specializes in performance support. Her expertise is in organizational change/renewal, team development, and visioning. Bette has worked with organizations for the last 10 years consulting, coaching, and training. She has assisted clients in designing and leading organizational change to develop high energy, high performance workplaces. As a coach and trainer, she supports leaders, groups, and organizations in managing their own transformation and renewal. As a facilitator, Bette guides teams in creatively addressing challenges from visioning through implementing innovative solutions.

Bette gained her expertise through diverse work, consulting, and entrepreneurial experience in both corporate and nonprofit organizations. In the 1990s, she worked in the high technology industry where she was involved in a dynamic environment of both explosive growth and downswing. As a manager at a software company, she led teams and coordinated fast-paced projects during large-scale organizational change in response to industry, technology, and leadership shifts. In the nonprofit arena, she co-designed and managed an innovative volunteer consulting program that partnered nonprofit executives with retired corporate executives. Bette created and supported these unique year long partnerships that assisted nonprofits in more effectively fulfilling their organization's mission and goals. Bette has worked with a cross-section of groups, including CEOs, management teams, administrative, technical, and creative staff. She is skilled at helping diverse individuals find ways to work together more effectively through facilitating group sessions, one-on-one coaching, skill-building trainings, and experiential learning events. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Whole Systems Design through the Organization Systems Renewal program at Antioch University in Seattle, Washington. She also holds a Diploma in Systems Renewal Consultation from Organization Systems Renewal Northwest. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Design and Merchandising from The American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles, summa cum laude.

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