Susan Otto
Susan Gamel Otto is the founder and president of Balancing: An Act Towards Progress.
 Susan’s emphasis is on design, development, and documentation. Her niche is creating Instructor and Participant Guides, which internal trainers and non-trainers use to facilitate the training. She believes in making the training experience interactive, and as such, more meaningful for participants. Susan creates the training to reflect her clients’ business as well as to meet their corporate, department, and/or training objectives.
Susan enhances the design and delivery of the curricula by adding and/or recommending assessments and adjunct materials that other companies have undertaken extensive research to create, such as Inscape Publishing and Human Synergistics.
In 2004, Susan created Training-Modules.com, LLC to offer her products and services online.
Susan creates a partnership with her clients to achieve their desired outcomes – creating an act towards progress!
Education
Susan holds a:
- Masters degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Xavier University. She has completed 15 hours above her Masters degree to be certified as a principal in Kentucky and Ohio.
- Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Northern Kentucky University.
Certifications
Susan is certified in:
- DDI (Development Dimensions Intl.).
- Achieve Global (formerly Zenger Miller).
- Forum’s Influence seminar.
- Elementary Education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Organizations and Associations
Susan is:
- A former board member and remains active with the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (www.NASAGA.org).
- An active member of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (www.GCASTD.org ), where she actively participates in the GCASTD Consultants Forum to partner with and/or refer other consultants to meet her clients’ needs if those needs are outside the scope of the services she provides.
Previous Work Experience
Senior Instructional Designer and Instructor for Convergys (formerly Cincinnati Bell Information Systems or CBIS) in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she:
- Administered and delivered the Leadership and Managers Seminars requiring: the management of partnerships with vendors to ensure cost savings and operation within a $600,000 budget, excellent leadership and organizational skills to identify and minimize potential problems and streamline efficiencies, collaboration among facilitators for consistently high-quality deliveries, and constant need for attention to detail, flexibility, and crisis management.
- Provided project management of the Leadership Seminar which involved needs analysis, formal vendor selection, extensive revision of vendor course to include computer simulation and company-specific content, roll out of pilot, additional revisions, facilities selection and contract negotiation, and facilitator selection and development. More than 300 managers attended 13 sessions of the 3-day program with 100% participant satisfaction rating on evaluations.
- Acted as team leader for 30 facilitators in eight teams in the initial roll out of the Managers Seminar, ensured the transparent transition of three Corporate Sponsors, and refined participant and facilitator materials. 638 managers attended 26 sessions of the 5-day program with a 98% participant satisfaction rating on evaluations.
- Assisted in the project management of Cincinnati Bell Telephone’s Sales, Service, and Billing System (SSABS) requiring the management of a 7-person team responsible for the documentation and training of the system, assistance in the functional requirements analysis, and liaison between Cincinnati Bell Telephone and Convergys.
- Assisted in the development and implementation of management and leadership curricula, requiring facilitation of Achieve Global's (formerly Zenger Miller) Frontline Leadership, Development Dimensions International's Service Plus, International Writing Institute's Put It In Writing, and Convergys' Quality Improvement Process Facilitation; observation and consultation to develop and design courses; and revisions of courses.
Instructional Technologist and Course Writer/Developer for AT&T in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she:
- Observed, coached, and evaluated instructors in delivery skills and instructional strategies during instructor certification, which she helped to define and create.
- Evaluated and facilitated evaluation of course effectiveness, instructional design, and delivery mode.
- Conducted research studies to better meet the clients' needs.
- Authored and edited two computer-based training courses and researched interactive videodisc.
Principal for Bishop Howard Catholic School (BHCS) in Covington, Kentucky, where she:
- Observed, coached, and evaluated teachers in instruction and planning.
- Coordinated and managed class schedules and testing.
- Recruited, selected, and evaluated personnel and implemented professional development.
- Was interviewed for newspaper articles and cable television programs.
- Presented at school and community functions.
- Helped maintain and promote a positive environment given diverse socio-economic, racial, and religious backgrounds.
- Was responsible for the budget as a part of the church’s finances.
- Advised and reported to BHCS's School Board and the Diocesan Central Office.
- Prepared reports and material for BHCS's first state accreditation and other state documents.
- Developed, wrote, and revised the philosophy, goals, objectives, newsletters, and student-parent and teacher handbooks for BHCS per the School Board.
Teacher and coach for Twenhofel Junior High School in Independence, Kentucky, where she:
- Taught eighth grade math and science.
- Assisted in writing and revising Kenton County's seventh and eighth grade curriculum and selecting textbooks.
- Coached and supported junior high volleyball, cheerleading, and softball.
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