Townsend Institute Podcast Series

Listen in this week as Ashlie and Gilbert talk with long-time friend Dr. Mary Scott about her highly diverse experiences in leadership. Starting by serving up through the ranks from basketball coach to provost right here at our very own Concordia University Irvine, to across the globe as Head of School at Concordia International School Shanghai, and then back again to Orange County as Chief Execut...

Listen in as Ashlie and Gilbert talk with Dr. Heather Vezner about the blessings and challenges she has encountered in her leadership role as Dean of the School of Education at Concordia University Irvine. Dr. Vezner shares many sage words of advice, including about giving yourself grace as you grow into a role, the tremendous leadership strength in being true to yourself, and the value of mentors...

Listen in as Ashley and Gilbert talk with Dr. Eugene Kim about AI and its potential to allow education to regain its humanness. How is it possible for AI to bring about greater humanness for educators? Listen to find out! About Dr. Kim Dr. Eugene P. Kim started at Concordia University Irvine in 2007 as Dean of Asia Programs responsible for the strategic planning of the university's Asia strate...

In this final Olympics-themed episode, Ashlie and Gilbert talk with Professional Clinical Counselor, Mental Performance Consultant, and Townsend Institute alum Kaila Predney about working with athletes at all levels of sports. Kaila shares some of how she uses integrative and cognitive behavioral approaches to serve the unique pressures and circumstances that athletes face. About Kaila Predney: Ka...

Join us for another Olympic episode as we chat with three-time Olympian and CUI Women's Volleyball Coach Paula Weishoff! Weishoff is the all-time winningest coach in CUI Women's Volleyball with an all-time record of 286-127. She first served as CUI head coach from 2004-2008 and returned to Concordia in 2015 after serving as the head coach at UC Irvine for six seasons. She guided CUI to the...

In this, the second of our Olympic-themed episodes, Ashlie and Gilbert interview Mark Francis, Sports Business professor, consultant and speaker with decades of experience in the sports and entertainment industries. The Olympics are not just one of the largest sporting events in the world, but also an entertainment spectacle viewed by millions around the world. Mark provides insights into the time...

On this special Olympic-themed episode of the podcast, 3-time Olympic cyclist Amber Neben shares how her strong faith in God and resilience has helped sustain her long and decorated career. While Neben is still competing to this day, she is also looking ahead at future projects to help influence younger generations in a positive way. Listen in as Neben shares about both the triumphs and challenges...

Townsend Institute fellow and friend of Concordia Irvine Cindy Steinbeck joins us on today’s podcast to share insights from her latest book,  Father’s Vineyard . Steinbeck served as a Director of Christian Education (DCE) for over a decade before moving back to the family farm to assume the role as owner-president of  Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery  in Paso Robles, California. Through activities...

In this special fathers-day themed episode, listen in as Dr. Scott Keith shares his insights on the importance of family relationships - especially fatherhood - and its “beautiful depiction of our Heavenly Father in juxtaposition to our modern culture.” Keith is the Executive Director of 1517, a nonprofit organization that “exists to declare and defend the Good News that you are forgiven and free...

TIPS is turning ONE! Join Ashlie and Gilbert as they talk with Dr. Townsend about what it means to have been doing TIPS for a year and, more importantly, the value of recognizing milestones and taking mental snapshots to commemorate them. ------- The Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine offers fully accredited online graduate degrees and professional certificates in three content area...

Join us for yet another special episode recorded LIVE at the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) conference in Nashville where we sat down with Dr. Johnny Parker, Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant, and bestselling author. Listen along as Gilbert and Dr. Townsend chat with Dr. Parker about leadership, stories, and how to achieve success in life by writing your own story one day...

Dr. Ashlie Andrew is an Associate Professor at Concordia University Irvine. She currently serves as program director for the Townsend Institute's Organizational Leadership program, as well as Director of Engagement for the Institute. She earned her Bachelors and Master's Degrees from California State University, Long Beach and her PhD from Regent University in Virginia. Her research intere...

Join Ashlie and Gilbert as they chat with Jonathan Reitz, an International Coaching Federation Master Certified Coach. He shares his story of how he changed careers from radio and broadcast television to instead pursue a surprising and sudden desire to be an executive and team coach. Jonathan also walks us through how different approaches are needed in team coaching versus one-on-one coaching, inc...

Join us for another special episode recorded LIVE at the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) conference in Nashville. We sat down with Townsend Institute Fellow Dr. Curt Thompson to talk about his new book The Deepest Place and the connections between suffering, hope, perseverance, and community. Website: CurtThompsonMD.com Book: The Deepest Place About Curt: Inspired by deep compa...

Patti Cotton, Founder and CEO of Cotton Group, LLC, is a sought-after leader and strategist whose background includes more than 25 years of multi-cultural leadership experience around the globe, in the areas of diplomatic relations, philanthropy, public relations, and communications. Through her signature 360˚Leadership brand, Patti works with executives, business owners, and other chief decision-...

Pernille Spiers-Lopez is a Global Director and serves on both corporate and non-profit boards. She is also the co-founder with her daughter of Good Life Designed. She serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including Save The Children International.  Pernille was with IKEA for 21 years. Among several top executive positions, Pernille held the position as CEO & President for I...

We welcome Lauren and Michael McAfee onto TIPS to talk about the life experiences and resulting wisdom that led to their new book, Beyond Our Control : Let Go of Unmet Expectations, Overcome Anxiety, and Discover Intimacy with God . From the book jacket: "Lauren and Michael show us how trusting God brings greater contentment than the illusion of control. With deep and abiding faith, the McAfe...

Join us for this special episode recorded LIVE at the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) conference in Nashville where we had the opportunity to sit down with keynote speaker Bob Goff for a fantastic conversation about the value of being present, intentional, and undistracted. Who is Bob Goff? The following is from BobGoff.com : After practicing law for 25 years, then becoming the...

Dr. Donna Washburn is a 1998 graduate of Evangel University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She went on to receive her master’s degree in Social Work from Missouri State University in 1999 and her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University in 2015. Her professional experience includes working with the adolescent population in areas such as school social work and as...

Join us as we talk with Jon Kidwell, the founder and leader of Leadwell, a leadership development company. For 20 years Jon has served in leadership roles in private companies and nonprofits, large and small, ranging in focus from local issues to global impact. Jon talks with us about the idea of servant leadership, how servant leadership can be misunderstood, and gives us a peek into the content...

Dr. John Townsend drops by TIPS for our first podcast of 2024 to talk New Year's Resolutions! He shares why they're such a big thing for people, the risks and rewards of setting them, and how to set yourself up for success with your New Year's Resolutions (hint: it involves other people and the Relational Nutrients they can provide). He also shares his own big goal for 2024. Start 2024...

Maureen Price is the Executive Director of GrowthSkills Foundation (GSF). She started (GSF) a non- profit, in 2017. GSF conducts 3 unique 5-day intensive workshops, Ultimate Leadership, the One Week Intensive for Counselors and Empower Now. These powerfully effective events were created during her time as Executive Director of Cloud-Townsend Resources (CTR) shortly after she joined in 1997. Mauree...

Rev. Steve Zank serves as the Director of the Center for Worship Leadership and the Director of Parish Music Program at Concordia University Irvine, where he hosts the worship-focused podcast "Theology in Motion." Steve also enjoys his work as a teacher, musician, music producer, and PhD student. Visit the Center for Worship Leadership to find out more about Steve and The Songwriter Init...

Clint Malarchuk, a native of Grande Prairie, Alberta played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League. He went on to play in the NHL for the Quebec Nordiques, the Washington Capitals, and the Buffalo Sabres, and in the IHL for the Las Vegas Thunder. Malarchuk survived a life-threatening injury during a 1989 NHL game when a player's skate made contact with his neck, slicing his jugular vein ca...

In this episode, Dr. John Townsend walks us through The Funnel, a structure he has developed to help explain the building blocks that make organizations work. Follow along with this PDF diagram of The Funnel as you listen to Dr. Townsend elaborate on each aspect of The Funnel and how they work together to drive healthy, high-performing organizations. The Townsend Institute at Concordia University...