Executive Coaching Team

Lawson Magruder - Founder and Managing Member of LWM III Consulting LLC, Lawson has been coaching professionals, mentoring leaders and building highly effective teams for more than four decades. He led soldiers in combat in Vietnam and Somalia and as a general officer he commanded three large Army organizations to include the historic 10th Mountain Division. Retiring as a Lieutenant General after 32 years of service, he transitioned into the corporate and academic cultures building enduring research partnerships in the homeland security arena, publicly sharing his leadership journey at seminars and conferences, serving as an executive coach for leaders in the federal and private sectors, and a senior mentor for Army leaders and units. Among his numerous awards, he is a member of the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame. He has been married to Gloria for over 42 years and they are blessed to have three children and three grandchildren.

Contact Lawson - Full Bio
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Byrd Baggett - Byrd Baggett is a best-selling author and popular motivational speaker. He has been helping organizations develop authentic leaders and passionately engaged teams since 1990. His corporate experience includes sales and management careers with two Fortune 500 companies. He is a Member of LWM III Consulting LLC and the creator of the True Growth brand. Byrd is the author of 15 best-selling books that have sold in excess of one million copies. A former All American sprinter at the University of Texas at Austin, Byrd is also a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the highest earned designation presented by the National Speakers Association.

Contact Byrd - Visit his website at ByrdBaggett.com

Freddy McFarren - Freddy McFarren served in the United States Army for over 37 years and retired as a Lieutenant General. The majority of his military career was spent leading/coaching soldiers at all levels and serving in operational/ training positions. His key assignments included commanding the Fifth US Army, the 24th Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Kansas. He was also the Commandant of Cadets at West Point as well as serving two assignments in the Pentagon. Over 12 years were spent as a paratrooper with the XVIII Airborne Corps and 82d Airborne Division. His combat experience included Vietnam, Grenada, and the First Gulf War. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and has a master's degree in counseling from Duke University. Since retiring he has served as a senior mentor for military exercises and classroom seminars.

Raymond D. Barrett - Ray Barrett spent 32 years in the Army as an Infantry officer leading numerous organizations from the Lieutenant to Major General level. He commanded a battalion in the 24th Infantry Division during Desert Storm, a brigade along the DMZ in Korea, and the Army's largest training center at Fort Jackson, SC. Before retiring from the military he served as the operations and training officer for TRADOC where he was responsible for the Army's institutional training, schooling, and leadership development. After his military service, Ray entered the private sector serving in executive positions responsible for strategic planning, corporate leadership development, and personal coaching. He is a founding trustee of the Command and General Staff College Foundation and served as its Vice Chairman. He left the corporate sector to organize and stand up a non-profit research center, the Col. Arthur D. Simons Center for the Study of Interagency Cooperation, where serves as its Chief Operating Officer. He is a graduate of the University of Texas, has two Master's degrees, and is a member of the inaugural class of the Army's School of Advanced Military Studies.

Vinny Boles - Vinny Boles is the President of Vincent E. Boles Inc, a Leadership and Logistics consulting practice in Huntsville, Alabama, founded in 2010 after completion of over 33 years of service to the Nation. He held leadership positions at every rank through Major General in our Army to include 5 consecutive years of service as a Commanding General after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. As the Army's Deputy Chief of staff for Ammunition, he was responsible for the nations' $27 Billion ammunition account and oversaw the ammunition life cycle process from cradle to grave. He culminated his service as the Army's Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4 in the Pentagon. A member of the National Speakers Association, he has presented to professional associations and companies throughout the world. In addition to his speaking and consulting, Vinny is an adjunct professor of Logistics at the Defense Acquisition University. He holds an MBA from Babson College and BA in History from Niagara University. In 2011 he was inducted into the Niagara University ROTC Hall of Fame and the US Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame.

Byron Bagby - Byron Bagby served in the U.S. Army for 33 years and retired as a Major General. A majority of his career was spent leading and training Army, Joint and Multinational organizations. Having filled leadership positions at all levels, he has served in five of the Army's ten divisions and has over 11 years assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps units. He has served as Commandant of Joint Forces Staff College, Chief of Staff of U.S. Army, Europe and two tours in the Pentagon. He has combat experience from Grenada and Afghanistan. He earned a masters degree in education from UNC at Chapel Hill and a BA in Economics from Westminster College. He is a 2011 Westminster College Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award recipient. He is co-founder of BMB Solutions LLC, a consulting company focused on leadership development and strategic planning.

Paul Wentz - Paul Wentz served in the U.S. Army for 31years, retiring as a Brigadier General. He spent the majority of his career coaching, mentoring and inspiring soldiers and their leaders at all levels. His key assignments include commanding the First Infantry Division’s 701st Main Support Battalion and Division Support Command (DISCOM), as well as III Corps' 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC). He commanded both the DISCOM and the 13th ESC in combat. As the Commanding General of the 13th ESC deployed to Iraq in 2009, he led over 20,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Civilians in spearheading the largest drawdown of forces and equipment since the Vietnam War. He is a 1980 graduate of the United States Military Academy.

Frank Cox - Frank Cox, Colonel, US Army Retired, has been a military and business leader for over 40 years. He has developed military leaders and business managers, has managed complex and highly effective teams, and has been a successful staff advisor for national leaders. He has developed military leaders and business managers, has managed complex and highly effective teams, and has been a successful staff advisor for national leaders. He led soldiers in four divisions serving in Vietnam, Germany and numerous posts, and commanded up to brigade-level. Frank became a marketing manager and business developer for a world-class research & development company and interfaced effectively with government and private companies, and grew revenues from $200M to $1B in 12 years. His legacy has been training and developing motivated successors and effective leaders. He is a distinguished member of the Chemical Corps Regimental Hall of Fame.

Teddy Harman - Teddy Harman, Command Sergeant Major, US Army Retired, has been coaching and mentoring professional leaders and building highly effective professional teams for more than four decades. He served as a Command Sergeant Major at Battalion, Brigade, Division, and Army Level. He was the 10th Mountain Division CSM and the Fifth US Army CSM before retiring with over 35 years of service. Led soldiers in Viet Nam, Haiti, Iraq and Bosnia. Since retirement he has been a member of the US Army 360 Degree Coaching and Mentoring Program. Served as a member of the Multi-Source Assessment and Feedback Program, coached and mentored numerous Leaders and units at Brigade through Division levels. Performed Individual coaching as well as coaching and mentoring Command Teams.

Bob Dare - Bob Dare served 28 years in the United States Army. He held every noncommissioned officer leadership position culminating with his last three assignments as Command Sergeant Major for the 25th Infantry Division, United States Army Pacific Command and United States Army Forces Command. Since his retirement, Bob has continued leading in the corporate sector. He has been the Vice President of Global Sales for two training and simulation companies. He is currently the President of Dare Consulting, LLC. Bob occasionally serves as a senior mentor for the Pre-Command and Command Sergeant Major Development Program.

Glen "Coach" Sefcik - Glen Sefcik is currently Associate Director for Academic Affairs for the University of Phoenix-Louisiana Campus. He is a former, international track & field coach and National Chairman for the U.S. Track & Field Association's Coaching Education Program. He served as a delegate for the International Olympic Academy for the United States Olympic Committee. Glen is a certified Corporate Coach for two leadership corporations. His strengths include marketing savvy, business-to-business networking skills, presentation and persuasion skills, and a track record for bringing innovative ideas to the table.

Mike Poston - Mike Poston has over 36 years of industry experience. He worked for a major international mining company where he gained valuable experience in the areas of human resources and sales. He joined State Farm Insurance in 1985 as a State Farm Agent. After demonstrating the ability to successfully manage and grow his Agency, he accepted a leadership role within the company. He held various leadership positions and retired in January, 2010 as an Agency Vice President. He has mentored many State Farm Executives. One of Mike's challenges to leaders is, "Don't let good get in the way of better."

Larry Cole - Larry Cole, Ph.D., created the TeamMax® methodology that measures behavior change in "real-time." His methodologies drive behavior change and answer the question, "does classroom training result in a behavior change?" His consulting success over the past two decades is based on the philosophy that systems drive behavior change. He authored the 7-Step Personal Change Process™ that systemically improves individual performance and organizational change. He has published four books and over fifty articles. He champions the concept that frustration is your best friend™.

Contact Larry - Visit his website at TeamMax.net - Full Bio
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Lois Creamer - Lois Creamer runs Book More Business, a consulting practice working with professional speakers, and Fast Forward Selling, a speaking and consulting practice working with organizations that want to fast forward their selling skills. She started her speaking and consulting business after a successful career working in sales and marketing for a Fortune 10 company -- United States Steel Corporation. Lois' consulting practice has many top-notch professional speakers as clients. These entrepreneurs sought out Lois' advice and experience to help them grow their speaking practices. Jack Canfield of "Chicken Soup" fame is one of her clients and included her work on positioning in his new workbook, Success Principles. Another is syndicated columnist, Jeffrey Gitomer as well as True Growth Academy's own Byrd Baggett!

Her expertise in selling, positioning and branding led her to be called upon to participate in programs for businesses including her own trade organization, the National Speakers Association. In fact, NSA has asked her to present at six of its own national conventions as well as sending her to present to member chapters in the United States and Canada. She has twice been named faculty at the International Center of Professional Speaking in Tempe, Arizona, presenting on sales and marketing.

Jim Hardin - Jim Hardin is an accomplished executive sales, marketing, human resources and employee relations professional with 40 years experience in large, medium and small corporations (Sears, Mary Kay, Dr Pepper, BeautiControl and AmeriPlan). He has 10 years of international experience in Canadian markets focusing on sales growth and leadership development. He is an accomplished Master of Ceremonies and a seasoned public speaker. He retired from AmeriPlan in January 2010 as Vice President of Sales. Jim also volunteers as a speaker for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Sally DeStefano - Sally DeStefano is a Dallas, Texas organization consultant and executive coach who helps people and organizations to discover, plan, and implement steps that ignite the best within them. A former Fortune 500 senior executive, over her 42 year career Sally has provided professional services for telecommunications, government contracting, high technology, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, retail, hospitality, higher education, aeromotive and motorsports parts distribution, custom clothing design and dry cleaning organizations and people. She has been President and CEO of two start-ups and has served as a board director for a third. She is founder and managing member of Perspectagon, LLC. Sally is a public speaker and author who brings a sense of humor and balance to business and personal challenges. She holds a MBA in human resource management, is certified as a professional coach by the College of Executive Coaching and is a certified Birkman International consultant. She has facilitated career transition activities for Right Management and taught college level English composition and speech. She has lived in Greenland, Panama, and Labrador and conducted business globally.

Dave Force - One of the nation's most successful and innovative behaviorists, for 34 years he assisted with the development of training techniques for SeaWorld that led to hundreds of thousands of performances, animal/guest interactions and scientific discoveries. His work directing the activities of dozens of trainers, curators, veterinarians and biologists is unparalleled for its longevity and contributions to our understanding of marine mammals and their ocean habitats. Beyond that his ground breaking educational and camp programs have launched the careers of thousands of young people in marine science, environmental studies and education. An advocate for the simple idea that building positive relationships is the foundation of success in school, business and families Dave has delivered his message to 10's of 1,000's of people in talks around the nation.