Key Leadership

Dr. Maribeth Hearn serves as the CEO. She is the career readiness expert for Vocational Strategy, Inc. Dedicated to helping people discover their vocation, and then thrive in the workplace, she provides a customized, client-centered approach to finding purposeful, meaningful work. In addition, her 20 years of award-winning business leadership, and 10+ years as an adjunct professor, have equipped Hearn as a strategic thinker and effective leader. Her educational background includes an MBA, an earned Doctorate, as well as Certifications as a Gallup Strengths Coach, DDI Facilitator and Strong Interest Inventory Practitioner. Her doctoral research focused on employee engagement. Hearn is the past president of the College Career Consortium of Illinois and a member of several nonprofit boards.

Steve is a seasoned executive business leader who boasts over two decades of experience in higher education and corporate training. He has garnered numerous commendations from clients for his exceptional skills as a strategic planner and trainer. Steve’s expertise in curriculum and instruction, along with his in-depth knowledge of accreditation and policy alignment, has enabled him to excel in teaching both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professionals in corporate, non-profit, and civic organizations.

Steve’s academic background is well-suited to his current pursuits. He holds an undergraduate degree in Architecture and a graduate degree in Human-Computer Interaction, positioning him to apply design thinking to the development of business strategy, innovative process development, and educational programming. In addition, his doctoral research centered on the timing implications of college readiness skill development.

Whether he is engaged in writing a self-study, creating an assessment plan, leading a board retreat, or facilitating a corporate meditation session, Steve’s unwavering focus is on building efficiencies and scaling operations to meet the most demanding objectives. His personal mission is to enhance the learning experience at all levels, from K12 to college and career, and to guide others toward achieving their own paths to success.