Meet Our Most Recent CMs

Last Month saw the addition of three new Certified Masters to The Leadership Challenge Community.

Hazel Gachunga began her TLC learning journey in 2019 after attending a TLC Workshop in McKinney, Texas. She has since worked consistently towards completion of the program with other Certified Masters including Renee Harness, Steve Skarke, Tawnya Mitchell, Helen Doerfler, Denise McDonald, and Michael Curtis.  She has also worked closely with CMIT John Fraser during their CMIT Journey.

Hazel graduated from the 2021 Advanced Facilitator Training and returned as an Ambassador in 2024.  Hazel is an esteemed professor at the University of Sheffield where she has gained extensive leadership experience conducting wide-spread research and publishing in the areas of organizational change, performance management, work-life balance, organizational justice, organizational commitment, organizational politics and leadership from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.  She has facilitated TLC content in numerous organizations ranging from Strathmore School of Business, Malawi Revenue Authority, AIC Kijabe Hospital, Resolution Insurance, Pwani Oil Company, and Micro Enterprise Support Program Trust, among others.

Hazel is married and has one adult son and two adult daughters. She also has one granddaughter that she adores. Hazel is a continuous learner and loves reading, sewing, and embroidery.

 

Felix Yerace started his journey in 2022, and has worked towards completion of the CM program with other Certified Masters including Denise McDonald, Helen Doerfler, Tom Lynch, and Michael Curtis.

Felix is a graduate of the 2023 Advanced Facilitator Training and returned as an Ambassador in 2024.  He has experience working with nonprofit organizations and in youth leadership organizations. Felix serves as the Education and Engagement Coordinator for the National Association for Student Activities and as the Assistant Executive Director and Advanced Summer Leadership Camp Codirector for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils. As a Student Council Advisor, he has helped students raise over one million dollars for charitable causes, served on the NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee, and served as the host advisor for the 2019 National Student Council Conference. At his school, Felix worked with the University of Pittsburgh to create the first College in High School (CHS) leadership course in Pennsylvania. He is also a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Servant-Leadership.

Felix is a lifelong learner and holds several degrees; Education (Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania), Public Management (Carnegie Mellon University), Applied Positive Psychology (the University of Pennsylvania), and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. He is passionate about combining leadership and positive psychology to help people of all ages flourish.

 

Matt Luth began his TLC learning journey in 2021 after attending a TLC Workshop. He has since worked consistently towards completion of the program with other Certified Masters including Denise McDonald, Helen Doerfler, Tom Lynch, and Michael Curtis.

Matt graduated from the 2023 Advanced Facilitator Training and returned as an Ambassador in 2024. Matt holds a BS in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska and a PhD in Management from the University of Kansas.

When Dr. Luth is not expanding minds as a Professor at Valparaiso University, Matt serves as the CFO of Pay it Forward Valpo, a non-profit where he, his wife, Jessica, and two sons, Jack and Sam, serve single parents in Northwest Indiana.

Please join us in welcoming all three of these newly recognized Certified Masters to our community!