Meet Our Team
CTR’s network of instructors, designers, and facilitators are all highly qualified and come from diverse industries and backgrounds. We work with you to develop a personalized program delivered by trainers and coaches that are the best fit for your audience.
Melissa Christenson
President and Founder
Melissa has over 30 years of experience in training and organizational development encompassing needs assessment, curriculum design and development, program delivery, coaching, evaluation, and post assessment. Melissa received both her Master of Education in Organizational Development and Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has been a speaker at the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) and the Society for Human Resources Management international conferences. She has also served as part of the New England Human Resources Association’s (NEHRA) faculty delivering sessions on Enhancing Executive Presence for the Leadership Level Human Resources and the Executive Development for Female HR Leaders series. In addition, she has received three National Telly Awards for her video-based learning programs. Prior to founding CTR, Melissa was the Worldwide Training Manager at Reebok International, LTD.
Sharon Currier
Sharon Currier is the lead trainer for CTR’s interviewing, sexual harassment prevention, time management, and leadership development programs, and one of the trainers for our presentation programs. She has over 25 years of experience as a senior executive. Sharon has partnered and consulted with a wide variety of organizations to offer a unique mix of HR, organizational development, strategic planning, leadership assessment, coaching, and training. She has an advanced certification in corporate coaching and is certified with the Hogan Leadership tool. Sharon has worked in a variety of industries, from start-ups to Fortune 100.
Juliann Decker
Juliann Decker is one of the lead trainers for CTR’s management and presentation programs. She has been sharing her creative, energetic approach to training and development for over 20 years. Juliann received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her Master of Science degree in Training and Development from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She most recently returned from a trip to China, where she was a “guest judge” at Peking University, providing feedback and coaching to the MBA students during their final presentation assignments. Juliann was the past-president of Talk of the Town Toastmasters in Newton, Massachusetts. Before joining CTR, Juliann oversaw the management development program at Monster.com.
Gina Lucente-Cole
Gina Lucente-Cole has more than 20 years of experience in project and team leadership, directing multiple departments in complex organizations. She specializes in helping organizations increase results and performance through her expertise in organizational development, team facilitation, management and leadership development, interpersonal skills training, emotional intelligence, and performance consulting. She is especially passionate about helping individuals learn how to manage their time and priorities. Gina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Bentley University and a Master of Science degree in Training and Development from Lesley University.
Heidi Parenti
Heidi Parenti is the lead trainer for CTR’s business writing programs. Clients rave about Heidi’s ability to make the learning and content fun, engaging, and relevant. They also appreciate how she provides practical techniques that can be used for all types of business writing. In addition to teaching our corporate clients how to write more effectively, Heidi also has over 20 years of experience teaching English at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in German with a concentration in Business from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science for Teachers in English from the University of New Hampshire. She is also currently working toward her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Administration at Southern New Hampshire University.