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She is a dynamic speaker, trainer, facilitator, coach, and organization consultant known for her creative approach to organizational learning and development. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Community Organization, graduate certifications in Organizational Psychology and Training/Human Resource Development, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Theater Arts, and is a Certified Somatic Coach. She specializes in leadership development, teambuilding, communication skills, strategic planning, and creative decision-making techniques that help people and organizations move forward by leaps and bounds. Ms. Schy also serves as a faculty member at City College of San Francisco Contract Education, Sacramento State College of Continuing Education, and the American Management Association.

Yael Schy has over 20 years of experience as a manager, and has spent more than 30 years as a performer and teacher in theater and dance. She brings a unique perspective by incorporating her improvisational theater and dance experience into active communication skills training and teambuilding in the workplace. Her unique Teamwork Tango® workshop, which teaches leadership and teambuilding skills through the metaphor of partner dancing, has been presented at a number of professional conferences and organizations in the United States and abroad.

In addition, Ms. Schy utilizes her many years of experience in building community coalitions as a model for helping organizations build inter-departmental alliances and foster collaboration. She has a demonstrated track record in assessing communication needs of both individuals and organizations and in developing innovative strategies that meet personal and business goals.

She is the co-author of Teamwork Tools (Kagan Publishing, 2008)

2001-Present            Founded an independent consulting business:

Training/HR Development: Deliver training programs and workshops for various client organizations, resulting in high participant satisfaction, achievement of learning objectives, and an increase in participants’ on-the-job skills; coordinate Professional Development training programs for ASTD Golden Gate Chapter; develop and implement community education training programs and materials on topics including health policy, welfare reform, and assessing community child care needs.

Organizational Development: Manage assessments for various client organizations, including conducting individual and group interviews, facilitating participant feedback meetings, executive coaching, and implementing change intervention measures, resulting in enhanced communication among management, line staff, board members, and volunteers.

2006-Present            Facilitator, Sacramento State College of Continuing Education

2005-Present            Trainer-Faculty Member, American Management Association

2005-Present            Trainer, City College of San Francisco Contract Education

1999-2001                Assistant Director, Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay

1998-1999                Project Director, California Medical Association Foundation

1996-1998                Legislative Researcher, The State Bar Of California

1993-1995                Director, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

1992-1993                Policy Associate, Mental Health Policy Resource Center

1990-1992                Director of Social Policy, League of Women Voter Education Funds

1988-1990                Grants Coordinator, Jewish Federation Of Greater Washington

1982-1987                Community Relations Associate, Jewish Council of Greater Los Angeles

1981-1982                Group Therapist, Westside Center for Independent Living

"Yael’s Teamwork Tango® workshop yields powerful and unexpected insights into teamwork and leadership. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to work in a different, an almost visceral way."

- Patty Caplan, Consultant, Freed & Associates

"I was particularly impressed with Yael’s ability to discover the key issues facing our organization in order to create a more meaningful training experience for our managers. I also appreciated her suggestions to help improve the effectiveness of our organization that were beyond the scope of the training project."

- Bill Huffaker, Director of Human Resources, Cerus Corporation

"Thank you for the exceptional Conflict Resolution program that you facilitated for our staff. The class was well organized and paced with exercises that reinforced the content and engaged each of the participants. I felt that not only were our organizational goals achieved but also the individual needs of the leadership attendees. The feedback from the participants has been excellent and they are appreciative of their new found awareness and empowerment.”

- Donna Feingold, Executive Director, Toolworks

"Yael is a very effective facilitator. She encourages interaction and sets boundaries for the group in a non-threatening manner. I like the way she structured communication for our group brainstorming session. We learned a new technique and were able to engender many ideas from the group."

- Sheri Betts, Principal, Maximum Impact

"Yael's Creative Thinking workshop is the equivalent of a trip to a toy store or magic shop. The workshop was enlightening, using lots of interesting and fun techniques to look at and play with. For someone who needs to rely on the creative genius of others (and how many among us don't?), this workshop is well worth attending. you'll find at least several ideas you want to wrap up, take home and use the next day."

- Deb Colden, Executive Coach and Strategy Consultant

"Yael Schy’s facilitation course helps develop the essential attitudes and skills for running successful—efficient and productive—meetings. From establishing ground rules to dealing with disruptive participants, Schy covers both the basics and the finer points of effective facilitation."

- David Lorey, Encore!Consulting

"A BIG thank you for your Teamwork Tango® workshop. I appreciated learning more about leading and following! You have such a great presentation style. Your personal presence, along with the activities, made for a fun and engaging workshop. If only learning could have been this much fun in school!"

- Susan Thaxton, Project Manager

"You were an excellent presenter, responsive to student needs, interactive, positive, energetic and knowledgeable. I have learned and practiced a lot today. The practical exercises were most helpful, and the positive energy and feedback was great!"

- Mandi Billinge, Executive Director / Founder, Kids for the Bay

"This class was wonderful. You were organized, clear, and engaging. Feedback was constructive, and you managed to let people focus on their strengths while being aware of areas where change would be good. Lots of helpful hints made things transparent and accessible."

- Nicola Curtin, Volunteer Coordinator, Shanti

"Yael's Teamwork Tango® workshop gave me learning I could use immediately in settings from one-on-one to large groups. She knows the theory about leadership, but it's her experience of leading and following on the dance floor that let me learn new skills from the inside out, integrating them in my bodily awareness even before I "understood" them intellectually. This is one workshop that will stick with me, making me more effective in my work and my personal life."

- Deborah Gavrin Frangquist, Career Consultant and Life Coach

"Ms. Schy made a large number of valuable and important contributions to the work of our organization. She drew upon her strong intellectual and analytical skills, coupled with her fine written and verbal communication abilities, to identify problems, craft meaningful solutions and implement them in a timely and effective manner."

- Ami Nahshon, Executive Vice President and CEO, Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay