Our team members all have extensive experience as leaders in customer service for higher education. We are very proud of their accomplishments in the field, leading critical projects and programs on their campuses that improve the student experience. They share our passion for how powerful service excellence can be on your campus.
Justin Thibault
Justin Thibault, Senior Trainer for SLC, combines his higher education experience with his knowledge of SLC techniques, earned in 2014 through SLC’s first Service Excellence certification training workshop in Denver. Currently Director of Citizen Services for the City of Gatineau in Quebec, Canada, Justin works on multiple strategic initiatives to improve the citizen experience with a wide range of city services. Justin began his career as Coordinator for Service Excellence, then Student Services Manager at the University of Ottawa, working on areas from recruitment to retention to alumni relations, focusing on innovative ways to communicate more effectively at all points in the student journey. Justin also worked in the US as Project Manager for Service Excellence at California State University Long Beach, where his student success responsibilities ranged from training staff in partnering more effectively with students to team planning the renovation of new student service spaces. A skilled facilitator and motivational change agent, Justin has collaborated with colleges and universities throughout the US and Canada on service excellence strategies, including student experience measurements and creating campus networks of change agents. Justin holds two Baccalaureate degrees plus an MBA from the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Brandi Lamon-Pinkerton
Dr. Brandi Lamon-Pinkerton, Senior Trainer in SLC Techniques, also certified at the first SLC training conference in Denver in 2014, brings extensive experience in higher education, most recently as the Executive Director of Constituent Engagement for the UAB Medicine Advancement department. Previously, as Director of Customer Service and Quality Improvement at UAB, she implemented a staff training curriculum and campus initiative to integrate customer service as a core function of the institutional strategic goals and operations. As UAB’s Director of One Stop Student Services, she launched an integrated undergraduate student services operation in support of student retention. Before joining UAB, Brandi served as the University of Alabama’s Director of External Affairs and Development for the College of Engineering. Earlier in her career as UA’s Director of New Student and Parent Programs, she oversaw support services for students, parents and the first-year student experience. Brandi herself is a first-generation college student and earned her B.S. in Communication Arts at the University of North Alabama, her M.A. in Communication Studies and her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration both from the University of Alabama.
Melissa Harper
Melissa Harper, who was certified as a Trainer with SLC Higher Ed in 2017 in Toronto, Canada, has had sixteen years of higher education experience, specializing in innovative technology solutions for improvements in customer service and financial aid. Currently serving as Associate Director of Operations in Student Financial Services at Southeast Missouri State University, she is able to use her dual perspective as a staff trainer and team lead to identify service solutions from a staff perspective. At the same time, her solutions focus on streamlining the student journey as they navigate tuition financing. Serving on Service Excellence assessment teams at multiple institutions, she’s part of the SEMO campus-wide service excellence initiative team and stays engaged through service on several university committees, focused on improving student experiences and university communication.
Amanda Slone
Amanda Slone, who was certified as a Trainer for SLC in 2016 in San Diego, has over 20 years of higher education experience leading and managing various initiatives and operations. Amanda currently serves as Director of Finance for the Department of Medicine at the University of Louisville, leading Shared Service financial teams in empowered process improvement and strategic thinking. Amanda does this by making excellent customer service the cornerstone through teaching and practicing excellent customer service with both external and internal customers. She works with her staff daily to ensure that they are operating at the highest level of efficiency and that they do so in a positive work environment.
Lisa Dorsey
Lisa Dorsey, who certified with SLC as a Trainer in San Diego in 2016, currently serves as the Director of Human Resources for the University of Louisville. A higher education professional with 20+ years of experience, she led the university’s campus wide initiative for process redesign and efficiency in the area of Human Resources. Lisa successfully champions this initiative by encouraging herself and her team to provide 5-star customer service to both internal and external customers. As a change agent, Lisa recognizes that we all adapt to change differently so the key to successfully implementing new processes is listening to the customer needs and delivering exemplary service solutions.