Our History

About Center for Mentoring Excellence

The Center for Mentoring Excellence (CME) has established a rich and varied framework of resources, tools and best practices to develop mentoring excellence and create inclusive work environments that allow every individual to succeed.

We offer a unique blend of coaching, consulting, speaking, mentoring resources and training and facilitation to help organizations deliver more effective mentoring outcomes and better business results.

Together we can help create a sense of belonging and open up possibilities for individuals and organizations to achieve better business results and more inclusive work environments through mentoring excellence. Direct engagement experience throughout the world has helped CME develop a unique ability to apply adult learning theory to practical business settings, enhancing individual development and organizational results.

CEO Lisa Z. Fain continues CME’s founding principle of joining academic theory and practical application to elevate the standard of mentoring practice. Her passion for creating inclusive work environments, and her expertise in coaching and cultural competency honor her mother, Dr. Lois J. Zachary’s vision in founding CME in 2005.

It is only by bridging differences that we can build a better world. And, that’s what we’re all about. Better mentoring. More inclusion. Better world.

Our Team

Lisa Fain

Lori Crever

Director of Strategic Partnerships

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Venus Rekow

Facilitator and Coach

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Coonoor Behal

Facilitator and Coach

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Michelle Hancock

Director of Operations

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Josh Bowen

Facilitator

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Denise Harris

Facilitator and Coach

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Chevy Cook

Facilitator

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Angela McGuire

Director of Innovation

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Our Clients

  • Aetna
  • Aflac
  • Allstate Insurance
  • ARI, Automotive Resources International
  • AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
  • Bechtel Corporation
  • Boeing
  • Brown-Forman Corporation
  • Cemex
  • Charles Schwab
  • Cisco Systems
  • ConEdison
  • DTE Energy
  • Edward Jones
  • Family Dollar Stores
  • Federated Press
  • Freeman
  • Freescale Semiconductor
  • General Dynamics
  • The Guardian
  • Harrah’s Entertainment
  • IBM Corporation
  • IKEA
  • Lease Crutcher Lewis
  • Lenox
  • Lilly USA
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Management Insight Technologies
  • Medtronic
  • Motorola
  • Mutual Force
  • Nordstrom
  • Nortel Networks
  • Outerwall
  • Pankow
  • Pinnacle West Capital Corporation
  • Prositions
  • Salt River Project
  • Seattle Seahawks/First & Goal
  • Sorenson Communications
  • Soundview Executive Book Summaries
  • Sunland Asphalt
  • Synopsys, Inc.
  • The Tech Group
  • US WEST Communications
  • Watson Wyatt & Company
  • West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc
  • W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
  • Zebra Technologies
  • Zillow Group
  • Alliance for Children and Families
  • Alliance of Technology and Women
  • American Association of Adult and Continuing Educators
  • American Association of Museums
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • American Red Cross
  • Albright Knox Art Gallery
  • Arizona Organization Development Network
  • Arizona Small Business Association
  • Arizona State Bar Association
  • Arizona Women’s Leadership Forum
  • ASTD
  • Association of Fundraising Professionals
  • Association of Government Risk Pools
  • ASU Forum on Non Profit Effectiveness
  • Central New York Staff Development Consortium
  • Chicago Bar Association – Alliance for Women
  • Council of Jewish Federations
  • Covenant Foundation
  • Fresh Start Women’s Foundation
  • Forte Foundation
  • Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
  • The Halpin Companies
  • Healthcare Business Women’s Association
  • Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp)
  • International Coaching Federation
  • International Confederacy of Midwives
  • International Leadership Association
  • International Mentoring Association
  • Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas
  • Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix
  • Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
  • Jewish Federation of North America
  • Joshua Venture
  • Make a Wish Foundation
  • Million Dollar Round Table
  • National Judicial Institute
  • Nonprofit Management Institute
  • Professional Business Women of California
  • SHRM
  • SmartPower
  • Social Venture Partners
  • Society of Women Engineers — SWE
  • Special Olympics
  • St Luke’s Technical Assistance Partnership
  • Tri-State Professional Development Program
  • Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
  • United Nations, UN Women
  • United Way
  • Urban Strategies
  • Women in Technology International (WITI)
  • Women’s Forum of Colorado
  • Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO)
  • Arizona State University – W.P. Carey School of Business
  • Boston College
  • Bradley University
  • Broward College
  • California State University – Dominguez Hills
  • Canisius College
  • Clemson University
  • Columbia University, Teachers College
  • Cuyahoga Community College
  • Dallas County Community College District
  • Gateway Community College
  • Holy Cross
  • Indiana University
  • Ivy Tech Community College
  • Jewish Theological Seminary
  • Mansfield University
  • Maricopa Community College District
  • Mount Royal University
  • National University Research Institute
  • National-Louis University
  • Nova Southeastern University
  • Phoenix College
  • Prescott College
  • South Mountain Community College
  • School of Business and Entrepreneurship – Nova University
  • Syracuse University Young Innovator’s Project
  • Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management
  • Truman State University
  • Union Institute & University
  • Union Theological Seminary
  • University of Alabama
  • University at Buffalo
  • University of Illinois
  • University of Louisville
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of Phoenix
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Toronto Pharm.D. Program
  • Arizona Commission on Deaf & Hard of Hearing
  • Arizona Government University
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • Central Arizona Project
  • City of Mesa
  • City of Phoenix
  • Department of Defense
  • Department of Labor – Women’s Bureau
  • Defense Intelligence Agency
  • DOD/National Security Agency
  • Federal Government Mentoring Roundtable
  • General Services Administration (GSA)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Naval Surface Warfare Center
  • NAVSEA (US Navy)
  • National Cryptologic School
  • Social Security Administration
  • State of Texas
  • State of Arizona
  • TSIC, Take Stock in Children
  • United States Postal Service
  • Workforce Solutions Cameron
  • Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless
  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute
  • Arizona Chapter, America Academy of Pediatrics
  • Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Center
  • Arizona Physical Therapy Association
  • Banner Health
  • Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
  • Children’s Hospital of Central California
  • Desert Center for Allergy & Chest Diseases
  • The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego
  • Loyola University Medical Center
  • MD Anderson
  • Myriad Genetic Laboratories
  • National Association of Medical Staff Services
  • North Scottsdale Pediatric Associates
  • Paradise Valley Hospital
  • Scottsdale HealthCare System
  • Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
  • Sister of St. Mary’s Healthcare
  • University of Colorado Medical School
  • University of Toronto – Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • West Valley Medical Center
  • Women in Healthcare
  • Yuma Regional Medical Center
  • American Council on Education
  • Best Practices Institute
  • British Columbia Teachers’ Federation
  • Central New York Coalition for Adult & Continuing Education
  • Chicago Public Schools
  • Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
  • Department of Education, State of South Dakota
  • Institute on Teaching and Mentoring
  • Lookstein Center
  • National Geographic Society
  • National Institute for Leadership Development
  • New York City Department of Education
  • OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc
  • Ontario Principals’ Council
  • Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
  • Peel District School Board
  • Teacher Mentorship BC
  • Toronto District School Board
  • Union Theological Seminary
  • United Nations Women
  • Workplace Learning Institute
  • Whidbey Institute
  • Wiley Learning Institute
  • Aprisa
  • Best & Co. Professional Imaging Consultants
  • FBS Data Systems
  • Jaburg & Wilk
  • Larry Cobin and Associates
  • Lavidge & Baymayr Advertising
  • M2M partners
  • Partner Works
  • Quma Learning
  • Sigma Contracting
  • Vistage

How We Can Help

Empower effective mentoring relationships with Starting Strongour elite online training program for corporate teams. Learn More >

Bring mentoring topics to your organization with keynote presentations designed for corporate groups of all sizes. Learn More >

Contact us to explore our custom coaching and consulting services.