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

CEO

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Lori Crever

Facilitator

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Venus Rekow

Facilitator and Coach

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Coonoor Behal

Facilitator and Coach

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Michelle Hancock

Special Projects Director

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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

Operations Lead

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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 Strong, our 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.