Team

Our consultants come from global consultancies, with the experience and versatility to provide a broad array of services.

Firm Leadership

Mike Cappelluti President

Mike CappellutiPresident

Mike has been a management consultant since 1990, with a focus on executive management facilitation, strategic planning, process redesign, and organizational change management. Prior to founding Highlands Consulting in 2002, Mike was a management consultant at Price Waterhouse and Synergy Consulting. He provides strategic guidance and quality assurance for all the firm’s projects. Mike is a certified Project Management Professional and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. He earned an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Shana Wedemeyer Marketing Director

Shana WedemeyerMarketing Director

Shana has performed consulting business development since 1991, including market strategy, opportunity analysis, partnering, proposal management, and procurement. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, she managed new business pursuits for EDS, then KPMG. Shana directs all of our sales and marketing efforts. She is a certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology and has a Bachelor’s degree in Managerial Economics from UC Davis.

Eric Norton Project and Recruiting Director

Eric NortonProject and Recruiting Director

Eric has been a consultant since 1995, with a focus on strategic planning, business process improvement, feasibility study development and procurement strategy, as well as project management. He is a certified Project Management Professional and also certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology. Eric also leads our talent acquisition and recruiting efforts. He has an MBA from CSU Sacramento.

Nancy Schneidewind Administrative Director

Nancy SchneidewindAdministrative Director

Nancy has been an administrative professional since 1990 and is responsible for all office operations including accounting, human resources, and office technical support. She also oversees proposal and client deliverable production. Nancy started her career with Price Waterhouse. She helps us feel happy and cared about every day.

Selected Consultant Profiles

Jim Turko OCM Practice Lead

Jim TurkoOCM Practice Lead

Jim has been a management consultant since 1996, with a specialty in organizational change management and business process analysis for large-scale information technology initiatives. He is a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), certified Prosci Change Management Instructor, and certified Project Management Professional. He earned his Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Nikki Angle

Nikki has been an information technology management consultant since 1987, with expertise in planning, design, development, testing, and project management for large-scale system implementations. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Nikki was a management consultant at CGI. She has deep experience in all phases of the systems development life cycle. Nikki is a certified Project Management Professional and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. She earned her MBA from CSU Long Beach.

Dan Conway

Dan has been a management consultant since 1987, with expertise in planning, designing, developing, testing, and managing large-scale systems implementations. He has managed numerous system implementations with budgets exceeding $20 million utilizing Agile and Waterfall methods. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Dan held senior positions with Price Waterhouse and HPE. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from CSU Sacramento.

Will Cuper

Since 2000, Will has performed in both technical and business roles, with a focus on project management, organizational change management, and business process improvement. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Will was a system integration consultant at Accenture. Experienced in all aspects of project planning and execution, he is skilled at communicating with program and technical stakeholders. Will is a certified Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master, Rapid Process Improvement facilitator, and is also certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology. Will earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Rutgers University.

Robyn Dahlgren

Robyn has been a management consultant since 1994. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Robyn worked at EDS and Price Waterhouse. She provides a wide range of change management, facilitation, training, strategic planning, and program evaluation services, including managing large-scale transition efforts for executives, management, and staff. Robyn is certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology and holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University.

Abby Darrah

Abby began her consulting career in 1995 gaining experience in all phases of the system development life cycle working for CGI, Deloitte, and Synergy Consulting. Her focus is on large-scale organizational change management and business process analysis. Abby holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management Information Systems from CSU Sacramento. She is certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology.

Michael Fellers

Michael has been a public sector consultant since 1997 providing technology planning, business process analysis, and project management. He has extensive experience with government accounting standards, processes, and data. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Michael worked at KPMG and Cambria Solutions. He is a certified Project Management Professional and has an MBA from UC Davis.

Hilary Fong

Hilary has more than eight years of management consulting experience with advanced skills in strategic planning, business process reengineering, market research, requirements analysis, and program evaluation. She is a Certified Business Analysis Professional. Hilary possesses a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. from Yale University where she was an instructor for seven years.

Kristen Gorguinpour

Ms. Gorguinpour has extensive experience with complex government programs, including serving as Director for the State of California’s first Cap-and-Trade program. She has unique skills in designing new processes, customized training materials, and regulatory compliance documents. Ms. Gorguinpour has a Bachelor degree in Health Science and is currently obtaining her Master in Public Administration from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Mark Graziano

Mark has over 13 years of public sector project experience, with a focus on communications, organizational change management, strategic planning, and business process improvement. He has led digital and process improvement projects with diverse stakeholder groups, including senior leadership, executive, and technical staff. He is a Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner, Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Certified Project Management Professional. Mark holds an MBA in Strategy and Management, and is fluent in Spanish.

Demetre Haralambakis

Demetre began his consulting career in 1997 with KPMG, specializing in configurable COTS software implementations. He now focuses on project management, organizational change management, procurement, and process improvement. Demetre is a certified Project Management Professional, Prosci Change Management Practitioner, Scrum Product Owner, and Scrum Master. He is also certified in the Lean Six Sigma methodology. Demetre has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA.

Michelle Lahmon

Michelle has 10 years of experience in process analysis, organizational change management, and training, both for the public and private sector. She has advanced skills in instructional design and communications management. Michelle is a certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner and has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Political Science from UC Davis.

Judy Melson

Since 2007, Judy has provided program and project management, strategic planning, marketing, budgeting, business analysis, and organizational change management services. Prior to joining Highlands, Judy was a Program Director at the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. She is a certified Project Management Professional, certified Pega Business Architect, and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. Judy holds an MBA from UC Davis and is fluent in Spanish.

Jacob Olson

Jacob has been a public sector information technology consultant since 2004, since started his career with Accenture. He focuses on organizational change management, facilitation, business process reengineering, and training for large-scale information technology projects. Jacob is a certified Project Management Professional and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History from CSU Sacramento.

Amanda Priest

Amanda has many years of experience serving both the public and private sectors, with emphasis in business process analysis and reengineering, organizational change management, and organizational analysis. Amanda is a certified Rapid Process Improvement Facilitator, certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner, and Certified Scrum Master. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Sociology from UC Merced.