About NetSpeed Learning
About the Company
NetSpeed Learning™, headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, is a certified woman-owned business founded in 1992 by Cynthia Clay as Clay & Associates Inc.
We help our clients create thriving virtual and hybrid workplaces. Through our blended learning solutions, we help virtual leaders and teams lead others better, communicate and resolve conflict masterfully, and provide exceptional customer service. We develop virtual facilitators, producers, and designers who can provide engaging, virtual instructor-led training.
NetSpeed Learning partners with organizations to:
- Prepare remote leaders to manage effectively in the virtual or hybrid workplace
- Certify trainers for virtual delivery and design through web-based public and private virtual facilitator programs
- Train producers to deliver seamless virtual experiences or provide certified producers to client events
- Provide skilled instructional designers who collaborate to create interactive, engaging virtual learning experiences
- License ready-to-launch interactive training programs in leadership, customer service and interpersonal effectiveness.
NetSpeed Learning works closely with their clients to ensure the success of their training programs through their dedication to a successful launch and a fully realized strategy that produces measurable results in addressing strategic business objectives.
The company is an approved GSA Vendor on the Federal Supply Schedule for Training and Management Consulting Services. Clay & Associates Inc. (dba NetSpeed Learning) is certified as a woman-owned business by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Cynthia Clay, Founder & CEO
Cynthia Clay founded NetSpeed Learning with the belief that technology would not just revolutionize the way training was delivered, but that it also held the potential to dramatically enhance and extend the learning experience itself. With 30 years in training and management development and a past career that includes training, coaching and mentoring thousands of employees and trainers at hundreds of companies, Ms. Clay knew that technology's advantage of rapid delivery and virtual access, while powerful, was just the beginning.
With a passion for using technology in the service of learning, Ms. Clay has channeled her vision into creating a company that specializes in leveraging brain-based learning principles, meaningful content, and engaging delivery with the dynamic features of emerging new technologies. Under her leadership, NetSpeed Learning is an industry leader in the development of high quality, innovative, and practical blended and virtual learning programs.
Ms. Clay is the author of Great Webinars: Interactive learning that is captivating, informative and fun and Peer Power: Transforming Workplace Relationships. She is a recognized thought leader and expert in the field of blended and virtual learning strategies. She is also a compelling speaker both face-to-face and virtually and regularly speaks at industry conferences.
Ms. Clay is an active member of the local and national community. Her work includes participation in the following organizations:
- Long-term member, ATD (Association for Talent Development)
- Member, ISA (The Association of Learning Providers)
- Board member, Whatcom County Dispute Resolution Center
- Member and practitioner, Center for Spiritual Living, Seattle
Check out Cynthia's blog.
Meet our Team
Tim Jones, Senior Learning Consultant
Tim Jones is a Senior Learning Consultant for NetSpeed Learning Solutions. He is a veteran senior-level management executive whose extensive knowledge on the subject of leadership effectiveness and team building comes from over 20 years of management in corporate America.
Tim has worked with NetSpeed Learning Solutions in various roles and assignments since 2001. Over the years, Tim has been responsible for directing the sales and marketing operations at companies in the publishing, high tech, talent development, and internet sectors. He has trained, coached, and mentored several hundred employees and managers in these fast-paced organizations.
Tim is a past President of Sales & Marketing Executives (SME) of Seattle, and past Chairman of The Distinguished Sales & Marketing Awards of Puget Sound. He holds a BA degree in Communications from the University of Virginia, as well as an MBA in Marketing and a Juris Doctor from Ohio State University.
Holly Koziol, Marketing Systems Manager
With over 30 years' experience working in such industries as Marketing, Real Estate, International Benefits Consulting, Corporate Training, Advertising, and New Product Development, Holly has accumulated a wealth of organizational and operational skills. Holly is a marketing systems professional, bringing to her clients an expertise in on-line marketing, creative development, and database management.
As a professional writer, graphic designer, freelance photographer, and desktop publisher, Holly supports and enhances the overall creative development process of each client's team project.
Holly knows how to attract web site traffic, communicate benefits in a succinct and compelling manner, and present ideas with visual appeal. Her bubbly personality and practical marketing know-how make for an irresistible combination that pleases clients and builds business quickly.
Sherry Johnson Metz, Senior Learning Consultant
Sherry Johnson Metz has been working in the field of human resources development and workplace learning for over 25 years. She brings executive experience, consulting excellence and dynamic energy to all of her projects. She collaborates with clients to develop results-oriented learning programs, including highly interactive web-based training.
Prior to working with NetSpeed Learning Solutions, Sherry worked for SC Johnson, growing her career in sales, human resources, organizational development, and learning & development. As Director of Global Leadership Development at SC Johnson, she designed and implemented learning solutions to build leadership capabilities globally. A graduate of Arizona State University, Sherry holds a BS in Marketing. She earned her MBA from Marquette University, with a concentration in organizational design and international business.
Leo Brodie, Director of Technical Services
Leo Brodie designed and built the functionality of NetSpeed Fast Tracks and NetSpeed Learning Center. He is responsible for software development projects and integration with third-party software applications.
Leo has been active in software development as a programmer, writer, analyst, and manager since 1980, and has written three books on computer programming. Leo holds a BA degree from UCLA, and previously worked for Microsoft, RealNetworks, and CapitalStream, Inc.
Lisa Gallo, Host/Producer and Facilitator
Lisa has been part of the NetSpeed Learning Team since 2007. Working from the ground floor up with our Virtual Facilitator Trainer Certification course, as well as our Virtual Host Course, Lisa supports our client's success through facilitating, coaching, and training. Lisa holds NetSpeed Learning's Master Host/Producer role in support of our international/national virtual delivery teams.
Helene Cho, Master Trainer
Helene has 25 years experience with a proven record of success as a leader, facilitator, instructional designer and a certified coach. She has worked effectively in both profit and non-profit organizations assisting teams and individuals to maximize their results. She served in leadership roles in various financial and consulting organizations including as Vice President-Region Manager as well as Manager of the Training Department for a Fortune 500 company.
Helene's areas of specialty are team building, leadership skills, managing change and life-work balance. She is the author of Hamster on the Wheel; Cultivating Life-Work Balance published in 2010.
Helene graduated from Rutgers University with a BA. She is originally from South Korea and has also lived in Africa and Europe before moving to the Seattle area in 1991.
Mary Held, Affiliate Trainer / Consultant
Mary S. Held is President of Mary Held & Associates, a management consulting firm that specializes in helping the leaders of organizations make the most of their workforce to drive competitive advantage and organizational growth. Mary is a nationally recognized business consultant with senior leadership team experience in Fortune 100 and Fortune 1000 organizations.
Mary has over 20 years of successful experience in management and human resource development, and her expertise includes leadership development, performance management, team development, coaching and training. Mary holds a Masters Degree in human resource development from The Ohio State University.
Representative clients include Abbott Laboratories, Nationwide, OhioHealth, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, American Electric Power and the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio.
Deanna Maio, Master Trainer
Deanna has 27 years experience as a trainer, manager, leader, facilitator, instructional designer and a certified coach. She has worked effectively in both profit and non-profit organizations assisting teams and individuals to maximize their results. She served in leadership roles in various finance and consulting organizations and was selected Best of Portland Business Management Consultant 4 years in a row.
Deanna's areas of specialty are time management, managing for new managers, personal effectiveness and productivity, influence, leadership, speaking and communication. She is the co-author of G.P.S. (Goals and Proven Strategies) for Success with Steven Covey, Dr. John Gray, and Les Brown.
When Deanna isn't facilitating or consulting, you can find her teaching piano, voice, ukulele and performance or writing, directing and performing with a musical theater company she founded in Portland, Oregon. She's a lyric soprano with a 3+ octave range and loves cheesecake almost as much as she loves singing.
It's an Inside Job: Leading with Respect and Heart
This ebook describes common mistakes new managers make, and offers useful insights about how to approach management development challenges. Cynthia Clay shares personal examples and experiences of leadership challenges faced over her 40 years of management practice, working inside corporations and non-profit organizations.
Download Now
