Core Faculty
Lisa Caufield
Lisa Caufield is Director of Notre Dame Kylemore in Connemara, Ireland. She is responsible for the establishment and transformation of this unique learning space within the famed Kylemore Abbey. In 2018, Lisa created an additional opportunity for Notre Dame students to study abroad at the National University of Galway. Lisa teaches the Immunity to Change module in the Inspirational Leadership at Kylemore program. She is also responsible for curating the interdisciplinary programs, courses, residencies, and retreats hosted at ND Kylemore.
Leslie Marquard
Leslie Marquard is the faculty lead for Inspirational Leadership at Kylemore, a unique leadership program helping leaders improve their ability to lead in an era of ambiguity and uncertainty. Leslie’s innovative approaches and ability to partner with her clients make her an indispensable ally. She is a certified team coach, certified provider of The Leadership Circle Profile™, the Leadership Circle System™, and Appreciative Inquiry™, and is a member of the International Coach Federation. Leslie earned her BS degree from Louisiana State University and her executive coach certification from Georgetown University. She holds Harvard University’s Immunity to Change qualification and is currently pursuing her Master Certified Coach and Spiritual Formation certifications. She is celebrating 21 years as Co-founder and Managing Director of Marble Leadership Partners and is based in Chicago, IL.
Paul Slaggert
Paul Slaggert is director of Open Enrollment Programs in Executive Education at the Kelley School of Business. He recently completed 18 years in senior leadership roles in Executive Education at the University of Notre Dame, where he served as both director of non-degree programs (15 years) and director of the Stayer Center (three years). Before joining Notre Dame, he was director of the Cincinnati Center for Management and Executive Development at the University of Cincinnati for 12 years. He leads training sessions for corporate clients on the topics of leadership, paradigm shifts, delegation and empowerment, systems thinking, and financial literacy. He has more than 20 years of experience in academic leadership roles at Notre Dame, the University of Cincinnati, and Boston College, and has taught extensively in the areas of finance, business management, and leadership.
Programme Faculty and Coaches
Dr. Melvin Dowdy
Mel is the retired Executive Director for the Center for Organizational Excellence at Bon Secours Health System. He is a practicing clinical and counseling psychologist and a valued consultant and coach for senior leaders. He has developed a particular interest in values-based leadership, the integral approach to leadership development, leadership spirituality, and the leader’s role in cultivating organizational conditions for ethical integrity.
Alan Kerins
Alan is an elite multi-code athlete, humanitarian, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He founded The Alan Kerins Projects in 2005, where he raised over 5 million euros directly and several more million indirectly for many vital and life-saving projects and programmes for communities all over the World.
Alan has received many awards & acknowledgements for his tireless work for those less fortunate in Africa, Asia & Haiti. The Alan Kerins Projects recently partnered with Gorta Self-Help Africa. As well as these charitable activities, Alan is also a performance consultant, executive coach, public speaker & Trinity College graduate in physiotherapy, resulting in a wealth of experience in academic, business, and sporting fronts.
Des Lally
Des has lived and worked in Connemara for over 30 years. Des received his BA in English and History and an MA in Irish Studies from NUIG. He is a PhD candidate in the English Department of NUIG, his field of research looks at the Gate Theatre Dublin and its role in Irish Modernism 1928-1945. He is co-editor of a forthcoming collection of essays on the Gate Theatre and has spoken at many academic conferences throughout Ireland, Europe and America.
Des Lally is Chairman of Clifden Arts Festival.