Ryan brings over 22 years of HR and executive leadership experience to CESO, most recently serving as Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development for Spring Lake Park Schools. At CESO, Ryan consults with school districts of all sizes on the structures and protocols that can help them care for their employees in the best way possible.

Stephanie Leonard Crosby has been an advocate for educational equity for over 30 years. She retired from Robbinsdale Area Schools in 2020 as executive director of Human Resources where she served the students, families and staff in the community for 25 years. Stephanie was hired as the first African American school social worker in the district and then served as the first director of diversity and inclusion. During her 25-year tenure in Robbinsdale Area Schools, Stephanie led the development of strategies for inclusion, diversity, and employee engagement. She was responsible for ensuring positive learning environments for students and developing an integrated approach to building a diverse workforce.

Ms. Crosby holds a Bachelor of Sociology from Tuskegee (Institute) University; Master of Arts in Education, M.ED., School Guidance and Counseling from Chicago State University and a Master of Social Work, MSW., from Augsburg University. She also holds a Certificate in Human Resources from the University of Minnesota. Stephanie and her husband, Henry have two adult children and two grandsons.

Christa comes to us with over 10 years of experience as a human resources professional, most recently being the backbone for all human resources in Spring Lake Park Schools. Christa is passionate about putting care for people at the heart of HR functions, and about supporting organization decisions using data analytics to shed light on key questions.

Daniel Williams transitioned to our team in 2022 as an Employee Experience Specialist, focusing on external CESO HR clients and CESO company culture. Daniel is an avid learner with experience in higher education, banking, and finance — but people are his passion.

Daniel is a 2019 graduate from North Central University (MN) and he initially joined CESO in 2019 as a finance specialist.

Rachel Babcock has been devoted to HR — both in practice and continuous learning — for the past decade with experience supporting both education and healthcare operations. She most recently was a consultant for school districts and hospitals and is passionate about providing innovative solutions for her clients. In her role at CESO, Rachel loves to help school districts succeed by strengthening their HR processes.

Rachel has a robust business education through the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business degree in Marketing and Nonprofit Management and a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations.

Sam joined CESO in 2022 as an Employee Experience Intern before graduating in 2023 from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management with a double major in Human Resources and Industrial Relationships. Passionate about strong employee/employer relationships, she's currently focused on developing plans to promote a greater sense of purpose and belonging for everyone at CESO.

Laura Eiden joins the CESO HR team with the perspective of an experienced educator and leader of professional learning, formerly working as an innovation coach and supervisor for student teachers. Through deep listening and thoughtful questioning, Laura develops authentic relationships with clients in order to help them think differently about systems and practices that impact the human experience of each person within the organization.

Teresa has been providing thoughtful and effective Human Resources support for over 28 years in both private and public sectors. Her experience includes over 13 years of partnering with educational leadership in several public-school districts - Kalamazoo Public Schools located in Michigan, Eden Prairie Schools, Apple Valley-Rosemount-Eagan Schools and West St Paul. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Iowa State University, a Master's degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Iowa and holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. Teresa values collaboration and a team approach with a focus on sustaining a high level of staff performance resulting in a positive impact on each and every student.

Since 1996, Elizabeth Linares, a bilingual principal has led the successful development of three metro Spanish immersion schools, working with diverse staff and student populations in St. Louis Park, MN, Eden Prairie, MN, and Spring Lake Park, MN. Elizabeth has a passion for working with school leaders to build collaborative school communities that attract and retain the most inspired educators, develop teacher leaders, improve academic achievement for students, and maximize home/school partnerships.

During her 35-year career Elizabeth has served as a coach for intern teachers and principals, including multiple international candidates. Fueled by her belief that there is inherent greatness in every person she works with, her coaching combines high expectations, self-care, and humor as key levers for success.

Tom began his career in education nearly 40 years ago as a teacher on the Flathead Reservation in Western Montana. Since then, he's been an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, co-negotiated the first West Metro Education Program's Master Agreement for teachers as the HR Director for Edina Public Schools, and most recently was the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, MN HR Director. He holds a Bachelor of Industrial Education degree from Bemidji State University and has done graduate studies at the University of Minnesota. Tom also served as President of the Minnesota Association for School Personnel Administrators and as Facilitator of the State Negotiations group for 20 years.

Becca is joining CESO with more than a decade of progressive HR experience, spending several of those years serving the St. Michael-Albertville school district as an HR Generalist. Becca leads with enthusiasm and takes an intentional, people-first approach in her work, encouraging leaders to culminate a culture that empowers people to be their best at work.

After graduating from St. Catherine University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Becca went on to earn a Master of Science in Human Resource Management degree from Capella University and her SHRM-CP certification.