Steve Semler
Specific Experience
Steve has a background in learning psychology and significant experience in both education and business environments. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, his master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Development from Chapman University, and is a doctoral candidate in Education with emphasis in Human Resource Development at the University of Minnesota.
Steve was recruited by The Schwan Food Company in 2001 to help form their corporate university. His work in establishing e-learning, marketing, curriculum, and performance consulting strategies and processes resulted in three corporate university awards in the second year of the university’s operation. Prior to joining Schwan, he founded and ran his own consulting business, LearningSim. In addition to the many firms for which he has done consulting work, he has work experience with Personnel Decisions International (PDI), Honeywell, the Minnesota Council for Quality, and the US Army (active and reserve duty).
Broad Skills
Steve has special expertise in e-learning, blended learning, human performance improvement, internal marketing, and impact evaluation of learning, as well as instructional design. He is a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) and offers his clients the benefit of more than fifteen years of experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of workplace learning and performance improvement solutions. At the same time, he has a strong familiarity with public education at the secondary and post-secondary levels, and with the learning psychology of children and adults.
Steve combines insight into how people learn with a pragmatic understanding of complex, real-world issues. He approaches problems with curiosity and prefers to engage multiple viewpoints and perspectives, rather than adhering to a particular ideology or “one right way” of doing things. His understanding of the ways in which people and cultures differ helps him to find solutions that go beyond the normal boundaries of training and education.
Commitment/Member Role
Steve has two children enrolled at ISLA. He is committed to helping the school provide a challenging and safe environment in which students can expand their perspectives beyond just who they see in their own neighborhoods. Both the Spanish immersion and the International Baccalaureate aspects of the ISLA program are important for this reason. Ensuring that special programs like ISLA’s are available within the public school system is a special area of emphasis for Steve. He is also an advocate of gifted education and the special needs of gifted children within the school setting. Both Steve and his wife, Gretchen, are second degree black belts in American Karate, and their children are also learning the martial arts to foster confidence and self-discipline.
Steve is a member of the ISLA interim Board and chair of the Communications Committee.
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