About Performentor

We help you Unleash People Energy™ to propel your team's growth!

We help you grow fast, smartly.

We’re a team of people science pros. Our job is to be the coach who proactively helps with seeing blindspots, providing suggestions and implementing those suggestions which you feel complement your mission. You’ll notice we aren’t overly focused on cost because your people are the business and we don’t feel you should have to choose between the two.

Founded on Core People Values...and Science

Our Founder and Principal, Alicia Parr, is endlessly curious about how people work and perform (as individuals and in groups). She understands that a business is a process of converting people energy into economic value, which is why getting the people part right matters deeply.
That’s why your business needs people science!

Meet Our Team

Alicia Parr

Founder & CEO

Alicia is the founder of Performentor, with deep experience in HR, she delivers a behavior science-informed and small-business approach. An entrepreneur at heart, Alicia has 20 years of HR experience in small businesses spanning multiple industries. Her expertise is coauthoring learning cultures, amplifying innovative environments, and building high-performing teams of HR experts.  She frequently serves executives as an executive coach and advisor.

Alicia is endlessly curious about how people work and perform as individuals and in groups.  Applying the people science of human performance, she knows theory only matters when it works in practice. With a Bachelors degree in Marketing, a Masters in Mass Communication, and post-graduate work in Clinical Psychology, she also has deep experience as an endurance athlete.

Casey Chen

Senior Operations Manager

Casey specializes in a little bit of everything HR. Whether you need support related to benefits, leave administration, employee relations, compliance or a spot of recruiting, she is laser-focused and ready to help. She has an extensive background, rooted in customer service, the healthcare industry and as a generalist in Human Resources. She’s worked for established companies in manufacturing, to technology-driven startups and has a love for providing advice and counsel to leaders.

Her degree is from North Carolina State University in Interdisciplinary Studies, which she self-designed and wrote a custom curriculum for, including interpersonal & cross-cultural communication as well as foreign language. Her knack for reading people, reading the room and tailoring content provides a cutting edge for supporting companies and leaders. Always curious for more information, she can help untangle delicate issues, address people with care and craft a thoughtful path forward based on your needs. She’s a star on the rise and we’re grateful to have her on the Performentor team.

Diana Turnbough

Consultant & Business Support Coordinator

A customer-focused and detail-oriented HR pro, Diana knows how to make things happen and do it in an efficient and thoughtful manner. With a broad range of experience from retail, manufacturing and logistics, Diana brings a positive energy and work ethic to all that she does. Her HR loves are talent acquisition, process development, employee engagement, training and development. She’s also an advocate for building and scaling a great culture among remote and hybrid remote teams.

Diana has an AAS Degree in Business Management and is an entrepreneur herself! She owns and operates a successful wedding photography company specializing in destination weddings. She is dauntless and action-oriented, even when the conditions are evolving and ambiguous, which makes her an incredible consultant for smaller businesses. Most of all, Diana takes pride in open cultivating honest relationships with team members and clients, which is something we love at Performentor.

Ginger Miley

Talent Manager & Consultant

Ginger always has an eye on the future and growth-readiness when building systems that match great talent to any role. She has over 12 years of experience with high-volume hiring for a rapidly growing organization with a primarily remote workforce. Organized, creative, and diplomatic, she is a company culture champion and expert question asker. Her favorite word is “yet” as in “I don’t know …yet!”

Ginger has a strategic approach to hiring, recruiting, training, onboarding, editing, and designing curriculum. More than that, she brings a scientific pedigree to her work. She received her BS in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. A true people scientist!

Lois Coburn

Consultant Success Manager

Lois is an HR executive with experience in bio-medical, pharma, and non-profit.  She has a dauntless style and strategic approach that enables her to tackle the toughest challenges and unleash previously undiscovered capabilities in any team.  She has an excellent track record in building Human Resource strategies aligned and integrated with business strategies, developing high-performing teams, and partnering with leadership to drive results.

With a Bachelors in Science of Business & Management and a Masters of Arts in Management, Lois helps organizations with culture transformation, interim HR leadership, executive coaching, team development, and talent management.  Lois states, “My success is due to my focus on understanding multiple perspectives, encouraging new ideas, recognizing biases, and being open to change.” Here capabilities add immeasurably to the Performentor team.

Ashley Henderson

Consultant

Ashley is an energetic, strategic partner who thrives in helping leaders achieve their mission and carry out values. With more than 12 years of experience providing human resource services to an array of industries, she brings to each client the ability to listen, provide practical solutions and help companies unleash their people capabillities. She serves as a thoughtful sounding board for any business leader in a growth-oriented organization. 


Ashley holds both the PHR certification and a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management  from Kaplan University. Ashley serves as HR champion in administering and advancing HR functions for short/long term projects while acting as a resource on policy interpretation and implementation. Her combination of HR leadership, consulting, and recruiting experience make her an invaluable team Performentor team member. We’re delighted to have Ashley contribute to building great cultures that know how to get things done.

Brenda Foca

Consultant

Brenda is an energetic, proactive expert who thrives in helping small, mid-size and emerging organizations focus on what they do best, growing their business. With more than 20 years of experience providing human resource services to an array of fast-growing organizations, she brings to each client the ability to listen, assess and develop customized solutions for effective employment management, talent and workplace strategies. She’s a true business partner for any time-stretched executive in a high-growth environment. 

 Brenda holds both the SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications and a degree from Towson University. Both a strategist and change agent, she’s also a sharp problem solver and project lead who knows how to make things happen. Her combination of HR leadership, consulting, and operations experience make her a true asset to Performentor and any client looking for smart progress, compliance, and team performance. We’re glad to have Brenda on the team!

Cathi Loftin

Consultant

Cathi is a virtuoso of balancing the financial and operational demands with the people priorities. She’s got a strong track record of helping teams navigate through times of change, growth, or uncertainty. Genuine and practical, she brings a “keep-it-simple” approach to her work. Just like our operating principle, work hard to make hard things (more) simple, Cathi is a pro at helping business leaders navigate the trickiest issues. 

Cathi brings 20+ years of HR experience in small and high-growth companies developing leaders and melding teams together. She knows how to create and implement high-impact people and communication strategies that consider each organization’s context. With a BS in Marketing from Clemson, Cathi has a natural ability to see and cultivate the strengths and superpowers in others.  Her skills include analyzing and translating data into compelling actionable stories about your company, culture, and team energy. We’re happy to have a strategic, data-driven, colleague like Cathi! 

Chiffon Warner

Consultant

Chiffon is an adaptable and forward thinking professional with a track record in human resources, training, and behavior analysis/behavior science within mid-size businesses. She has expertise in remote leadership/management, training new hires on policies and procedures, inclusion and conflict resolution, analytics and reporting, benefit specialist, payroll, creating curriculum, employee relations, and program management. It’s a lot!

Her patience and understanding in high-change conditions make her an incredible resource for our growing, changing clients. Chiffon is a team player and carries out the goal to the end, no matter the level of difficulty. Her grit causes her to be ever learning and expanding her knowledge and ability to lead and work alongside others to complete any task given to her. She does this all while applying her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Masters’ in Applied Behavior Analysis to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. We are so happy to have Chiffon on the Performentor team!

Dominique Grimes-Medlin

Consultant

Some of the most amazing HR pros come from operations backgrounds, which makes us all excited to have Dominique on the team. Not only does he have a real passion for HR, but his on-the-ground knowledge about what it takes to get work done through a team of people lend him practical knowledge that you don’t see in every HR department. Further, Dominique’s superb organizational skills and detail-orientation are a wonderful addition to the value we bring our clients.

A continuous learner, Dominique has received his HR Certification and Bachelors in Business Management and a Masters in HR from Western Carolina University. Dominique’s training and expertise help businesses fulfill their employment requirements, process improvement, productivity enhancement, strategic planning, and employee engagement. Additionally, his experience with recruiting and training has made him an excellent addition to the Performentor team.

Jim Needell

Consultant

Strategic, thorough, and down to earth, Jim brings sincerity and depth of experience to the team that truly enhances the Performentor capacities markedly. With 18 years of solid HR in service-driven business models (concessionaire, big-box retail, non-profit, and furniture distribution), Jim’s a flexible and thoughtful resource for many clients. For example, he led the transformation of the HR function for the Autism Society of North Carolina developing sustainable and scalable processes in preparation for rapid organic growth.

Jim earned a BS in Management and Marketing followed by a degree at the Culinary Institute of America in Occupational Studies. Providing innovative people practices in the hospitality and the food and beverage industries a passion for Jim, which is an arena that gains immeasurably from the Performentor delivery model. We couldn’t be happier having Jim on the team!

Kathryn Brant

Consultant

Kathryn is a level-headed people-strategy innovator who focuses on helping small to mid-sized businesses grow their people practices in a sustainable way. With a specialty in advising and supporting tech companies, her expertise spans an impressive track record in recruiting, development and employee relations. During her tenure at Gartner, Kathryn managed recruiting for Consulting, Sales and Marketing for the world’s leading technology adviser.

Kathryn’s addition to the Performentor full-stack HR delivery model is a grounding, forward-looking influence. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Florida State with 20+ years of HR experience. We’re lucky to have her on the team and know that every business we work with can benefit from her expertise, her people systems building know-how, and her eye toward the future.

Katrina Keys

Consultant

Katrina Keys is an innovative and business-savvy HR professional with over 25 years of impacting the employee experience and maximizing people performance. She’s served both domestic and global organizations in a variety of industries including IT Consulting, Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas, HR Consulting, Manufacturing, and Telecommunications. Her people strategy track record spans employee engagement initiatives, compensation systems, cost reduction initiatives, and legally compliant programs that reduce risk and yield significant business impact. Plus, Katrina is a great coach and business partner.

Well-credentialed, she holds a Senior Certified Human Resources designation, and has earned an MBA, an MA in Organizational Management, and Bachelors in Journalism. Katrina’s biggest accomplishments are her two children; her daughter who is living her best life and her son who plays football for the University of Idaho. We love having Katrina on the Performentor team as an outstanding collaborator and people practices expert.

Kelly Gangl

Consultant

Kelly is a positive, collaborative and seasoned HR leader who has experience working in many industries from large publicly traded organizations to smaller nonprofit as well as family-owned businesses. She blends her knowledge of people behavior science with positive corporate change strategies to support organizational growth. Animated by a passion for supporting leaders, individuals, and teams, she takes a strengths-oriented approach to helping people expand their individual and collective potential.

As a lifelong learner, Kelly committed to pursuing a graduate degree midlife and earned a Master’s in Organization Development (MOD) from Bowling Green State University in 2015. Kelly earned a B.S. Degree in HR Management from The Ohio State University, and actively maintains the SHRM-SCP Certification. Further, Kelly became certified as a Professional Coach through the Center for Coaching Certification in February of 2016 and is actively pursuing the ICF ACC Coaching certification in 2022. She’s a credible resource who brings gratitude and zeal to her work, a true advocate for unleashing people energy in and for small organizations!

Krystee Vernet

Consultant

Krystee is one of our mid-level consultants with a bright future.  She has worked in non-profit settings, the medical field, technology, and other fields. She’s brought her diligence and positivity to small organizations up to Global Fortune 500 organizations. Krystee’s talents have been recognized in Candidate Experience, Diversity and Initiative Impact, University hiring & programming, and more. She supports Performentor clients with flexibility, precision, and grace.

Krystee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Meredith. Her specialties talent acquisition, onboarding, operations, and university relations.  Outside of working in human resources, she enjoys volunteering for organizations such as Meals on Wheels.  Her passion for equality, entrepreneurship, and giving back keeps her inspired to positively impact lives. We are thrilled to have her on the Performentor team.

Kyle Ditzian

Consultant

At Performentor, we are serious about our people science, and Kyle makes the grade on that account. Kyle is a doctoral student at Western Michigan University studying industrial/organizational behavior management. His research spans employee motivation, incentives, and strategies for maintaining change. Kyle’s passion is helping business leaders maximize performance through the use of behavioral science.

Of course, people science only works in a growing business when it’s simple and focused. Kyle understands this deeply and grounds his recommendations in the kind of collaboration that leads to rigorous-yet-simple-to-apply approaches to generating high performance. Kyle’s experience includes external consulting firms providing internal performance improvement within school systems and a variety of other business verticals. We are lucky to have Kyle on the Performentor team!

Lakesia Wimberly

Consultant

Lakesia brings a spirit of enthusiasm and intelligence to the business of people, which you can feel right away. Through her people-centered focus, she leverages a keen ability to identify and develop talent in others thinking outside the norm. Her impactful coaching ideology assists all leaders of the business in goal achievement and increased bottom lines.

As a certified Senior Professional in HR (SPHR), Lakesia has over 9 years of experience assisting startups with the development of their HR departments from the ground up. Industries that she has worked in include retail, non-profit, marketing, finance, legal, and real estate. Her road to success began as a graduate of Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Psychology and Criminal Justice and later obtained her Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. We are happy to have Lakesia on the Performentor team!

Leslie Knickerbocker

Consultant

Strategic and operations-savvy, Leslie is a highly flexible HR-and-more executive with great depth of experience. Notably, she oversaw HR for the rapid-growth MLB Advanced Media, the digital arm of Major League Baseball. She assists clients with a broad range of needs including talent acquisition, benefits and rewards, succession planning, employee relations, performance management, workforce diversity, learning and development, and employee engagement. She is also well versed in shepherding a company through mergers and acquisitions to streamline HR functions and make sure employees are supported.

Leslie grew up in Virginia Beach, graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.A. in Communications Studies and spent the next 25 years in New York City. However, her love of the beach drew her back to her hometown where she is consulting on talent acquisition, HR strategy and event planning. She’s an excellent people strategist and understands how to evolve people practices in a fast-growing startup environment. We are lucky to have such a capable executive and collaborator with a track record of helping company leaders create the kind of high-performance culture they dream of.

See What Our Clients Have to Say

They are my extra set of eyes. A resource who assists in prioritizing the health of our team while ensuring we are able to continuously improve our internal HR processes.

Kelly Rowell
CEO, Council for Entrepreneurial Development

_________________________
I have been partnering with Performentor for 5+ years to support Laxton’s nonprofit clients. Performentor continues to bring retained and just-in-time human resource and employee relations support solutions to me and my clients – from reviewing/improving existing policies and practices to serving as a thought-partner for our CEOs.

Wendy Laxton
 Founder and President
Laxton CFO Services

Performentor’s support for me, our executive team and mid level managers here has been phenomenal. They have helped free up our time so we can truly focus on core business activities which is SUCH an opportunity gain. Not only did we gain access to a huge knowledge base in Performentor’s full stack and fractional team, we gained time internally needed to handle other pressing issues.

“A rising tide lifts all boats.” “I would liken this to when you bring in a new entity such as a new employee who is a star performer. When you bring in an entity who is just a bit further ahead on their path, they elevate everything else around them. Engaging Performentor has elevated everything we do related to people.”

Kim Janzen
President and CEO
SPCA of Wake County

I have always gotten the level of support needed. I will forever sing Performentor’s praises and I am not easily satisfied. When I pay for a certain level of service, I expect that level of service. They have always given me what I needed.

Davan Cloninger
Executive Director at Nevins
______________________________________

Contact Us

We’re not your standard blocking and tackling HR professionals, therefore, we’re quite easy to talk to and level with. Schedule a consultation with us if you’re seeking an HR partnership and ready to Unleash People Energy™ to propel your team’s growth. Whether you need us for an hour or a standing meeting to build and run the leanest and simplest people practices, we’ve got you!

Contact Us

Contact Us

Phone

Address

600 Park Offices Drive
Suite 300
Durham , NC 27709
Scroll to Top