Representative Testimonials

“…thanks for the terrific job.  You have helped us develop our skills to be more competent and confident on the job and in our private lives…You and your team were enthusiastic, sensitive, conscientious, and fun.  It was one of our best conferences ever!”

Dr. Petty Berkowitz
Superintendent, Sidney, New York Central School District

“Your enthusiasm, rapport with participants, and professionalism were very much appreciated.  You are an excellent and knowledgeable practitioner of conflict management.  The evaluations were superb.  Many participants are using the skills; thus helping change the culture of (the EPA’s) region VIII.”

Jack McGraw, Deputy Regional Administration
Environmental Protection Agency, Denver

“We are most pleased with the results provided by Neil Katz & Associates in assisting with the consolidation of the insurance operations of American General Life Insurance Company of New York and the US Life Insurance Company.  Critical issues were identified and addressed, and very positive working relationships were established.  Your thorough execution was instrumental in our very successful meeting.”

Robert Slepicka
President, US Life - American General Insurance Company

“The future search conference that you organized and led was an amazing event in which everyone got involved, excited, and committed.  The positive energy emerging from the conference was extraordinary.  Individuals and groups who believed before that they had nothing in common are now working diligently to improve their community.  Over 50 action projects have implemented or are underway.”

James DeLapp, Chief of Police, Dewitt, New York
Kelly Dellas, Town Supervisor, Dewitt, New York

“One of the most critical challenges we face at SSA is building a new cadre of leadership for the 21^st century.  We are very impressed that a one-day workshop provided by Neil Katz and his team from Syracuse University on Leadership and Learning could give us an innovative conceptual framework and many useful tools to help us accomplish this mission.   Our 7000 managers who participated in the training are poised to utilize the new strategies and skills to enhance their supervisory performance as well as mentor new leaders.  Once again, the executive education team from the Maxwell School demonstrated superb competence in wedding theory with practice, and presenting an engaging and useful workshop and ongoing consultation.

…the training that Neil has provided for our partnerships councils all across the country has been most helpful.  Each session was very beneficial and all focused on how we could solve ‘real world’ problems and what we needed to do to move forward with our partnership efforts.  His training for the National Partnership Council was so effective that we (both management and the Union) asked that he facilitate our off-site session for us.”

 Paul D. Barnes, Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources, Social Security Administration

“Your extensive data gathering efforts, your expertise in facilitating meetings, and your talents and skills in report writing were all easily recognizable and greatly appreciated.  Your contributions were instrumental in making the Onondaga County Police Services (COPS) Task Force a successful effort.”

Nicholas J. Pirro, County Executive, County of Onondaga
E. Robert Czaplicki, Chair, COPS Task Force and Commissioner of Probation

“I want you to be aware that the comments on your recent 3-day workshop for our Regional Labor Management Partnership Council were overwhelmingly favorable from both union and management participants.  I personally attended the workshop and can affirm that it was outstanding.  All of us were very impressed with the Maxwell team’s ability to connect theory to practice and to move adroitly from the theoretical to the practical.  It is not an overstatement to tell you that all of us feel strongly that we have learned significant new skills in this workshop that will serve us well as we continue our union-management partnership journey.”

Larry Massanari, Regional Commissioner, Philadelphia, Social Security Administration

“As a veteran union negotiator, I utilized the traditional no-hold barred; take no prisoners approach to collective bargaining.  This methodology often results in insults, mistrust, lack of communication and protracted litigation.  I was very pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness and value of the training for our AFGE representatives.  They (the Maxwell trainers) won me over!”

Ralph de Julius, Executive Vice-President, Social Security Administration Field Operations/AFGE

“I first used Neil Katz and his team to train our negotiators and facilitate our work in settling a new teachers' contract in Mexico, New York.  Their superb work was instrumental in helping us achieve an agreement in record time and with a new sense of trust.   In my new school district, their work greatly assisted us in agreeing to an unheard of five year contract after only two months of discussion.  This was the first time in seventeen years that a teachers' contract was settled on time." 

Dr. Michael Havens, Superintendent, Wayne County Central Schools, Rochester, New York