Here is a little information about each member of the QUEST Team
QUEST Coordinator - Mike Hoseus
Mike Hoseus comes to the QUEST Team with extensive experience in Problem Solving and Quality Circles. He was one of the first group leaders at TMMK climbing the ranks of opportunity. As the 201st employee Mike's managerial expertise in QUEST Learning Skills were implemented for ten years in the Assembly Plant and an additional two years in Human Resources.
Mike grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to the Georgetown area in 1987. As a graduate of Xavier University, Mike received his degree in Psychology and Business. After twelve years with Toyota, Mike became interested in youth and education while serving on the boards of the Lexington Mayor's Partnership for Youth and Kentucky Community Technical College Systems. In 1999, Mike left his position as Assistant General Manager of Human Resources to pursue needed experience working with youth. Mike returned to Kentucky in 2001, and now is the Coordinator of the QUEST Learning Skills Team. Mike contributes not only his managerial expertise to the team but also his passion to see children thrive.
QUEST Consultant - Tracey Richardson
Tracey Richardson comes to the QUEST Team with over 360 hours of training in Problem Solving, Meeting Facilitation, and Quality Circle Methodologies. She was one of the first team members to be involved with the Quality Circle Program at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK). She was hired as a Production Team Member in 1988, promoted to Production Team Leader in 1991,and then to Production Group Leader in 1996. Tracey left TMMK in 1998 to pursue other career interests with Consulting work in Lean Manufacturing and Toyota Production System (TPS) training. Tracey was asked to join the QUEST Team in February 2000. Tracey supports the QUEST Program and its mission to increase the student's ability to learn.
Tracey grew up in Lexington, KY and currently lives there with her husband. She attended Eastern Kentucky University, and University of Kentucky, studying Business Marketing, and Education.
QUEST Consultant - Jeff Coles
QUEST Consultant - Gene Childress
Gene W. Childress is a human resources consultant serving a diverse group of clients from both the private and public sector. His working experience includes twenty years in product research at Procter & Gamble, start up of new business, Maitre D', twelve years in Kentucky state government and nine years as an independent consultant.
Gene helped develop and implement the initial Toyota Assessment Center. He created and developed the Governmental Service Center at Kentucky State University, an organization responsible for the training and development of state employees. His work includes assessment, job analysis, behavioral interviewing, management training and employee development. He has been involved in the development of QUEST from concept to implementation.
Gene has served as an officer at the local, state, and national level for many organizations both private and public sector. He has served on many management and advisory boards including the Center of Excellence for Quality at Kentucky State University, which he helped create. He is a member of the National Speakers Association. He has been speaking to organizations for over twenty-five years and has been recognized by many as a top motivating speaker.
Dallas Blankenship - Superintendent of Scott County Schools
Dallas J. Blankenship, Ed. D began his career as a teacher and principal in the Cabell County School District in West Virginia. Dr. Blankenship taught at West Virginia University in 1973 and 1974. He returned to the Cabell County School District as an Assistant Superintendent in the area of curriculum. Most recently he has served for nine years as Superintendent of Scott County Schools in Kentucky. Dr. Blankenship was recognized by the American Association of School Administrators as one of the ten 1996-97 Leaders of Learning. Dr. Blankenship has been actively involved with World Council for Total Quality & Excellence in Education, the QUEST Program, and numerous endeavors to improve teaching and learning for students.
Diana Waddle - Scott County School-to-work Coordinator
Diana Waddle is an educator and administrator with Scott County Schools in Georgetown, Kentucky. Having worked as a production control specialist scheduler and a teacher, Diana brings experience from the world of manufacturing and the classroom.
Diana has been involved with Toyota and the QUEST Program since becoming the School-to-Career Coordinator for the district. She has received Quality Circle Training at Toyota and helped develop QUEST Training for teachers. She currently coordinates QUEST activities in the eleven schools of School County and administers the Goals 2000: Educate America Program, which supports QUEST.
Diana holds a BA in History, an MA in Education and a Rank I with certification to teach Special Education. Along with duties in Scott County, she is a consultant for the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) "High Schools That Work" program school improvement and Tech Prep. She has made presentations to conferences within the state of Kentucky and on the national level as a member of SREB and the National Alliance for Restructuring Education.
Ken Wright - Scott County Curriculum Director
Ken Wright has worked in the Scott County Schools System for twenty-seven years. During his tenure in the Scott County Schools System he has served has a 6th grade elementary classroom teacher, elementary school principal, and is presently elementary and secondary director of curriculum. Along with being the school district's curriculum coordinator. He also serves as district coordinator of the following programs: Gifted and Talented, Professional Development, Extended School Services, Title II, Site-Based Council, Vocational Education, English as a Second Language, Southern Association, Consolidated Plan, Student Assistance Program, Class Size Reduction and DARE. Ken has also served in the role of the district's assessment coordinator as well as the district technology coordinator. He recently helped coordinate the district's effort to achieve a Level I designation from the Kentucky Quality Awards Program. This program is based on the Malcolm Baldridge Award.
Ken completed his undergraduate and masters degrees in education at Georgetown College. He obtained his Rank I certification at Eastern Kentucky University in elementary and secondary curriculum supervision, elementary principalship, secondary principalship and superintendency. He has conducted various professional development workshops at the local, regional and state levels. He has also been involved in the QUEST Program. He has completed eighty hours of training in quality circles at the TMMK site and also forty additional hours of training in quality circles in the local district. Twenty hours of this training was the same training required to be a quality circle leader at TMMK. Mr. Wright also recently served as an evaluator in the Gold Circle Quality Award at TMMK. This award recognized the most outstanding quality circle efforts at TMMK. He also serves on the QUEST Steering Committee.
Ken is a member of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators and the Kentucky Education Association. He and his wife, Marlene, have three children.
Cheryll Pearson - Scott County Schools, Psychologist
Cheryll A. Pearson, PH.D. is a licensed psychologist who has been employed by Scott County Schools for over thirteen years. In addition to her work in psychology, equity, and school safety, Dr. Pearson serves as the research coordinator for QUEST. Dr. Pearson previously worked as a special education teacher on the Navajo Indian reservation. She has earned degrees in education and psychology from Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University. She obtained her PH.D. is psychology from University of Kentucky. Dr. Pearson has over twenty-eight presentations and publications in the areas of school violence, the treatment of emotional/behavioral disorders and cultural diversity.