Staff

Executive Management

John F. Binning, Ph.D.
John Binning is Chief Research Officer of The DeGarmo Group. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Akron, and a B.A. in psychology from Butler University. Dr. Binning conducts research on psychological and administrative processes that affect the validity of selection decisions in assessment center and employment interview contexts. His research has been published in Journal of Applied Psychology, Academy of Management Journal, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, and Human Resource Management Journal. He regularly provides editorial reviews for a variety of professional journals. For more than 20 years he has consulted with organizational clients on projects such as selection system design and validation, EEO compliance, performance appraisal, training design and implementation, as well as managerial assessment and succession planning. He currently is developing structured personality assessment systems to measure job candidates' congruence with discomforting and stressful job demands, thus enhancing predictions of emotional exhaustion, and assisting client organizations to better manage employee turnover.

Anthony J. Adorno, M.S.
Anthony Adorno is Chief Operations Officer for The DeGarmo Group. He received his B.S. degree in Psychology, and M.S. degree in Industrial/Organizational psychology from Illinois State University. Mr. Adorno conducts research on reducing employee turnover, and the fairness and validity of personnel selection processes. He has presented research and served as an invited speaker at both regional and national conferences, and has co-authored more than 50 publications, presentations, and technical reports. He has consulted with organizational clients on projects such as turnover reduction, employee career development, managerial assessment, selection system design and validation, EEO compliance, and training design and implementation. He serves as a reviewer for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Journal of Business and Psychology. He currently is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology's Strategic Planning Committee. He is a member of the International Customer Service Association, Society for Human Resource Management, and Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Chris Bellizzi, B.S.
Chris Bellizzi is Chief Information Officer for The DeGarmo Group. He received his B.S. in Social Science from Illinois State University. Mr. Bellizzi develops and maintains The DeGarmo Group’s web-enabled applications, maintains security and data integrity, and is responsible for reporting and customization. His twelve years of experience includes developing web-enabled applications for companies in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, a commercial real estate company and several international financial organizations.

Consulting Staff

Mark Baker, M.S.
Mark Baker received his B.S. in Psychology from Bradley University, and his Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Illinois State University. Prior to receiving his Master’s Degree, Mr. Baker’s work was published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and he presented research at the American Psychological Association’s Midwest convention. Mr. Baker is currently a full-time faculty member in the College of Business at Illinois State University, where he teaches Statistics and Management. His industry experience includes conducting job analysis for a large manufacturing corporation, working within the health care industry validating a satisfaction measure, conducting a customer satisfaction/opinion survey for a small business, and consulting with student service based programs at a large public university. Mr. Baker is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Dorene Burkhalter, M.S.
Dorene Burkhalter received her B.S. in Secondary Education and her M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Illinois State University. Dorene has specializations in organization change management, employee and career development, performance appraisal systems, and conflict and mediation practices. Ms. Burkhalter is a recognized analyst, trainer, and workplace consultant. Her occupational experiences (sales, social services, education, government, and industry), fourteen years of teaching, and seven years of consulting in an assortment of professional contexts enable her to provide meaningful developmental experiences for very diverse clients. She has been successful in working with employees at all levels of the organization to develop the skills and structures necessary to move organizations forward.

Kathleen Melcher, M.S.
Kathleen received her B.S. in Psychology, and her M.S. in Industrial/Organizational-Social, and Quantitative Psychology. She conducts research on the work-stress tolerance differences between part-time and full-time employees, and employees who leave versus continue employment, and also conducts research related to applicant response distortion on pre-employment personality testing. She has presented research at university, regional, and national conferences. Kathleen has conducted evaluations of organizations, focusing on improving the organization’s functioning for two separate departments of a large Midwestern university, and has analyzed the compensation system for a local division of a national non-profit organization.

Mary Ellen Baker, BBA
Mary Ellen Baker earned a BBA in Marketing from the University of Iowa. She has twenty years of successful retail, buying, product development, and sales and management experience. Her career history includes work at both Marshall Fields and Sears Roebuck and Company managing a $250 million business. In addition, she owned and operated an upscale retail business in Chicago. She has spent the last four years as a consultant, working with Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions and government agencies, identifying their soft skills training needs and selecting content to meet their training objectives.

David Daly, B.S.
David Daly received his B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University. He is currently in the process of earning an M.S. in Industrial/Organization and Quantitative Psychology from Illinois State University. His research interests include examining the effectiveness of personnel selection instruments, analyzing cross-cultural differences in personnel selection, and statistical modeling. His professional experience includes validating a selection system for a national non-profit organization, developing an affect based job analysis form, and developing web-based training for first-level management. Mr. Daly is a member of the Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Michelle Toelle, B.S.
Michelle Toelle received her B.S. in Psychology from Illinois State University. She is currently working towards a master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Illinois State University. Ms. Toelle has conducted research on the relationship between job complexity and counterproductive workplace behaviors. She has also worked as a data/research consultant on an organizational needs assessment. Michelle is a member of the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology.

Donnie Johnson, B.A.
Donnie Johnson received his B.A. in Psychology from Illinois State University and is in the process of earning his M.S. in Industrial/Organizational-Social Psychology, also from Illinois State University. His research interests include work styles and personality structure, training and performance motivation, person-organization fit, and test construction and validation. Donnie’s professional experiences include developing web-based training for first-level management and providing value-added service through his work on emerging projects. Donnie has presented organizational research at university and regional conferences. Donnie is a member of the Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Elizabeth Allen, B.A.
Elizabeth Allen received her B.A. in Psychology from Purdue University and is in the process of earning her M.S. in Industrial/Organizational-Social Psychology, at Illinois State University. Her research interests include occupational stress, employee motivation and cross-cultural employee differences. Elizabeth’s professional experiences include working with small business owners to develop and implement business plans, develop marketing plans, analyze financial statements and evaluate business outcomes. Elizabeth is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Lexy Adkins, B.S.
Lexy Adkins received her B.S. in Psychology from Illinois State University and is in the process of earning her M.S. in Industrial/Organizational-Social Psychology, also from Illinois State University. Her research interests include training development and implementation, organizational and leadership development, and employee wellness. Ms. Adkins’ professional experiences include developing several training modules for professionals in the behavioral health and criminal justice fields and working with several states in large-scale implementation efforts. Ms. Adkins is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.