Our Team

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We bring experience from:

Consulting with over 250 U.S. and international clients;

Training several thousand professionals and executives from many companies and associations in the U.S. and other countries;

Working in management and staff positions in national and international companies; 

Working in government and non-profit sectors, 

Successful entrepreneurial endeavors; 

Teaching graduate and undergraduate university courses. 

The Jennings Group specializes in working with engineering

and other technical and project management organizations.

Over 1,600 professionals from over 200 organizations and 28 countries have participated in The Jennings Group’s leadership programs. In our more than 30 years in the industry, we have conducted nearly 100 extended leadership programs and have conducted over 2,000 personal coaching sessions.

We look forward to talking with you and finding the best ways to help you differentiate your organization and bring value to your clients.

Kate Kaynak, Ph.D., President

Kate Kaynak has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland, American University, Marymount University, and Rutgers University. She was the founder of Spencer Hill Press, which was acquired in 2014 by a New York publishing company. She has received degrees in psychology from Yale University and Rutgers University. She started facilitating with The Jennings Group in 2010. 

Rachel Rothman Cohen, Facilitator

Rachel Rothman Cohen is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) and Cornell Law School (J.D.). She has experience practicing law privately, and more recently acting as a contracts manager in the publishing industry. She started facilitating with The Jennings Group in 2015.

Nicholas Kessler, Facilitator

Nick Kessler brings experience as a policy analyst and campaign consultant, as well as Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission. He is a graduate of Yale University (B.A.) and the University of Virginia Law School (J.D.) and has attended the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and the leadership program of the Virginia Executive Institute. He started facilitating with The Jennings Group in 2016.

Jennifer Bolds, Facilitator

Jennifer has been a practicing marriage and family therapist for over a decade and Is an ordained minister. Her counseling practice focuses on the various facets of emotional intelligence in leadership development, marriage & family, and conflict management. She holds a master certification with PSP and  Total SDI and a 90 hour MA in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Additionally, she is a co-founder of the  Jennings Leadership Foundation. She started facilitating with The Jennings Group in 2018. 

Marla Zemanek, Facilitator

Marla Zemanek is experienced as a corporate trainer, organization  development consultant, public speaking coach and business coach, with  clients in private industry, the federal government, and higher  education. She is a graduate of San Diego State University  (B.A. and M.A.) and the University of San Diego (M.Ed.) and holds  California lifetime teaching credentials in special education. She  started facilitating with The Jennings Group in 2023.

Jessica Porteous, Facilitator

has experience running multiple businesses, including serving as managing editor for a mid-size publishing company and director of an educational technology company. She has over 25 years of teaching experience, with both adults and children, and conducted research at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland. She is a graduate of Hampshire College (B.A.) and the University of Maryland (M.Ed.). She started facilitating with The Jennings Group in 2024.

Kirsten Rutledge, Office Manager

Kirsten Rutledge has been keeping the wheels on The Jennings Group since 1997. 

Laura Jennings, Founder  

​​With more than 30 years of management consulting experience, Laura Jennings specialized in understanding organizational politics and developing boards of directors.