The Latimer Team

The idea for The Latimer Group was born in Grand Canyon National Park, in fall of 2000, during a “what if” conversation between Dean and his wife Emily. Emily said the magic words… “You love to build teams, you love to teach, and you are a great public speaker… build a business around that.” Eighteen months later, The Latimer Group was off and running.

Dean is motivated by creating great environments for the people in his life. For his teammates, creating a culture of collaboration and opportunity where they can spread their wings. For our clients, creating learning environments where they are challenged, supported and empowered to make their own voice heard. And for his family, building a home environment that is based on love, laughter and great experiences.

In addition to his Latimer life, Dean spent more than twenty years directly involved with the United States Olympic Sailing Program, as an alternate on the 2000 Olympic Team, and then eventually as the Chairman and Team Leader for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Teams. Dean cheers passionately for his beloved New York Yankees, and his dominant fantasy football team.

Whitney sets the tone for our relationships with our clients. From the first interactions, through the scheduling of all client work for our client companies she is the one they spend the most time with. We are in a relationship business, and that all starts with Whitney. After that, the rest of us work hard to live up to the tone that Whitney set.

When Whitney is not serving our clients, you will most likely find her chasing her kids around her neighborhood, on a beach on Block Island, or reading a good mystery novel.

We love so many things about Whitney. But at the top of the list is her lifelong dedication to community service. No one puts more energy or care into serving others than Whitney. She is a past president of the Junior League of Hartford, a long-time Board member of Interval House, and volunteers every week at a local food pantry.

Kendra is the brains behind our Learning Team, and is the lead voice with our clients on content development and workshop design. She has the keenest of eyes, not only with the substance of our content, but also in the way we present that content to the world. Her attention to detail is second to none.

Kendra has several “happy places” outside of work: travel with her family and friends, any kitchen where she can cook a great meal, and any place where she can snuggle with her dog Lulu! “Family first” is the guiding principle in Kendra’s life.

The thing we love most about Kendra is her dedication to everyone and everything in her life. You will never have a better teammate than Kendra. If she is on your team, smile and take a deep breath. She will have your back, and won’t rest until the job is done well.

Jay enriches every conversation he participates in and brings people together with his warm and engaging style. Jay serves as the Director of Facilitation and Coaching at The Latimer Group. When not focused on his Latimer work, Jay is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion expert, consulting with many organizations to create substantive change, and he remains an active advocate in LGBTQIA+ organizations. In addition, Jay is actively working on his doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership at USC’s Rossier School of Education.

Jay was born in Alabama and lives on the west coast. He shares space with his amazing dog Zeke, who “saved” Jay at the beginning of the pandemic. He is an avid reader and an amateur historian, who consumes non-fiction and biographies, along with plenty of podcasts and documentaries.

We love Jay’s view of the world, and the ways in which he strengthens our team. He has an uncanny ability to see and acknowledge your perspective, and at the same time introduce that there might be another way to look at the issue.

Mary-Kate keeps the trains running on time at The Latimer Group. She works directly with Whitney on managing all aspects of our client relationships, including the critical details like schedules and rosters. Perhaps most importantly, she manages our CEO, keeping Dean out of trouble on a daily basis. Mary-Kate loves contributing to a seamless client experience.

Outside of work Mary-Kate stays busy keeping her young daughters in line, teaching them how to bake, and taking rides in their family’s classic car.

Mary-Kate made an immediate impact on our team, from the moment she joined us in early 2021. In a short period of time, Mary-Kate has made herself indispensable to our team and our clients.

Hannah brings a broad set of skills to her role as a Latimer facilitator and coach. She is a student of her craft and is in constant search of improvement. In addition, Hannah previously served as the Director of Facilitation and Evaluation for The Latimer Group and was a full-time member of our team for five years, which gives her a unique perspective on our work.

Outside of work, Hannah is an avid runner and loves spending time at the family homestead in the Adirondack Mountains. She is a mother to three amazingly active kids, and her husband happens to be an elite triathlete in his spare time.

Hannah is a constant learner and a voracious absorber of ideas and content. If you ever ask Hannah, “what are you reading right now,” get ready for a great answer. Because she is always reading something fascinating and thought-provoking, no one loves a challenge more than Hannah.

Dan brings a powerful perspective to his Latimer work. He has a long history in marketing, business development, politics, non-profit leadership, and of course coaching and facilitating. In addition to his work at The Latimer Group, Dan runs a marketing and communications consultancy focused on building the connections we need to succeed in business.

Outside of work, Dan and his family reside in coastal Massachusetts, and spend their time on the water, engaged in local causes that speak to their hearts, and surrounded by family and friends.  

We love Dan’s ability to connect everyone around him, especially his workshop participants and the people he coaches. His style puts people immediately at ease, which allows the learning opportunities to pop up everywhere. He has had a fascinating career, in a range of industries, and he brings all of it into every workshop he teaches and every session he coaches.

Lauren brings courage and empathy to her work every day, and makes it clear that she is in your corner. In addition to her work with The Latimer Group, Lauren leads her own life and career coaching company, and is dedicated to her mission of helping her clients develop the confidence they will need to live a fulfilled life, at home and at work.

Lauren and her husband grew up in Connecticut, and met in school at UConn. Lauren shows her competitive side by “bleeding blue” for her UConn Huskies, and by doing everything she can to dominate family game nights. Lauren loves to cook, hike, and travel. London, Thailand and Arches National Park in Utah are all on her “favorite locations” list.

We love Lauren’s dedication to her craft, and how she brings her whole self into her coaching. When you are working with Lauren, you have no doubt that she is completely present with you, and will do everything she can to lift you up… and help you lift yourself.