Who We Are
Specializing in strategic planning, superteam development, and business development for small and mid-sized organizations, businesses, and divisions.
Email or call us today for a free, no hassle estimate on your business plan, or other business or non-profit need.
Over 70 years of combined hands-on business and consulting experience.
Principal Consultants
Rex Walters
Biosketch
2007
M.A. Psychology; M.S. & Ph.D., Organizational Psychology
Currently a management consultant in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, Rex is also the Interim Executive Director of the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries. Previously functioning as the interim president of Coastal Sol Foods, LLC, Rex is also a founding Partner with Bay Area Strategic Group, a Santa Cruz, CA based management consulting firm specializing in the areas of strategic business planning and human resources for small to medium-sized businesses, non-profit agencies, and entrepreneurial start-ups.
Rex graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a B.A. degree in philosophy in 1971, and received his M.A. in Experimental Psychology from San Jose State University in 1981, and an M.S. in Organizational Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1992. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Organizational Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in April, 1996. He developed the first HRD strategic plan for NASA-Ames, and created, taught, or evaluated multiple management training courses for NASA. Currently Rex teaches a unique strategic management for non-profit agencies course at the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as several graduate level classes for Chapman University.
In addition to the above, Rex was also:
• Vice-president and Director of Human Resources for ECC, Inc.
• Assistant Director, Schick Labs, San Jose, CA
• Statistics Instructor, San Jose State University
• Counselor, Watsonville High School
• Social Service Worker/Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, Santa Cruz County
Rex has published several articles on small business topics, facilitated numerous management training groups in both profit and not-for-profit organizations, and has authorized or supervised over 50 publication caliber strategic plans and policies and procedures manuals. He has attended numerous professional and management training seminars. Rex is licensed and certified in administration of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Driver Decision Style Exercises, the Career Concepts Questionnaire, and TeamView 360, all useful in management development.
Married to a Santa Cruz chiropractor, Rex is an avid surfer, competitive Hawaiian outrigger canoe racer and coach, snow skier, and enjoys playing folk and blues guitar. He speaks conversational Spanish (and a little Hawaiian and Japanese), likes to weight train, and strives to keep his resting pulse under 60 beats per minute. A fanatic adherent to life-long learning, he likes to read anything from Tony Hillerman novels to ancient Greek philosophy, especially while sitting in his hot tub!
MEMBERSHIPS
(current and recent past)
•Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) •Santa Cruz Longboard Union
•California Psychological Association •Santa Cruz Aiki-jujutsu Club
•Akau Hana Outrigger Canoe Club •Santa Cruz Outrigger Canoe Club
(President) (Founder)
Jim Earle
Biosketch
2007
B.S., Accounting; M.A., Organizational Psychology; MBA
Jim has twenty plus years experience and success in Marketing and Sales Management, Training and Development and General Management within Communications, Education, Wholesale Distribution, Automotive and Industrial Banking. He is a specialist in Business Development, Building high performing teams, Business Training and Consulting.
Jim graduated from San Jose State University with a BS degree in Accounting and obtained his MBA from Cal State University, Stanislaus. Jim was a Phi-Kappa Phi at San Jose State and graduated Magna Cum Laude from California State University, Stanislaus. He later obtained his MA in Organizational Psychology from California School for Professional Psychology. While at CSPP, he developed a personal and professional relationship with Dr. Rex Walters. Together they co-founded the Bay Area Strategic Group in 1995.
Jim has had a successful and varied career in both management and consulting. He has held the following positions:
• Regional manager – consumer finance industry
• General manager and minority owner – automobile industry
• Principal – Leadership Development for a fortune 100 company
• Sales Director – for a Fortune 500 company
• Assistant Controller and Business Manager – wholesale distribution
• Consultant to many companies, including AT&T, Xerox, PG&E, Heinz, McClatchy Newspapers, Gallo Wine
• Instructor at Modesto Junior College, California State University, Hayward and guest lecturer at Haas School of Business, University of California.
Jim is married and has three grown daughters and 5 grandsons. He lives with his wife, Bernice, in San Ramon, CA. His hobbies include reading, cinema, doubles tennis and gardening.
Jim’s deeply held belief is that virtually all organizations operate sub-optimally. Every person and every organization has tremendous potential that is within their control. There are proven methods that will tap into that potential and any organization, by any measure, can be more successful. To make this a reality for organizations is what makes Jim and Rex do what they do.