Meet LXCouncil’s Founder
Tina Corner
With more than 20 years of senior executive experience at both start-ups and billion-dollar corporations, Tina thrives on putting the right leaders together by building a team of advisors so business leaders can have an advantage in succeeding in today’s business world.
The culmination of Tina’s experience working with business leaders occurred in 2013, when she founded her own peer advisory board company, LXCouncil (Leader Exchange Council). LXCouncil hand-selects business leaders to participate in peer council meetings that will help them find solutions and harness opportunities. LXCouncil hires and trains the moderators who make each council meeting productive for members.
Tina’s past experience of building new multi-million dollar businesses, executive teams, and strategic partnerships has fueled her success with LXCouncil in working with business owners and building a board of advisors unique to their needs.
With nearly 10,000 hours developing peer-to-peer councils successfully since 2005, Tina started and sold the TAB (The Alternative Board) franchise in Maryland’s Baltimore-Washington Corridor in 2012 after becoming the largest single-owner peer board franchisee in the world.
Tina graduated from Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development and holds a B.S. in Marketing and Business Logistics from the University of Missouri. She has supplemented her education with certifications in DISC and PIAV behavior assessments and participated in Dan Sullivan’s Strategic Coach Program.
Tina’s accomplishments include the following:
- Author of Sit Down! Speak Up! Cash In!: A CEO’s Guide to Peer Advisory Groups
- Winner of the CBED Distinguished Business Award, Howard County Economic Development Authority
- Named one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Telecom, Phone + Magazine
- Named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record 2011 & 2017
- Recipient of the Smart CEO Magazine Brava! Award
The LXCouncil executive team is always looking for innovative leaders to join the ranks of business professionals who are helping each other grow by participating in peer advisory groups. Request a one-on-one Peer Advisory Group Consultation to explore the possibility of becoming an LXCouncil member.
A Commitment to High Standards
Our advisory board moderators are held to the same high standards that we maintain for ourselves. Moderator status is carefully conferred based on criteria of strict professional and personal credentials. These factors include:
- experience in owning or leading a business (with significant profit and loss statement);
- intuition;
- empathy;
- a high degree of integrity;
- selflessness (interested in others’ happiness before their own);
- patience (allows process to unfold on its own, does not push it);
- excellent listening skills;
- objective(can mediate emotional issues without taking sides);
- the ability to lead a group without dominating;
- remaining open and receptive, regardless of the situation;
- ability to stay engaged for extended periods of time;
- high energy;
- continuously learning;
- teaches through being present and leading the process; and
- the ability to act with power and decisiveness.
What Makes Our Advisory Board Moderators Different
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- uses “highest and best use” talent model;
- understands that the best moderators are usually not great at developing business and growing the council;
- leverages strategic relationships and creative techniques for systematic marketing;
- strategic-based consulting is handled through the LXCouncil corporate entity. Skill-based consulting is outsourced to trusted advisors (strategic partners);
- team-based culture with rewards, recognition, and profit-sharing or bonus structure. There is no conflict of interest, which is a win-win for all involved (members, moderators, and LXCouncil corporation);
- creates ownership mentality;
- operates from Abundance Perspective.
Meet Our Moderators
Henry Bass
Henry Bass earned an MBA from Washington University in St Louis, and served in the Army for three years before earning a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and starting Automation Creations, Inc.
ACI has been in the Corporate Research Center since 1996, producing custom-developed software and web applications for local, national and Government customers. Jointly, the Army and Automation Creations, Inc. created a web-based version of SmartCharts, then undertook the successful deployment of the Acquisition Information Management application (AIM) to the web. His company grew to manage 8 contracts at the US Army Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Enterprise Systems and Services facility, plus a Navy contract for web-based training management in Indian Head, Maryland. Henry’s company has taken several software projects to international success. Henry and his team recently won a contract to help deploy enterprise software across the Veterans Affairs agency.
Automation Creations (ACI) has over 200 local clients for web development, software support and custom software development. The company is located in Blacksburg, Virginia at the Corporate Research Center adjacent to Virginia Tech.
Henry still serves the Army as a reserve officer, and also participates in local business development and the Boy Scouts program. He and his wife Lisa have been married for 26 years, with two boys, ages 19 and 16.
John Foster
John Foster has 30 plus years of distinguished leadership and management experience with multiple companies at various stages of development across several fast paced industries including; finance (investment banking partnerships, valuation services), business consulting (strategic planning), national distribution (computer hardware and consumer electronics), healthcare (co-founded Medicaid HMO), commercial real estate (development of medical facilities, personal investing) and publishing (In Room Magazine, Hyatt Hotels). Demonstrating expertise in strategic and all operational aspects of business.
In his capacity as Chairman for Alliance Computing Technologies, Inc. (ACT), John interacted regularly with shareholders, an outside board of directors, bankers and general counsel in communicating the company’s vision and reporting results. His duties also took him to Washington, DC over four years where he was an advocate for the Rent To Own (RTO) industry before both houses of Congress.
Serving as the founder and Managing Member of the Tampa base advisory firm PathFinder Group he leads a team of senior level subject matter experts that help businesses reduce risk of failure by pinpointing opportunities for accelerated growth by analyzing a company’s current situation using a proprietary tool developed at MIT which leverages artificial intelligence to measure 18 value drivers affecting every company.
“Thomas Merton tells us the biggest human temptation is to settle for too little then goes on to remind us that happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony. I think these words are powerful touchpoints for business owners and leaders to live by. I am looking forward to joining with LXCouncil to facilitate members’ pursuit of their American Dream, bound up in these two ideas”.
John earned his BA in Psychology from Duquesne University and an MBA from the University of Tampa in 1993. In 2014 The University of Tampa invited him to teach Family Business as an adjunct professor in the John Sykes College of Business, Center for Entrepreneurism. A lifelong learner, John has completed 240 graduate level credits in Commercial Investment Real Estate Analysis, acquired his Florida Real Estate Broker’s license, and a 6PAK Captain’s license.
He is very active in the community serving on the BayCare Behavioral Health Advisory Board, University of Tampa’s, Board of Fellows the Downtown Rotary Club of Tampa as a member of the Board of Directors, Rotary Foundation Trustee and past President of the Downtown Rotary Club of Tampa (2008-09). In January of 2018 John was invited to serve as a Director on the Board of Flanigan’s Enterprises Inc. trading as BDL (NYSE). In his spare time John is a beekeeper, who likes to fish, kayak and read.
Michael Gordon
Prior to founding VIPTC. LLC, a middle market business to business consultancy, Mr. Gordon was Executive Vice President of Accelerent, an exclusive national business development organization for middle-market C-Level executives. Mr. Gordon’s diverse background and strong relationships allow him to serve clients in all industries including professional services, non-profit, manufacturing, retail and distribution.
After 7 years in the carbon steel industry as a top salesman for Certified Steel, Trenton, New Jersey, Mr. Gordon left the industry completely and began his real estate career as a retail broker with Michael Salove Company, Philadelphia, PA. During Mr. Gordon’s 7 years as a broker, he has successfully represented property owners and developers in both the leasing, acquisition and disposition of assets ranging from power centers and office buildings to community and neighborhood centers. Additionally, Mr. Gordon has successfully completed multiple commercial office buildings sale transactions totaling almost $20 Million. Mr. Gordon left the brokerage business to take a position as the Regional Director of Real Estate for Quiznos Corporation, Denver CO. After completing over 100 transactions in his first year, he was promoted to Regional Vice President of Development, responsible for the sales of new franchises, site selection and construction for all stores between New Hampshire and Washington DC. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Gordon was promoted to Senior Vice President of Real Estate, responsible for new site selection for one-half of the United States.
Mr. Gordon serves on the Board of Directors for a Washington DC area nonprofit, Nourish Now. Nourish Now brings food security to families, children, and seniors in need. A Philadelphia native, Mr. Gordon currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Jennifer and daughter Alexa.
Eric Hansen
Eric has successfully managed and consulted with business executives to lead significant growth and business transformation for over 25 years. The first 18 years were an intense mix of challenge, extreme reward, and constant learning as he led change from the inside. Over his career he has held a variety of management and executive positions for corporations such as The May Company, Intel, AT&T Capital, Cargill, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Hallmark Cards, Inc. where he partnered with senior leaders of businesses and functions to define business strategies, identify and build key capabilities, and to optimize the configuration and development of the physical and human assets to deliver value to the markets and customers they serve.
Eric’s experience ranges from Co-leading the enterprise-wide redefinition of the business models for large consumer good companies, to leading the CEO and the board of non-profit organizations through a process to refine its core purpose.
Eric’s experience and passion covers a range of organization development issues and interventions, but regardless of the business challenge, he believes that effective and sustainable change is made in the context of the total system. Equally important, he believes in transferring know-how and tools to others to increase the probability of evolving and enduring success. He measures a successful intervention by the degree to which there is increased capability within the organization to address ongoing challenges and to adapt to the demands of an ever-changing, competitive environment.
Prior to joining Navalent, Eric was the executive responsible for establishing and leading
The Organization and Talent Management organization at Hallmark Cards, Inc. His team was responsible for working with business and functional leaders on large and small-scale organization design initiatives, executive coaching, human capital planning, talent management and development, and recruiting. Additionally, Eric served on the board of The Children’s Place, a non-profit organization providing treatment services for abused and neglected children in the greater Kansas City area. He also currently serves as a board member for Pinnacle Plus Financial.
Eric is the co-author of “Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives” resulting from a ten-year study of leaders and focused on supporting transitioning executives to successfully assume roles of increasing scope and responsibility. Eric earned a business management undergraduate degree and holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from Brigham Young University.
Randy Lowman
Randy has a history of successfully defining and executing business and technology strategies; supporting business expansion, enhanced enterprise efficiencies and reduced organizational risk.
Prior to joining The Lattitude Group, as President, Randy spent over 25 years in leadership roles across a diverse range of industries including professional services, manufacturing, construction, distribution and retail. In addition to his broad industry exposure, Fortune 500 and small business startup experience, Randy has led corporate groups responsible for information technology, human resources, payroll, purchasing, supply chain, demand management & inventory planning, risk management and professional recruiting & contracting services.
“I am excited about the opportunity to partner with the LXCouncil to leverage my professional experience, skill and passion for helping people and organizations overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. Being able to serve my community by making a positive impact in the lives of local leaders is an exceptionally rewarding opportunity to give back to the area I call home and the technology community that has supported my success.”
Randy holds a BS in Accounting Information Systems from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He earned a certification from PMI as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and is Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) with APICS.
Committed to supporting his community, Randy has served as the Treasurer and Webmaster for WorldHungerAuction.org hunger relief ministries, as member of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity as a Scoutmaster for his local Boy Scouts of America chapter, conducts annual resume and interview workshops at the local community college and has held numerous leadership & teaching roles within his church congregation.
Randy lives in Southside VA with his wife April. When not partnering with clients on defining and executing their business strategies, Randy enjoys spending time outdoors and is an avid backpacker, mountain biker and fly fisherman.
Ross Passantino
Steve Jobs said “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” Ross Passantino believes that committed groups of people produce better results than individuals. Throughout his career he has been known as a team-builder, connector, entrepreneur and confidant to local business owners. His balanced and objective approach to overcoming challenges has served him well in getting the most out teammates and business leaders.
Ross Passantino is most well-known for opening Accelerent in the Kansas City market in 2009. During his ten years with Accelerent he helped create the most consistent market for Accelerent with great recruiting of talent and solid leadership principles. Kansas City Accelerent Partner companies enjoyed increased levels of new business revenue through a system of relationship-building and database mining. He successfully moderated executive level environments where local business owners learned how to become referral sources for each other and to be more effective from each other.
Passantino is also a Partner in Passantino Marketing. Local business owners trust the Passantino Marketing team with maximizing their sales and marketing investments. Services include website design, SEO, social media management, traditional advertising campaigns and fractional sales and marketing consulting. The strength of his local relationships and sales and marketing acumen helped double the revenue of Passantino Marketing.
Passantino was a Managing Director in the TV and radio network business. Passantino moved up from an advertising sales role to top leadership positions with the Kansas City Royals Radio Network, FOX Sports Kansas City and the Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network. Numerous sales and profitability records were achieved by his teams during his tenure.
Ross Passantino lives at Lake Lotawana, Missouri and spends his free time with family and friends at this beautiful suburban lake community in the Kansas City area. Ross and his wife Tracey enjoy their big happy family of seven children and three grandchildren.
Helping others is at the core of his value set. For over 15 years he has been the Tournament Chairman of the Operation Breakthrough Golf Fore Kids tournament helping to raise funds for Kansas City’s largest inner-city daycare center. He served as President of Media Mix of Kansas City and is a member/volunteer of UNICO Kansas City Chapter helping to send local Kansas City high school seniors to college with events like Festa Italiana.
Brad Seamon
Bradford Seamon earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Howard University and a master’s degree in management from the University of Maryland. He is a certified public accountant and a certified professional coach. Brad also completed an executive training program at Dartmouth’s Tuck Business School.
Brad began his business career as a senior staff auditor with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. After leaving Deloitte, Brad became the project controller for SMS Data Products, Inc., a federal government contractor, before he moved on to become the controller at Synergics, Inc., an Annapolis, Maryland based energy company. In 1989, Brad launched his own CPA firm and in 1991, Brad merged with his wife’s business to form Seamon Corporation.
During the next 20 years, Brad served as President and CEO of Seamon Corporation, overseeing strategies that supported the missions of federal health research and community health programs. The company’s services included event management, information technology, training and program management. Seamon Corporation grew to 150 employees and $35 million in revenue and received several accolades including selection as a preferred vendor for the entire U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, selection to design and orchestrate President George W. Bush’s inaugural PEPFAR event (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), a finalist to receive the National Capital Business Ethics Award, and recognition in 2009 as a Top 100 Maryland Minority Business. Seamon Corporation was recognized as one of the top 10 federal event management companies in the country and performed projects on every continent except Antarctica. In the words of the late Verle Zanders, a government contracting official turned successful entrepreneur, Seamon Corporation was the “gold standard” in federal event management.
In 2010, Brad was appointed as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and then Chief Administrative Officer of the Prince George’s County government. In this role, Brad led 6,000 employees and oversaw some of the county’s most important economic development projects including the MGM Resort Casino at National Harbor, the merger of the county health system with the University of Maryland Medical System and construction of a $750 million regional medical center. Brad led the county government in developing The Baker Administration Vision, Mission and Values that focused on achieving the goal of improved public safety, economic development, education and health status. Brad was widely respected for his data driven, businesslike approach to public sector leadership.
In 2014, Brad returned to Seamon Corporation to serve as Chief Operating Officer. Since returning, Malitta and Brad have re-engineered Seamon Corporation by divesting some assets and revisiting the “why and what” questions. Why are we here and what are we here to do? The answer to these questions has resulted in a transformation of Seamon’s primary focus on federal government contracting to include coaching, training and consulting on entrepreneurship, strategic planning, individual and professional development and growth strategies for private sector clients. Encouraging individuals and companies to answer their “why and what” questions, Brad is energized about helping people achieve their desires, aspirations and goals.
Brad serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington DC area nonprofit, Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), a social venture capital organization that has raised and invested over $100 million—resulting in over 50,000 young people having better access to quality education, health care, and career training.
A Philadelphia, PA native, Brad currently lives in Upper Marlboro, MD with his wife, Malitta. They have two adult sons, Brad Jr. and Chadwick
Mark Weston
Mark is a leader in Operations, Technology, and Account Management for MacNair Travel. In his tenure there, he has doubled the sales and profits six-fold. Mark achieved this through creating greater efficiencies, reliable systems, goal achievement execution, accountability, and most of all having a great team in place.
Mark Weston earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Chapman University. While in college, he supervised eight Shakey’s Restaurants, using management skills and theories learned in school and applying those lessons to real-world situations. The owner of those eight units once said of Weston, “I am not crazy about your style, but you have provided me the best results I have ever had.” That is the mantra that Weston lives by: “What are the results that will be achieved from any activity?”
From there Mark went on to a 10-year career in Financial Management. Starting with trading for Goldman Sachs and then on his own as a member of the New York Futures Exchange. This gave him the opportunity to understand how our financial world works, and from there his career moved to the retail side of the financial world by working for Merrill Lynch. There he was creating sound financial plans for individuals and corporations to help them manage their finances, and was a member of Merrill Lynch’s Executive Club based on outstanding performance.
Wanting to do something, completely different, Mark, intrigued by the business of travel, ventured into his own travel management firm: The Business Travel Experts. He began his exciting and challenging voyage by owning a franchise. He handled all daily aspects including sales, technology, financial management, operations, and management – assuring that each area was thriving. During this time, Entrepreneur Magazine followed and wrote about the company’s journey during the first year of business, motivating him more than ever to succeed.
After three years of rapid growth and receiving the Travel Management Company of the year award, Mark decided he had outgrown the franchises usefulness and decided to take his company independent. The business continued its growth organically as well as through acquisitions and a partnership to be in the top 10% of the industry. This lifecycle continued for a total of 17 years, until an offer too good to refuse created an occasion for the business to be sold and allowed Mark new opportunities.
The next chapter in Mark’s life led him to join the business-consulting firm: Management Action Programs. This opportunity has given him the chance to work with leadership teams to improve their overall performance in areas such as organization, planning, communication, goal alignment, accountability, execution, and leadership skills.
Mark’s experiences have taught him that he loves to coach and mentor teams to greater personal and business success; which is why he is happy to be a part of the LX Council team, and lead our member’s to their next achievements.
Charles Whiting
Charles has vast experience in many aspects of business. Previously he was a Sales Manager at Johnson & Johnson SE USA and Director of Sales Worldwide STP Corporation. He also started a patent issued for start-up company later sold to General Cinema/PepsiCo. He negotiated service contracts for 40+ US military bases worldwide, contracts for 26 of the top 50 national US food chains before selling his company in 1993 to Warner Brothers.
Charles began his new venture in the agricultural industry with EDL (Escort Data Loggers) after obtaining the rights to a micro-organism for use in feed efficiency transfer in the beef and dairy industry. As CEO, COO, and CFA he managed public and private companies who needed assistance during transitions and turnarounds. Also winning the Governor’s Award for one of top ten new export companies in the State of Virginia (1994) in collaboration with Univ of Virginia.
Over the past twenty years he served as an investment banker and merger and acquisition specialist to owners of profitable businesses desiring exit for retirement, health reasons and sometimes because of the untimely death of a major shareholder. Opening offices in 1993 in Lynchburg, VA and Buffalo, NY. EDL transferred over 140 businesses mainly, service and manufacturing companies (emphasis on electronics, precision engineering, & consumer goods), professional firms (CPA, Law, Veterinary clinics), high profile restaurants/chains, daycare child development centers, assisted living/memory care/independent living and distribution companies. He later sold to Alfa-Laval in France.
His network of clients and buyers is now worldwide with offices in Canada, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Malaysia, Seattle, New York. EDL is headquartered in Virginia (two offices Roanoke & Winchester) with associated offices in Milan, London, Australia, China, Singapore, India (2) and New Zealand.
Charles graduated Alfred State College Electrical Engineer and University of Chicago Executive MBA. He is a Retired Combat Officer US Army. Past President of the Retired Officers Association, LA. He volunteers as a Professional Business Consultant SBA (certified expert witness program) and a Vice-Chair for SCORE Roanoke, Virginia Chapter. Also, a Member Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council and Member of President Club (Johnson & Johnson (top ten revenue producers). Supporter of Boy Scouts of America and an Eagle Scout.
