Meet Rod Hess
Early Foundations
Rod Hess' normative culture experience took root in 1974 at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Social Work. This was when he stepped onto the Path Seldom Taken under his mentor, Sam Ferrainola.
"Rod stepped onto the Path Seldom Taken — a journey that shaped thousands of lives."
Transforming Glen Mills Schools
Upon graduation in 1975, he followed his mentor to the Glen Mills Schools, a private residential school for troubled youth near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There he became part of a management team that utilized a corporate culture business model as the operating system for turning around the school's culture.
As Director of Training, Rod was responsible for conducting the unique employee training program that helped make the school an international model for residential treatment.
Founding Applied Organizational Concepts
In 1982, Rod left Glen Mills Schools, where he had served as Director of Training, and founded Applied Organizational Concepts, a Pittsburgh-based training and consulting company specializing in organizational culture development and change.
Legacy and Impact
Over the past fifty years, Rod has helped organizations in business, education, human services, and team sports apply simple but powerful normative leadership skills to manage change more effectively and build stronger organizational cultures.
Education
Rod earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Duquesne University and his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Pittsburgh.