ESOP Communication Services

As Vice President of ESOP Communication Services, Lindsay Shafer’s engaging and collaborative style creates an ideal environment for effective learning and meaningful communication. Her clients benefit from her expertise in ESOP communication, leadership development, and organizational culture, as well as her practical experience helping organizations strengthen engagement and ownership at every level.

For more than 20 years, Lindsay has served a wide range of organizations, including employee-owned companies, nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions. She provides facilitation, training, and project management in areas such as employee ownership education, inclusion and belonging, and strategic planning.

Lindsay plays an active role in the employee ownership community, speaking frequently on employee ownership and workplace culture. She serves on The ESOP Association’s Ownership Culture Committee and is the Vice President of Fundraising and Sponsorships for the ESOP Association’s Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Lindsay holds both a BA and MA from the University of Pennsylvania. An avid trail runner and hiker, she can often be found exploring Colorado’s trails with her two dogs, Tukker and Moo. When not outdoors, Lindsay enjoys spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking.

Cathy Ivancic’s warm, interactive style is ideal for effective adult learning. Her clients gain the benefit of her technical expertise in ESOPs, committee development and practical ownership culture experience.

For more than 33 years, Cathy has served ESOPs in a wide variety of industries including: manufacturing, medical services, construction, distribution, retail, and professional services.

Cathy is often a featured speaker nationally and internationally on employee ownership, open-book management training and business literacy. She served on the board of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) for 10 years and is a founding member of the Ownership Culture Committee of the ESOP Association. She has served on the corporate board of a 100% ESOP company since 2016.

Combining ESOP experience with her sunny disposition, Cecilia Miller offers training, tools, and ownership culture services to ESOPs nationwide. As an ESOP Communication Consultant at Blue Ridge Associates, she provides all our services including ESOP statement presentations, ESOP rollouts, custom brochures and interactive employee ownership learning activities.

Cecilia has helped thousands of ESOP participants, company leaders, HR professionals and committee members understand how their ESOP works. She joined our communication team after several years answering participant questions for some of the most complex ESOPs in the country. In that role, Cecilia developed a knack for diffusing skepticism and fear about the ESOP while patiently explaining statements, plan rules, diversification, and the timing for distribution.

Cecilia is a leader for our team on blending our services with the communication capabilities of ESOPConnection – the online portal for Blue Ridge ESOP Associates.

Cecilia has a pulse on explaining ESOPs from the individual participants’ point of view. She is a native Spanish speaker who brings ESOPs to life with engaging examples, interactive games, and visual tools for employees in both English and Spanish.

Frederick Wetzel combines expertise in instructional design, learning technologies, and employee training to create engaging communication that helps employees better understand and appreciate employee ownership. As an ESOP Communication Consultant at Blue Ridge Associates, Frederick develops communication materials, training programs, and digital learning resources that make complex ESOP concepts accessible and meaningful for employee owners.

Before joining Blue Ridge, Frederick spent more than 12 years in learning and development roles within the financial services and telecommunications industries. He designed and delivered virtual, instructor-led, and eLearning programs focused on employee engagement, onboarding, compliance, software implementations, and professional development. His experience in instructional design, multimedia development, and virtual facilitation enables him to create practical learning solutions that support organizational success.

Outside of work, Frederick enjoys skiing in Colorado, traveling with his partner, and spending time with their two dogs, Tyson and Charli. He also enjoys Sunday dinners with family, staying active, and exploring new destinations whenever he has the opportunity.