Advisory Group
Our Advisory Group is comprised of successful women and men who are committed to helping others succeed. They provide advice and open their contact lists to alumnae seeking introductions or mentors. They also represent the Springboard Academy in the community and assist in identifying organizations and projects worthy of volunteer time and financial sponsorship.
The Leadership Council is an incredible resource to the Springboard Academy. We are very thankful for their leadership and service.
Suzanne Keel-Eckmann, Co-Founder and Council Chair
Suzanne, a co-founder and key inspiration behind GoGirl Academy, is a Firm Director for Deloitte, the international accounting and consulting firm, where she leads the Firm’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability initiatives. Prior to her current position, she was the Northwest regional operations leader and led the Deloitte Services Women’s Initiative. Prior to joining Deloitte, she honed her technical and leadership skills as the legal administrator for two multi-location law firms and as the founder of a technology-based outsourcing firm.
Suzanne attended the University of Alabama and Golden Gate University and continued her education by earning a Green Belt in Process Excellence and achieving LEED Accredited Professional certification. In addition to mentoring high talent women in and outside Deloitte, Suzanne actively supports local and regional cultural organizations.
Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith
Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith has more than 25 years experience in higher education finance and administration. Prior to her retirement in 2006, Linda was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the University of Connecticut where she was responsible for overseeing construction, renovation, operation, logistics and security of the University’s physical plant; human resources and payroll; purchasing; accounts payable; information technology; business services; and public and environmental safety.
Prior to UConn, Linda served as Vice Chancellor Emeritus of The University of Alabama. At the University of Alabama, Birmingham, she was finance chair of the UAB Health System and board vice president for finance and administration. At the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Linda was an adjunct faculty member and taught courses in leadership and accounting. She is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham, Leadership Alabama, and Leadership Hartford, and has been active in promoting leadership initiatives at the University of Alabama.
Linda holds an MBA from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and a BS, Summa Cum Laude, in business administration from the University of Alabama.
Kristi Marchbanks
Kristi Marchbanks has more than 20 years of general management experience with demonstrated ability to build teams, scale business processes, and get results that create shareholder value. Working in both start-up and Fortune 500 environments, Kristi has built new companies, launched products, and grown existing businesses by as much as $1 billion in as little as three years. She has demonstrated the ability to develop significant new strategic initiatives, implement scalable change, and drive results in roles she has held at Amazon.com, IBM, and Eastman Kodak. As the former CEO of SeaTab Software Inc., she mastered the unique challenges of leading a high growth company, building a senior executive team and demonstrating her ability to attract and retain qualified, exceptional talent.
Kristi graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration and earned an MBA at the Harvard Business School. She serves on the boards of the University of Washington Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Northwest Entrepreneur Network, InjuryFree, and FareStart. She is a member of Seattle Rotary #4 and the UW MBA Mentor Program.
