Michael Kilgore Michael Kilgore is a seasoned consultant in diversity and human resources management with major organizations both nationally and internationally. In addition to his consulting background, he has had direct management experience in both small business and large corporate settings. Mr. Kilgore co-founded and managed for six years many aspects of the nationally recognized diversity and management consulting firm, the Kaleidoscope Group, LLC, based in Chicago. While at Kaleidoscope he led research projects and managed client relations with Owens Corning, Hewlett-Packard, Duracell, Caterpillar, Dean Foods and Deloitte-Touche among others. A recent study published by the UN International Labour Office in Geneva recognized his work at Owens Corning as one of the four most outstanding diversity initiatives in the United States. Additionally, he has served as principal writer, curriculum designer and research coordinator for the Black Management Forum of South Africa, Ernst and Young (Canada), the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, MidAM, Inc., KeyCorp, Evangelical Health Systems, Aetna Insurance, MetLife, Beneficial Financial, Coopers & Lybrand and the US Postal Inspection Service among others. Through this work, he has gained an in-depth working knowledge of human resource systems both nationally and internationally. Prior to co-founding the Kaleidoscope Group, he was the owner and operator for nine years of Gourmet Affairs, Ltd., in Chicago. By 1990 it was the third largest catering company in the city, recognized for the highest quality cuisine and service. During this period, he also started and successfully operated the Park Place Café. Starting with $40,000 in sales the first year, he built the company to annual revenues of $1.5 million and 30 full-time employees before closing it in early 1992. As Associate Director of Human Resources, and subsequently Director of Planning, at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics, Mr. Kilgore was responsible for a number of budgetary and systems innovations which gained national recognition. Among others, his stepback budgeting system enabled UCHC to survive an unexpected $20 million Medicaid funding cutback with no layoffs or service reductions. During his six years with the hospitals and clinics, he was responsible for managing the $300 million budget, employment, training, and personnel information departments. Additionally, he provided the staff work for all Joint Commission Accreditation of Hospitals reviews, administrative policy and procedures, and patient relations work. Mr. Kilgore graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with an Honors Thesis (master's equivalent) and an A.B. degree in German studies and social anthropology. At the University of Chicago, he completed with highest honors all course work and preliminary requirements for the Ph.D. in education and organizational psychology. He holds a certificate for advanced studies in Strategic Human Resource Planning from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. BACK