Staff Biographies

Eric Chester
Founder & CEO

Eric has been widely recognized as America’s top school-to-work transition expert. A former high school business teacher and coach turned motivational speaker, he’s spoken to more than two million teens at 1500 different high schools and colleges. Eric has written 11 books for—and about—teenagers including Bring Your A Game to Work. He also hosted a television talk show for teens. 

Eric is the Founder & President of Generation Why, Inc., a specialized training and consulting firm. He’s worked with hundreds of leading companies and organizations on the topic of the emerging workforce. He holds a master’s degree in Vocational and Career Education, is a Certified Speaking Professional, and is a member of the International Professional Speakers Hall of Fame.

Matt Smith
President

Matt brings more than 10 years of experience in leadership development and school-to-work transition training to his role as President of The A Game. He has presented to hundreds of high schools and colleges across the country, been a featured presenter at multiple executive conferences over the years, and has had the honor of presenting to the International Leadership Association in Amsterdam.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Johnson & Wales University, a Master’s degree in Training and Organizational Development from Colorado State University, an executive certificate in Leadership Development from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, and a graduate certificate from the Institute on Corporate Citizenship at Boston College.

Christie Michelle
VP, Administration & Operations

Christie’s expertise in administration and office management spans over 20 years. As VP, Administration and Operations, she is responsible for directing internal operations, managing the company’s accounting functions, and overseeing human resources.

Christie is a graduate of Dale Carnegie Training and attended both Community College of Denver and Front Range Community College. A Colorado native, she currently resides in Westminster where she is heavily involved in volunteer efforts for a number of charitable organizations.

Timothy Wihera (TJ)
Director of Development

TJ comes to The A Game with a unique background in journalism, retail operations, and training. In his role as Director of Development, TJ is responsible for managing the creative staff, providing content direction, guiding the A Game’s social media outreach, and presenting A Game materials to schools and businesses. 

TJ graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. He currently resides in Littleton, Colorado, where he enjoys hiking and playing the guitar. He contributes to the Denver Post and regularly blogs about working with young employees.

Quinn Martin
Web Developer

Quinn began his career in Web Design and Development at Canadian Industrial Publishing. He currently manages The A Game’s website and certification database.

Quinn holds a degree in Computer Science, Web Applications from the Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, Canada. He currently resides in Toronto, Canada and enjoys mountain biking and snowboarding.

Brandi Galuzzi
Graphic Designer

Brandi brings extensive art and design experience to her role as Graphic Designer for The A Game. In this capacity, she is responsible for the overall visual presentation of The A Game including curriculum materials and marketing collateral.

Brandi graduated Colorado Mountain College with a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. She and her husband live in Denver, Colorado, and enjoy camping and traveling.

Hilary Miller
Copywriter

Hilary has worked as both a writer and project manager in advertising/marketing for almost 20 years. She is responsible for The A Game’s website copy in addition to other marketing materials as needed.

Hilary holds a B.A. in Communications, with an emphasis in marketing, from Duquense University and a Certificate of Excellence from L’Universite Catholique de l’Ouest, Angers, France. She lives with her husband and son in Littleton, Colorado.