Our Team
Founders
Jason "MAC" McAlister
Mac believes the true value of any organization is the health and determination of the teams that comprise it. A great team is a resilient team made up of talented and committed members and leaders who grow and learn together, oftentimes through adversity. Whether he was leading his first company in aerospace, or managing technical teams in oil/ gas, Mac feels great teams have this in common – The ability to manage many competing interests while maintaining focus on the objective and serving a purpose greater than the individual.
His diverse military background that spanned amphibious operations in the SpecOps community to flying military jets, left him with significant takeaways. Success or failure of the team is tethered to these truths: Trust in leadership, confidence in peers, and support from subordinates. Additionally, drawing from both military and civilian experiences; a strong team has fun together.
There should exist a sense of humor that bonds and identifies them as a unit. It’s not required, but it’s certainly okay to laugh and pursue excellence at the same time.
When asked to share a quote or phrase with the readers, Mac’s response was simply “phronesis”. Phronesis is a Greek word defining “a specific type of wisdom relevant to practical action, implying both good judgment and excellence of character, or practical virtue.” This concept is compelling because it suggests that traits or attributes thought to be unrelated are in fact very interconnected to form the powerful concept of “practical virtue.”
Wisdom + Action + Character = Positive Outcomes. By today’s standards wisdom is not often associated with practicality, or one’s character associated with their ability… politics would look very different if that were the case. The contemporary has placed little value on the ancient idea of “practical virtue,” but could it be a missing key ingredient to building high-performing teams.
Like the concept of phronesis, Mac envisions the tenets of HOP as a challenge to take a step back to evaluate the basics. Did we miss something in our zeal for complexity and bureaucracy? Have we misplaced our priorities on metrics and overlooked the impact of the human condition within the complex system? As our world and systems become more specialized, the idea of HOP brings us full circle to the focal point of people. The undeniable truth that we are, and have always been, the critical component.
Mac served in the United States Marine Corps for 15 years, and another 8 years in the US Navy.
He began as an enlisted Marine in SpecOps. After completing his degree, he was commissioned as an Officer and flew AV-8B Harriers with the Famous Black sheep Squadron. From there he completed an inner service transfer to the Navy Reserves and flew T-45 Goshawks as a flight instructor until he retired in 2012. During that time, he founded Wraith Systems which provides the stick & throttle flight controls for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Mac holds a BA degree from the University of Nevada. He enjoys competing in Ironman triathlons and other endurance events. He also enjoys leading mission trips to Central America and working with homeless organizations in Ft. Worth. He resides in Texas with his wife, he has three daughters and five grandchildren.
President
USMC Pilot: AV-8B
Timothy "hoolie" Reynolds
Hoolie first came across Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) a few years after retiring from the U.S. Navy. Ironically, he discovered that many of the processes and approaches to Naval Aviation operations and safety were either influenced by HOP or in some cases were contributors to the growing corpus of HOP. After 24 years flying jets off aircraft carriers in hazardous and inhospitable environments, little did he realize then that the concepts of Crew Resource Management, Navy Nuclear Propulsion Pillars, and High Reliability Organizations were tightly connected to the word of HOP. Only later, as a performance coach, did Hoolie realize that many of the ways in which he was trained and more importantly thought about operations and safety were the result of a dedicated cadre of HOP personnel looking to improve the cultures and work environments of industry.
The implications of this statement are powerful. What do you do with it? How about your organization? Adopting a HOP culture and moving from the abstract HOP Principles to applications on a day to day basis can be challenging. A leadership team that imbues trust is a necessity. At SPARTAN Training & Performance our mission is to spread the HOP movement. We believe we bring a refreshingly new perspective. For many years we were the front-line workers, most exposed to the hazards of our environment and most susceptible to the inevitable breakdown of systems and team cohesion – We were at the “Tip of the Spear”. As we advanced in seniority, we later had opportunities to shape operational processes and procedures and build a culture of success. While we may have moved into more senior leadership and management roles, we never forgot the challenges of the front-line workers, whether they were aviators, mechanics, machinists, oil rig workers, plant operators etc. Our goal is to bring “Performance in Practice…for the Tip of the Spear.”
Hoolie holds an MA in Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. He and his wife live in Colorado. They have two children in college and two more at home. They enjoy hiking, skiing, travelling and time with family and friends.
C.O.O.
USN Pilot: EA-6B, F/A-18
Michael "TUNG" Peterson
Tung’s specialty is helping organizations to implement Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), principles, tools, and leadership in the workplace to improve culture and performance. Why? Because people deserve to work where they feel energized, valued, appreciated, and able to make a difference.His biggest take away from over 20 years in US Naval Aviation and a decade of global high reliability performance consulting is the power of effective leadership and optimized teams to affect culture and performance. As individualistic as we want to be, modern challenges and complexity require group success.
What if we had a means to achieve not only safety, but elevated morale, innovation, and consistent mission success through exciting and meaningful engagement of our workforce?
Whether operating as a forward air controller tasked with direct support of ground units in contact with enemy forces, acting as a multi-national overseas naval base executive, or developing future military leaders of character in the classroom, Tung has felt the effect of leaders and teams, both good and bad. He has a unique ability to translate abstract concepts and principles into tangible tools and techniques to positively affect culture, behaviors, and performance in the real world. In the new view embraced by HOP, leaders exist to serve their teams, not the other way around – they understand human fallibility and exhibit humility. Teams honor and embrace diverse perspectives through trust and strong relationships – they compensate for each other’s weaknesses, back each other up, and constantly seek to learn from both failure and success.
By uniting executives, planners, and workers in thinking about how we can improve the workplace, organizations can create adaptability and resilience to achieve success in even the most challenging and dynamic business environments.
Tung is a Navy Fighter Weapons School (i.e. TOPGUN) graduate and former Strike Fighter Weapon and Tactics School Instructor who holds an MA in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School and a BS from the US Naval Academy. He is an avid outdoorsman and determined advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He resides in Montana with his family.
C.I.O.
USN NFO: F-14, F/A-18
Team
DAN “UECKER” BAXTER
Dan “Uecker” Baxter has instructed and advised in Human and Organizational Performance
(HOP) at all operational levels of organizations, both during his career in the U.S. Navy and
within the last 12 years outside the military, in companies small to large, and in varying
industries around the world. He has taught and built instructors in Human Factors, Human Performance and Crew Resource Management in many high-risk and high-consequence
environments around the world.
Uecker realized in his over two decades in Naval Aviation, being better tomorrow simply requires consistent team and self-reflection followed by rigorous and disciplined self-correction,
and those with the fastest and greatest iteration of this process rise to the top. This simple
process of challenging the status quo on a daily basis in everything you do is consistent with the
Human and Organization Performance tools and principles aspired to by organizations today.
Because HOP requires a balanced and integrated line of efforts around leadership, teamwork
and organizational excellence, no matter the company’s business, Uecker particularly enjoys
integrating Change Management or what he likes to call the “Change Leadership”
transformational best practices into the teams taking on a HOP journey. He helps ensure SPARTAN uniquely marries these two important, but usually disparate areas of focus and
expertise to sustain the cultural transformation and performance standards their customers are
able to realize.
Dan believes all teams deserve great leadership and the development of leaders is a
foundational requirement for organizational success. He is passionate about building leadership skills and the processes needed to build an organization that retains, inspires and grows their people to win. He enjoys the unique access SPARTAN’s approach provides to work with leaders from the executive C-suite down through their organizational front line leaders and teams.
Dan holds a Master of Business Administration from Rice University’s Jones School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Naval Academy. When not competing is some sport or activity or smoking a cigar with friends, Uecker can be found mentoring and advocating for Veterans and veteran issues or mentoring the next generation of young leaders. He lives with his wife and dog Willow in Magnolia, Texas. They have three older children living throughout Texas who they are very proud of.
C.S.O.
USN Pilot: F-14, F/A-18
Randy "G.K." Cadieux
G.K. journeyed into the field of Human and Organizational Performance through a winding path. Serving a 20-year career in the US Marine Corps, he spent most of his time in aviation related duties. As an aviator G.K. learned that safety and human performance were an integral part of mission effectiveness and operational excellence. It was towards the end of his career while serving as the Director of Safety and Standardization for an aviation training squadron that G.K. was blessed to be accepted into the inaugural class of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Master of Engineering in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management (ASEM) program. While learning as a student in this program G.K.’s philosophy towards safety and operational performance was refined and matured, helping him to understand the influence engineered systems, technology, and culture have on Human and Organizational Performance. During this learning journey his passion for helping people and organizations improve their performance was ignited. This enlightening moment set G.K. on the path to continue his work in safety and operational performance improvement by educating, training, coaching and mentoring others in the quest towards individual and organizational excellence.
To unlock the true potential of team members we must embark on a journey of learning. This journey takes place through education, training and experiential application of the principles that guide the way we plan and execute work. This journey must involve employees at all levels of the organization, from the line operators, to mid-level managers, to executives. This is how the journey flowed for G.K. as a Marine, and later, as a university educator. Whether flying combat aerial refueling missions in the skies of Iraq, educating students in a Master of Engineering safety curriculum, or coaching clients within commercial industries, the guiding principles that have inspired G.K. to pursue the HOP journey can inspire others towards excellence in their work. When we can inspire others towards a shared vision that values the ideas of individuals, seeks to incorporate diversity of thought in operational planning and execution, and views safety as something we do, not something we have, we can seek to gain their commitment on this journey rather than prescriptive compliance.
G.K. holds a MEng in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Master of Science in Information and Telecommunications Systems Management from Capitol Technology University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire. He is a graduate of the US Navy School of Aviation Safety. G.K. lives in Alabama with his wife and 3 children. In his spare time he enjoys riding motorcycles, hiking, swimming, target shooting and any chance to take the top off his Jeep.
C.A.O. – Co-Founder
USMC Pilot: KC-130
Rob “Ice” Gamberg
Ice brings his diverse operational perspective and decades of experience to help clients implement Human and Organizational Performance principles, tools, and leadership. Ice has led large teams in challenging operational environments and achieved tremendous mission success while maintaining focus on the personal, professional and leadership development of the members of his team. To achieve long term success, leaders must enable their personnel to develop and grow in their roles. Leaders must also look for the strengths and weaknesses in their operating system to ensure the team is in the best position to achieve success. I think General Douglas MacArthur captured the essence of leadership pretty well in this quote: “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”
Ice served in the US Navy for 31 years as an electronic attack and strike fighter weapons system officer and carrier air wing strike lead supporting combat operations from the air. He also deployed on the ground with the Army and Marine Corps in the fight against improvised explosive devices in Iraq. As an instructor at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center and as a USMC Weapons and Tactics Instructor, Ice prepared his squadrons for combat operations and achieved success in vital high reliability missions. Ice successfully completed the Navy Nuclear Power Program and served as a Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Executive Officer, a forward-deployed Squadron Commanding Officer, and a Carrier Strike Group Chief of Staff. He also led the development of game-changing combat capabilities and innovative concepts and tactics, techniques, and procedures to enable operational maneuver in a contested maritime environment. In recent years, Ice led planning and execution of on-site human performance and leadership coaching in support of high reliability oil & gas industry operations in the land and offshore environment.
Ice holds a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University and a Bachelor of Aviation Management from Auburn University. He is a stubborn marathon runner and enjoys backpacking, fishing, mountain biking and generally being outside as much as possible. He resides in Alabama.
C.P.O. – Co-Founder
USN NFO: EA-6B, F/A-18
Dr. Jeff "Alka" Feltzer
Alka began to explore leadership training decades ago when he was the owner/operator of several
dental offices and ancillary businesses. Formal training in leadership, enhanced communication, and
organizational protocols launched all of his business endeavors to the next and highest levels of proficiency, efficiency, productivity and team retention. Doing the work and integrating all of these concepts were beneficial for organizational health, but most important, they were instrumental in providing the best care for the clientele.
In 2016, as he began to divest in his healthcare businesses, he began to work with a global leader in personality diversity and leadership training. As his work continues in this space, it wasn’t until 2020 he had the good fortune of meeting and working with Spartan Training and Performance. It was this
opportunity that introduced him to HOP and how the fundamentals that were learned over the years collated into one place that defined and applied all of the most important skills necessary to help any business succeed and thrive. The most important aspect of his journey was recognizing that in order to
lead, one must understand how to be an operator in the field first and a decision maker and leader
congruently with that role. Earning respect with every team member came from shared time in the field. At Spartan, the most important element to success is understanding what it is to be “in the mix” with the very people we share HOP knowledge with. Alka has two favorite sayings: “we make the academic actionable” and to quote Ben Franklin, “If you fail to plan, your are planning to fail”.
Dir – Healthcare Eng.
Dentist: D.M.D.
Brian “B.K.” Kocher
Great teams are great…until they’re not. We’ve all been a part of high performing organizations who suddenly experience a devastating event that cost the organization time, equipment, money or worse; lives. We rely heavily on our experience and our abilities when what we need to keep us from making that “huge error” are sound, repeatable processes which help us capitalize on our experience and skills as operators and leaders.
One of the most important principles Brian Learned as a young, up and coming leader was, “flexibility is the key to success.” An important corollary is, “never fall in love with your plan.” While planning is essential, there are many things that can come up and unless we take the time to consider what can go wrong, we won’t be adequately prepared to deal with it.
Everyone wants to be a part of a championship team and as a leader, you have the opportunity to build that championship team. Through process, leadership and recognizing the capabilities and limitations of your people, you can make an impact, not just on today’s operations, but the future of your people.
Brian spent 26 years in the Navy driving high performance operations aboard Nuclear Aircraft Carriers. Brian’s experience with carrier aviation and leading small to large organizations in the high stresses of combat, have helped him bring sound processes and procedures to high performing civilian organizations for the past ten plus years. As an officer flying high performance jet aircraft, Brian has been applying and refining HOP principles and found his way bringing the proven, successful operational systems of Naval Aviation to many different civilian enterprises to include health care, manufacturing and most recently, Law Enforcement.
Dir – LE Eng.
USN NFO: F-14
Our Services
HERE'S HOW WE CAN WORK WITH YOU

Consulting
SPARTAN coaches bring decades of high-consequence leadership experience and a HOP-based operational focus to your consulting needs.

EDUCATION
Accredited curriculum & instructors assist attendees to develop fundamental HOP knowledge and build confidence in implementing tools and leadership techniques.

IMPLEMENTATION
Onsite coaching and mentoring assists organizations to move from academic to action by applying HOP Principles, Tools, & Leadership Techniques in the office and the workplace.

KEYNOTE SPEAKING
Highly credible keynote speakers discuss HOP through storytelling, relatable case study exploration, and energetic audience engagement.