Testimonials

Bristol-Myers Squibb

John has made important contributions to the way classroom trainings are now being taught here at Bristol Myers Squibb Cell Therapy Facility. Working with John at BMS for almost 3 years, I have been continuously impressed with the range of skills he has displayed. John is constantly exploring and tweaking his training material based on updated data and information. At the same time as he is able to cultivate a supportive and relaxing atmosphere when it comes to teaching and learning. Last and certainly not least, John is a team player, a dedicated employee, and an invaluable member of our team.

– Brian Monaghan, M.ED., Lead Training Coordinator – Cell Therapy Manufacturing

I had hired John into my team to support the evolution of the Biologics GMP quality processes. In this role, he leveraged his expertise in adult learning concepts to design, develop and implement a structured menu of role-based curricula. He also created educational content for the department in the use of the new tools. Working with adverse team of technical experts, his unique skillset with instructional design and curriculum develop was a welcome addition that helped transform how all functions across Biologics Development identified and completed training. He would be an asset to any team looking to enhance the educational capabilities of their organization. 

– Gina Kamins, Global Process Owner

Colgate-Palmolive

John is a thoughtful, kind and intelligent colleague. I met with him regularly to discuss the status of his many projects. His updates were always concise and comprehensive. I greatly enjoyed working with John. He would make a stellar addition to any L&D team. 

– Joseph D’Amico, Project and Program Leadership

Rutgers University

I had an opportunity to work with John Obenchain shortly after being hired to teach an online course for Rutgers University. It was a stressful time for me, because I only had two weeks to develop a complete online course in a Learning Management System that I had never used before.

Despite his busy schedule, John’s method of working with me was very flexible. He responded to my emails quickly, but also scheduled times for us to meet face-to-face. When we met, he was always prepared, having already incorporated the materials I’d emailed earlier into an existing online platform. John’s proactive approach helped me produce a complete online course within my two-week timeframe.

John never treated me like ‘just another customer’; instead, he took a very personalized approach in helping me. He would sit beside me so that we could both see his computer screen, and we would review the progress we made together. This enabled me to ask questions, and get answers from him in real-time. In the beginning he added content and made edits while I watched what he did. As he worked, he explained what he was doing, and how he was doing it. Gradually, I started working with the program independently, and by the time we’d finished our work together, John’s thoughtful guidance and coaching enabled me to complete the work on my own.

I am happy to recommend John Obenchain, as both a student-focused teacher and a client-focused Instructional Designer. 

– Gail S. Verona, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education

I am writing in support of John Obenchain, who joined our Center for Online and Hybrid Learning and Instructional Technologies ([CHOLIT] in the Spring of 2015. He has proven to be a great asset to our team. John has measurable improved the quality of our online courses by his professional and timely communication with our professors, instructors and staff.

Our faculty has benefited from his ability to migrate our current online courses into the Canvas Learning Management System in an efficient and judicious manner. His ability to develop and design online courses as well as his work to promote our Online Learning Conference have enriched our efforts within the Rutgers learning community. Additionally, his face-to-face training abilities and ability to work with a variety of people in a variety of formats made him a standout within our team.

Based on his professional experience and work performance, I am confident that Mr. Obenchain will be employable in many different capacities. I recommend him without reservations.

– Arthur Schneider, Owner of XR Academy of Instructional Design

John is an excellent ambassador for Rutgers University. As an online adjunct professor, I have worked with John and find him to be knowledgeable, highly engaged, and very customer service oriented. John is extremely responsive to client requests, offers suggestions in regards additional university resources, and will “find out” and get back timely, if he doesn’t have the answer. Given that I teach from another state many miles away, I particularly appreciate having an online contact able to handle my course shell development requests efficiently and completely. In addition, he is willing to take the time to educate me on particular aspects of online technology, when I ask to learn more. In these cases, John’s directions were clear and precise, making them easy to follow. His positive attitude and appreciation of the challenge it can be teach from a distance creates a constructive environment for online course development interaction as well as for professional relationship building. 

– Ruth Kinzey, MA, Retired Corporate Reputation Strategist & University Lecturer

John Obenchain and I collaborated together to create a “game” for learning in a course I’m redesigning as a “hybrid” in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University. As the course instructional designer/technologist, I designed a “Boolean Jeopardy” game that would be used to teach students how to use Boolean operators with other techniques (e.g., keywords, phrasing/quotes, ordering, etc.) to create effective search queries. John, also an instructional designer/technologist in our department, took the game design and developed it using “Articulate Storyboard” to create a highly interactive game where students work in teams and compete against fellow classmates to answer questions with increasing complexity as they play “Boolean Jeopardy.” John also embedded audio “intro” and “closing” remarks (that I recorded) that animates the “game host” character, adding an element of whimsy to the game. Due to the complexity of the game, John added many “layers” that pose questions, reveal answers, and keeps track of each team’s score, as well as the Final Jeopardy question where students place their final “bets” (to win or lose). John did a fantastic job in developing the game using Articulate Storyline! We had a good time collaborating together to design/develop a game that will be fun for students to play as they practice their knowledge and understanding of Boolean operators. Thanks, John!

– Denise Kreiger, Educational Consultant and Learning Designer

Merck & Co., Inc.

John’s presentations to our group are recognized by all members as being of the highest quality and value.

– Craig A. Wood, MD, Merck & Co., Inc

Connect University 

“Teaching is clearly John’s calling. He has taken a familiar subject, communicating your message so people will listen, and expanded our minds to new possibilities. He looks into our eyes and delivers a clear, impactful message, in such an interesting and engaging way, that it registers at a new and deeper level. As John teaches his readers, we are left with a thirst for more!”

– Ellen Cooperperson, CEO, Corporate Performance Consultants, Inc., Chief Learning Officer, Connect University 

Professional Colleagues

I have known, and worked together with John, for over 5 years. John is a knowledgeable and experienced Learning Solutions Professional with a diverse track record. He is an expert in innovative learning solutions and organizational communication who has a unique ability to relate to a variety of individuals on a level that provides comfort and understanding. John is a people-person who genuinely cares about serving and helping others. He is a team player and understands the importance of empowering others to excel in their roles while inspiring them to all strive together to live the organizational vision and achieve the collective goals! John’s dedication and commitment to excellence makes him a leader who others love to follow. Any organization would be proud to have John on their team!

– James Malinchak, Featured on ABC’s Hit TV Show, “Secret Millionaire” – One of America’s Leading Keynote Speakers & Business Coaches

John Obenchain and I began working together 5 years ago. At the time he was teaching for Rutgers University and working as a Senior Instructional Designer for Colgate-Palmolive. I was impressed that he could teach successfully in two very different environments. He had a positive attitude towards his work, and his hands-on approach to teaching and course design made him capable of adapting to new working environments. It didn’t matter what the topic was, John was capable of taking the information provided to him and building a really good class. He’s highly skilled in creating both instructor-led and self-paced learning courses.

Currently, we both sit on the Board of Trustees for AIMS College of Health Sciences. John has been designing an online Ethics in Healthcare course. He has always been very hardworking, dedicated, self-motivated, and very capable.

I’m glad to have had the opportunity of working with John and have no hesitation about recommending him to others. If you have an opportunity to work with John, you should definitely do so.

– Bhavin Jhaveri, Growth, Performance, and Leadership Coach

Tons of principles and insights about how to effectively communicate your ideas and message to any audience.   

– Jack Canfield, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series and the Success Principles ^TM

“John Obenchain never fails to make his lessons engaging and useful for everyone.  He goes to great efforts to Communicate his Message in a clear, engaging, and ingenious manner.  He seems to be very passionate about what he does, and has a genuine interest in helping people everywhere.”

– Patty Aubery, President, Jack Canfield Companies, #1 NY Times Best Selling Author, Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul

“John Obenchain is the absolute best!  He made the information so easy to understand, and he’s truly gifted at what he does.  I recommend him to anyone.  He will make sure you know exactly what you are doing.”

– Kevin Harrington, Original Shark from the  Hit TV Show:  Shark Tank

“John Obenchain’s manner of communicating is so wonderful and refreshing!  He’s creative, makes things interesting, and really knows how to motivate people.  He’s great at building confidence and keeping things fun and engaging.”

– Joe Theismann, Legendary NFL Quarterback, Washington Redskins, NFL TV Football Commentary

“Professor John Obenchain is a master of communication!  John’s style is warm and engaging and most importantly John helps you get results!” 

– Kyle Wilson, Founder Jim Rohn International and KyleWilson.com

Academic Colleagues

Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with John as a classmate in our doctoral classes at Rutgers University. During this time, we have been partners and group members in several courses, and I have experienced first-hand his inherent intelligence, zeal for learning and assiduousness. He is incredibly easy to work with, and can easily transition from being a supportive, diligent worker to confident leader when needed.

I have always been impressed with John’s ingenious and thorough work. His classmate and I always look forward to reading his written responses, which showed how he creatively connected his synthesis of our readings to his career and life. I can remember several occasions where professors used John’s work as a model of excellence, or a point of discussion in class.

John is also incredibly passionate about learning. We have had several conversations about his desire to be an educational trainer, and each time his fervor was apparent as soon as he began to speak. John is always quick to offer his help and support to his classmates and I as we grapple with arduous and complex coursework.

As an educator who originally came from a corporate background, I can speak to the benefits of having both strong pedagogy and corporate experience. John has both in spades. I believe he would be incredibly successful as a trainer, not only because he has extensive corporate experience and an impending Doctor of Education in design of learning environments, but because he genuinely cares about supporting people during the process of learning. 

– Antoinette Barriga, Ed.D., Educational Leader

John and I have worked together as colleagues at Rutgers University as part of the Ed.D. program. I have worked with John in various capacities in this program, and would highly recommend his ability to work as part of a team. John has always provided an environment of collaboration and leadership to ensure the task is completed, no matter what the challenge. His expertise and knowledge in leaning and development, as well as his problem-solving skills has been an invaluable contribution to our work in this program.

John continuously demonstrates an incredible initiative and enthusiasm in all areas of his responsibilities. He strives for excellence, and always contributes to the achievements of the organization or group. I have been honored to have had the opportunity to work with John, and very much appreciate all his contributions during our years together. 

– Janice Parker, Assistant Professor at The College of New Jersey

I’ve worked with John over the past two years in the Rutgers Ed.D. program. Though my classes with John, he’s led team projects, presented information and research in a captivating manner, simplified complicated concepts, and creatively solved problems. He is an asset to any team and work environment. 

– Kimberly Reynolds Tew, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Princeton Public Schools

John and I worked together on various research projects while attending the doctoral program at Rutgers University. He uses a teamwork approach while specializing in learning design, creative solutions, and he has the ability to explain complicated concepts in very clear and concise terms. John is a phenomenal public speaker and I highly admire his inquisitive nature. John is definitely a fount of information, and his humorous side adds a creative way to turn an intricate problem into an innovative learning opportunity. I highly recommend John because he is a talented and hard-working individual who will serve as a leader. I am sure he will be an asset to any organization. 

– Kenchetta Dudley, Full-Stack Web Developer

John is a colleague of mine through the Ed.D. program at Rutgers University. Since day 1 of meeting him he has stood out as someone who is both highly intelligent who possesses a creative flair for educating others. His dedication to his work and helping others is incredibly unique. He is someone that I can count on should I ever need assistance with classwork or something unrelated. 

– Thea Rachel Zunic, Ed.D., Speaker | L&D | Mental Health | Social Impact | Non-Profit

I have had the pleasure of working with John Obenchain throughout our doctoral studies at Rutgers University. Our program has taught us to work well under pressure and to meet high standards of excellence in education, yet none of my classmates have approached this program with the enthusiasm exhibited by John. As I’ve worked with him both in face-to-face classes and online experiences, we’ve tackled complicated and sensitive issues in education. Each time I’ve found John to be both eager to share his thoughts and understanding and willing to actively listen to that of others.

John is also a charismatic and skilled teacher as he is able to communicate complicated concepts to his audience using creative, interactive, and attention-getting methods. He’s not afraid to think “outside of the box” and his approach always has me laughing and learning simultaneously. Throughout our studies, he has been able to connect our course content in the field of education to challenges faced by businesses both local and international. Even in our online learning communities, John’s posts attracted the most attention from our classmates as he pushed us to answer meaningful questions and even to play games in response. His positive attitude toward learning is equally matched by the quality of his work.

As a teacher educator for nearly a decade, I have worked with and taught hundreds of teachers and teacher educators. It is not often I come across an adult educator with the passion and enthusiasm for learning and teaching that John has exhibited. I believe he will make a welcomed edition to any professional development or training program to which he wishes to apply.

– Amy Lewis, Early Childhood/Elementary Education Program Coordinator & Assistant Teaching Professor at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Education

College Students I Taught

Dr. Obenchain delivers detailed, engaging, and meticulously put together presentations that compile information from multiple reputable sources to corroborate his assertions. His ability to synthesize complex topics and simplify them for his audience creates an effective learning environment for students in his classes.

– Kayla Epps, Assistant Vice President of Executive Compensation at Citi

I had the pleasure of taking Professor John Obenchain’s Information Policies, Politics, and Power course at Rutgers University in the Fall of 2019. John Obenchain has been one of the most compassionate and knowledgeable professors I have worked with throughout my time studying at Rutgers University. I was particularly impressed by his ability to hold the attention of the classroom by presenting the material both clearly and concisely. I have gained a considerable amount of knowledge in his course which will be useful for my future career in Information Technology.

– Carly DiSclafani, Senior Project Coordination Analyst – Fraud Defense at UPS

Professor Obenchain has the unique ability to present traditionally dry subject matter in way that is both digestible and actively engaging. His capability to seamlessly blend outside resources with pertinent course material generates a learning experience that is not only captivating, but thoroughly informative.

– Matthew Rivera, Care Manager and Weekend House Manager

 Professor Obenchain’s course on Information Policies, Politics, and Power was one that I very much enjoyed taking. Although there was a lot of material to learn each class, Professor Obenchain made captivating PowerPoints to keep all his students interested. Furthermore, he kept students engaged by asking questions relevant to us as well as with the material we learned. This made it easier for us to connect with the material and learn it better. At times when the material itself was not interesting to me personally, Professor Obenchain still found a way to make his presentation not only informative but intriguing as well with his excellent presentation skills. 

– Nidhi Kapadia, Digital Marketing Specialist at Compassus Digital Marketing