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Colonel Jill Morgenthaler  

Retired U.S. Army Colonel

Retired Colonel Jill Morgenthaler is a woman of many firsts. She was one of the first women to train as an equal with men in the collegiate Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and one of the first to receive a four-year Army scholarship. As a second lieutenant, she was one of the first women company commanders along the Korean DMZ. Colonel Morgenthaler commanded in West Germany and West Berlin. She was the first woman battalion commander in the 88th Regional Support Command and the first woman brigade commander in the 84th Division of the U.S. Army Reserve, leading hundreds of soldiers across six states. Colonel Morgenthaler received the Bronze Star for her leadership in Iraq in 2004. Upon retirement, the U.S. Army awarded her the Legion of Merit for her thirty years of extraordinary leadership performance.

Colonel Morgenthaler’s varied Army experiences include military intelligence operations in South Korea and West Berlin, handling disaster recovery during the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, working as a peacekeeper in Bosnia, conducting evacuation operations for Kosovar refugees, and overseeing public affairs operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As the first woman Homeland Security advisor in Illinois, Colonel Morgenthaler directed homeland security operations and provided guidance to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, the Illinois National Guard, and other agencies to protect the state from natural disasters or incidents of terrorism. In 2008, Morgenthaler ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress.

Colonel Morgenthaler has mentored leaders from Russia, Chile, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The University of Chicago, the University of Illinois and Benedictine University have consulted with her on homeland security and leadership.

As a civilian, she worked in technology in Silicon Valley. After moving to Illinois, she worked at Argonne National Laboratory and helped establish the Center for Nanoscale Materials.

She has a Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Arts from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Today, Colonel Morgenthaler is a motivational speaker, exhilarating audiences with tales of her famous stare-down with Saddam Hussein. She presents and trains on crisis communications and leadership amidst crisis and chaos. She is an adjunct professor at Pennsylvania State University.

Colonel Morgenthaler resides in Chicagoland with her husband, one dog and two cats. She is proud that her children have successfully launched themselves.

Speech Topics

Secrets for the Feminine Leader

Women’s feminine leadership is the key to transforming organizations, communities and us. Long-term change has to happen in a new model where values such as integrity, compassion, listening, receiving and a win-win approach to negotiation play key roles. Colonel Jill Morgenthaler will cover how to stay true to yourself as you become a successful leader. She will guide you in determining what qualities a leader possesses; how to become the decision maker; who can affect your career; and what are the unstated rules and hidden barriers.

From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: Secrets to Lead and Succeed in Business

Some people roar ahead in their careers while others stagnate. Some advance their careers and some unknowingly sabotage their careers. Colonel Jill Morgenthaler shows you ways to move forward, while eliminating unconscious mistakes that could be holding you back. You can easily incorporate these invaluable coaching tips into your social and business skills. If you recognize and change certain behaviors, the results will pay off in career opportunities you never thought possible—and in an image that identifies you as someone with the power and knowledge to lead and succeed.

Are you tired of younger people being promoted before you and over you? Are you tired of someone taking credit for your ideas and contributions? Do you feel stuck and cannot figure out why you can’t get further in your career ambitions? If any of these are true for you, “From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: Secrets to Lead and Succeed in Business” is definitely for you. Colonel Morgenthaler, both a retired colonel and a businessperson, will give you solid “how-tos” to move your business and your career forward. She will open your eyes to things you can do so that you may lead and succeed.

Also: First you will join Colonel Morgenthaler in her showdown with Saddam Hussein. Then you will laugh, learn and leave with at least one aha! that will help you lead and succeed in business. Some people roar ahead in their careers while others stagnate. Some advance their careers and some unknowingly sabotage their careers. Colonel Morgenthaler shows you ways to move forward, while eliminating unconscious mistakes that could be holding you back. You can easily incorporate these invaluable coaching tips into your social and business skills. If you recognize and change certain behaviors, the results will pay off in career opportunities you never thought possible—and in an image that identifies you as someone with the power and knowledge to lead and succeed.

Leading from the Front: Leadership Amidst Chaos

Organizations face unpredictability every day. Cities worldwide are plagued with natural disasters and man-made emergencies. Unfortunately, municipalities cannot rule out terrorism. Recent events have shown how the lack of leadership or poor leadership exacerbates the situation. What do you need to be, know and do to effectively save lives, property and reputations?

She will cover five core leadership components necessary for facing a crisis, showing you how to apply specific leadership skills for managing the change or crisis. An award-winning speaker and storyteller, she will enthrall the audience while sharing concrete information on what a leader must be, know and do during times of chaos.

Crisis leadership skills are necessary to save lives, property and the reputation of organizations. Crisis leadership involves skills that are vital to recovery in the midst of a disaster. The question is what leadership skills are essential to define the crisis beyond the obvious, gain confidence of the responders, survivors and stakeholders, forecast consequences of decisions, assess the impact of the crisis on core assets, and make decisive lifesaving decisions.

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