About CEO Support

Rick Kraus, Chief Technology Officer

Rick Kraus is the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of CEO Support Systems, Inc., a Tucson, Arizona based firm that provides an array of leadership and management services, proprietary software products, training, and other resources to the CEO's of small businesses.  Rick is an expert in high technology product strategy, strategic partnerships, and product development and is a frequent speaker on leadership, management, technology, and strategic planning.

Prior to founding CEO Support Systems, Rick was employed by Artisoft, Inc., a Tucson, Arizona based public company in the communications hardware and software industry.  At Artisoft, Rick served as Senior Director of Technology and Business Development, reporting directly to the CEO and Chairman, where he was responsible for long term technology and business strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions.  He was a principal architect of Artisoft's technology diversification strategy, highlighted by the acquisition of companies in the Computer Telephony and Remote Communications markets.   His previous roles at Artisoft include Product Manager and Software Development Manager.   Prior to Artisoft, Rick held a variety of software engineering, product development, and strategic executive roles at Persoft, Inc., a Madison, Wisconsin based communications and information software firm and Photometrics, Ltd., a Tucson based scientific imaging instrumentation company.

Rick is a past president and current board member of the Information Technology Association of Southern Arizona, a software industry association and industry cluster of the Greater Tucson Economic Council and Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development.  Currently he is responsible for developing the Center's CEO-focused programs.  While serving as President, he launched an innovative industry outreach program for high school juniors and seniors called Soft(A)ware, and later was an incorporator of a non-profit educational foundation with the mission of continuing and expanding this program.  He also spearheaded the Center's successful campaign to expand its coverage to include the Internet, Multimedia, and MIS industries.  Rick also serves as a governor on Tucson Unified School District's 4^th R Board of Governors, a group focused on improving the preparedness of students for the world of work.  Rick has been a speaker at local high schools and served as an industry consultant in the Junior Achievement program.  Rick is also a charter and current member of the Arizona Software Association based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rick holds Master's degrees in Computer Science and Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  He is the co-author of two software patents and has spoken at numerous industry and public events.

Connie C. Axelrod, Ph.D., Senior Consultant

Connie has partnered with CEO Support Systems, Inc. as a Training and Business Development Consultant since 1997. She has spent the last 25 years dividing her career between academic teaching and research and both private industry and government consulting and training. Her Higher Education work spans the country: University of Arizona, Weber State University, California State University, University of Illinois Chicago and Champaign-Urbana, and University of Phoenix.

Connie has held positions in State Government with the Utah State Office of Education. Her corporate experience includes Training and Development Manager for General Mills, Inc. California facilities and Investment Associate with Royal Bank of Canada's investment arm Dain Rauscher. As the Managing Partner of International Associates Training and Consulting, she formed an International consulting group based in Argentina, providing services for organizations in training, assessment, strategic planning and communication. Having lived in France, Belgium, Romania, Lebanon, and Argentina, she is truly interculturally fluent.

Her Education includes a B.A. in Mass Media and Writing, an M.A. in Interpersonal Communication, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication, from the Universities of Illinois & Brussels, as well as post graduate work and professional training through the University of California and Penn State University. She holds a variety of additional certifications including ISO.

Connie's expertise in training and management focuses in several areas centered on communication in organizations including: the use of teams, strategic negotiation, conflict resolution, decision-making, software use in education, quality and planning. Her private clients have included: the States of North Dakota, Wyoming and Utah, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Community Health Associations of Mountain/Plains States, DDB Needham Worldwide, the Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Competitive Engineering, the University of Arizona, Banco de Provision Social and Energia Mendoza S.E.

Fluent in French and conversational in Spanish, Connie is also the author of various articles, manuals, books and videos. She is a skilled research designer and analyst, technically fluent in many computer applications and in the use of training and communication technologies.

Christina M. Rossetti, Senior Consultant

Christina M. Rossetti has been a leader in the non-profit human services arena in Tucson, Arizona, for the past 15 years. As Director of Programs for the Tucson AIDS Project, she was among a small group of volunteers and professionals who helped create a comprehensive case management, support services and education network for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Her experience also includes child welfare, home and community based services for the elderly and disabled, and program and new product development for work-place health promotion programs for a national health maintenance organization.

With experience in both health and behavioral health, she managed the Prevention Services contracts for the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for five southern Arizona counties, (including Tucson) and later for Value Options, the Maricopa County (Phoenix) Authority. In these positions, she provided technical assistance and monitored contracts of more than $10 million in Medicaid and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funds. In proposal development she has helped secure more than $400 million in state and federal contracts for the publicly-funded behavioral health system in southern Arizona. She regularly provides training on various aspects of non-profit program management and has been an adjunct faculty member at Pima Community College.

As an independent consultant, Christina provides program development, grant and request for proposal management, and planning and evaluation services to behavioral health and other social service organizations. As a Senior Consultant for CEO Support Systems, she provides professional job coaching and training to both non-profit and for profit leaders. Christina received her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and holds a Master's of Social Work Planning and Administration from Arizona State University.

Craig Little, Consultant

Prior to joining CEO Support Systems Craig spent 15 years in the outdoor recreation industry. First in retail sales of backcountry equipment; then 10 years as a professional river guide on the Colorado River, eight of those years in the Grand Canyon. Thousands of river miles and the rise from “swamper” to trip leader have given Craig a unique understanding of leadership, execution and team building. Knowledge gained from years as a computer hobbyist has transferred to his position as the Help Desk Coordinator. Craig studied History and Spanish at Pima Community College and Northern Arizona University.

Melissa Lewis-Duarte, M.A., Consultant

Melissa Lewis-Duarte joined CEO Support Systems, Inc. in 2005. She brought with her expertise in Organizational Behavior, with a focus on leadership and persuasive communication. Melissa’s technical experience in Program Evaluation and Organizational Research and her educational background serve as a foundation for her consulting skills and abilities.

Examples of Melissa’s previous work include her experience with the Mature Worker Council of Los Angeles County. Her research and feedback was used to strategically develop programs to facilitate job transitions for mature workers and earned her an award from the Workforce Investment Board. Concurrently, Melissa worked for Riverside Mental Health Services in the Program Evaluation and Research department, evaluating and assessing the impact of youth intervention programs. Prior to her evaluation experience, Melissa was employed by Kaiser Permanente to increase organizational effectiveness, performing studies regarding member satisfaction and employee performance feedback. As an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Intern, she worked with the East Valley Institute of Technology. She played an important role in evaluating the effectiveness of their marketing campaign and assisting them with increasing the impact of their marketing efforts.

Prior to moving to Tucson, Melissa attended Claremont Graduate University in Southern California. She received her Master of Arts in Psychology from the School of Behavioral and Organizational Psychology and is completing a Ph.D. in the same discipline. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Melissa is a member of the American Psychological Association, Organizational Development Network, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.