Lieutenant Colonel , U.S. Army (Retired) Highest Ranking Hispanic Woman in U.S. Army’s Combat Support Field; Founder of Educational Achievement Services

An Evening with Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch

Born and raised in a tiny barrio in Laredo, Texas where she overcame the fierce challenges of poverty, discrimination and illiteracy, Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch grew to become a successful leadership role model for her community. Breaking barriers and setting records in the military, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Consuelo Kickbusch rose to senior officer position and became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the United States Army. Acknowledged as a charismatic, passionate and entertaining speaker, Consuelo Kickbusch, carries her powerful message of what it takes to be an effective leader in today’s global marketplace to hundreds of colleges/universities, corporations and government institutions, both here in the U.S. and abroad.

During her distinguished military career, Consuelo Kickbusch held a variety of demanding and critical leadership positions ranging from Executive Officer for Information Systems Command to Technical Advisor to the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center to Company Commander of an all-male platoon. Along the way, she has earned numerous illustrious decorations including the Legion of Merit, the National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (four times), the Army Achievement Medal (twice) and the National Image’s Uniformed Services Award for significant contributions in the areas of civil/human rights, race relations, equal opportunity, human resources, and public service.

In 1996 LTC (Ret.) Consuelo Kickbusch was selected out of 26,000 candidates to assume a command post, which would put her on track for General Officer rank. Consuelo Kickbusch respectfully declined the honor, retired as a twenty-year veteran and founded Educational Achievement Services Inc. (EAS) to realize her personal dream and mission of preparing tomorrow’s leaders today. Through EAS, she shares her years of leadership experience, success techniques and motivational messages to empower people of all ages in all environments (schools, corporations, government and non-profits).

Consuelo Kickbusch’s results-oriented seminars/workshops use real life case studies, successful leadership behaviors and guiding principals and role-playing situations, to provide a dynamic and interactive learning environment. As a result, participants develop leadership skills, the ability to become change agents and achieve optimum performance. She also helps them to examine the role and value-added that our diverse cultures and backgrounds bring to leadership development.

Because of her strong dedication to saving the youth of America living in the same barrios she did as a child, Consuelo Kickbusch has worked with over one million children, their parents and educators, in the roughest neighborhoods in America, covering 43 states. She inspires these young “diamonds in the rough” by encouraging them to believe that “we can all make our dreams come true, to not give up hope, but rather to take charge of your lives, make a real difference in your families/communities and follow a disciplined road map to success”. To assist them, she produced a well-received video entitled, “Porque No – Why Not?”which provides practical techniques that helped Consuelo Kickbusch leave the barrio, develop self-esteem and achieve her personal success. Currently, she is writing a book for young readers, Journey to the Future, a primer providing young people with a framework for early leadership development. In recognition of her organization’s success, accomplishments and citizenship, Consuelo Kickbusch has been honored by the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the 2002 Business Achievement Award.

In addition to her work with youth, Consuelo Kickbusch consults extensively with corporations and government agencies to develop the leadership and peak performance of its employees. With her clients, she reinforces her strong belief that businesses endowed with strong leaders and a talented diverse workforce, are well prepared to compete successfully on the global stage. Her clients include Avon, IBM, Verizon, City of Dallas and San Antonio, Kansas Power and Light, NHLI, National Hispana Leadership Institute, U.S. Postal Service, Drug Enforcement Agency and NASA-Ames Research.

Audiences have enjoyed Consuelo Kickbusch’s spell-binding lectures in which she draws upon insights and “lessons learned” from her own personal experiences that are applicable to today’s business world and the development of its leaders. Consuelo Kickbusch’s popularity as a keynote speaker both here in the U.S. and abroad is exemplified in an impressive list of honorariums. In 2002 an independent research firm, Market Data Enterprises identified her as one of the top Hispanic motivational speakers in the country.

In conjunction with the U.S. Army, Hispanic Magazine bestowed the Latina Leadership Excellence Award for Kickbusch’s many youth service and military accomplishments. In addition Saturn and Glamour magazines honored Consuelo with the 2002 Women At Their Best Award given to the top 100 women in the country.

Also in 2002, The National Association of Women Business Owners bestowed their Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizing Consuelo’s Mentoring Spirit. Just recently, The Hispanic Business Magazine named LTC (ret) Kickbusch in their list of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America. Locally, she has received hundreds of awards and citations from schools, agencies and professional organizations including Toastmaster’s Leadership Award, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber’s 2002 Business Achievement Award and induction into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame

Keynote Speaker Topics: Leadership, Motivation, Contemporary Issues, Employee Peak Performance and Team Building, Globalization, Diversity, Change, Customer Relationships, Personal Growth and Excellence, Life Balance Issues, Women Issues