O. Ray Angle, President & Consultant

With more than 30 years of experience in college career services and teaching, O. Ray Angle currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Career and Professional Development at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.  For the past 20 years he has managed a consulting, speaking and training business, Good Work Consulting, LLC.  In July 2021, he acquired The Etiquette Institute previously based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Ray has held college career services leadership roles at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, California State University East Bay, Webster University, Millikin University, Saint Louis University, and Bradley University.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and his master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Central Missouri.

A recognized leader in career education, he routinely speaks at conferences as a keynote presenter, panelist or workshop facilitator.  He has been featured on local radio and television programs and has been interviewed for and cited in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Time Magazine, BusinessWeek, and The Chicago Tribune.

Ray has been invited to speak domestically and internationally on a variety of topics including career and professional skill development, leadership, and etiquette.  He has served on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Board of Directors, and as the President of the Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers (Midwest ACE), the Missouri College Personnel Association (MOCPA) and the Gateway Career Services Association.  He was inducted into the NACE Academy of Fellows in 2014 and has served as a faculty member in their Management Leadership Institute. In 2007, he became an honorary member of The Etiquette Institute having collaborated with the Founder & President, Maria Everding.

A vagabond at heart, he has travelled to all 50 states, 15 countries, and five continents.  Washington, where he currently resides, is his favorite state, and his adventure to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands is the trip that will be forever etched in his memory as life changing.  During the 2020-2021 global pandemic he has survived a COVID infection, driven from Washington state to Florida and back, and taken on a variety of home improvement projects.  In April 2021, he adopted a four-year-old English Springer Spaniel named Opie (full name Opie-Wan Kenobe).

MEDIA FEATURES

Rethinking the Faculty Role in Students’ Career Readiness, Inside Higher Education, January 2022

Wedding Thank-You Notes, St. Louis Best Bride, October 2021

Where the Jobs Are, Time Magazine, January 2011

Beyond the Headline: U.S. Census Study on STEM Graduates U.S. News & World Report, July 2014

New Bachelor-Level Chemists Face Grim Job Market, Chemical and Engineering News, January 2013

For Accountants and Engineers, School Name Plays Bigger Role, Wall Street Journal, September 2010

Maria Everding, President Emeritus

Social etiquette and manners are not mere words to Maria Everding – they are a way of life. As a consultant on social and business etiquette, Maria Everding is an internationally recognized authority in her field and a sought-after speaker. She is president emeritus and founder of The Etiquette Institute where adults are trained and certified to become etiquette consultants. She has trained and certified individuals from all over the world.

Maria Everding is often quoted in newspapers and magazines nationwide as well as a frequent guest on radio and television shows including KMOX in St. Louis; ABC’s Good Morning America, National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Company. In 1982 Maria created and developed the Pretty As A Picture course in manners, poise, and style for young ladies. After 22 years, and reaching national prominence, she sold her children’s programs in 2004.

Maria authored several etiquette books: Pretty As A Picture: A Guide to Manners, Poise and Style for young ladies, The Ritz Kids Etiquette for Today, I Have Manners from A to Z and Panache That Pays, for the college senior and young professional. Her past experiences include having a column in St. Louis Homes and Lifestyles as well as Kansas City Bride and Groom Magazines.

Maria Everding was the recipient of the first outstanding alumna award from Patricia Stevens College. She’s often referred to as “Saint Louis’ First Lady of Manners.”