Faculty Biography

Rick Bommelje is known by many as the "Listening Doctor", although he calls himself the "Listening Student". He is a faculty member in the Department of Communication at  Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. In 2012, he was selected as one of the top 300 college professors in the nation by the Princeton Review. He has over 30 years of professional experience in leadership, management, and adult education. Rick is a past President of the International Listening Association and was inducted into the Listening Hall of Fame with a Master’s Degree in Management and a Doctorate in Educational Administration, and advanced leadership study at Harvard University and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, he specializes in the development of listening and leadership behaviors.

Rick has been serving professionals in organizations in the areas of leadership and communication development since l977. Over the years, his courses, seminars, and workshops have benefited thousands of leaders from an impressive list of organizations worldwide including: Dimension Data, Inc., Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, Dow Jones & Company, Orange County Public Schools, Whirlpool Corp., Siemens Shared Services, Walt Disney World, AT&T, U.S. Army, Lockheed Martin, Certified Slings, Inc., Lake County Schools, Coca Cola Bottling Company, Lynx, Department of Defense, Hong Kong Broadband Network, Western Digital, Marriott Corp., Tupperware, Northrop Grumman, and many others.

The appeal and effectiveness of Rick’s programs are found in his practical and "real world" approach to education and development. His informal delivery style focuses on practical and substantive content that offers participants immediate and measurable benefits. He co-authored the pioneering book Listening Leaders with Dr. Lyman Steil in 2004. Rick’s latest book, Listening Pays, will be published in Fall 2012.