About Us


Our Story

StarQuest Learning was founded in 1998 with the vision of changing the way organizations and people value learning and development. Today we continue to work with clients to develop the capabilities of their people in the areas of leadership, management, and sales development.

We are passionate about delivering fresh, relevant, and applicable training programs that enable people to increase their on-the-job performance. Our learning and development solutions include both instructor-led programs, assessments, online curriculum and learning management systems.

Our clients represent a variety of industries - from healthcare and banking, to manufacturing and professional services. Despite the variability of industries, our clients all have a common thread in that they value people and place a high emphasis on human capital as their sustainable competitive advantage.



Our Core Purpose and Values

Purpose:

Values:

  • Integrity - conduct business with the highest level of integrity and trust
  • Passion - be passionate about what we do and how we do it
  • Respect - ensure a spirit of mutual respect, cooperation and trust
  • Teamwork - collaborate in our work and have fun
  • Communication - promote open and direct communication
  • Learning - encourage learning in everything we do
  • Recognition - celebrate successes and honest failures


Our Leadership Team


Tom Athenour

Tom Athenour

Principal/Director of Client Services


Tom is responsible for strategic sales and marketing. Tom's professional experience has transpired predominantly within the financial services and learning and development industries, and has included leadership positions in marketing, operations, and sales.

Prior to co-founding StarQuest, he was vice president of marketing for International Learning Systems, Inc., an international performance development consulting firm that worked with Fortune 500 companies worldwide.
Tom has served on the board of directors for the Goodwill Industries of Denver and is a member of the American Society for Training and Development and the Society of Human Resource Management. He has spoken at numerous national conferences on the subject of leadership, organizational change and talent development.

Ken Reed

Ken Reed

Principal, Director of Educational Technology


Ken is responsible for system development and all technical aspects of the StarQuest Online web systems and online course delivery. Ken is an engineer and author who has published a dozen textbooks on the subjects of computer networking, the Internet, and web development.
Ken began his career as a software engineer. After several years of developing software, he managed a number of different engineering groups composed of software developers, hardware and software testers and software librarians. Ken holds undergraduate degrees in Electronics and Computer Information Systems and graduate degrees in Management and Telecommunications Engineering.

Jill Athenour

Jill Houston Athenour

Principal, Director of Design and Development


Jill is responsible for the design and development of StarQuest's curriculum, including all e-Learning content and instructor-led programs. She is one of the original co-founders of StarQuest and brings a wealth of experience in education and adult learning.
Jill has spent her entire career in adult education, and was previously the director of marketing and admissions, then assistant dean for Regis University's adult undergraduate program. She has also worked for such organizations as University of Denver, and St. Mary's College of California. Her professional experience in marketing, sales, management and adult learning provides a robust backdrop when designing and developing relevant curriculum. Jill has a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Santa Barbara, CA; and an MA in education from St. Mary's College, Moraga, CA.