Meet Us
Joan M. Starkowsky, MA, BCC
Joan M. Starkowsky is the Founder and Principal of Sirocco Coach-Consulting, LLC. She is a Board Certified personal and professional coach and a leadership and engagement coach-consultant, teacher and speaker. She is a Certified PI Talent Optimization Partner and Consultant. She inspires people to maximize their strengths and talents and find passion, energy and purpose in life and work. Joan uses her extensive business, leadership, coaching and counseling experience to cultivate growth, expansion and engagement in others.
Joan has been captivating audiences with her unique and transforming message of becoming an authentic person and leader. Her message is a catalyst for people to take charge of their lives, find their purpose and draw upon their gifts and talents to become their authentic self.
Joan is the former President and founder of Roadway Reverse Logistics, Inc., subsidiary of the previous Fortune 500 Company, Roadway Express, Inc. She is an entrepreneur and inventor who holds a patent for an innovative reverse logistics business process and web portal. She designed and implemented the reverse logistics product portfolio that not only created the reverse logistics company, but also established Roadway as the returns management leader in the common carrier industry, where many of these products were replicated and marketed by her competitors.
She has held multiple leadership positions in business organizations for over 30 years. She has been in executive and senior management, marketing, operations and sales management in transportation, logistics and retail.
Joan's extensive coaching and mentoring proficiency began as a young sales manager in retailing and expanded as a master's level rehabilitation counselor and became the signature of her leadership. Throughout her career, she has helped many people find direction, growth and success in life and work. Her passion for developing others led her to start Sirocco Coach-Consulting, LLC in 2008.
Education
Joan earned an MA in Counseling and Special Services from Seton Hall University with a specialty in Rehabilitation Counseling. As a result of her outstanding work during her internship, establishing referral clinics in area hospitals, she was offered a permanent position upon graduation.
Joan obtained a BA in English from Bloomfield College. She worked in a subsidiary of the Macy Corporation while attending Bloomfield to pay for her education. She was promoted to night manager and upon graduation was offered a spot on the executive training squad to pursue a career in retail.
Joan has earned Certificates in Executive Leadership from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western University and a Certification in Logistics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Joan is a graduate of the Newfield Network Coaching and Organizational Learning Program and is a Board Certified Coach credentialed through the Center for Credentialing & Education.
Other Certifications:
- Joan attended the American Hypnosis Academy for Neuro-Linguistic Programming and is a certified practitioner.
- She was certified in Equine Experiential Learning through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association.
- She is Certified as a Talent Optimization Partner and Consultant by Predictive Index, LLC.
Volunteer Work:
Joan is a mentor for therapy dog teams who are new to the Cleveland Clinic Caring Canine Program. Joan was a member of the Cleveland Clinic Caring Canine Program for seven years making weekly visits on the heart, vascular and heart/lung transplant floors, ICU's and Children's Hospital with her therapy dogs.
Joan is a Healthcare Partner at Cleveland Clinic, where she represents the patient's voice in projects and new processes to enhance the patient experience.
In addition to being certified by Therapy Dogs International, her dogs have earned the CGC, Canine Good Citizens Certification, Advanced CGC, and AKC titles for obedience and agility performing on Excellent and Master's levels.
Joan has been quoted in many industry periodicals such as Forbes.com, The Journal of Commerce, Industry Week, Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management and InBound Logistics to name a few.
Testimonial
Joan Starkowsky is a professional of excellence who has successfully carried the mantle of business leadership. It is her proven excellence that allows her to know how to coach and consult to leaders who are looking to succeed in today's business environment.
Dorothy E. Siminovitch, Ph.D. MCC
Executive Coaching and Program Chairperson
International Gestalt Coaching Program
Gestalt Center for Organization Systems Development
Mary Ellen Garofalo, MSN, RN, CRRN, SPHR
Mary Ellen Garofalo is Managing Consultant at Sirocco Coach-Consulting, LLC. She is an integrative health nurse, health and well-being coach and consultant.
Mary Ellen Garofalo has a Masters Degree in Nursing Leadership with a background that bridges years in human resources and extensive experience as a Rehabilitation Certified Nurse and leader in home health care.
Her multifaceted expertise allows her to bring a holistic approach to healing, addressing the physical, emotional, and organizational dimensions of well-being. Throughout her career, Mary Ellen has demonstrated a deep commitment to empowering individuals and teams, fostering resilience, and promoting personal and professional growth.
As a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Mary Ellen cultivated workplace cultures that prioritize collaboration, wellness, and development. She played a key role in supporting employees during times of change, building cohesive teams, and creating strategies to enhance organizational effectiveness. Her HR experience shaped her leadership philosophy, enabling her to lead with empathy, vision, and a dedication to nurturing both people and processes. She is a Certified Talent Optimization Consultant, helping people find their strengths, talents and purpose.
In her work as a rehabilitation nurse and home health care leader, she has guided patients through challenging recoveries, developed care plans that restore independence, and led teams to deliver compassionate, high-quality care. Her ability to balance clinical expertise with a deep understanding of human dynamics has been a cornerstone of her success, allowing her to connect meaningfully with patients, families, and colleagues.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Mary Ellen is involved in Christian ministry and small group leadership. Her faith is a driving force in her life, inspiring her to promote spiritual renewal and build communities of encouragement and hope. Through ministry, she supports individuals on their journeys of healing and transformation, integrating her professional skills with her spiritual mission.
For Mary Ellen, healing is more than a profession—it is a calling. Her unique combination of experience in nursing, human resources, and ministry equips her with a holistic perspective, enabling her to address challenges with compassion, strategy, and faith. She is dedicated to helping others achieve restoration and renewal in every aspect of life and considers it an honor to walk beside them as they strive forward.
When she’s not working, Mary Ellen enjoys a host of outdoor activities, cooking, and spending time with family and friends which help her stay balanced and energized.
Testimonial
Mary Ellen Garofalo is one of the most hard working, passionate, committed, and grounded people I have had the pleasure of working with.
Mary Ellen’s tenacity to develop relationships with all whom she comes in contact with, learn every market that her program serviced, create start- up programs in hospitals throughout the country, and really nurture those relationships with the utmost of care, are some of the reasons for her success.
As a nurse, Mary Ellen’s compassion is evident in everything that she does. She is such a hard worker, an innovator, super creative, and has a great sense of humor. Her knowledge of the home care industry is excellent, given her years in the business.
I would highly recommend Mary Ellen. She is a passionate professional and a true asset to any organization!
Susan Ingalls
Regional Director
BAYADA Home Health Care