NTBC Lunch N Learn -ASCEND & EMERGE™: Mental Resilience & Strategic Leadership for High-Performance Professionals. 

Presented by: 

Dr. Jacqueline Nelms, DHSc, MSSL, BS, CLC, MHFA

Founder, Mindful Elevation, LLC

Dr. Jacqueline Nelms is a behavioral scientist, healthcare executive, and resilience researcher whose work integrates empirical evidence, organizational psychology, and high-stress performance science. With 25 years of leadership experience across multi-state health systems, she has built a distinguished career advancing evidence-based operational strategy while strengthening leaders' and teams' psychological resilience and effectiveness.

Her doctoral research, examining law enforcement officers’ perceptions of psychological assessments, uncovers critical patterns related to trust, stigma, organizational culture, and the structural factors that influence mental wellbeing within high-stress professions. This research informs her practice as a scholar-practitioner, where she translates rigorous behavioral science into accessible, high-impact frameworks for leaders, executive teams, and public-safety organizations.

Dr. Nelms is the creator of the ASCEND Leadership Pillars and EMERGE Personal Development Framework, two research-informed systems that bridge cognitive science, resilience psychology, and modern leadership demands. These models equip individuals and organizations with structured, actionable pathways to strengthen clarity, self-regulation, adaptability, and sustainable performance. Through these signature frameworks, she helps leaders elevate from reactive management to strategic, evidence-driven leadership.

As a certified master-level life coach and strategic consultant, she leverages her academic background and behavioral science expertise to support executives, first responders, and high-stress professionals seeking to enhance performance, psychological safety, and organizational alignment. Her work is characterized by a unique blend of research rigor, real-world leadership acumen, and a deep commitment to strengthening human potential in high-pressure environments.

Through writing, speaking, and organizational partnership, Dr. Nelms continues to advance thought leadership at the intersection of mental resilience, leadership excellence, and applied behavioral science, shaping the next generation of evidence-based leadership practice.