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About Us

Paul Laney and Mary Phillippi are the owners of Drive the Road Leadership, a consulting and leadership development and training company focused on helping leaders strengthen their people, culture, and performance though practical, real-world leadership training. 

Smiling man in a blue polo shirt with arms crossed.

Paul Laney

Smiling woman with blonde hair in blue blazer.

Mary Phillippi

We teach leadership because we’ve lived it.

 Before they became national trainers, Paul Laney and Mary Phillippi spent decades doing the work and leading the people they now teach. Paul served in law enforcement from patrol through elected sheriff. Mary spent more than 35 years in 911 communications, progressing from communications operator to supervisor, assistant director, and director.


Together, they bring more than 50 years of real-world leadership experience into the classroom. Through Drive the Road Leadership, they have now trained more than 4,000 leaders across 20 states, combining that experience with practical, interactive, scenario-based instruction.

Learn More About Our Team

Paul D. LaneyMary Phillippi

Meet our Training Consultants

Genny Dienstmann, CAE

Genny Dienstmann, CAE

Genny Dienstmann, CAE

Genny Dienstmann is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit and government sectors. She has over 27 years of experience in the industry and her areas of focus include human resources, operational/financial management and leadership. Genny was instrumental in creating the HR Collaborative, a first-eve

Genny Dienstmann is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit and government sectors. She has over 27 years of experience in the industry and her areas of focus include human resources, operational/financial management and leadership. Genny was instrumental in creating the HR Collaborative, a first-ever statewide cooperative, which provides HR training and resources focused specifically for government entities. The Collaborative has provided training to thousands of government officials since its inception in 2008.


Genny earned her degree in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Mary and achieved her certification from the American Society of Association Executives as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 2005.

Jesse Jahner

Genny Dienstmann, CAE

Genny Dienstmann, CAE

Sheriff Jesse Jahner began employment with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in May 1998. Sheriff Jahner started his career by working as a Correctional Officer in the Cass County Jail. In 2000, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to Patrol Deputy, where he served as a Field Training Officer. In 2006, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to the rank of Det

Sheriff Jesse Jahner began employment with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in May 1998. Sheriff Jahner started his career by working as a Correctional Officer in the Cass County Jail. In 2000, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to Patrol Deputy, where he served as a Field Training Officer. In 2006, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to the rank of Detective, where he served on the Cass County Drug Task Force. In 2008 and 2009, Sheriff Jahner worked as an Officer for the Sturgis Police Department during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and supervised the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Investigations and Patrol Division. In that same year, he was transferred to act as Training Sergeant for the department overseeing training for at that time 185 employees. In 2015, he was asked to supervise the Metro Area Street Crimes Unit. In 2016, Sheriff Jahner was promoted to the rank of Captain, where he oversaw the Patrol Division, Training Division, Special Operations, Search and Rescue Operations, and Use of Force Deployments. Sheriff Jahner was the commander of the Cass County Corrections Emergency Response Team from 2011 to 2013. Sheriff Jahner also served on the Red River Valley SWAT Team from 2002 to 2018 and acted as a Team Leader and Assistant Team Commander. During the flood fighting efforts of 2011, Sheriff Jahner served as Airboat Search and Rescue Operation Commander. In 2019, he was elected Cass County Sheriff. 


Sheriff Jahner is a Certified Police Instructor for several disciplines, including critical Incident response and tactical planning, firearms, active shooter, room clearing, taser, less lethal and chemical munitions deployment, use of force, emergency vehicle operations, and pursuit driving. Sheriff Jahner has received over 3500 hours of specialized training and has provided over 2200 hours of Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST) certified training hours to officers in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. 

Sheriff Jahner has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University in Humanities and Social Sciences emphasis in Criminal Justice. In addition, Sheriff Jahner has attended several leadership courses, which include the Department of Homeland Security’s National Academy, National Command & Staff College, FBI Trilogy Leadership Courses, Dale Carnegie Leadership Course, International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations, National Tactical Officers Associations Training Management and Risk Mitigation Course. 


Sheriff Jahner serves on several boards, which include the North Dakota POST Board, the Crime Victim Services Board, and recently served as the Dakota Territories Sheriff’s Association President, representing Sheriffs in the States of North and South Dakota. 

In 2024, Sheriff Jahner served as a National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) board member, acting as a liaison between the North Dakota Sheriff’s Association and the National Sheriff’s Association. 

Our leadership training team will help you transform your team’s potential into reality.


Our unique style of scenario-based training will equip your current and future leaders with tools to take back into the work environment. We use an interactive training style so students learn from each other, as well as from the experience of their instructors. 


Leaders who have sent their staff to courses said that upon completion of the training, they saw an immediate impact and change in the leadership readiness of their team and witnessed them utilizing their new skill set in the work environment.


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