Norlan’s Bio
Heritage and Background
Cultural Heritage
Norlan was born and raised in the sunny city of Los Angeles, California (USA). His family originates from Matagalpa, Nicaragua (Central America), where he also spent some of his childhood years. He is the “middle child” (third out of four boys) in his family. He is the son of Angela Rosa and Orlando.
Norlan’s identity lies in the hyphen. He describes himself as a Nicaragüense-Americano. His experience has been shaped and formed in the place between two cultures. He is neither fully Nicaragüense nor fully North American.
Family
He met the woman of his dreams, Isabel Hernández (this is also her maiden, can you believe it?) at church during his high school years. Isabel was a tremendous spiritual influence in his life that led him to live a life for Jesus Christ. They tied the not in 2014. They are now happily married and had a beautiful tenacious princess, Aella Mia Hernández!
Professional Experience
Experience
Norlan’s love for education has gained him valuable experience in the corporate world. His professional background is in corporate training and education. He brings experience and knowledge in adult education, designing and creating learning materials in various formats and engaging in instructor-led training and remote (online) training.
This experience fuels Norlan to passionately coach and guide people through their professional journey. His hope is to help individuals avoid pitfalls, get past hurdles, grow, and overcome.
Leadership
Norlan has been influenced by Robert Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership philosophy. To sum it up, he agrees with Greenleaf that people are more important than tasks. Furthermore, he approaches leadership with a culturally responsive and inclusive posture. You can learn more about his thoughts by reading his article, A Double Paradox: Servant Leadership and Gender Scripts in the Latin American Context.
Management
Norlan is also very intentional about his approach to management. He is methodical, structured, and intentional. He has presented on topics such as staff development, effective meetings, and has often been a point of contact for consulting needs across various cross-functional teams.
Education and Research
Education
Norlan’s love for learning prompted him to spend four years in a Bible institute where his love for theology began. He obtained an associate’s degree from Cerritos Community College, then a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, a Master of Arts in Theology Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies from Biola’s Cook School of Intercultural Studies. He is now venturing into the business sphere by obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business.
Research Interests
Norlan’s research interests include Latin American studies, Latin American theology, contextualization, identity development, culture, diversity and inclusion, leadership, and professional development.
Norlan has presented on these topics in academic and professional settings, such as conferences, workshops, and social and nonprofit contexts.