About
our company
Leadership is our mission. The Enneagram, psychology, and business acumen are the tools we use to develop it.
At Nine One Nine Leadership, we believe exceptional leadership is built on more than management techniques alone. By integrating the insights of the Enneagram, the science of psychology, and the practical application of business acumen, we equip leaders to better understand themselves, inspire others, make sound decisions, and achieve meaningful organizational results.
Our services include executive coaching, one-on-one mentoring, leadership consulting, organizational development, customized workshops, in-person training, personality assessments, and a growing library of leadership publications and workbooks. Every engagement is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing leaders with actionable strategies they can immediately apply in the workplace.
Whether developing emerging supervisors or experienced executives, our approach strengthens self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, strategic thinking, financial and operational decision-making, accountability, and team performance. The result is leaders who not only understand people—but also understand business.
Grounded in real-world leadership experience, we partner with organizations to build stronger leaders, healthier cultures, and high-performing teams that lead with confidence, consistency, integrity, and purpose.
Our founder
Gilbert
Nine One Nine Leadership is a leadership development and consulting practice dedicated to helping leaders build clarity, confidence, and consistency in high-accountability environments. We partner with leaders responsible for people, performance, and organizational outcomes, providing practical strategies they can apply immediately to lead more effectively.
Founded by Gilbert G. Barela, PhD, the practice is built on decades of real-world leadership experience spanning the U.S. Army, law enforcement, private military contracting, government security contracting, and nearly two decades in the public water and wastewater industry. Gilbert currently serves as a Mechanical Superintendent, leading maintenance and reliability teams in mission-critical environments where trust, accountability, sound judgment, and steady leadership are essential.
Beyond his professional career, Gilbert has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to advancing leadership throughout the water sector. He served as State President of the California Water Environment Association (CWEA), leading its Board of Directors and representing more than 11,000 members across California. Today, he serves as a Delegate-at-Large for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), representing an international membership of more than 35,000 professionals while advocating for Operations and Maintenance professionals, Veterans, People with Disabilities, and People of Color.
Gilbert holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, a Master of Science in Management and Leadership, a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership, and a PhD in Organizational Leadership. Drawing from both advanced academic research and extensive leadership experience, he developed the Grounded Integrator Leadership™ framework—a practical leadership philosophy centered on balancing operational excellence with emotional intelligence, accountability, and human connection.
Rather than teaching leadership as theory alone, Gilbert equips leaders with practical tools grounded in experience. His work reflects lessons learned from military service, public safety, critical infrastructure, executive leadership, and volunteer service at the highest levels of the profession. This combination of scholarship and real-world application forms the foundation of Nine One Nine Leadership's mission: helping leaders lead with confidence, integrity, and lasting impact.
Through executive coaching, leadership consulting, mentoring, organizational training, personality-based leadership development, and published works—including Grounded Integrator Leadership: Leading with Clarity, Strength, and Human Connection and I'm a Supervisor... Now What?: A Practical Guide to the First Year of Leadership—Gilbert provides leaders with practical resources to strengthen themselves, develop their teams, and build organizations where people and performance thrive.
Our Enneagram Practitioner and Personality Assessment Instructor
Jaclyn
Jaclyn Alm, B.S., is an accomplished water and wastewater professional with more than a decade of experience across water and wastewater treatment, distribution, collections, and environmental compliance. Throughout her career, she has served multiple public agencies, including the Cities of Hutchinson, St. Cloud, and Sartell in Minnesota; the Cities of Chandler and Surprise in Arizona; and, in California, the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) and Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD).
Her career has progressed from entry-level positions to supervisory leadership, providing her with a unique appreciation for every level of an organization. This breadth of experience has shaped her practical, people-centered approach to leadership, emphasizing team development, continuous improvement, accountability, and organizational effectiveness. Jaclyn is widely recognized for her curiosity, thoughtful leadership style, and ability to combine technical expertise with psychological insight to help individuals and teams perform at their best.
Jaclyn earned a Bachelor of Science from Southern Utah University with a concentration in Psychology. Her academic background provided a strong foundation in personality theory, human development, and behavioral science, strengthening her ability to understand individual differences, improve team dynamics, and cultivate healthy organizational cultures. She has continued her professional development through the Leadership Academy and Government Supervisory Academy at Cal Poly Pomona, Project Management and Leadership coursework through Chaffey College, and an Academic Certificate in Leadership from Southern Utah University.
A respected leader within the industry, Jaclyn has presented at California Water Environment Association (CWEA) conferences on topics including self-awareness, leadership growth, personality assessment frameworks, and professional development. She also served as Co-Chair of the 2025 CWEA Annual Conference, helping lead the planning and execution of the association's largest conference to date, which welcomed a record 1,844 attendees. Throughout the planning process, she demonstrated exceptional collaboration, strategic thinking, conscientious attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to delivering an outstanding experience while keeping the conference vision and objectives at the forefront of every decision.
Outside of her professional career, Jaclyn is a former NCAA Division I track and field athlete and a member of the first Women's National Championship team in the 2019 American Water Works Association (AWWA) Hydrant Hysteria Competition. These accomplishments reflect the discipline, resilience, teamwork, and competitive excellence that continue to define her leadership philosophy. Whether developing people, leading projects, or navigating complex organizational challenges, Jaclyn brings a thoughtful balance of technical expertise, emotional intelligence, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.
Our Business Psychologist and Instructor
Aubree
Aubree Maeve Lane, M.S. is an organizational psychology trainer, leadership facilitator, actress, and commercial model who combines behavioral science with practical, engaging instruction. She specializes in the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment, DISC, and CliftonStrengths, helping organizations improve communication, strengthen leadership, and build more cohesive, high-performing teams through interactive workshops grounded in real-world application.
Aubree earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Brigham Young University and her Master of Science in Psychology from Arizona State University. Her academic background provided a strong foundation in human behavior, motivation, and organizational psychology, while reinforcing her belief that understanding people is one of the most valuable skills a leader can develop. Following graduate school, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue both her professional career and her lifelong passion for surfing, embracing opportunities that challenged her to continue learning, growing, and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.
In addition to her work in leadership development, Aubree has appeared in regional and national television commercials and has worked as a background actor on a variety of film and television productions. These experiences strengthened her communication skills, confidence, and ability to engage audiences with authenticity—qualities that naturally complement her work as a facilitator and trainer.
Today, Aubree partners with public agencies, private organizations, and leadership teams across the United States, translating psychological concepts into practical strategies that leaders can apply in their everyday work. She believes that leadership is ultimately about understanding people, building trust, and creating environments where individuals and teams can thrive.
Known for her approachable style, genuine curiosity, and engaging delivery, Aubree creates learning environments where participants feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and applying new concepts with confidence. Her goal is not simply to teach assessment tools, but to help people gain meaningful insight into themselves, appreciate the strengths of others, and foster healthier, more effective workplace relationships.
Our Leadership and Business Acumen Instructor
Audrey
Audrey Pederson, JD, CPA, is an attorney, Certified Public Accountant, and leadership educator who enjoys helping leaders better understand the business behind the work they do every day. She believes business acumen is not reserved for executives or finance professionals—it is a practical leadership skill that empowers people at every level to make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and contribute more strategically to their organizations.
Throughout her career, Audrey has worked in financial management, legal compliance, policy development, and strategic planning, supporting organizations as they navigate complex challenges while balancing sound business decisions with the needs of their people. Her practical experience allows her to connect business concepts to the everyday realities leaders face, making topics that can seem intimidating feel relevant, accessible, and useful.
Audrey earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Colorado State University before becoming a Certified Public Accountant. She later earned her Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law, where her interest in leadership, ethics, and organizational effectiveness continued to grow. She remains an avid learner, continually exploring leadership, organizational behavior, personality theory, and business strategy to bring fresh perspectives into her training.
As a facilitator, Audrey has a gift for translating financial and organizational concepts into conversations that resonate with leaders from all backgrounds. Whether discussing business acumen, strategic thinking, or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, she emphasizes practical application over theory, encouraging participants to leave with ideas they can immediately put into practice. She believes the best learning happens when people are engaged, asking questions, sharing experiences, and enjoying the process along the way.
A former collegiate soccer player, Audrey credits much of her leadership philosophy to lessons learned on the field. Being part of successful teams reinforced the importance of preparation, trust, adaptability, and supporting one another through both victories and setbacks. Those experiences continue to shape how she approaches leadership today—recognizing that strong teams are built through communication, shared purpose, and a willingness to help one another succeed.
Known for her approachable personality and conversational teaching style, Audrey creates an environment where participants feel comfortable exploring new ideas and challenging their assumptions. She is especially passionate about encouraging emerging leaders to build confidence, develop sound judgment, and recognize the meaningful impact they can have on the people and organizations they serve.