Dr. Valek earned her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate University, and an MA in Human Development. She also has an MS in Organization Behavior from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP). She went to college at the University of California in Santa Cruz where she received a BA in Psychology and Religious Studies. For more than 20 years, she has taught grad classes in organization studies at CSPP's Organizational Psychology doctoral and masters programs in change and development, organization theory, systems and sustainability, leadership, and research.

Dr. Valek's first career was in television - where she started as an artist before becoming a television art director for the NBC affiliate in Fresno- winning many awards. During that time, she went back to graduate school. With an education in organizational studies, she became a trainer, facilitator, executive coach, consultant, presenter, OD, jury consultant, and graphic facilitator. She has managed a training center for a county, been an organizational consultant, trained cannery workers, worked with family-run businesses, helped companies create teams, worked with many non-profits, was a full-time faculty in Organizational Leadership, worked globally, and spent 3 years with a hospital system as an OD. Currently she serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Organization Development Practitioner journal (peer-reviewed).

Dr. Valek's grandparents were born in the Czech Republic and immigrated to the US. In her immediate family, she was the first to graduate from college or earn a doctorate.