Alex has a passion to help individuals in career/vocational transition. He is a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) and Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), as well as a member with the National Career Development Association. His passion for community service led him to turn Federal Career Connection, Inc. into an educational non-profit organized to provide individuals in career transition with the best insights on how to search and apply for fulfilling careers in public, national, and military service. Alex also spearheaded the development of the Richland County Young Marines and an internship program between the U.S. Army and three universities in Seoul, South Korea. He served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

Dr. Jacqueline Charles is a federal government employee with over 23 years of experience supporting multiple Department of Defense acquisition and sustainment programs. Currently, she supports the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Charles serves as a Product Support Manager responsible for life cycle management of software and hardware tools to support mission data file production to meet Warfighter capability needs in the Combat Data Systems Program Office.

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Dr. Charles earned her PhD in Education with a specialization in Leadership for Higher Education in March 2020 from Capella University. Her dissertation was titled Leadership of College Presidents from Private and Nonprofit Sectors: A Qualitative Study. She also completed a Post-Master’s Certificate in College Teaching in 2017 and MBA with a specialization in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management in July 2012 from her alma mater. Dr. Charles holds certifications in Life Cycle Logistics and Program Management from the Defense Acquisition University. She is also a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and is currently working toward her PMP certification.

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Dr. Charles is a former military spouse of an Air Force veteran of 22 years of service. She and her family were stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, and McGuire AFB, New Jersey. Dr. Charles has been married over 25 years and have two adult children, ages 28 and 19.

Ivy Oyegun has spent over 10 years as a public health Epidemiologist serving in private, federal, and state service and most recently leading special projects to address the COVID-19 response.

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Pulling from her experience in cross-sector collaboration and working across ideological and geographical boundaries to address health challenges, she provides her expertise in developing and managing partnerships (with Apple, Google, and CDC’s technology office) and infrastructure to improve disease management efforts and reduce the burden on national health systems. She collaborated with CDC’s respiratory disease unit to maintain a national platform used by over 99 US counties for early detection of COVID-19 cases. She also worked with US State and Local Territories to track COVID-19 management strategies among K-12 schools. Results from this surveillance were used by 245 school districts to identify successful school interventions for wide-spread adoption. She has also been invited as guest lecturer at Georgia State University’s Organizational Transitions Course.

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Ms. Oyegun’s devotion to public service is evident through her various public service functions including serving as the Vice President of the International Students Organization at Boston University, where she partnered with colleagues at Harvard University to co-sponsor a fundraiser to support children born to mothers with HIV in Uganda. She also led a community project that promoted careers in public service among students to increase graduation rates and awareness of public health service opportunities for minority groups.

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For the past six years, Ms. Oyegun has served as a volunteer with the United Way NGO, delivering food and other essentials to those in need. She has received accolades for her service including Outstanding Leadership, Outstanding Performance and Exceptional commitment to teamwork for program evaluation (CDC), and for her work with the Hosea Feed the Hungry organization. She is a National Institutes of Health Diversity Supplement Grant recipient, and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Her collaboration on national program evaluation was also highlighted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Ms. Oyegun holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and a Masters in Public Health practice (MPH). She enjoys reading and connecting to people through travel, and one of her oft-used quotes is “Everything in moderation, including moderation itself”.

Malis Rasmussen is a Deputy Director and Chief Financial Examiner of the Financial Regulation & Licensing Division of the Utah Insurance Department. As Deputy Director and Chief Financial Examiner, Ms. Rasmussen is responsible for the solvency and examination oversight of Utah domiciled life, health, and property & casualty insurance companies, in order to ensure the companies’ current and future financial obligations to Utah and national policyholders are met.

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Ms. Rasmussen is also a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Metrics Alliance, a firm that specializes in operational streamline, business strategy review, corporate governance review, risks and risks mitigation strategies review, enterprise risk management, Owned Risk and Solvency Assessment, customer service improvement, business continuity review, cybersecurity review, bookkeeping, etc. She currently holds the Certified Financial Examiner designation from the Society of Financial Examiners (SOFE), and Senior Professional in Insurance Regulation designation from the National Association of the Insurance Commissioners.

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Ms. Rasmussen hold a Master’s in Accounting and is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Honors Society. For the past ten years, Ms. Rasmussen has been serving on the Audit/Supervisory Committee of Utah First Federal Credit Union. She is also a member of the Board of Governors, the Executive Committee, and Co-Chair of the Nomination Committee of SOFE. In addition, Ms. Rasmussen is currently serving as a Board member and Treasurer of the IASA Organization (Utah Chapter), and an incoming Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors of Camp Hobé.

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In 2020, under the leadership of Utah Governor Gary Herbert, Ms. Rasmussen was awarded with the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Innovation and Efficiency, in recognition of her innovative and efficient business model and leadership approach, in addition to her outstanding public service and achievement that display dedication to the citizens of Utah. In 2022, Ms. Rasmussen’s leadership and accomplishments was recognized and honored at the 4th Annual Gala, a Celebration of Empowerment and Excellence Global Awards, honoring successful individuals, businesses, communities, and professionals.

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Ms. Rasmussen devotes her free time to her family, and various charity projects, which aim to improve the lives of children and struggling families in Cambodia.

Juliett “Jules” McPhaul-Stephan is a Management and Program Analyst with over 15 years of federal experience. Jules, who is dubbed as the “Fixer”, enjoys taking the most complex challenges or situations and turning them into the most unexpected, enduring solutions.

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Jules holds a Master’s in Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and has her Lean Six Sigma Green in Government as well as her Project Management Qualification from the Management and Strategy Institute. Jules is truly passionate about public service and thrives on providing service to others.

Christine (Chris) Westbrook is a talent-development leader who guides individuals and organizations to achieve maximum performance through high-impact, strategic personal and organizational change.

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Chris currently facilitates leadership, management, and professional skills training for public, private, and nonprofit audiences. She also consults and provides career counseling services through a variety of nonprofits. She serves as Curriculum Director for the Federal Career Connection, Inc.

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Ms. Westbrook served in three directorates of the Central Intelligence Agency as an intelligence analyst, manager, and talent leader. She served last as Deputy Director of CIA’s premier foreign-language school. Prior to this, she served on the CIA Director’s team to create a Talent Center of Excellence to hire, develop, and oversee management of CIA’s workforce. For her last nine years at CIA, Ms. Westbrook also created and facilitated leadership and management training, with a focus on change leadership. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Ms. Westbrook recruited a new generation of analysts for the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Chris received her BA in Government from The College of William and Mary. She earned a Master’s degree in Political Science and a second Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University.

James Steele brings over a decade of experience as a communicator and educator. Currently, he teaches at Northern Virginia Community College where he educates students in introductory communication courses. Previously, he served as full-time faculty with the Communication Department at George Mason University. Working with the Center for International Student Access, he developed an adapted public speaking curriculum for undergraduate international students seeking to improve their English language proficiency skills. He would serve as the liaison to and primary communication instructor for the INTO Mason program for six years. He holds a Master of Arts in Communication from George Mason University. While pursuing his graduate studies, he completed a thesis which was based on examining the processing of breast cancer messages based on different source perceptions. He has presented papers and professional posters at the conventions for the Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research, the DC Health Communication Conference, the Eastern Communication Association, and the National Communication Association. He served as the Social Media Manager for the DC Health Communication Conference for three years. He continues to use his experience and skills in communication as the Assistant Director of Communications for Federal Career Connection, Inc.

Maura is a public affairs/communications and wellness professional, integrating the specialties to lead work focused on policy change, accessibility, social responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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Her goals are twofold: (1) To contribute to a world stronger than the one she was born into; and (2) To share her voice to create inclusive opportunities for those who have been marginalized, especially people with disabilities.

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Maura has led public affairs for nonprofit organizations; local, federal, and foreign governments; a Fortune 100 company; and public relations firms. She has a knack for bringing like-valued people and brands together to deliver impact, and her calm demeanor is an asset for working with executives and leading teams. Currently, Maura serves as the Communications Leader for a global organization, while simultaneously pursuing her Master of Public Administration at New York University. She is committed to public service, actively mentors and sponsors team members, and is thrilled to be part of Federal Career Connection’s team.

Rice has always had a passion for education and assisting others with their development. Since a young age she has always had a drive to serve others in the world of education. Through volunteer work in high school, with her sorority Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. or during college, Rice has been philanthropic in her efforts for years past and continues to be today.

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As a former Special Education and General Education teacher of 5 years, Rice has used her time to increase her knowledge of technology and the tools students and teachers need to thrive in this ever-changing world. She taught in low-income districts as Title 1 schools using her skills to bring students the education they deserve. She has also worked for a program to help bring tools and resources to teachers across North America to aid in building teacher capacity.

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Rice received her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology from Kean University and Master of Education in Learning, Cognition, and Development from Rutgers University. She is excited to bring her talents and skills to FCC and show everyone what FCC has to offer.

Dr. Brandy Hill is a versatile and highly dynamic executive with an impressive background in educational development, technical assistance, and learning policy formulation. She has a successful track record of establishing and driving forward-thinking programs that support community outreach initiatives and propel educational excellence. With expertise in conducting periodic reviews of programs and projects for key stakeholders, Dr. Hill excels at coordinating and facilitating the implementation of institutional capacity-strengthening activities and modernizing regulatory and policy creation procedures.

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With a comprehensive history of supporting executives in mobilizing change management educational reforms, Dr. Hill is an expert in areas such as institutional strengthening, education development, program evaluation, staff direction and supervision, budgeting, and forecasting, change management, curriculum development, event management, and process improvement.

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Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Hill has accomplished numerous feats, including supporting over 45,000 members across 175 sites with 250 asset installations worth $80M, and backing various military and government organizations through the implementation of training programs, policy implementation plans, and portfolio management strategies.

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Dr. Hill has held various roles, including Business Development –Capture Manager & Director of Training & Curriculum at OWT Global LLC, Health Educator Consultant at the Florida Department of Health - Okaloosa County Health Department, and culminated her 25-year U.S. Air Force career as an Airmen Development Advisor at Shaw Air Force Base. She has also served as the CEO of South Carolina Run for the Fallen and held various positions in the United States Air Force.

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Dr. Hill holds a Doctor of Public Health from Walden University, a Master of Science in Public Health from Purdue University, a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science from Kaplan University, and an Associate of Science in Supply Chain Management from the Community College of the Air Force. She also holds certifications and licenses such as Master Resiliency Trainer, Professional Manager Certification, CDC Certified Diabetes Prevention Program Life-Style Coach, Federal Aviation Administration - Part 107 Pilot License/Luftfahrt-Bundesamt EU UAS License, Shipley Certified Business Development Professional, and Human-Centered Design.

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Krystle Cluen is a national security professional and policy analyst working at the Department of Defense. Prior to her work at the Department of Defense, Ms. Cluen worked as a policy analyst at Brownstein Hyatt, BGR Group, and U.S Congress. Ms. Cluen has s B.A. from Vanderbilt University and is currently pursuing her Masters of Art in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. In addition to her work with FCC, Inc. / CNM, she is involved in INSA, WIIS, YPFP, and is a member of the Junior League of Washington.

Valerie worked 32 years for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in public affairs. During her federal career, Valerie gained skills and experience in management and leadership development. She served as an internal federal coach for six years and has acquired over 500 hours of individual coaching with clients in a variety of Federal Departments including HHS, HUD, IRS, EPA, State, Peace Corps, DoD, NOAA, and DOL.

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Valerie is an Associate Certified Coach and a 2017 graduate of the Federal Internal Coach Training Program (FICTP). Valerie served as a support coach to the FICTP in 2018 and to the Treasury Executive Institute/IRS Coach Training Program in 2021, where she provided guidance, mentoring, and support to the cohort of students. Valerie has served as a group coach for the Federal Presidential Management Fellows program. She has served as a coach for students in leadership development programs at the Administration for Children and Families, the Substance and Mental Health Administration (HHS), the Veteran’s Administration, and NOAA.

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Valerie’s experience is coaching mid-level managers on topics such as how to achieve professional and career goals, facilitate professional transitions, solve individual leadership challenges, organize and prioritize professional responsibilities, and understand 360 assessment results.

Debbie is passionate about helping people find jobs. She is Program Manager and Administrative Coordinator for Career Network Ministry (CNM) overseeing all operational aspects of the organization including scheduling 3,000 workshops, managing 380 volunteers, connecting hundreds of jobseekers to resources, developing strategic plans, designing, and creating all outreach materials and social media. You name it – she does it! Debbie has worked with FCC Inc. previously in conjunction with their partnership with CNM.

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Debbie has had a successful career in public education both as a theatre teacher and founding faculty member for a magnet high school for the performing arts as well as an instructor at Auburn University in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. After moving to the DMV area, she became a certified Master Trainer and Instructional Designer developing and delivering training to Fortune 500 companies. In addition, Debbie has experience in theatre, radio, and television.

Ezra Koome is passionate about digital marketing, and he is continuously exploring and learning about new trends and technologies to broaden his knowledge and skills in the field. His area of expertise is creating practical marketing strategies and putting them into action to meet organizational objectives. He has polished his abilities through working with a variety of clients from different industries, ranging from small start-ups to large corporations.

Ezra also holds professional certifications in Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Advanced Content Marketing, Google Analytics and AdWords. He aims to create personalized solutions that foster business and organization growth and increase profitability using his strong understanding of SEO, PPC, consumer behavior, and marketing trends.

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Bridging the gaps between education reform and research underscores Jarad’s purpose behind the work he does. His experiences range from teaching music in classrooms in Virginia to Career Pathways Program Manager in Paterson, New Jersey, and now instructional design. His study of education policy and reform is cemented in his time at the University of Michigan where he explored topics in the school-to-prison pipeline, organizational improvement, and mental health research for Black youth. Nuanced in his background, Jarad has refined his leadership and programming skills with the United States Department of Army Internship Program which has aided in his extended view of education programming and policy. Beyond the classroom and his professional career, he moderates community forums in his hometown of Smithfield, Virginia on behalf of the local chapter of the NAACP and also contributes to supporting the arts in his community by serving as a board member for The Elsie Marrow Legacy Foundation. In his free time, Jarad can be found at the golf range, enjoying a nice meal with his friends and family, or simply relaxing.

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Angela Freeman is an experienced Human Resources professional having served more than 25 years in progressively responsible senior management positions in the Federal government and several HR leadership positions in the private sector. She has served in Senior Executive Service positions directing the full range of human capital management programs and has had the unique opportunity to serve as a HR expert for each branch of Federal service managing and developing diverse staffs and building team-oriented workplace cultures, leading strategic human resource management programs and resources to maximize proficiency and improve program effectiveness while supporting the agency mission.

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She holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Marymount University and professional certifications from the University of South Florida, (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), the Society for Human Resources Management (Senior Professional in HR), WorldatWork (Certified Compensation Professional) and as a Federal Workplace Mediator with the Northern Virginia Mediation Service.

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Angela is also committed to civic and community service and previously served as the Managing Director for a private sector Foundation. She currently serves a member of the Leadership Development Committee and as Co-Chairman for the Mentorship Program Committee for an international women’s organization. She has also served as a coach and mentor to many individuals helping them to understand the federal hiring process, increase their competitiveness and achieve their career goals.

Bob Korzeniewski had a 25+ year career in high tech as a finance executive. Previously VP of Finance for SAIC, CFO of Network Solutions and EVP of Corporate Development for VeriSign. Bob transitioned (retired) from the corporate world 13 years ago and has been focused 100% on the non-profit sector with a primary focus of leading the amazing team at CNM. Bob has had over 5,000 one-on-one coffee meetings in the last 10 years and enjoys providing advice around all aspects of the transition process – with a particular focus on networking and interviewing.

Lora recently joined Medallia as a Principal, Customer Experience Advisor for the Public Sector practice, providing thought leadership and strategies in operationalizing customer experience programs.

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Lora’s career in Public Service expands across both Federal and State Government, including four Presidential Administrations. She has served in various mission-critical roles at four Federal Agencies (GSA, DHS, Dept. of Education, and DOJ).

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She is a government expert with lots of experience in public administration, workforce transformation, federal HR recruitment, and leadership development. With colleagues at OPM, OMB, and GSA, she’s supported different working groups in the Federal Government over the years: Making Government Cool Again, Hiring Reform Initiatives, IT Modernization and Category Management, and Cap Goal 4 Customer Experience.

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(2019-2020), the Presidential Management Fellows Program (2006-2008), and has served with Federal Career Connection, Conversations about Leading, and Young Government Leaders. She obtained a Master of Public Administration from Robert F. Wagner School of New York University, focusing in Public and Non-Profit Management, and she attended Roanoke College, earning a bachelor's in political science and International Relations.

After working a total of 41 years Bob Plummer is twice retired, first from the US Army in 1998 as a Lieutenant Colonel, and then from IBM in 2017 where he was a Senior Program Manager. In Bob’s current season of being in retirement, rather than holding onto past accomplishments and titles, his passion is to care for, serve and invest in others. He serves with the Career Network Ministry providing job search consultation to people in a career transition. He also serves as a responder to Disaster Relief & Rebuild efforts by providing help & hope to families & communities beset by crisis, and natural & man-made calamities. In his former season of life in the private-sector, his passion was to work with and drive organizations to achieve major transformational improvement opportunities – having them imagine a bright future beyond the range of their horizon, so that they could develop & convert concepts-for-change (strategic, technical, process, organizational) from the abstract of thoughts & ideas to concrete solutions that matter, add value, and are real. His professional experience included the successful management, execution, and delivery of a broad range of strategic, organizational, process and technical solutions in support of customer needs across multiple Federal civilian agencies and in support of the military services. Bob is filled with gratitude to those who invested in him throughout his life.

Juliett “Jules” McPhaul-Stephan is a Management and Program Analyst with over 15 years of federal experience. Jules, who is dubbed as the “Fixer”, enjoys taking the most complex challenges or situations and turning them into the most unexpected, enduring solutions.

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Jules holds a Master’s in Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and has her Lean Six Sigma Green in Government as well as her Project Management Qualification from the Management and Strategy Institute. Jules is truly passionate about public service and thrives on providing service to others.

Alex has a passion to help individuals in career/vocational transition. He is a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) and Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), as well as a member with the National Career Development Association. His passion for community service led him to turn Federal Career Connection, Inc. into an educational non-profit organized to provide individuals in career transition with the best insights on how to search and apply for fulfilling careers in public, national, and military service. Alex also spearheaded the development of the Richland County Young Marines and an internship program between the U.S. Army and three universities in Seoul, South Korea. He served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

Dr. Jacqueline Charles is a federal government employee with over 23 years of experience supporting multiple Department of Defense acquisition and sustainment programs. Currently, she supports the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Charles serves as a Product Support Manager responsible for life cycle management of software and hardware tools to support mission data file production to meet Warfighter capability needs in the Combat Data Systems Program Office.

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Dr. Charles earned her PhD in Education with a specialization in Leadership for Higher Education in March 2020 from Capella University. Her dissertation was titled Leadership of College Presidents from Private and Nonprofit Sectors: A Qualitative Study. She also completed a Post-Master’s Certificate in College Teaching in 2017 and MBA with a specialization in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management in July 2012 from her alma mater. Dr. Charles holds certifications in Life Cycle Logistics and Program Management from the Defense Acquisition University. She is also a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and is currently working toward her PMP certification.

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Dr. Charles is a former military spouse of an Air Force veteran of 22 years of service. She and her family were stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, and McGuire AFB, New Jersey. Dr. Charles has been married over 25 years and have two adult children, ages 28 and 19.

Angela Freeman is an experienced Human Resources professional having served more than 25 years in progressively responsible senior management positions in the Federal government and several HR leadership positions in the private sector. She has served in Senior Executive Service positions directing the full range of human capital management programs and has had the unique opportunity to serve as a HR expert for each branch of Federal service managing and developing diverse staffs and building team-oriented workplace cultures, leading strategic human resource management programs and resources to maximize proficiency and improve program effectiveness while supporting the agency mission.

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She holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Marymount University and professional certifications from the University of South Florida, (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), the Society for Human Resources Management (Senior Professional in HR), WorldatWork (Certified Compensation Professional) and as a Federal Workplace Mediator with the Northern Virginia Mediation Service.

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Angela is also committed to civic and community service and previously served as the Managing Director for a private sector Foundation. She currently serves a member of the Leadership Development Committee and as Co-Chairman for the Mentorship Program Committee for an international women’s organization. She has also served as a coach and mentor to many individuals helping them to understand the federal hiring process, increase their competitiveness and achieve their career goals.

Christine (Chris) Westbrook is a talent-development leader who guides individuals and organizations to achieve maximum performance through high-impact, strategic personal and organizational change.

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Chris currently facilitates leadership, management, and professional skills training for public, private, and nonprofit audiences. She also consults and provides career counseling services through a variety of nonprofits. She serves as Curriculum Director for the Federal Career Connection, Inc.

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Ms. Westbrook served in three directorates of the Central Intelligence Agency as an intelligence analyst, manager, and talent leader. She served last as Deputy Director of CIA’s premier foreign-language school. Prior to this, she served on the CIA Director’s team to create a Talent Center of Excellence to hire, develop, and oversee management of CIA’s workforce. For her last nine years at CIA, Ms. Westbrook also created and facilitated leadership and management training, with a focus on change leadership. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Ms. Westbrook recruited a new generation of analysts for the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Chris received her BA in Government from The College of William and Mary. She earned a Master’s degree in Political Science and a second Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University.

Bob Korzeniewski had a 25+ year career in high tech as a finance executive. Previously VP of Finance for SAIC, CFO of Network Solutions and EVP of Corporate Development for VeriSign. Bob transitioned (retired) from the corporate world 13 years ago and has been focused 100% on the non-profit sector with a primary focus of leading the amazing team at CNM. Bob has had over 5,000 one-on-one coffee meetings in the last 10 years and enjoys providing advice around all aspects of the transition process – with a particular focus on networking and interviewing.

James Steele brings over a decade of experience as a communicator and educator. Currently, he teaches at Northern Virginia Community College where he educates students in introductory communication courses. Previously, he served as full-time faculty with the Communication Department at George Mason University. Working with the Center for International Student Access, he developed an adapted public speaking curriculum for undergraduate international students seeking to improve their English language proficiency skills. He would serve as the liaison to and primary communication instructor for the INTO Mason program for six years. He holds a Master of Arts in Communication from George Mason University. While pursuing his graduate studies, he completed a thesis which was based on examining the processing of breast cancer messages based on different source perceptions. He has presented papers and professional posters at the conventions for the Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research, the DC Health Communication Conference, the Eastern Communication Association, and the National Communication Association. He served as the Social Media Manager for the DC Health Communication Conference for three years. He continues to use his experience and skills in communication as the Assistant Director of Communications for Federal Career Connection, Inc.

Ivy Oyegun has spent over 10 years as a public health Epidemiologist serving in private, federal, and state service and most recently leading special projects to address the COVID-19 response.

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Pulling from her experience in cross-sector collaboration and working across ideological and geographical boundaries to address health challenges, she provides her expertise in developing and managing partnerships (with Apple, Google, and CDC’s technology office) and infrastructure to improve disease management efforts and reduce the burden on national health systems. She collaborated with CDC’s respiratory disease unit to maintain a national platform used by over 99 US counties for early detection of COVID-19 cases. She also worked with US State and Local Territories to track COVID-19 management strategies among K-12 schools. Results from this surveillance were used by 245 school districts to identify successful school interventions for wide-spread adoption. She has also been invited as guest lecturer at Georgia State University’s Organizational Transitions Course.

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Ms. Oyegun’s devotion to public service is evident through her various public service functions including serving as the Vice President of the International Students Organization at Boston University, where she partnered with colleagues at Harvard University to co-sponsor a fundraiser to support children born to mothers with HIV in Uganda. She also led a community project that promoted careers in public service among students to increase graduation rates and awareness of public health service opportunities for minority groups.

‍

For the past six years, Ms. Oyegun has served as a volunteer with the United Way NGO, delivering food and other essentials to those in need. She has received accolades for her service including Outstanding Leadership, Outstanding Performance and Exceptional commitment to teamwork for program evaluation (CDC), and for her work with the Hosea Feed the Hungry organization. She is a National Institutes of Health Diversity Supplement Grant recipient, and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Her collaboration on national program evaluation was also highlighted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Ms. Oyegun holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and a Masters in Public Health practice (MPH). She enjoys reading and connecting to people through travel, and one of her oft-used quotes is “Everything in moderation, including moderation itself”.

Maura is a public affairs/communications and wellness professional, integrating the specialties to lead work focused on policy change, accessibility, social responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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Her goals are twofold: (1) To contribute to a world stronger than the one she was born into; and (2) To share her voice to create inclusive opportunities for those who have been marginalized, especially people with disabilities.

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Maura has led public affairs for nonprofit organizations; local, federal, and foreign governments; a Fortune 100 company; and public relations firms. She has a knack for bringing like-valued people and brands together to deliver impact, and her calm demeanor is an asset for working with executives and leading teams. Currently, Maura serves as the Communications Leader for a global organization, while simultaneously pursuing her Master of Public Administration at New York University. She is committed to public service, actively mentors and sponsors team members, and is thrilled to be part of Federal Career Connection’s team.

Nathan Smith has coached dozens of job applicants through the Federal job application and interview processes to help them land their Federal job, and he’d like to share his ideas and methods with others. Nathan has worked for the Federal Government for over 20 years, and served as a hiring manager and in hiring roles for the last 10 years. He has been with the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service for the bulk of his career, working in offices in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. His roles within the agency have varied greatly: from Environmental Protection Specialist to the national Director of Fire, Safety, and Environmental programs; from Real Estate Portfolio Manager to the national Director of Portfolio Analysis. Through these roles he has learned how to work with Human Resources and the Federal hiring process to build teams that require wide ranges of expertise. He has hired engineers, data analysts, financial analysts, industrial hygienists, and many other roles. Nathan has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Finance and Economics, and he volunteers as Chair of the Board for the GSA Federal Credit Union. All of his free time is spent in Northern Virginia with his wife and six children.

Malis Rasmussen is a Deputy Director and Chief Financial Examiner of the Financial Regulation & Licensing Division of the Utah Insurance Department. As Deputy Director and Chief Financial Examiner, Ms. Rasmussen is responsible for the solvency and examination oversight of Utah domiciled life, health, and property & casualty insurance companies, in order to ensure the companies’ current and future financial obligations to Utah and national policyholders are met.

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Ms. Rasmussen is also a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Metrics Alliance, a firm that specializes in operational streamline, business strategy review, corporate governance review, risks and risks mitigation strategies review, enterprise risk management, Owned Risk and Solvency Assessment, customer service improvement, business continuity review, cybersecurity review, bookkeeping, etc. She currently holds the Certified Financial Examiner designation from the Society of Financial Examiners (SOFE), and Senior Professional in Insurance Regulation designation from the National Association of the Insurance Commissioners.

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Ms. Rasmussen hold a Master’s in Accounting and is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Honors Society. For the past ten years, Ms. Rasmussen has been serving on the Audit/Supervisory Committee of Utah First Federal Credit Union. She is also a member of the Board of Governors, the Executive Committee, and Co-Chair of the Nomination Committee of SOFE. In addition, Ms. Rasmussen is currently serving as a Board member and Treasurer of the IASA Organization (Utah Chapter), and an incoming Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors of Camp Hobé.

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In 2020, under the leadership of Utah Governor Gary Herbert, Ms. Rasmussen was awarded with the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Innovation and Efficiency, in recognition of her innovative and efficient business model and leadership approach, in addition to her outstanding public service and achievement that display dedication to the citizens of Utah. In 2022, Ms. Rasmussen’s leadership and accomplishments was recognized and honored at the 4th Annual Gala, a Celebration of Empowerment and Excellence Global Awards, honoring successful individuals, businesses, communities, and professionals.

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Ms. Rasmussen devotes her free time to her family, and various charity projects, which aim to improve the lives of children and struggling families in Cambodia.

Lora recently joined Medallia as a Principal, Customer Experience Advisor for the Public Sector practice, providing thought leadership and strategies in operationalizing customer experience programs.

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Lora’s career in Public Service expands across both Federal and State Government, including four Presidential Administrations. She has served in various mission-critical roles at four Federal Agencies (GSA, DHS, Dept. of Education, and DOJ).

‍

She is a government expert with lots of experience in public administration, workforce transformation, federal HR recruitment, and leadership development. With colleagues at OPM, OMB, and GSA, she’s supported different working groups in the Federal Government over the years: Making Government Cool Again, Hiring Reform Initiatives, IT Modernization and Category Management, and Cap Goal 4 Customer Experience.

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(2019-2020), the Presidential Management Fellows Program (2006-2008), and has served with Federal Career Connection, Conversations about Leading, and Young Government Leaders. She obtained a Master of Public Administration from Robert F. Wagner School of New York University, focusing in Public and Non-Profit Management, and she attended Roanoke College, earning a bachelor's in political science and International Relations.

Rice has always had a passion for education and assisting others with their development. Since a young age she has always had a drive to serve others in the world of education. Through volunteer work in high school, with her sorority Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. or during college, Rice has been philanthropic in her efforts for years past and continues to be today.

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As a former Special Education and General Education teacher of 5 years, Rice has used her time to increase her knowledge of technology and the tools students and teachers need to thrive in this ever-changing world. She taught in low-income districts as Title 1 schools using her skills to bring students the education they deserve. She has also worked for a program to help bring tools and resources to teachers across North America to aid in building teacher capacity.

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Rice received her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology from Kean University and Master of Education in Learning, Cognition, and Development from Rutgers University. She is excited to bring her talents and skills to FCC and show everyone what FCC has to offer.

After working a total of 41 years Bob Plummer is twice retired, first from the US Army in 1998 as a Lieutenant Colonel, and then from IBM in 2017 where he was a Senior Program Manager. In Bob’s current season of being in retirement, rather than holding onto past accomplishments and titles, his passion is to care for, serve and invest in others. He serves with the Career Network Ministry providing job search consultation to people in a career transition. He also serves as a responder to Disaster Relief & Rebuild efforts by providing help & hope to families & communities beset by crisis, and natural & man-made calamities. In his former season of life in the private-sector, his passion was to work with and drive organizations to achieve major transformational improvement opportunities – having them imagine a bright future beyond the range of their horizon, so that they could develop & convert concepts-for-change (strategic, technical, process, organizational) from the abstract of thoughts & ideas to concrete solutions that matter, add value, and are real. His professional experience included the successful management, execution, and delivery of a broad range of strategic, organizational, process and technical solutions in support of customer needs across multiple Federal civilian agencies and in support of the military services. Bob is filled with gratitude to those who invested in him throughout his life.

Dr. Brandy Hill is a versatile and highly dynamic executive with an impressive background in educational development, technical assistance, and learning policy formulation. She has a successful track record of establishing and driving forward-thinking programs that support community outreach initiatives and propel educational excellence. With expertise in conducting periodic reviews of programs and projects for key stakeholders, Dr. Hill excels at coordinating and facilitating the implementation of institutional capacity-strengthening activities and modernizing regulatory and policy creation procedures.

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With a comprehensive history of supporting executives in mobilizing change management educational reforms, Dr. Hill is an expert in areas such as institutional strengthening, education development, program evaluation, staff direction and supervision, budgeting, and forecasting, change management, curriculum development, event management, and process improvement.

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Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Hill has accomplished numerous feats, including supporting over 45,000 members across 175 sites with 250 asset installations worth $80M, and backing various military and government organizations through the implementation of training programs, policy implementation plans, and portfolio management strategies.

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Dr. Hill has held various roles, including Business Development –Capture Manager & Director of Training & Curriculum at OWT Global LLC, Health Educator Consultant at the Florida Department of Health - Okaloosa County Health Department, and culminated her 25-year U.S. Air Force career as an Airmen Development Advisor at Shaw Air Force Base. She has also served as the CEO of South Carolina Run for the Fallen and held various positions in the United States Air Force.

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Dr. Hill holds a Doctor of Public Health from Walden University, a Master of Science in Public Health from Purdue University, a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science from Kaplan University, and an Associate of Science in Supply Chain Management from the Community College of the Air Force. She also holds certifications and licenses such as Master Resiliency Trainer, Professional Manager Certification, CDC Certified Diabetes Prevention Program Life-Style Coach, Federal Aviation Administration - Part 107 Pilot License/Luftfahrt-Bundesamt EU UAS License, Shipley Certified Business Development Professional, and Human-Centered Design.

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Krystle Cluen is a national security professional and policy analyst working at the Department of Defense. Prior to her work at the Department of Defense, Ms. Cluen worked as a policy analyst at Brownstein Hyatt, BGR Group, and U.S Congress. Ms. Cluen has s B.A. from Vanderbilt University and is currently pursuing her Masters of Art in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. In addition to her work with FCC, Inc. / CNM, she is involved in INSA, WIIS, YPFP, and is a member of the Junior League of Washington.

Paul Cuddihy has more than 30 years’ experience in career coaching, training, consulting and executive search. His expertise includes career transition consulting, project management, sales, marketing and operations.

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He has worked with executives and professionals representing a wide range of functions and industries. He is known for his insight, resourcefulness and dedication. His positive approach and broad knowledge of the job market have enabled him to instill a sense confidence in the individuals with whom he works.

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Paul currently leads the Job Search Help Desk Team and serves as Director of Volunteer Recruitment at the Career Network Ministry of McLean Bible Church in Vienna, VA. He and his team focus on assisting members who have been in a long-term job search. They help to identify issues that are preventing a successful transition and offer solutions that can be implemented immediately.

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Previously, Paul was with the General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service where he managed the successful overhaul of the PBS Training Academy. He also consulted with senior management regarding their career development needs. In addition, he assisted dozens of staff members make successful transitions to new positions during a major reorganization. Finally, he played a key role in improving the recruitment and hiring process.

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Prior to GSA, he managed operations for Englerth Associates, a regional career management firm, where he was instrumental in building a start-up business into a multi-million-dollar company. As Senior Vice President, he managed group projects, developed new business, managed major accounts, conducted consultant training and performed individual consulting. He has also served as a career management consultant for Lee Hecht Harrison, Right Management Consultants, Manchester and the New Options Group.

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Paul also directed the Executive Search Division of the American Society of Association Executives where he turned around an unprofitable operation by doubling revenues in less than two years. He worked with association boards and CEOs throughout the country to recruit senior executives. He also managed a national job referral service and a management consulting group.

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Previously, he founded and managed P.R. Roberts Associates, an executive search firm that specialized in recruiting sales executives for national high technology companies. He also held sales positions with Xerox and worked in professional development and public relations with the American Cancer Society.

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Paul holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and has completed graduate studies in business and education at American University and Adelphi University. He is certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Campbell Interest and Skills Survey, OPQ 32, FIRO B and the Center for Creative Leadership’s suite of 360-degree assessments. He currently serves on the Board of the General Services Administration Federal Credit Union.

Valerie worked 32 years for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in public affairs. During her federal career, Valerie gained skills and experience in management and leadership development. She served as an internal federal coach for six years and has acquired over 500 hours of individual coaching with clients in a variety of Federal Departments including HHS, HUD, IRS, EPA, State, Peace Corps, DoD, NOAA, and DOL.

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Valerie is an Associate Certified Coach and a 2017 graduate of the Federal Internal Coach Training Program (FICTP). Valerie served as a support coach to the FICTP in 2018 and to the Treasury Executive Institute/IRS Coach Training Program in 2021, where she provided guidance, mentoring, and support to the cohort of students. Valerie has served as a group coach for the Federal Presidential Management Fellows program. She has served as a coach for students in leadership development programs at the Administration for Children and Families, the Substance and Mental Health Administration (HHS), the Veteran’s Administration, and NOAA.

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Valerie’s experience is coaching mid-level managers on topics such as how to achieve professional and career goals, facilitate professional transitions, solve individual leadership challenges, organize and prioritize professional responsibilities, and understand 360 assessment results.

Debbie is passionate about helping people find jobs. She is Program Manager and Administrative Coordinator for Career Network Ministry (CNM) overseeing all operational aspects of the organization including scheduling 3,000 workshops, managing 380 volunteers, connecting hundreds of jobseekers to resources, developing strategic plans, designing, and creating all outreach materials and social media. You name it – she does it! Debbie has worked with FCC Inc. previously in conjunction with their partnership with CNM.

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Debbie has had a successful career in public education both as a theatre teacher and founding faculty member for a magnet high school for the performing arts as well as an instructor at Auburn University in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. After moving to the DMV area, she became a certified Master Trainer and Instructional Designer developing and delivering training to Fortune 500 companies. In addition, Debbie has experience in theatre, radio, and television.

Renee Small is a talent acquisition and executive recruitment expert who is passionate about building best-in-class cybersecurity teams. In 2017, Renee received the Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year.

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She is a #1 Amazon best-selling author of Magnetic Hiring, a contributing editor to several cybersecurity magazines, and she co-hosts a podcast called “Breaking into Cybersecurity.” She is currently working on her second book focused on how top cyber leaders upskill and reskill talent.

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As the founder and CEO of Cyber Human Capital, she brings a uniquely powerful background of almost 20 years of experience in both human resources and cybersecurity to her clients. Her direct experience with both fields gives her valuable insight into the challenges that companies face in attracting and retaining top cybersecurity talent. A consummate HR professional, Renee has worked across all disciplines in the field. She has made significant contributions at Fortune 500 companies including Freddie Mac, Verizon, Charter Communications, AXA Equitable, and Citigroup’s Investment Bank.

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Renee’s business acumen and understanding of the increasing sensitivity surrounding confidential information naturally led her to work in the field of cybersecurity within Freddie Mac. In her role as Cybersecurity Program Manager, Renee was charged with strategic direction of internal security projects, management of cross-functional teams, task force creation, threat risk analysis and more. She holds a BS in Information Systems from Stern School of Business at New York University and holds an ITPM Certification. Renee currently blends her knowledge of the complete HR life cycle with a hands-on knowledge of the challenges facing the cybersecurity industry today, to bring concrete solutions to her clients.

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She holds a BS in Information Systems from Stern School of Business at New York University and holds an ITPM Certification. She lives in McLean, VA with her husband and three children.

Program Manager/Program Liaison at U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Tim is from Fishkill, New York and went to school at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh for both his undergraduate and master’s degrees. Tim has over a decade of experience in business strategy and process improvement. He has worked for several top-tier international consulting firms and has been involved in the hiring of many new team members. He volunteers as a mentor to many recent grads and moonlights as a serial entrepreneur. Tim is a PARW/CC certified resume writer and professional career coach.

Michael Mau is President of M2 Consulting and Advising. He currently provides partnership development and strategic planning guidance to organizations. Michael has worked within the private, public, and nonprofit sectors and has extensive experience within the areas of Program Development, Talent Acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion, and Community Outreach. He retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as an Executive Staff Officer with over 27 years of service and is a US Air Force veteran. Michael volunteers as a mentor and reviews scholarship applications for a variety of diversity organizations.

Victoria has a passion to positively influence, engage, and motivate others. She began her Federal career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2009 as a student in the Student Educational Employment Program. She works for CBP’s Office of Human Resources Management Processing and Servicing Center where she serves as an Administrative Officer. Victoria is a highly qualified Human Resources professional providing support in multiple areas of internal operations. She is a subject matter expert in creating strategic options for new Human Resources programs/training and career development. She is detail-oriented and a team player with great analytical, administrative, planning and organizational skills. Victoria is confident in managing various programs and is a capable and reliable leader.

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She has a Master of Business Administration in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in Merchandise and Marketing from Indiana University. She has received recognition and numerous acknowledgments for her work in Human Resources and has served on various work groups for process improvements, career development and training, employee engagement, and new employee orientation programs. Victoria is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and enjoys spending time with her family, friends, traveling, and serving at her church. All in all, she believes in simplicity by focusing on what’s important to ensure a desirable outcome.

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One quote she lives by, “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”- John C. Maxwell

Mr. Williams is an account executive with Darktrace and theco-founder of Ivy Brothers.

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Ezra Koome is passionate about digital marketing, and he is continuously exploring and learning about new trends and technologies to broaden his knowledge and skills in the field. His area of expertise is creating practical marketing strategies and putting them into action to meet organizational objectives. He has polished his abilities through working with a variety of clients from different industries, ranging from small start-ups to large corporations.

Ezra also holds professional certifications in Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Advanced Content Marketing, Google Analytics and AdWords. He aims to create personalized solutions that foster business and organization growth and increase profitability using his strong understanding of SEO, PPC, consumer behavior, and marketing trends.

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Bridging the gaps between education reform and research underscores Jarad’s purpose behind the work he does. His experiences range from teaching music in classrooms in Virginia to Career Pathways Program Manager in Paterson, New Jersey, and now instructional design. His study of education policy and reform is cemented in his time at the University of Michigan where he explored topics in the school-to-prison pipeline, organizational improvement, and mental health research for Black youth. Nuanced in his background, Jarad has refined his leadership and programming skills with the United States Department of Army Internship Program which has aided in his extended view of education programming and policy. Beyond the classroom and his professional career, he moderates community forums in his hometown of Smithfield, Virginia on behalf of the local chapter of the NAACP and also contributes to supporting the arts in his community by serving as a board member for The Elsie Marrow Legacy Foundation. In his free time, Jarad can be found at the golf range, enjoying a nice meal with his friends and family, or simply relaxing.

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