After a long and successful career in Corporate Human Resources, Jerri Harris joins Howard Community College (HCC) as a Part-Time Career Specialist. She brings deep expertise in career development, talent management, and organization development, along with a genuine passion for helping others grow and succeed.
Prior to HCC, Jerri served as the Career Development Manager at Leidos, where she led the design and implementation of career development and mentoring programs, including the annual Career Month initiative. She was instrumental in increasing awareness and use of career tools and resources, and she facilitated career workshops for employees and leaders across the organization.
Jerri holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA in Human Resources from Morgan State University. She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Certified Student Career Coach (CSCC). In addition to her professional work, Jerri volunteers her time as a student career coach for her alma mater and with an organization that supports first-generation college students, reflecting her ongoing commitment to guiding others on their career journeys.
Contact Jerri at careerservices@howardcc.edu
Mark Rasch is a lawyer and computer security and privacy expert and a lawyer in Bethesda, Maryland and is the General Counsel of Threat Intelligence firm Unit 221B.
Rasch’s career spans more than 35 years of corporate and government cybersecurity, computer privacy, regulatory compliance, computer forensics and incident response. This includes expertise in GDPR, CCPA, and US and international privacy laws and regulations.
Earlier in his career, Rasch was with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led the department’s efforts to investigate and prosecute cyber and high-technology crime, starting the computer crime unit within the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, efforts which eventually led to the creation of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division. He was responsible for various high-profile computer crime prosecutions, including Kevin Mitnick, Kevin Poulsen and Robert Tappan Morris. He was also the Chief Privacy Officer of Fortune 100 company, SAIC, and Chief Security Evangelist for Verizon.
Mark has taught white collar crime, computer law, and legal ethics courses at various institutions and currently teaches a course in computer crime at George Washington University Law School.
Mark is a frequent commentator in the media on issues related to information security, and is the author of hundreds of articles about the Internet, Internet privacy, hacking, cryptocurrency, blockchain and ransomware and is an adjunct professor of law at the George Washington University School of Law.
Keyara Stevenson is the Director of Career Services at Howard Community College. She holds a Master of Science in School Counseling from North Carolina A&T State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Psychology from West Virginia University. With extensive experience in Career Services and Workforce Development, Keyara specializes in equitable and comprehensive career programming that enhances student marketability and improves job and internship outcomes.
Ucheonye Maple is a Career Specialist at Howard Community College.
She has over two decades of experience in the aerospace industry, where she worked for fortune 500 hundred companies and led and manage product development from concept to operations. She is a leader with a proven track record of empowering, motivating, and transforming the lives of STEM professionals. She is a professional speaker, coach, and mentor in the STEM community.
She is the author of Bitter Not Better and co-author of Resilient: A Key to Being Brilliant. Uche received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University, MBA from University of Phoenix and her M.S. in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a graduate from the Leadership Essentials Program at Loyola University.
Your LinkedN Driving Instructor, is a LinkedIn trainer, communications strategist, and workforce educator who teaches adults 45 and older to harness the power of LinkedIn for job searches, career transitions, nonprofit leadership, and encore entrepreneurship. As the Owner, CEO, and Lead Trainer at Of a Certain Vintage Workforce Education, LLC, Dr. Barnes provides LinkedIn training in partnership with public library systems in Maryland and New York and career, workforce, and business development organizations, as well as graduate school and university alumni programs throughout the United States. Dr. Barnes also facilitates the Jewish Council for the Aging’s Career Gateway program, a career development course for 50+ jobseekers, and teaches nonprofit leaders to use LinkedIn for effective donor research and management and board member recruitment and engagement in partnership with the Westchester (NY) Library System to. Dr. Barnes is a 2018 graduate of the Leadership Montgomery Encore program, Yale College, Stanford Law School, and the Ohio State University where she earned a doctorate in the history of U.S. foreign policy. Email Dr. Barnes at elisse@vintageworkforce.com or schedule a complimentary 20-minute intro phone call at https://calendly.com/elisse-wright.
Chip Lankert is the Lead HR Strategist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) where in develops relationships with FEMA staff sections and people in career transition to find the best fit for both. He has also worked in the Office of the Chief Security Officer at FEMA where he served as the Staff Assistant to the Personnel Security Division Director and served as a Public Trust Clearance adjudicator determining eligibility for fitness and suitability of Federal employees and government contractors during steady state and disaster operations.
Chip is a former Military Policeman and Counterintelligence Specialist with the United States Marine Corps where he conducted counterterrorism evaluation, executive protection and both physical and personnel security. He also
recruited police informants, counterintelligence specialists and counterintelligence sources. Chip is also a former Counterintelligence Agent, Counterdrug Intelligence Analyst, and Recruiter with the Virginia Army National Guard. His experience includes security and intelligence support to the Immigration & Naturalization Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington-Baltimore HIDTA, and Virginia State Police. As a counterdrug supervisor, he recruited personnel for the counterdrug program. As a Recruiting and Retention Manager, he received numerous awards for exceeding both the recruiting and retention missions and was the top Retention Manager in the State of Virginia for two consecutive years.
Chip served in a volunteer position as a training instructor for new members of an international business referral organization for the Greater Richmond Area. He conducted two classes monthly for eight to thirty-five business owners and salesmen and substituting as an instructor for veteran members on various business topics.
Chip received his Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College and his Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Robert Roop is a tested and successful Human Resources executive with years of experience in human resources management. Robert started his career with the Marriott Corporation as an entry-level recruiter. When he left Marriott 15 years later, he was a Regional Director of Human Resources. His region included 30,000 nonexempt and 3,000 exempt employees.
After leaving Marriott, Robert joined the Humane Society of the United States where he was promoted to Vice President, Human Resources. At the Humane Society, Robert developed and implemented a nationwide
compensation program and enterprise-wide change management program. He also collected performance data across the organization that was the foundation for developing a succession planning program. Robert then joined the American Diabetes Association as Chief Human Resources Officer, where he developed a nationwide talent acquisition program and a new fundraising approach.
Robert joined Montgomery College as Chief Human Resources Officer after leaving the American Diabetes Association. Under his direction, Montgomery College developed a market-driven compensation program that saved over $2 million a year. He also served as chief union strategist and was a co-lead negotiator in negotiations with three unions.
Currently, Robert is the vice-chairperson of the Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union, and consults, and teaches in the graduate Human Resource Program at Webster University. At Webster, he teaches human resources management courses, including compensation, benefits, labor relations, and the HRM capstone courses. Robert has a SHRM – SCP certification and teaches SHRM certification preparation seminars. Robert is included in Webster University’s Panel of Experts (http://experts.webster.edu) and has completed the Coaching Program approved by the International Coach Federation. Robert has a master’s degree in Community Counseling Psychology.
Robert G. Roop, MA, SHRM-SCP, roroop@webster.edu | 301-525-9505
Tamara Smith is a Management and Program Analyst (Recruiter) in the Office of Human Resources, Corporate Engagement. Also current the National Chairperson for Education, Recruitment, & Training (ERT) for the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE), and HQ Region Conference Coordinator.
With over 20 years of Federal Government Service, most of her Federal Service was working with attorneys. Once coming to FAA nine and a half years ago under ATO Diversity office, Tamara took an interest in diversity and recruitment.
In her role in the ATO Diversity, her passion for really assisting others came to light in assisting in the hiring initiative of Persons with Disabilities. Since then, Tamara has played a significant role in outreach to Persons with Disabilities, continues to be a resource for external organizations and consumers for employment to FAA.
Debbie Grace Fletcher, SCSEP Case Manager, Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Public Assistance and Employment Services (PAES).
Debbie Fletcher is a Certified Workforce Development Professional. She has been providing employment services to Northern Virginia residents for over nine years through the Department of Family Services. Including Bridges to Success Program and Energy Assistance Program.
She currently works with mature job seekers returning to the workforce by developing training opportunities and providing career guidance.
Her greatest passion is to empathize with clients, listening, encouraging, and helping them to look for strategies to satisfy their needs.
Katherine Ponds has a diverse background that encompasses leadership roles in for-profit, non-profit, and public sector organizations.
With over 20 years in the career and talent management sector, Ms. Ponds currently serves as Executive Vice President for Meridian Resources Inc., a career and talent management consulting firm, where she oversees product development, marketing, and relationship management.
In addition to her professional career, Ms. Ponds currently serves as a volunteer Community Ambassador and Speaker’s Bureau representative for AARP. In this capacity, she represents AARP at various community events where she frequently speaks on a variety of topics including, caregiving, job search and career development for individuals 50 years of age and older.
The insights and expertise Ms. Ponds brings to AARP reflect not only her extensive knowledge and expertise associated with talent and career management, but also her personal experience as a volunteer board member for a variety of non profit organizations.