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Dean
McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University

David Thomas is Dean, McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He was formerly H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration and Unit Head of Organizational Behavior at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, where he joined the HBS faculty in 1990 and became a tenured professor in 1998.

David Thomas is a recognized thought leader in the area of strategic human resource management. His research addresses issues related to executive development, cultural diversity in organizations, leadership and organizational change. His research has appeared in leading academic journals and practitioner oriented periodicals. He is the 1998 recipient of the Executive Development Roundtable’s Marion Gislason Award for Contributions to Executive Development Theory and Practice, the 2007 recipient of ASQ Award for Scholarly Contribution and the 2006 recipient of the Academy of Management’s Mentoring Legacy Award.

He is co–author of the Best Selling Harvard Business Review article "Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity." His book Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America (with John Gabarro) has met with critical acclaim in reviews by academics and journalists, and is the recipient of the Academy of Management’s George R. Terry Book Award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of management knowledge. It explores the career advancement and development of minority executives in large multinational corporations. Leading For Equity: The Pursuit of Excellence in Montgomery County, authored with Stacey M. Childress and Dennis Doyle is on Harvard Education Press.

Professor Thomas formerly served as the Course Head for the Harvard Business School’s required first–year MBA course, Leadership and Organizational Behavior; and the faculty chair for the HBS Executive Education program, Strategic Human Resource Management. For seven years, he taught and developed materials for the popular second–year elective course, Self–Assessment and Career Development. He is a frequent presenter in executive education programs as well as a consultant to private sector corporations, government agencies and not–for–profit organizations.

Professor Thomas received his Bachelor of Arts (1978), Master of Philosophy (1984) and Doctor of Philosophy (1986) degrees from Yale University. He also holds a Master of Arts (1981) in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University.

Prior to joining the faculty of the Harvard Business School, he was on the faculty of the Wharton School of Finance. He is a member of the Academy of Management, National Training Laboratories and the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations. Professor Thomas sits on the boards of several organizations, among them Cambridge Trust Company, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Posse Foundation.

 Founder / Chairman

Dr. Arthur M. Langer is on the faculties of the Department of Organization and Leadership at the Graduate School of Education (Teachers College) and Associate Director of Instruction and Curricular Development for Programs in Information Technology in the School of Continuing Education at Columbia University. Dr. Langer is the author of Analysis & Design of Information Systems (2007), Information Technology & Organizational Learning (2005), Applied E–commerce (2002), and The Art of Analysis (1997), and has published numerous articles and papers relating to technology, workforce development, organizational integration, mentoring and staff development.
He consults with organizations and corporations throughout the world. Website: A. Langer & Associates

 
Avon Products, Inc. is a $10 billion cosmetic and beauty product seller. WOS is currently training a group of eight students at Columbia University who will work with Avon on business analysis, data architecture, systems administration and project management.

Christine Garth enrolled in Columbia University's Slice program in Fall 2011 and is projected to earn her certification Fall 2012. She works at Bank Leumi in the Quality Assurance department where she oversees release management and scheduling. Christine hopes to pursue a career in this field and eventually entrepreneurship. For leisure she enjoys reading, caring for her toddler son and watching movies.

Godwin Alemoh, a native of Nigeria, graduated from West Side High School in Newark, N.J. in 2009. He joined WOS shortly after and expects to earn his final certificate from Rutgers University-Newark’s SOAR program in December 2010. Godwin currently consults Express Scripts in quality assurance/POS triage. An avid technology user, he enjoys learning new applications and software programs.

Michael Altagracia joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in January 2011. He graduated from Freedom (Bethlehem, Pa.) High School in June 2011, and expects to earn his WOS certificate in January 2012. Michael provides helpdesk and testing support for Guardian Life Insurance. Outside of work and school, he enjoys football, soccer and computers.

Danica Cadet joined WOS in May 2012 and is projected to earn her certificate from the Columbia University SLICE program in April 2013. She serves as a consultant to HBO in the company's Tier 1 Product Support department. Prior to joining WOS, Danica attended Kingsborough (Brooklyn, NY) Community College. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending quality time with friends and family.

Machly Destin joined WOS in June 2011. Since 2005, he has served in the Army Reserve, where he is a supply specialist and petroleum specialist. A 2006 graduate of Collingswood (NJ) High School, Machly has studied at Burlington County College, focusing on criminal justice and computer science. He is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and expects to earn his certificate in May 2012. Machly provides quality assurance consulting to Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, NJ. In his spare time, he likes playing and watching sports, and spending time with friends.

Jonathan Ahmed joined WOS in July 2012 and earned his certificate from University of North Carolina-

Charlotte in November 2012. He served in the United States Marines Corp for more than five years as a

ground radio repairman. A graduate of Kings Mountain (NC) High School, Jonathan earned his associates

degree from Cleveland County Community College in 2005 and his bachelor's degree in international

business from Gardner-Webb University in 2012. He currently consults Merck as a customer service

analyst in Charlotte, NC. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys personal fitness.

Kevin Belle graduated from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in Bronx, NY, in 2006. Since joining WOS, he has provided consulting services to The Museum of Modern Art. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys listening to music.

Maurice D. Alston brings a strong entrepreneurial spirit to WOS. After earning his associates degree in business management from Metropolitan College of New York in 2004, and graduated from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in 2010, Maurice has been involved with various technology-based startup businesses. He currently consults Russell Reynolds Associates in IS client services. Maurice enrolled in the SLICE program at Columbia University in September 2010 and expects to earn his certificate from WOS in October 2011.

Carol Barnes joined WOS in July 2010 after learning about it from Kevin Najera, a WOS consultant at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. She consults Sealed Air as part of the Secure IT team. A 2004 graduate of Belleville (N.J.) High School, Carol is currently enrolled in the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program and expects to complete her certification in November 2011. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, writing poetry, and spending time with family and friends, and one day hopes to teach on a Native American reservation.

Sarah Abdallah joined WOS in July 2009 after graduating from Franklin Township (NJ) High School. She earned her certificate from the Rutgers University-Newark SOAR program in December 2010. Sarah works as a consultant to Prudential’s Shared Services/CTM Architecture and Technology Enablement department. In her free time, she enjoys watching boxing.

Senior Vice President  & Chief Information Officer
Prudential Financial, Inc.

 Barbara G. Koster is senior vice president and chief information officer at Prudential Financial. In this position, Koster oversees the use of information technology at all Prudential locations worldwide and ensures the privacy and integrity of Prudential’s information. She is responsible for formulating policies, establishing standards and architectures and developing guidelines and management practices. Koster also manages Prudential’s global networks and data centers and other technology infrastructure.

Koster joined Prudential in November 1995 as vice president, Policy Administration and MIS. In 2004, she was appointed chief information officer for Individual Life Insurance Systems, where she was responsible for a wide range of technologies, including those that support distribution, policy administration, customer relationship, call centers, service delivery, financial systems, information security, business continuation and architecture.

 Prior to joining Prudential, Koster held several positions with Chase Manhattan Bank, including that of president of Chase Access Services.

 In 2008, Koster was named CIO of the Year by the Executive Council and was listed among the top Executive Women of New Jersey. In prior years, she has been named among the Premier IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine; the Top Twenty Financial Management Technologists by the CIO Forum; and the Elite Eight by Insurance & Technology magazine. In 1999, Koster received the Women in Science and Technology award from the Smithsonian Institute. She has been a featured speaker at dozens of national and international industry conferences.

Koster is the past chair of ACORD (a standards body for the life insurance industry); is chairman of the boards of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Ltd. and Prudential Systems Japan, Ltd., both technology subsidiaries of Prudential Financial; and a member of the Board of Trustees of Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and St. Francis College.

Koster graduated from St. Francis College with a BS degree in Business Administration and AS degrees in Computer Technology and Accounting.

Client Service Manager

Anthony Amato is responsible for managing the WOS program at Penn State–Lehigh Valley. He has worked for Penn State for the past three years and took on the WOS role in February of 2011. During his time at Penn State, Anthony has provided outreach services to under–resourced communities as well as program coordination for the entire Penn State–Lehigh Valley summer youth program. Anthony is a graduate of Penn State with a B.S. in Organizational Leadership. He is currently pursuing a M.A. in Political Science at Lehigh University. Anthony has two children and is a technology enthusiast. He enjoys traveling and SCUBA diving.

George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School
Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources

Mr. Cappelli is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA, served as Senior Advisor to the Kingdom of Bahrain for Employment Policy from 2005–2005, and from 2007 is a Distinguished Scholar of the Ministry of Manpower for Singapore. He has degrees in industrial relations from Cornell University and in labor economics from Oxford where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He has been a Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution, a German Marshall Fund Fellow, and a faculty member at MIT, the University of Illinois, and the University of California at Berkeley. He was a staff member on the U.S. Secretary of Labor’s Commission on Workforce Quality and Labor Market Efficiency from 1988–’90, Co-Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce, and a member of the Executive Committee of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on Post–Secondary Improvement at Stanford University. Professor Cappelli has served on three committees of the National Academy of Sciences, three panels of the National Goals for Education, and commissions for the Business Roundtable and the World Economic Forum. He was recently named by Vault.com as one the 25 most important people working in the area of human capital, was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, and received the International Association for Corporate and Professional Recruiting’s "Pro" Award for contributions to human resources. He serves on the advisory boards of several companies, and is the founding editor of the Academy of Management Perspectives.

Professor Cappelli’s more recent research examines changes in employment relations in the U.S. and their implications. The New Deal at Work: Managing the Market–Driven Workforce (Harvard Business School Press 1999), which examines the challenges associated with the decline in lifetime employment relationships, Talent Management (Harvard Business School Press, 2008), which considers the strategies that employers should consider in developing and managing talent and was named a "best business book" for 2008 by Booz–Allen, and with colleagues The India Way (Harvard Business 2010), an exploration of the distinctive management model of Indian businesses.

Robert Farina is an accomplished senior executive with more than 28 years of experience in successfully growing enterprise software and service businesses, with CyberShift being the third organization where he has served as Chief Executive Officer. Before joining CyberShift in 2002, Farina served as Vice President of USinternetworking (now a part of AT&T), at that time the largest publicly held Application Service Provider (ASP) in North America. He joined USinternetworking through the sale of EnableVision, a highly successful software consulting and implementation firm he founded. Prior to EnableVision, Farina was the CEO of a leading vertical market provider of enterprise software to the publishing industry, as well as Vice President and General Manager for a major firm focused on human resource and payroll systems. He began his career at Control Data’s Business Information Services Division. Farina is currently an active member of the Advisory Board of the Columbia University Master’s Degree program for Information Technology Management. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Bank Leumi USA, operating in the U.S. for more than fifty five years, is an FDIC-insured, full-service commercial bank that provides financial services to middle- to upper-middle market firms, and international businesses through offices in New York, Illinois, California, Florida, and a representative office in Israel and an offshore office in the Cayman Islands.

Leandro Bergamasco joined WOS in 2008 shortly after graduating from Technology High School in Newark, N.J. He earned his final certificate from Rutgers-Newark’s SOAR program in 2009. Leandro currently works with Express Scripts' financial IT department. Outside of work, he enjoys playing and writing music, cars, computers and bowling.

David Price joined WOS in fall 2011 and expects to earn his certificate from the Columbia University SLICE program in Fall 2012. Currently, David provides consulting services to HBO's Tier 1 Support department. David plans to pursue a career in information technology and also aspires to be an educator and mentor. In his free time, David enjoys reading, music and exercising.

Brittany Adams currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. She graduated from Irvington (NJ) High School in 2007 and has studied business at Union County College. Brittany joined WOS in June 2012 and earned her certificate in the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. She enjoys reading, yoga, and spending time with friends.

Shahana Lockhart, a 2009 graduate of Franklin High School in Somerset, N.J., completed her certification from the Rutgers SOAR program in May 2010. She consults Johnson & Johnson in IT innovation delivery. Outside of work, Shahana enjoys singing, dancing, acting, reading and watching various sitcoms.

Abdulmalik Bishop served as an aircraft fuel systems technician in the United States Air Force Reserve. He has studied at Athens Technical College and Community College of the Air Force. Abdulmalik joined WOS in July 2012 and earned his certificate from University of North Carolina-Charlotte in November 2012. He consults Merck as a helpdesk analyst in Charlotte, NC. Outside of work, Abdulmalik enjoys traveling, fitness, humanitarian work, and spending time with family and friends.

Ophelia Webber joined WOS in October 2008 after graduating from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in Bronx, NY. She graduated from La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Queens, NY, and studied at Fashion Institute of Technology. Ophelia currently consults the IT department at The Museum of Modern Art. Outside of work, she enjoys etching and enameling.

Giovanny Bueno took an interest in computers while attending Grover Cleveland High School in Queens, N.Y. That interest eventually led him to Per Scholas Institute for Technology in Bronx, N.Y. Giovanny joined WOS in September 2010 and currently provides helpdesk support to Russell Reynolds Associates. He is enrolled in Columbia University’s SLICE program and hopes to complete his certification in 2012. Outside of work and school, Giovanny enjoys system gaming, and sports like basketball and Tae Kwon Do.

Mr. Da Fonseca graduated from Technology High School in Newark, NJ and specialized in Cisco Networking and A+ Computer Repair and earning a CCNA 1 and IT Essentials certificate from Cisco. Pedro is a consultant for WOS at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in Newark. He is currently enrolled in the SOAR program at Rutgers completing a certificate in Software development.

Mr. Alcantara is a consultant for WOS at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. In 2008 he graduated from Technology High School in Newark NJ. Currently he is studying at Rutgers University with the SOAR program learning skills in Java and HTML.

CIO
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield

Mr. Barnard joined Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in July 2006. In his role as CIO, Barnard is responsible for leading the introduction and use of information and telecommunication technology for Horizon BCBSNJ. Prior to joining Horizon, he was CEO of NASCO, a system and services company that provides a total solution approach to health care benefits processing for BlueCross ® and BlueShield ® Plans nationwide. Barnard joined NASCO as CIO in 2000, and was promoted to CEO in 2004. During his tenure at NASCO, the company’s revenue increased 54 percent. Barnard’s unwavering customer commitment and dedication to superior products and pricing were hallmarks of his leadership. Prior to joining NASCO, Barnard spent 16 years with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in various health information systems leadership roles, and was responsible for overseeing EDS operations for various Blue Cross ® and Blue Shield ® plans. Prior to his term at EDS, he spent four years with Medstat, a healthcare information and consulting company, where he served as vice president, client services, and vice president, product development. Barnard holds a B.S. in mathematics from Michigan State University.

Regional Vice President, Technology Client Relations

Lyron Andrews currently oversees overall Workforce consultant activities at clients including Prudential, Johnson and Johnson, Express Scripts (formerly Medco), Horizon Blue Cross BLue Shield of New Jersey, and Guardian Life. He joined the WOS team in July 2008. Lyron has been involved in technology for over 20 years. Since 1993 he has worked as a network manager and IT director at the Department of Education in New York City and BMG respectively. In 2000 he began working as a Microsoft Certified Trainer and as a technology instructor in the CTA program at Columbia University. From 2006 through mid-2008, Lyron worked as a consultant to (ISC)2 teaching both private industry and the United States DoD personnel in best information security practices and working as an instructor to instructors. His work has taken him to Amsterdam, Bulgaria, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Riyadh, Singapore, Taiwan, Trinidad and the UK.

Lyron was awarded a Bachelor of Science in computer technology from SUNY Empire State and a Master of Science in Technology Management from Columbia University. He is currently enrolled in Teacher’s College AEGIS program seeking a doctorate in adult education.

Mellon Foundation
Professor of Business Administration
Smeal College of Business
Penn State University

Charles Snow is the Mellon Foundation Professor of Business Administration in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. He joined Penn State in 1974 after receiving a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Professor Snow is widely known in the field of Strategic Management for co-authoring the classic book Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process (McGraw-Hill, 1978) which provided a model of how organizations adapt to their industrial environments and three strategies for competing effectively (Prospector, Analyzer, and Defender).

He also co-authored Fit, Failure, and the Hall of Fame: How Firms Succeed or Fail (Free Press, 1994) which described how multiple firms can hook themselves together to form global supply chains.

A recent co-authored book, Collaborative Entrepreneurship: How Communities of Networked Firms Use Continuous Innovation to Create Economic Wealth (Stanford University Press, 2005), described a new organizational form called a collaborative community of firms that is particularly useful in knowledge-intensive industries where continuous innovation is a key strategic objective. His current research areas are innovation management, organization design, and new organizational forms.

Professor Snow is on the editorial board of the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, Journal of World Business, and several other academic journals. He is also on the Strategic Advisory Board of Syndicom, a firm that helps design collaborative communities in the health care sector, and virtualteams.com, a company that helps large firms design internal collaborative teams. He has been a visiting professor at Dartmouth College (Amos Tuck School) Norwegian School of Management, and the University of Oregon. Currently, he is a Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Melbourne (2007-11) and the University of Aarhus School of Business in Denmark (2007-10). He has taught management subjects to executives and MBA students in more than 25 countries.

Along with several American and Danish colleagues, Professor Snow formed a worldwide community of scholars and firms dedicated to advancing the theory and practice of organization design. Called OrgDesign.com, the community was formally announced in June 2010 in Aarhus, Denmark. The community’s purpose is to improve the practice of organizational design (and redesign) and to accelerate the development of new designs that can meet the opportunities and challenges of the 21st-century global economy.

A native of San Diego, Charles currently lives with his wife, Barbara, in State College, PA. Their daughter, Vanessa, works for PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco. He is a golf addict and loves to travel.

Michael Garrett is a seasoned legal and business advisor with diverse experience in global financial services, corporate, nonprofit, consulting and coaching. After earning his Bachelor’s, MBA and JD degrees at Columbia University, Michael received his basic training in corporate and international legal practice as an associate with prominent law firms in New York City. He then served for many years as a Partner and Associate General Counsel of Coopers & Lybrand, with responsibility for human resource policies and claims, management and benefits consulting, enterprise and industry technology, intellectual property, professional practice problems and diverse regulatory matters. He then became General Counsel of the global investments division of the Swiss Reinsurance Company. In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Michael created, managed and grew The Gift of New York, one of the most successful nonprofit initiatives to benefit family survivors of the attack victims. Returning to legal matters, Michael served as General Counsel in Residence of a 700–attorney national law firm. Currently, Michael is an independent attorney, executive coach, and business and nonprofit strategy advisor. Michael is also a very active Columbia alumnus, serving as Executive Mentor in the Business School, President of the Society of Columbia Graduates, a Director the Law School Association and of the Stephen Whitney Phoenix Society, and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Columbia Libraries.

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2010 sales of $13.7 billion. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2011, Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 70,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries.

Crystal Serraty consults Bank Leumi, where she is part of a new quality assurance department. She joined WOS in September 2011 and is currently pursuing her certificate from Columbia University's SLICE program, which she expects to complete in fall 2012. Crystal is also pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal science from Monroe College (Bronx campus). She graduated from St. Pius V (Bronx, NY) High School for Girls in 2005. Outside of work and school, Crystal enjoys reading, drawing, video games, concerts, and collecting comics.

Jeremy Southgate provides site infrastructure support for the Eaton Corporation. He joined the WOS/University of Akron program in January 2011 after learning about it from WOS Program Manager Jessica Miller, and he plans to earn his certificate in January 2012. A graduate of Lincoln–West High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Jeremy plans to continue his studies in the IT field. Outside of work and school, Jeremy enjoys playing videos games, high school sports and learning more about computers.

Jessica Boglioli currently supports Guardian Life Insurance’s quality assurance department. She joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in January 2011 and plans to complete her certification in January 2012. Jessica graduated from Freedom (Bethlehem, Pa.) High School in June 2011, and in her free time she enjoys the outdoors and traveling.

Carlos Aguirre joined WOS in June 2012 after learning about the program from his friend Michael Burgos, a WOS graduate and currently employee at Prudential. Carlos graduated from Barringer (NJ) High School in 2006. He earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013 and currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. Carlos enjoys playing soccer and visiting art exhibits in New York City.

Comall McFarlane joined WOS in June 2009 after graduating from Franklin High School in Somerset, N.J. He completed his certificate from the Rutgers SOAR program in May 2010. Comall currently consults Johnson & Johnson’s corporate systems unit and hopes to pursue a college degree as he expands his skills. He enjoys singing, playing basketball and listening to music.

Anne Bahamon served in the U.S. Navy for seven and a half years, specializing in aviation ordnance. She joined WOS in May 2012 and is currently pursuing her certificate at University of North Florida. Anne consults Prudential's claims department as a customer service representative in Jacksonville, Florida. She earned an associate degree in 2008 from University of Phoenix in general studies and is pursuing a bachelor degree in biology at University of North Florida. Outside of work and school, Anne enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the beach, gardening and traveling.

Kyle Devonish currently consults Russell Reynolds Associates in IS client services. He graduated from Lower East Side Prep High School in Manhattan and studied at York College in Queens, N.Y. He also graduated from Per Scholas Institute for Technology. Kyle enrolled in the SLICE program at Columbia University in November 2010 and expects to earn his certificate in October 2011. Outside of work and school, he enjoys drawing, sightseeing and fine arts.

Ana Diaz consults Sealed Air’s New Services Delivery team. She joined WOS in July 2010 after learning about it from Cesar Ortiz, a WOS consultant at Prudential. Ana graduated from East Orange (N.J.) High School in 2008 and studied accounting at Essex County College. She is currently enrolled in the SOAR program at Rutgers-Newark and expects to earn her final certificate in November 2011. In her free time, Ana enjoys listening to music and spending time with loved ones.

Ms. Abebe has completed the WOS program and has moved into full time employment with Prudential Financial, Inc. as part of the Project Management Team. She graduated from Technical Career Institute (TCI) with an Associate in Applied Science specializing in Digital Media Arts Technology. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s SLICE program where she completed her certification in Applications and Software Development.

IBM Fellow Emeritus
(Retired) Executive Vice President
Innovation and Technology

Nick Donofrio is a 44–year IBM veteran who led IBM’s technology and innovation strategies from 1997 until his retirement in October 2008. He also was vice chairman of the IBM International Foundation and chairman of the Board of Governors for the IBM Academy of Technology. Mr. Donofrio’s most recent responsibilities included IBM Research, Governmental Programs, Technical Support & Quality, Corporate Community Relations, as well as Environmental Health & Product Safety. Also reporting to Mr. Donofrio were the senior executives responsible for IBM’s enterprise on demand transformation. In addition to that strategic business mission, Mr. Donofrio led the development and retention of IBM’s technical population and enriched that community with a diversity of culture and thought. In 2008 IBM Chairman Sam Palmisano elected Nick IBM Fellow, the company’s highest technical honor.

Mr. Donofrio joined IBM as a college co–op student in 1964 and worked on the memory technology for the legendary IBM System/360 mainframe computing system. After being hired full time at IBM in 1967, he spent the early part of his career in integrated circuit and chip development as a designer of logic and memory chips. He held numerous technical management positions and, later, executive positions in several of IBM’s product divisions. He has led many of IBM’s major development and manufacturing teams – from semiconductor and storage technologies, to microprocessors and personal computers, to IBM’s entire family of servers.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1967 and a Master of Science in the same discipline from Syracuse University in 1971. In 1999 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Engineering from Polytechnic University, in 2002 he received an honorary doctorate in Sciences from the University of Warwick in England, in 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Technology from Marist College and in 2006 he received an honorary doctorate in Sciences from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Pace University awarded him an honorary doctorate in Sciences in 2009 and the National University of Ireland, Maynooth awarded him an honorary doctorate in Sciences in 2010.

Mr. Donofrio is focused sharply on advancing education, employment and career opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women. He served for many years on the Board of Directors for the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) and was NACME’s Board chair from 1997 through 2002. He also served for several years on the Board of Directors for INROADS, a non–profit organization focused on the training and development of talented minority youth for professional careers in business and industry. He presently is co–chair of the New York Hall of Science.

In 2005, Mr. Donofrio was appointed by the U.S. Department of Education to serve on the Commission on the Future of Higher Education, a 20–member delegation of business and university leaders charged with developing a new national strategy for post–secondary education that will meet the needs of Americas diverse population and also address the economic and workforce needs of the country’s future.

He is the holder of seven technology patents and is a member of numerous technical and science honor societies. He is a Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a Fellow of the UK–based Royal Academy of Engineering, a member of the US–based National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Board of Directors for the Bank of New York/Mellon, a member of the Republic of China’s Science and Technology Advisory Group Board, a member of the Board of Trustees at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Mutual, a member of the Board of Directors of AMD, a member of the Board of Managers of the Delphi Company, a member of the Board of Trustees of The MITRE Corporation and a Senior Fellow of the Kauffman Foundation. In 2010, Mr. Donofrio became a member of the U. S. Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board (SEAB).

Recent Awards and Recognition

Dr. Joseph Hankin has been President of Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY since 1971. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from the City College of New York in 1961, a Master of Arts in History from Columbia University in 1962, and a Doctor of Education in Administration of Higher Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1967. He served as President of Harford Community College in Maryland from 1967 to 1971, and at that time was the youngest president of a college in the nation. Since 1976 he has been Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College in the Department of Organization and Leadership, and has served on and chaired numerous doctoral committees and taught courses and advanced seminars. In 1986, in research funded by the Exxon Foundation, Dr. Hankin was chosen by his peers as one of the nation’s most effective college presidents of two and four–year colleges and universities. Among the others were the presidents of Harvard, Yale and University of Chicago. In 1988 the University of Texas included Dr. Hankin among the 50 best community college presidents in the nation, for which he received the Thomas J. Peters Award for Leadership Excellence. Dr. Hankin served as President of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools for the year of 1999.

Jorge Diaz currently consults Express Scripts' DUR department. He joined WOS in 2009 after graduating from East Side High School in Newark, N.J. Jorge is enrolled in Rutgers-Newark’s SOAR program and expects to graduate in December 2010. Outside of work and school, he enjoys playing sports, listening to music and spending time with friends.

Amira Allen graduated from Arts (Newark, NJ) High School in 2009. She joined WOS in June 2012 after learning about the program from her friend Tanika Miller, a WOS graduate who consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Amira earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013 and currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, where she focuses on claims processing. Amira enjoys painting, drawing and sculpting.

Kimberly Baker earned her bachelor's degree in workforce education in 2008 from Southern Illinois University and her master's in human resources management and management and leadership in 2010 from Webster University. Kimberly is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, where she specialized in aviation administration. She joined WOS in May 2012 and is currently pursuing her certificate at University of North Florida while consulting Prudential's claims department in Jacksonville, Florida. Kimberly serves as secretary of the Booster Club for her children's sports activities, and she also serves as assistant coach of their track team. Kimberly also enjoys reading and bowling.

Edward Garcia graduated from the Choir Academy of Harlem (NY) High School in 2002. He joined WOS in 2009 and earned his certificate from the Columbia University SLICE program in 2010. Edward currently consults Russell Reynolds & Associates, where he's working on the IT helpdesk. In his spare time, Edward enjoys music, computer repairing and video editing.

Ivan Galeano joined WOS in March 2013. He earned a bachelor's degree in systems engineering from Universidad Autonoma de Colombia in 2003 and is currently pursuing an MBA with a concentration in networking management at Keller Graduate School of Management. Ivan served for five years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves as a human resources specialist. He currently consults Sealed Air Corporation, where he specializes in EDI SAP support. Outside of work and school, Ivan enjoys technology, riding motorcycles and watching movies.

Ian Holly III, a graduate of Frederick Douglass Academy '07, studies comprised courses in engineering and computer science. He enrolled in Columbia University's Slice program Fall 2011 and is projected to earn his certificate Fall 2012. He plans to pursue a career in computer science and technology and currently interns at NYCHA in the Business Solutions Technology and Maximo Group. Ian believes in living life to the fullest and for enjoyment plays video games, read books and spends time with friends and family.

Ms. Agolli is a graduate of the SLICE program at Columbia University, where she completed her certification in Applications and Software Development. Rebeka is currently working for The Port Authorities of New York and New Jersey as a Web Developer, in the Application Support Division of Technology Services. Rebeka also has an Associates Degree in Applied Science / Digital Media Arts Technology from Technical Career Institute (TCI), and she has a Degree in Electronic & Computer Engineering from the University of Tirana, Albania.

• The implementation of Medco’s enterprise information warehouse platform based on massively parallel technology.
• Development of analytic products which enable Medco’s clients to perform advanced analytics using a ’detailed data’ paradigm.
• Medco.com the worlds largest online pharmacy servicing over 6 million consumers and generating $6.4 billion in drug sales.
• Enterprise enablement of an imaging services platform that services over 105 million mail services prescriptions per year.

Alexis Collado joined WOS in September 2009 and currently serves as a consultant to Express Scripts. Currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program, Alexis expects to earn his final certificate for WOS in December 2010. He graduated from Irvington (N.J.) High School and Gibbs College with an associate’s degree, and hopes to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management and finance. In his spare time, Alexis enjoys working on cars, participating in outdoor sports, and spending time with family and friends.

Barbara G. Koster is senior vice president and chief information officer for Prudential Financial, head of Global Business and Technology Solutions and a member of Prudential's Senior Management Committee. She has oversight responsibility for information technology at all Prudential locations worldwide and ensures the privacy and integrity of Prudential's information. She formulates policies, establishes standards and architectures and develops guidelines and management practices. She also manages the company's global networks and data centers and other technology infrastructure.

In addition, Ms. Koster is chairman of the boards of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Ltd. and Prudential Systems Japan, Ltd., both technology subsidiaries of Prudential Financial.

Ms. Koster joined Prudential in November 1995 as vice president and chief information officer in Individual Life Insurance Systems where she was responsible for a wide range of technologies, including those that support distribution, policy administration, customer relationship, business strategy, call centers, service delivery, financial systems, information security, business continuation and architecture.

Prior to joining Prudential, Ms. Koster held several positions with Chase Manhattan Bank, including that of president of Chase Access Services.

In 2011, NJ Biz newspaper named Ms. Koster one of the "Fifty Best Women in Business." She was named CIO of the Year in 2008 by the Executive Council and listed among the top Executive Women of New Jersey. She also has been named among the Premier IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine; the Top Twenty Financial Management Technologists by the CIO Forum; and the Elite Eight by
Insurance & Technology magazine. Ms. Koster received the 1999 Women in Science and Technology award from the Smithsonian Institute. She has been a featured speaker at dozens of national and international industry conferences.

Ms. Koster is a member and past chair of ACORD (a standards body for the life insurance industry) and currently serves on the boards of trustees of Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and St. Francis College. She also is a member of Executive Women in NJ and Research Board, an international think tank.

Ms. Koster has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and an Associate of Science degree in computer technology from St. Francis College.

Anthony E. Thomas

Anthony E. Thomas has over 30 years experience applying information technology in multiple industries and government. As Chief Information Officer of New York City’s department of Housing Preservation and Development, Mr. Thomas leads Technology & Strategic Development organizations to improve processes and enhance the delivery of critical services to the largest municipal developer of affordable quality housing in the nation. Prior to joining New York City government, Thomas was the Chief Technology Officer and a key decision maker at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest health care management company in the state of New Jersey. During his tenure, Horizon was repeatedly identified by Information Week as one of the top innovative users of technology in the nation. Thomas has established technology strategies and architectures at other respected brands in the financial, service and manufacturing industries. At TIAA-CREF (the largest private pension fund in the country) he set the direction for IT strategy, architecture and standards. While at American Express he led an international team of solution architects that managed the company’s global portfolio of over 2,500 applications. During his career at DuPont he headed data management and pioneered the use of distributing computing. He also taught university Physics for eight years. Thomas holds an M.S. in physics from the University of Maryland.

GalaxE.Solutions® is an industry leader in designing and deploying business processes and supporting systems for internal corporate networks and the Internet. WOS consultants provide Quality Assurance Operations services to GalaxE.

SherieAnn Dixon joined WOS in March 2012 and expects to earn her certification from Columbia University's SLICE program in April 2013. She currently consults at Avon in the global IT project management department. SherieAnn earned with her associate's degree in business administration from Westchester (NY) Community College in spring 2012. Outside of work and school, SherieAnn enjoys dancing, drawing and cooking.

Roosevelt Tavares enrolled in Columbia University's Slice program in Fall 2011 and is projected to earn his certification Fall 2012. He graduated from TCI College of Technology '10 where he studied networking. Roosevelt interns at Bank Leumi in the Quality Assurance department where he conducts software testing. For fun he enjoys image design, video games and fixing computers.

Vante Burns served in the U.S. Army for six years as a scout. He joined WOS in July 2012 and earned his certificate from University of North Carolina-Charlotte in November 2012. Vante graduated from Pikes Peak (El Paso, CO), where he earned certificates in applied science in both personal health training and as an emergency medical technician. He also received an associate's degree in applied science of business paralegal from University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Vante currently consults Merck as a payroll analyst III. In his free time, Vante enjoys bowling, basketball, music, movies and cooking.

Wesley Gachett joined WOS in May 2013. He graduated from Bloomfield College in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in computer information systems. Wesley currently provides consulting services to Sealed Air Corporation, where he specializes in application development. In his free time, Wesley enjoys working with computers, playing video games, and meeting new people.

Henry Allen served in the U.S. Army from 1998 to 2000 and then transitioned to the Army National Guard, where he served until November 2006. He joined WOS in August 2011 and is pursuing his certificate in the Penn State-Abington program. Henry consults Prudential as a customer service representative in the company's Annuities call center in Fort Washington, PA. In the past, Henry studied radio, film and television at California State University-Los Angeles. In his free time, he enjoys music and real estate.

Director, Ohio Operations

Jack Connell is an integral part of the WOS team and is instrumental in helping WOS to strategically expand its reach beyond the NY metro area. As Director of Special Projects & Initiatives for the University of Akron’s Provost Office and a sitting member of the Interim Degree Approval Committee for ACCSC (Accrediting Commission for Career Colleges and Schools), he has been a key advocate in expanding the WOS program into the University of Akron and northeast Ohio.

Jack previously spent 10 years with the Ohio Board of Regents as Director of Program Approval/Tuition Reciprocity. He was also the agency’s liaison to the US Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - the regional accrediting body for Ohio’s academic institutions, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Earlier in his career, Jack acted as the Director of University of Akron’s collaboration with Akron Public Schools and was a consultant to the Ohio Board of Regents before moving to a full–time role with Regents. He also worked as a consultant at Duquesne University on development of new degree programs and implementation of a HUD neighborhood grant.

Jack holds a Baccalaureate in Liberal Studies form Antioch University, an MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University, Social Science doctoral work at Syracuse University, and is currently completing an EdD in Administration at the University of Akron.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America is one of the largest mutual life insurance companies in America, with 150 years of experience in providing diversified financial strategies, including life insurance, disability income insurance, retirement services, employee benefits, and Investments. WOS is currently launching a program in the Lehigh Valley to support Guardian’s local operations in Help–desk, mainframe support, project management and various programming roles. Guardian is one of the largest employers in Bethlehem, Pa., managing a workforce of about 1,500 in the local area.

Yesenia Paredes serves as a consultant to Avon, where she provides IT services to the global marketing department. She joined WOS in March 2012 and expects to earn her certificate from Columbia University's SLICE program in April 2013. Prior to joining WOS, she graduated from the Young Women's Leadership School (New York, NY) and Empire Beauty School. In her free time, Yesenia enjoys all genres of music and books and loves writing.

Amir Zaid is a graduate of the Academy of Environmental Science (New York, NY) High School. Amir joined WOS in the summer of 2011. In November 2012, he earned his certificate from Columbia University's SLICE Program. Amir now consults Bank Leumi, where he is a part of a new quality assurance department. In his free time, Amir enjoys reading, technology, sports, acting, comedy, music and spending time with family and friends.

Mary Clauser graduated from Freedom (Bethlehem, Pa.) High School in 2010 and currently studies psychology at Northampton Community College. She joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in January 2011 and expects to earn her certificate in January 2012. Mary consults Guardian Life Insurance as a business analyst in the company’s IT organization. In her free time, Mary enjoys running, reading, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.

Ariel Davis served as an automated logistics specialist in the United States Army. She graduated from Salmen (Slidell, LA) High School in 2003. Ariel went on to earn associates degrees in natural science and math, and social sciences and humanities from Barstow (CA) Community College, and her bachelor's degree in political science from North Carolina State in 2012. Ariel joined WOS in July 2012 and consults Merck's procure-to-pay employee support desk in Charlotte, NC. In her free time, she enjoys cardio dance.

Juan Miranda joined WOS in June 2010 and is currently enrolled in the SOAR program at Rutgers-Newark. He is a graduate of Hillside (N.J.) High School and studied graphic design and animation at the Chubb Institute. Juan currently consults Sealed Air in quality assurance and expects to earn his final certificate in November 2011. Outside of work and school, he plays in a band and enjoys singing, acting and drawing.

Roberto Allende provides consulting services to Prudential, where he specializes in infrastructure support. He joined WOS in July 2009 following his graduation from Technology (Newark, NJ) High School. Roberto earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2010. He enjoys watching sports, spending time with friends, drawing, and exercising.

Donagh Herlihy is Senior Vice President and CIO at Avon Products Inc. He leads an Information Technology organization of 1500 IT professionals and is responsible for IT strategy and operations globally. He reports to the Chairman and CEO and is a member of the Executive Committee. His team provides the business systems and technology infrastructure supporting Avon's business operations in more than 60 countries. In addition IT is responsible for enabling eCommerce for more than 6 million Avon Representatives worldwide. Major initiatives include driving growth through Web and Mobile platforms for Avon Representatives and consumers, as well as driving efficiency through global ERP.

Mr. Herlihy joined Avon in March 2008 from the Wrigley Company where he also was CIO. In his 7 years at Wrigley he drove the transformation of Wrigley's organization and business processes, enabled by a global implementation of SAP. In addition to leading IT, Mr. Herlihy also served successively as Vice President of Human Resources and Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy and Planning.

Prior to Wrigley, Mr. Herlihy spent six years at Gillette, ultimately leading Information Technology at its Duracell subsidiary. Earlier in his career, Mr. Herlihy was based in the UK, where he worked in manufacturing, business process reengineering and information technology in both the consumer goods and automotive sectors.

Mr. Herlihy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Dublin Institute of Technology & Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland and he has completed the Executive Program at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business.

He is a board member of The American Red Cross, Westchester, New York, a not for profit organization.

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world's most successful pay-TV service, providing the two television services – HBO®and Cinemax®– to approximately 93 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand®and Cinemax On Demand®as well as HBO GO®and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

Jorge Suazo graduated from George Washington (New York, NY) High School in 2004 and later went on to obtain his CompTIA A+ certification from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in 2012. He joined WOS in April 2012 and expects to earn his certificate from Columbia University's SLICE program in March 2013. Jorge currently serves as a consultant in Avon's risk assessment department. Outside of work and school, Jorge enjoys working with computers and taking long drives.

Tatiana Pena graduated from Rainbow High School in Brazil in 2001 and joined WOS in 2008 after learning about it from friends. She completed the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in 2008 and currently consults Medco Health Solution in database management. Tatiana enjoys studying, reading, traveling and listening to music.

Cinthia Quintana, also a 2009 graduate of Franklin High School in Somerset, N.J., completed her WOS certification in May 2010. She currently provides IT support to Johnson & Johnson’s HR department and attends Raritan Valley Community College. Cinthia hopes to gain substantive work experience and build her knowledge base to help propel her career. In her free time, she likes playing basketball, listening to music and writing.

Wendell Fant is a 23-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he specialized in logistics. He earned his bachelor's degree in business management from Charleston Southern University and MBA from Webster University. Wendell joined WOS in July 2012. He works as a consultant to Merck in Charlotte, NC, where he serves as an email support analyst. Outside of work, Wendell enjoys golfing and coaching his son's basketball team.

Elvis Sosa enrolled in WOS' SLICE program, hosted at Columbia University, in January 2011. Prior to joining WOS, he graduated from Central Park East Secondary School in East Harlem, NY in 1998 and Per Scholas Institute for Technology in Bronx, NY in 2010. At Per Scholas, he earned his ComTia A+ and Network+ certifications. He currently consults at Russell Reynolds Associates providing helpdesk support in the IS Client Services department. Elvis has a passion for information technology and plans to pursue further studies to enhance his skills. In his free time, he enjoys music, tinkering with computers, working out and watching NBA basketball games.

Franklin Arce joined WOS in September 2011. A graduate of the High School of Economics and Finance in Manhattan, he is currently enrolled in Columbia University's SLICE program. Franklin expects to complete his certification in fall 2012. He currently serves as a consultant to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), where he consults the agency's Process and Information department, focusing on Siebel. Outside of work and school, Franklin enjoys working out, cooking, and traveling.

Philip Curry joined WOS as Chief Financial Officer effective in March 2013. Philip is a seasoned financial professional with experience in global financial services, social entrepreneurship and consulting. He trained as an accountant with Touche Ross in London, serving a broad cross-section of financial service clients as an auditor and a consultant. Philip spent 15 years with ICAP, the world's leading interdealer broker and market infrastructure group, most recently as CFO for the Americas, where he was responsible for the finance function in the United
States, Latin America and Israel. He was a member of the senior management team that rebuilt the North American operations, whose offices were destroyed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. He has recently returned from the Bay Area, where he advised a number of start-up social enterprises, including Credibles and Carbon Offsets to Alleviate Poverty.

Philip received his B.S. in Mathematics and Business from the University of Warwick and is a Chartered Accountant.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ) is best known for providing managed care and traditional indemnity plans for individuals and employers—the cornerstone of their health care business. WOS consultants provide Quality Assurance Operations services to BCBSNJ.

Alban Tahiraj works at Avon as a consultant specializing in information security, an area in which he has keen interest and would like to build his expertise. He joined WOS in April 2012 and expects to earn his certificate from Columbia University's SLICE program in April 2013. Alban graduated from the High School for Health Professions and Human Resources (New York, NY) and earned his CompTIA A+ certification from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in 2012. During his free time, Alban enjoys working with computers.

Malissa DeJesus joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in January 2011 and plans to earn her certificate in January 2012. She graduated from Freedom (Bethlehem, Pa.) High School in June 2011. Malissa currently provides consulting services to Guardian Life Insurance’s project management support division. Outside of work and school, she enjoys learning new subjects, hiking, roller skating, and spending time with friends and family.

Imir Brown joined WOS in June 2012, shortly after he graduated from University (Newark, NJ) High School. Imir earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013 and currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, where he focuses on claims processing. He enjoys sports, music and spending time with friends.

Albriana Reavis consults Sealed Air Corporation after graduating the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Albriana is a graduate of Linden (NJ) High School and attends Union County College. In her free time, she enjoys photography, make-up, art and listening to music.

Katie Arroyo works as a consultant to Prudential's Annuities call center in Fort Washington, PA. A 2001 graduate of North Penn (Lansdale, PA) High School, Katie earned her bachelor's degree in accounting and business management from Lansdale School of Business in 2011. Katie served in the U.S. Navy for six years as an electronic warfare technician. She joined WOS in August 2011 and is currently pursuing her certificate at Penn State-Abington. Outside of work and school, Katie enjoys fishing, camping, and watching baseball and football.  

Webmaster 

Vincent Fiore currently manages website, database and email services for WOS. He began his career in IT shortly after graduating with a B.S. degree in accounting in the mid-1980s and has since served in various IT technical and management roles, designing and building database applications and websites. He has also been active in the education field since the late-1990s by teaching evening courses in database and programming technology. 

Vincent joined WOS in 2006 and has previously served as a WOS account executive for clients in Newark. He is also active on the academic side of WOS, where he periodically teaches website design, database development and Java programming courses in the WOS-related certificate programs at Rutgers University-Newark and Columbia University in New York.

The Johnson & Johnson family of companies offers the world’s broadest range of health care products. They embrace research and science–bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well–being of people. WOS Consultants provide Web Development services for J&J’s intranet, including usage of collaborative tools and social media applications along with site maintenance and content management services.

Dijon Smelly graduated from Weequahic High School in Newark, N.J. and is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program. He plans to earn his final certificate for WOS in December 2010, and then hopes to complete an associate’s degree from Essex Community College, followed by a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Dijon enjoys reading, sports, video games, and helping his mother and sisters.

John Savath served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years as a field wireman and intelligence specialist. He joined WOS in July 2011 and currently consults Johnson & Johnson’s information technology department, where he specializes in e-discovery. John graduated from South Philadelphia (PA) High School in 2003 and Associated Technical College in 2007, where he studied global business. In his free time, John likes to work out, cook, watch movies, and travel.

Nickoy Bedasse, a 2010 graduate of Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, N.J., joined WOS in July 2010. Nickoy is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program and expects to graduate in November 2011. Outside of work and school, he enjoys working in his music studio.

Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, Merck works with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. Merck also demonstrates its commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. WOS is currently launching a new program in Charlotte, NC, training Veterans to support Merck's shared services organization.

Shadei Terry-Coleman graduated from Central High School in Newark, N.J. in 2007 and has studied at Essex County College. She joined WOS in September 2009 and is currently enrolled in the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program, which she expects to complete in December 2010. At Medco Health Solutions, Shadei provides consulting in custom client reporting. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and pageants.

Daniel Fox serves as a consultant to Guardian Life Insurance’s change control support department. He joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in March 2011 and expects to earn his certificate in January 2012. Daniel graduated from Northern Lehigh (Slatington, Pa.) High School in 2010 and currently studies computer information systems and networking at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Outside of work and school, he enjoys bowling, baseball and working on cars.

Joseph Roll works as a consultant to Sealed Air’s business intelligence, where he specializes in web development and special projects. Joseph served in the U.S. Army for four years as a multichannel system operator/maintainer. He graduated from Pocono Mountain West (PA) High School in 2006, and has studied at Penn State University. Joseph joined WOS in June 2011 and expects to earn his certificate in the Rutgers’ SOAR program in May 2012. He enjoys sports, outdoor activities, and training for endurance competitions.

Quayshanna Blount graduated from Technology High School (Newark, NJ) in 2009. She joined the WOS program that summer, and she graduated from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2010. Quayshanna consults Prudential's CTM Relationship Management division, where she focuses on strategic planning. Quayshanna is currently pursuing her associate's degree at Essex County (Newark, NJ) College. Outside of work and school, Quayshanna enjoys reading, writing, and learning.

Andrew Gold joined WOS in September 2012. He works on all aspects of finance and human resources including special projects.

Before joining WOS, Andrew spent many years as a corporate tax accountant for Mercer Consulting Group, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Insurance Company. He graduated from Rider University with a bachelor's degree in marketing and a minor in accounting. He also has a master's degree in education.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds and provides inspiration. It has extraordinary exhibitions, and the world’s finest collection of modern and contemporary art. WOS consultants provide Help Desk Operations services for the museum.

Lauren Garcia joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in January 2011 and expects to receive her certificate in January 2012. She is a 2011 graduate of Freedom (Bethlehem, Pa.) High School. Lauren provides consulting services to Guardian Life Insurance’s quality assurance department. Outside of work and school, she enjoys photography, hiking, kayaking, soccer and traveling.

Diana Castro joined WOS in June 2010, enthusiastic about the education and training opportunities the program offers. She graduated in 2009 from Technology High School in Newark, N.J., and is currently enrolled in both Bloomfield College and Rutgers SOAR program. She consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in NASCO benefit coding. Diana enjoys playing volleyball in her free time.

Antonio Moody earned his bachelor's degree from Thomas Edison (Trenton, NJ) State College in 2010

and an Emergency Medical Technician Certificate from Jones (Ellisville, MS) Junior College in 2007. His

vast military experience including serving as in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, the United

States Navy Reserves, and the United States Army Reserves. Antonio joined WOS in July 2012 and

earned his certificate from University of North Carolina-Charlotte in November 2012. Antonio currently

serves as a financial assistant with Merck in Charlotte, NC. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors,

traveling and woodworking.

Tyree Boyd joined WOS in September 2011 and is currently pursuing her certificate at University of North Florida. She served in the U.S. Navy for 13 years, where she specialized in aviation maintenance administration. Tyree consults Prudential as a customer service representative in Jacksonville. A graduate of Wicomico (Salisbury, MD) High School, Tyree enjoys spending time with family.

Harriet Hope joined WOS in October 2010.  Her responsibilities include finance, human resources, aata management, office administration, and special projects.

Prior to joining WOS, Harriet was a manager in the department of Quality Management of a large New York City hospital, where she was responsible for completing and reviewing quarterly reporting of the hospital’s performance to the corporation’s Board of Directors. She acted as a liaison to multiple departments for the collection, reporting, and statistical analysis of hospital performance data.

Maranda Corbett graduated from Central High School in June of 2009. After attending WOS's open house, she earned her certificate from the Columbia University SLICE in August 2009. Maranda worked as a consultant to SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance, where she specialized in quality assurance testing. She also worked for WOS in support of academic operations, recruitment and training initiatives. In January 2013, Maranda earned a second certification, this time in the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program. She is currently consulting with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in the claims processing department. In her free time, Maranda enjoys drawing, computers, games, and spending time with family and friends.

Edwin Natal joined WOS in July 2012 and earned his certificate from University of North Carolina-

Charlotte in November 2012. He is a six-year veteran of the United States Army, where he served as a

transportation operator. Edwin currently consults Merck in Charlotte, NC as a supplier support analyst in

the procure-to-pay division. In his free time, he enjoys music, sports and culinary arts.

Ivan Espino currently consults Prudential's claims department in Jacksonville, Florida, as a customer service associate. A graduate of Washington Irving (New York, NY) High School, Ivan is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in finance. He joined WOS in May 2012 and is pursuing his certificate at University of North Florida. Ivan served in the U.S. Navy for five years as a personnel specialist. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and coaching baseball.

Cory Steele is a graduate of North Arlington (NJ) High School. Cory joined WOS in June of 2012 and received his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Cory currently consults Sealed Air Corporation. In his free time, Cory enjoys playing the guitar, tennis and hiking.

Mr. Brown-Smith was hired by Prudential Financial, Inc. in January 2009. He is a graduate of Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark NJ, specializing in computer repair, video and video editing. He is a recent graduate of Columbia University's SLICE program where he completed his certification in Applications and Software Development. He is also the volunteer webmaster for Minority Interchange a not-for-profit corporation.

George Price joined WOS in December 2011 and currently supports Guardian's network services team. George served in the United States Marine Corps from January 2001 to January 2005 as a nuclear, biological and chemical defense specialist. He graduated from Manahoy Area (Manahoy City, PA) High School in 1996. George is currently pursuing his associate degree in networking technologies at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Outside of work and school, he enjoys spending time with his kids, as well as traveling, the outdoors, sports, music, reading, and exotic foods.

Stephanie Collado is following in the footsteps of her brother, Alexis, who currently serves as a WOS consultant to Medco. Stephanie graduated from N. 13th St. Vocational Technical School in Newark, N.J. in 2008 and currently studies at Essex County College. She works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding, and plans to complete her WOS certification in October 2011. Stephanie aspires to graduate from Rutgers University and pursue a masters degree in international business. Outside of work and school, she enjoys playing with her dogs and spending time with friends and family.

Michael Burgos consults Prudential's Enterprise Services and Financial Systems division. He graduated from Technology High School (Newark, NJ) in 2007 and joined WOS in July 2009. Michael earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2010. In his free time, he enjoys sports, music, and movies.

Melissa Kavlakoglu is an alumnus of Manhattan College, where she received her Bachelor's degree in International Studies with a concentration in the Middle East and North Africa. A lifelong volunteer, her efforts have spanned vast disciplines and locales, from New York to Utah to Ecuador. After returning to her home state of New York in June of 2012, she began work as a research associate at WOS. While in her current post, she has spearheaded an internal metrics evaluation, contributes to special projects for the chairman, and continues to examine current trends in IT and education.

Prudential Financial is a financial services leader, providing life insurance and asset management expertise to approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers to help grow and protect their wealth. WOS consultants provide Application Development & Design services for Prudential.

Andrew Rabert works in Group BTS at Guardian Life Insurance. He primarily deals with COBOL as he works developing and maintaining mainframe applications. Andrew is currently studying computer science at Lehigh Carbon Community College and plans to eventually achieve his master's degree. In his free time, he enjoys tweaking computers, making music, and running.

Tiyannah Cromwell entered the WOS program in June 2010 after graduating from Weequahic High School in Newark, N.J. She currently works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding. Outside of work, Tiyannah enjoys crossword puzzles, writing, and spending time with family and friends. She is enrolled in Rutgers SOAR program and expects to earn her final certificate from WOS in October 2011.

Kristine Sease earned her associate's degree in legal studies from Camden County (NJ) College in 2011.

She joined WOS in July 2012 and earned her certificate from University of North Carolina-Charlotte

in November 2012. Kristine served in the U.S. Army for more than six years as a medium- and heavy-

wheeled operator. She currently works as a consultant to Merck's procure-to-pay division in Charlotte,

NC. Kristine enjoys music, cooking, and helping the less fortunate.

Michele Burgos joined WOS in 2009 in search of a career opportunity in which she could make valuable contributions to the business world. She graduated from Technology High School in Newark, N.J. in 2009 and is currently enrolled in Rutgers-Newark's SOAR program, which she expects to complete in December 2010. Michele currently consults Medco Health Solution's CTO organization. In her free time, Michele enjoys writing, drawing, photography, watching baseball, and spending time with friends.

Mr. Keizur currently is responsible for outreach and marketing for WOS. Mike’s primary responsibilities include creating additional opportunities in the existing markets as well as expanding the program nationally. He joined the WOS team in October 2009.

Mike has been involved in the technology industry for over 20 years. Prior to joining WOS, he was the Program Director for the CIO Institute, an exclusive educational program designed to train and mentor future Fortune 1000 CIOs. From 1999 through 2005 Mike served as VP of Infrastructure and Architecture at Nike, Inc. in Portland, Oregon, where he provided back–end services and project leadership in a $400M SAP BW implementation.

Russell Reynolds Associates is a premier provider of senior-level executive search and assessment, serving clients globally for 40 years. They advise clients on recruiting and retaining outstanding and impactful leaders, and help them mitigate the risks associated with senior level appointments. WOS Consultants for Russell Reynolds provide help desk support to resolve computer-related and phone-related issues for the company.

Greg Ferguson is an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, currently serving as a sergeant specializing in supply. Greg deployed under Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded several medals for excellence and leadership. A 2001 graduate of Miami Coral Park (FL) High School, Greg joined WOS in June 2011. He is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program and expects to earn his certificate in May 2012. Greg provides technical support to Prudential's Annuities Support Group. He is an avid fan of football, basketball, baseball and bowling, in addition to being a car and technology enthusiast.

Mr. Caamano is a high school graduate from Independence High School and is now a consultant for WOS. He is currently working at Thirteens Helpdesk dealing with user, hardware, and software issues. He recently graduated the SLICE program, learning skills such as HTML, Analysis & Design, and Java.

Executive Director, External Relations

Beatrice Leon joined WOS in February 2011 to develop partnerships with corporations, in addition to mentoring and teaching. She served as chief information officer for Pernod Ricard Americas, one of the largest wine and spirits companies in the country. While at Pernod Ricard, she oversaw the successful integration of Seagram, oversaw the move of the company’s U.S. headquarters and computer center, and redefined the company’s IT strategy to support current and future business. Prior to Pernod Ricard, Leon served in IT management roles at DMC Inc., and Fromageries Bel. For the past five years, she has mentored students in the IT management masters program at Columbia University. Leon earned a master in economics and econometrics from the French Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne University.

Carol Barnes joined WOS in July 2010 after learning about it from Kevin Najera, a WOS consultant at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. She consults Sealed Air as part of the Secure IT team. A 2004 graduate of Belleville (N.J.) High School, Carol is currently enrolled in the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program and expects to complete her certification in November 2011. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, writing poetry, and spending time with family and friends, and one day hopes to teach on a Native American reservation.

Safe Horizon is a victim assistance agency that provides support, prevents violence, and promotes justice for victims of crime and abuse, and for their families & communities. WOS consultants provide Help Desk Operations services to Safe Horizon.

Rasul Elliot is a graduate of Barringer (Newark, NJ) High School. He joined WOS in June 2012 after finding out about it from his high school guidance counselor. Rasul earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. He currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. In his spare time, Rasul likes to dance, skateboard and relax.

Sheila Hernandez has served for two years in the Army National Guard, focusing on financial management, and she remains on active reserve. Sheila joined WOS in May 2012 is currently pursuing her certificate from University of North Florida. She consults Prudential's claims department as a customer service associate in Jacksonville, Florida. Sheila is also enrolled at University of North Florida in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in business. In her free time, Sheila enjoys going to the beach, dancing and traveling.

Jessica Cardona serves as a consultant to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), where she specializes in LAN administration. Jessica graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in Manhattan, and earned her bachelor's degree in political science and religion from University of Rochester in spring 2011. Jessica joined WOS in September 2011 and currently studies in Columbia University's SLICE program, from which she expects to earn her certificate in fall 2012. In her free time, Jessica enjoys music, politics, yoga and reading.

Senior Vice President & Chief Information
Officer, Prudential Financial, Inc.

Barbara G. Koster is senior vice president and chief information officer at Prudential Financial. In this position, Koster oversees the use of information technology at all Prudential locations worldwide and ensures the privacy and integrity of Prudential’s information. She is responsible for formulating policies, establishing standards and architectures and developing guidelines and management practices. Koster also manages Prudential’s global networks and data centers and other technology infrastructure.

Koster joined Prudential in November 1995 as vice president, Policy Administration and MIS. In 2004, she was appointed chief information officer for Individual Life Insurance Systems, where she was responsible for a wide range of technologies, including those that support distribution, policy administration, customer relationship, call centers, service delivery, financial systems, information security, business continuation and architecture.

Prior to joining Prudential, Koster held several positions with Chase Manhattan Bank, including that of president of Chase Access Services.

In 2008, Koster was named CIO of the Year by the Executive Council and was listed among the top Executive Women of New Jersey. In prior years, she has been named among the Premier IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine; the Top Twenty Financial Management Technologists by the CIO Forum; and the Elite Eight by Insurance & Technology magazine. In 1999, Koster received the Women in Science and Technology award from the Smithsonian Institute. She has been a featured speaker at dozens of national and international industry conferences.

Koster is the past chair of ACORD (a standards body for the life insurance industry); is chairman of the boards of Pramerica Systems Ireland, Ltd. and Prudential Systems Japan, Ltd., both technology subsidiaries of Prudential Financial; and a member of the Board of Trustees of Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and St. Francis College.

Koster graduated from St. Francis College with a BS degree in Business Administration and AS degrees in Computer Technology and Accounting.

Sealed Air Corporation is a global leader in packaging materials and equipment systems. WOS is currently training four students at Rutgers University-Newark to help Sealed Air in Web development and electronic data interchange.

Natalie Rivera joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in January 2011 and graduated from Freedom (Bethlehem, Pa.) High School in June 2011. A month later, Natalie began consulting Guardian Life Insurance, where she provides business analysis services to the operations department. She expects to earn her certificate from WOS/Penn State Lehigh Valley in January 2012. Outside of work and school, Natalie likes spending time with friends, traveling and being outdoors.

Neil Evelyn joined WOS in June 2012 after graduating from Franklin (Somerset, NJ) High School. Neil earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013 and is now consulting with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. Outside of work and school, Neil enjoys football.

Samantha Holmes served in the U.S. Air Force for six years, specializing in transportation. She joined WOS in May 2012 is currently pursuing her certificate at University of North Florida. Samantha earned her associate's degree in transportation in 2008 from the Community College of the Air Force and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration from Strayer University. Samantha consults Prudential as a customer service representative in the company's Jacksonville, Florida claims department. She enjoys writing poetry, listening to music and spending time with her family.

Eric Golubiewski joined WOS in July 2011. He is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program and consults Prudential in remote-access services. Eric attended Northampton County Area Community, where he studied radio and TV aesthetics, and then changed his major to criminal justice at Kean University. Eric is currently serving as a Military Police Officer in the New Jersey National Guard and drills actively as a Specialist out of Port Murray, NJ. He attended Phillipsburg (NJ) High School, where was class president, and graduated from Wilson (PA) Area High School in 2008. In his spare time, Eric likes to spend time with his family, friends and canine companion as well as running and watching sports.

Ricky Lewis is responsible for managing the WOS Veterans program in Jacksonville, Fl. He joined the WOS team in September 2011. Prior to joining WOS, Ricky worked at the state level as a Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist and an Employment Security Representative for six years. As the Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist, Ricky facilitated the transition program workshops for active Armed Forces members exiting the military for three major military installations in the Southeast region. He also provided case management for Veterans enrolled in the Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Chapter 31) and performed employment and community outreach to various agencies to empower Jacksonville's large local Veteran population.

Ricky holds a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University and is currently working towards his second Bachelor's in Human Resource Management from Strayer University. Ricky also brings to WOS a military background of 20 years of active duty service, retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2005 as a Chief Petty Officer.

This is a test

Public television station Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the major producing stations for PBS, providing programming for many acclaimed series to public television stations across America. WOS consultants manage the Technology Help Desk operations for Thirteen.

Ashley Stair currently serves as a business analyst consultant to Guardian Life Insurance’s IT organization. She graduated from Emmaus (Pa.) High School in 2003 and earned her associates degree from Lehigh Carbon Community College in May 2011. She joined the WOS/Penn State–Lehigh Valley program in March 2011 and expects to earn her certificate in January 2012. Ashley enjoys soccer, snowboarding and spending time with friends.

Ms. Frias works at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ as a WOS consultant. In June of 2008 she graduated from Technology High School in Newark, New Jersey, with the experience of three years of Office System Technology, and a certification as Specialist in Microsoft Word. She earned her certification in Applications and Software Development in March 2008 from the Rutgers SOAR program.

Eric Cinque served in the U.S. Navy for four years as a nuclear electrician. A 2001 graduate of West Orange (NJ) High School, Eric is currently pursuing bachelor’s degrees in business management and accounting, with minors in economics and international law, from Strayer University. He joined the WOS program in June 2011 and is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program, which he expects to complete in May 2011. Eric provides consulting services to Prudential’s Essential Systems and Financial Systems department, where he is a Lotus Notes Support Developer. In his free time, he enjoys bowling, football, baseball, drawing, architecture, cooking and the outdoors. 

Director, Business Development

Brennon Marcano is currently responsible for business development and academic operations at WOS. His primary responsibilities include establishing and managing academic operations as well as formulating and implementing funding opportunities. He joined the WOS team in February 2010. He has been involved in the field of technology for the past 13 years and has taught application development at both Columbia University and Rutgers for the past 5 years. Prior to joining WOS, Mr. Marcano was a Manager at Prudential in the Corporate Technology Management department. Mr. Marcano holds a Masters degree in Technology Management from Columbia University and has been featured in CIO Insight magazine as a future leader in technology (April/2007).

TMP Worldwide Advertising & Communications, LLC is the world’s largest independent recruitment advertising agency and the only recruitment advertising agency recognized among America’s top digital agencies.

WOS is providing Quality Assurance services to TMP Worldwide at their offices in lower Manhattan.

Marty Kizer served 18 years in the United State Navy as a Sonar Technician (Surface). Born in Chicago and raised in Gary, Indiana, Marty graduated with honors from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1982. Since his discharge from the Navy in 2004, Marty earned an undergraduate degree in business administration and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and a second master's degree in entertainment business from Full Sail University. Marty joined the WOS program in June 2012. He serves as a customer service consultant to Prudential in the company's claims center in Jacksonville. Marty has a love for the stage, and can often be seen leading vocals in the music department or writing and acting in the drama department at his church.

Mr. Danta was hired by Prudential Financial, Inc. in January 2008. He graduated from Technology High School in Newark NJ, specializing in CISCO/Tele- communications. He is a former counselor of the Althea Gibson Foundation Summer Camp. He has also worked for the Newark Board of Education as a tutor and mentor for underprivileged kids. He is a recent graduate of Columbia University's SLICE program where he completed his certification in Applications and Software Development.

Program Coordinator

Jessica Miller is responsible for managing the WOS program in Cleveland, Ohio. She works closely with student consultants, clients and the University of Akron to ensure positive and effective educational and work experiences for all involved. Prior to joining WOS in November 2010, Jessica mentored students and taught high school mathematics. She holds an M.A. in anthropology and education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and a B.S. in integrated mathematics education from Kent State University.

United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world, with an integrated network of 969 rental locations in 48 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The company's approximately 11,500 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others. The company offers for rent approximately 3,400 classes of equipment with a total original cost of $7.31 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index and the Russell 2000 Index® and is headquartered in Greenwich, Conn. WOS will train military Veterans to serve as Inside Sales Representatives at United Rentals branches across the U.S.

Daniel de Oliveira joined WOS in July 2009. A 2005 graduate of Bayley Ellard (Madison, NJ) High School, he earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2010. Daniel consults Prudential, where he focuses on network operations. In his free time, Daniel is an avid reader.

Client Services Supervisor

Christina Mulderrig joined WOS in January 2011. As Client Services Supervisor at Medco, Sealed Air, Johnson & Johnson of New Jersey, and Avon (shared with Mandy Schmidt) New York, she oversees the student consultants and works to ensure a productive transition to the workplace. She attends Ramapo College of New Jersey and is working on obtaining a B.A. in Psychology.

Addie M. Rimmer was associate professor of professional practice at the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the deputy
managing editor for news at the Detroit Free Press. She previously was the
executive editor and vice president of the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo.; editor
and vice president of The News in Boca Raton, Fla.; assistant managing editor
and deputy features editor of the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California;
assistant professor of journalism at the University of Arizona in Tucson and held
several positions at The Wall Street Journal in New York; a copy editor at The
Miami Herald and was a reporter at a financial wire service.

She has a B.A. from the City College of New York and a M.S. from Columbia’s
Graduate School of Journalism. She is a doctoral student in adult learning and
leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Moses Hernandez graduated from Barringer (NJ) High School in 2012. He immediately joined WOS after learning through his high school guidance counselor. Moses earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2012 and is now a claims processing consultant at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. In his free time, he enjoys eating and playing video games.

Kyle Lumpiesz joined WOS in May 2012 via the Wounded Warrior Project and is pursuing his certificate at University of North Florida. He served in the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2008 as a combat engineer, after which he earned his bachelor's degree in IT management from Florida State College of Jacksonville in 2012. Kyle consults Prudential's claims department in Jacksonville, Florida. Outside of work and school, he enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing, and spending time with his family and dog.

Mr. Dominguez graduated from Gibbs College in 2007 with an Associates in Computer Network Administration. He is also a graduate of Columbia University’s SLICE program where he completed his certification in Applications and Software Development. He is employed at Prudential Financial where he supports the BlackBerry and associated applications for the BlackBerry.

Ed Parry is responsible for managing the WOS Veterans program in Ft. Washington, Pa. He joined the WOS team in January 2013. Ed retired from the Navy in 2011 after 20 years of service, where he was a member of various P-3 Orion aircraft squadrons and served as a Full-Time Support Officer with the Navy Reserve. Ed holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Addie M. Rimmer was associate professor of professional practice at the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the deputy
managing editor for news at the Detroit Free Press. She previously was the
executive editor and vice president of the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo.; editor
and vice president of The News in Boca Raton, Fla.; assistant managing editor
and deputy features editor of the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California;
assistant professor of journalism at the University of Arizona in Tucson and held
several positions at The Wall Street Journal in New York; a copy editor at The
Miami Herald and was a reporter at a financial wire service.

She has a B.A. from the City College of New York and a M.S. from Columbia’s
Graduate School of Journalism. She is a doctoral student in adult learning and
leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Guillermo Martillo Diaz is a systems developer for Prudential’s Group Insurance business. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for more than 10 years as a motor transportation operator, section chief, and recruiter. Guillermo deployed twice in Operation Iraqi Freedom—the first time in 2003, and then again in 2005-2006. He joined WOS in June 2011 and is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program, which he plans to complete in May 2011. A 2007 graduate of North Rockland (Thiells, NY) High School, Guillermo has also studied electronics at Rockland Community College. He enjoys spending time with his son and working as a DJ on weekends.

Derek Ecolano serves as a consultant to Eaton Corporation, where he provides site infrastructure support services. He enrolled in the WOS/AKRON program in January 2011 after learning about from his computer instructor at Lincoln-West High School in Cleveland, Ohio, from which he graduated in June 2011. Derek is on track to earn his certificate from WOS/University of Akron in January 2012 and intends to study computer science in college. A former wrestler and football player, Derek enjoys learning about and working on computers.

Addie M. Rimmer was associate professor of professional practice at the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the deputy
managing editor for news at the Detroit Free Press. She previously was the
executive editor and vice president of the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo.; editor
and vice president of The News in Boca Raton, Fla.; assistant managing editor
and deputy features editor of the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California;
assistant professor of journalism at the University of Arizona in Tucson and held
several positions at The Wall Street Journal in New York; a copy editor at The
Miami Herald and was a reporter at a financial wire service.

She has a B.A. from the City College of New York and a M.S. from Columbia’s
Graduate School of Journalism. She is a doctoral student in adult learning and
leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dashauna Horton joined WOS in June 2012 after graduating from Technology (Newark, NJ) High School in 2011. Dashauna went on earn her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Dashauna is now consulting with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing and is pursuing her degree in chemistry and biology at College of St. Elizabeth (Morristown, NJ). In her free time, Dashauna enjoys cheering, rapping, singing, and playing sports.

David Mull served in the U.S. Army as an M1 Abrams Tank crewmember from 2000 to 2005. He continues his service in the New Jersey National Guard, where he is a cavalry scout, team leader and TOW missile truck commander. David deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005, and again in 2006-2007. He joined WOS in June 2011 and is enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program. David works with Prudential’s Annuities division as an IT systems consultant. A 2000 graduate of Cherry Hill (NJ) High School West, David an enthusiast of cars, motorcycles, and, as he says, anything with an engine.

Ijeoma Ezenwuba joined with WOS in August of 2010 and serves as a consultant to Prudential, providing technical support to corporate executives. She has served in the United States Army as a Water Treatment Specialist since April of 2009. She expects to graduate with her degree in architecture from The College of History and International Relations and is enrolled in Rutgers-Newark’s SOAR program, which she expects to complete in spring 2011. In her spare time she enjoys signing and reading books.

Vice President, Veterans and Special Programs

Joe Rhyne has more than 25 years of experience in the electronic publishing and allied industries. His most recent position was the senior vice president of technology for the Thomson Corporation, where he was chairman of the Thomson chief technology officer council and was responsible for organizing technology efforts throughout Thomson. Prior to his joining Thomson, Rhyne was vice president and general manager of business information services (BIS) for Lexis-Nexis. Prior positions have included vice president of market data services for Quotron Systems, Inc., and corporate vice president, operations and systems planning, for Paine Webber. He also gained national account and market management experience with AT&T Long Lines. Rhyne served in the United States Army for five years, with three years working in project management for the development of tactical command and control systems. He has a B.S. in engineering from the United States Military Academy, an M.S. in computer science from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School (Baker Scholar).

Marie Irving is 2010 graduate of Union (NJ) High School. She enrolled in WOS in June of 2012 and earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Marie is currently a claims processing consultant at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. In her free time, Marie enjoys singing, reading and spending time with her nephew.

Ms. Griffiths was hired by Prudential Financial, Inc. in January 2009. In 2004 she graduated from Gibbs College with an Associate in Computer Network Administration. Gillian has a BBA from the University of Phoenix. She is a graduate of Columbia University's SLICE program where she completed her certification in Applications and Software Development.

David Scharnhorst joined the WOS team in November 2012 as program and client service manager for the WOS veterans program in Dubuque, IA. In 2008, David retired after 30 years of active service from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Sergeant Major. He brings extensive military experience to WOS with assignments in infantry, Marine drill instructor, worldwide assignments monitor at Marine Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., and as a senior enlisted advisor among many throughout his military career. David's education includes a B.A. in human resources management from Ashford University in Clinton, IA, and an A.S. in management from Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA.

Shaheed Jackson hopes that his WOS experience will positively influence other young men to accomplish their goals. Currently serving as a consultant to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical billing and coding, Shaheed graduated from New Technical Careers Center in 2008. He is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and plans to complete his WOS certification in October 2011. In his free time, Shaheed enjoys music and reading.

Erica Outerbridge consults Prudential’s Law, Compliance and Business Ethics department, focusing on information security policy. She served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2008 as an automated logistical specialist. Erica joined WOS in June 2011 and is currently studying in Rutgers’ SOAR program. She graduated from Essex County Vocational High School (Newark, NJ) in 2002 and has studied at Essex County College. Outside of work and school, Erica enjoys playing basketball, bowling, and watching sports.

Johnny Harris joined WOS in October 2011. He is currently pursuing his certificate in the Rutgers SOAR program. Johnny consults Prudential in the Enterprise Technology and Operations Management division of the Corporate Technology Management organization. A graduate of Cecily Tyson (East Orange, NJ) High School, Johnny earned an associate degree in computer science from DeVry University in 2011. Outside of work and school, he enjoys boxing, mixed-martial arts training, reading, movies and video games.

Client Services Supervisor

Mandy Schmidt joined WOS in September 2010. As Client Services Supervisor at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey, she oversees the student consultants and works to ensure a productive transition to the workplace. She has a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

Yakima Johnson joined WOS in June 2012 and earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Yakima is a graduate of Newark (NJ) Vocational High School, where her guidance counselor told her about WOS. She is currently consulting at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. In her free time, Yakima enjoys reading books and shopping.

Shaun is a veteran of the United States Air Force. As a senior airman, he became proficient in equipment production and aerospace production maintenance management while working on sophisticated equipment valued at $5 billion. Working as a B1-B Maintenance Supervisor, Shaun became certified in various programs, such as Core Automated Maintenance Systems (CAMS), Patriot Excalibur Software (PEX), and HAZMAT Compliance Procedures. He has studied sociology at William Patterson University and is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program. Shaun consults Prudential in database administration.

Natalia Sepulveda joined WOS in June 2011. Her primary responsibility has been to manage WOS’ newest Columbia University-SLICE cohort sponsored by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). She spearheaded the recruitment for this group, and in addition to working with them as the Program Coordinator, has been assisting them with supplementary academic initiatives outside of the SLICE program. Natalia ensures that students successfully complete the SLICE program by serving as their first line of academic support. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

Mr. Herrera is a graduate of Columbia University’s SLICE program where he earned his certification in Applications and Software Development. He is currently employed by Prudential Financial, Inc. after completing a successful internship with the company as an IT Specialist and Help Desk Analyst. Mr. Herrera joined WOS after earning his Associates in Applied Science in Computer Network Operations and Security degree from Gibbs College in 2007. He is presently pursuing a degree in Information Systems at Rutgers University.

Program and Client Service Manager

Patrick Spurgeon is the Program and Client Service Manager responsible for managing the WOS Veteran's program in Connecticut. He is a 27-year veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Force, retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer in November 2012. Patrick joined the WOS team in February 2013.

While in the Navy, he completed five tours of duty on nuclear submarines visiting 13 countries and served two tours as a certified Navy Instructor, one of which he was assigned as the Department Enlisted Leader was responsible for over 100 staff members and 54 courses of instruction. Patrick has been involved with all aspects of military training, education and counseling for more than 20 years.

Keziah Jones graduated from Science Park (Newark, NJ) High School in 2012 and joined WOS in August 2012. Keziah went on to earn her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. She is consulting at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. Keziah enjoys shopping in her free time.

Agnes Hitimana, a graduate of Bronx Regional High School, earned her degree from Nyack College in May 2009. She joined WOS in September 2010 and is currently enrolled in Columbia University’s SLICE program. Agnes consults Avon in problem management reporting. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, basketball and ping pong.

Philip Taylor is responsible for managing the WOS Veterans program in Charlotte, North Carolina. He joined the WOS team in June 2012. Prior to joining WOS, Phil was the Director of Construction and Land Development for a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.  Phil's corporate experience includes Vice President, Business Development and Implementation for COSS, a software development firm; Managing Director of a financial services regional office for Calvert Securities; and, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Field Sales Management for CIGNA.  Phil obtained his Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and a Masters of Arts from the University of Connecticut. He also holds degrees in Financial Planning from the American College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.  Phil is a U.S. Army Veteran who served in the Vietnam War.

Mr. Lawrence graduated from Gibbs College with an AS Degree in CNA (Computer Networking Administration) achieving a 3.8 GPA. He currently works at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Quality Assurance Tester. He is the WOS team manager of the testing team for the Horizon’s PSM project.

Tony Rispoli joined WOS in June 2011. He is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program and consults Prudential in application development. Tony graduated from Montclair State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management.  Tony served for more than nine years in the NJ Army National Guard as a Signal Support Systems Specialist, a Multi-Channel Transmission Systems Operator/Maintainer and a Human Resource Supervisor. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant. Tony deployed two times to Iraq (2004-2005 and 2008-2009) and was honorably discharged in October 2011.Tony graduated from Old Bridge(NJ)  High School in 2001, where he played soccer and wrestled for all four years. In his spare time, he likes to work out, watch sports, and spend time with family.

Lou Kenneth Q. Isip joined WOS in July 2010. He is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and consults Prudential in application development. Lou is also a junior at Rutgers-Newark, where he is a Dean’s List student majoring in Criminal Justice and minoring in both Computer Science and Mathematics. Lou served his country for five years in the United States Marine Corps, where he was an Aviation Ordnance Technician working on the weapons system for the AV8-BB Harrier II jet. He was awarded the Aviation Ordnanceman of the Year in 2006 and earned the rank of Sergeant in less than three years. Lou deployed three times to Al Asad, Iraq (2005, 2007, and 2008) and was honorably discharged in March 2009. Prior to the Marine Corps, Lou worked as both a massage therapist and an audio/video sales representative for Circuit City from 2003 to 2004. Lou graduated from Saint Aloysius High School in Jersey City, N.J., in 2001, where he was part of the National Honor Society and played soccer, basketball and baseball all four years. In his spare time, Lou likes to work out, watch rugby, and spend time with family.

Rosalyn Long is part of the Soar/Slice program and is projected to earn her certificate Winter 2013. To fulfill WOS' work-study requirement, she interns in the Quality Assurance department at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. She is also working toward obtaining her college degree. Prior to joining WOS, she attended North High School in South Carolina. Roslyn's favorite pastime is traveling and spending time with her family.

DevAna Jackson, an aspiring entrepreneur, learned about the WOS program from a friend and promptly enrolled in December 2010. She graduated from Cleveland Heights (Ohio) High School, and earned her certificate from the WOS/University of Akron program in January 2012. After serving as a consultant to Eaton's IT organization since July 2011,  DevAna was hired in January 2013 as an Associate Analyst. Outside of work and school, DevAna enjoys writing and singing music, as well as cooking up inventive meals in the kitchen.

Julie Vargas joined WOS in August of 2012. As program coordinator, she works closely with Newark high schools and community organizations to recruit potential consultants. Her primary responsibilities include organizing WOS' SOAR program at Rutgers-Newark, ensuring our students have everything they need to succeed in the program, and guiding them through the college process. Julie holds a B.A. in communication and media studies from Fordham University.

Grecia Marte joined WOS in June 2012 and earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Grecia graduated from Arts (Newark, NJ) High School. She is currently consulting at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. Grecia enjoys listening to music, drawing, and hanging out with friends.

Jack joined WOS in September 2010. He enlisted with the United States Marine Corps Reserves in August of 2009 and currently serves as a Lance Corporal. He recently graduated as Honor Graduate from the Aviation Logistics Tactical Information Systems course in Athens, GA, and was meritoriously promoted for his work. Jack is also a recipient of the Marine Corps League’s Joseph M. Schmittou Peer Leadership Award, for which he was nominated for by his peers. He is enrolled in the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program, pursuing his certificate in application and software development. Jack works in Prudential’s Group Insurance division, providing application development services. For recreation, Jack enjoys playing rugby, writing music, regularly going to the gym, and going out with friends.

Director of Business Outreach
Brian P. Watson, the former Editor in Chief of CIO Insight, joined Workforce Opportunity Services in April 2010. As Director of Business Outreach, Brian works with IT and corporate leaders to determine their staffing needs and implement effective training and educational programs. He manages WOS’ web operations and teaches classes in communication and workplace integration in our academic programs.

As Editor in Chief of CIO Insight, he led the reshaping and rebranding of CIO Insight’s magazine and Web site to offer more actionable insights from top IT leaders. Previously he served in other editorial management roles with CIO Insight and Baseline, in addition to writing for various newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and Europe.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University and a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School, where he was awarded the highest graduate honor for integrity, leadership and character. He lives in Manhattan.

Courtney Martin learned about the WOS program from a friend and joined in June 2010. She consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical billing and coding. Currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program, Courtney expects to earn her final certificate in October 2011. She is a 2008 graduate of Marylawn of the Oranges Academy in South Orange, N.J. In her free time, Courtney enjoys reading and studying astrology.

Candice Wright joined WOS in May 2012 and is currently pursuing her certificate from University of North Florida. She currently serves as a consultant to Prudential's claims department in Jacksonville, Florida, as a customer service associate. Candice served in the U.S. Army, where she specialized in transportation. A graduate of Jean Ribault (Jacksonville, FL) Senior High School, Candice enjoys sports, writing and composing music, and traveling.

Ruscel Kirkland enlisted in the United States Air Force in September of 1998 and served through December of 2006. In conjunction with his regular duties, he served as an academic instructor teaching his fellow Airmen analytical techniques. After his departure from active duty, Ruscel has worked as an analyst and database manager in consultant positions with companies such as Prudential, MetLife and Verizon. He has attended Seton Hall University and is currently taking classes in Application and Software development in the Rutgers SOAR program. Ruscel works with Prudential’s database support department. In his spare time, he likes to relax by exploring interests in sports, music, art, and poetry, as well as spending time with family and friends.

Client Service ManagerRuss Yorks is responsible for managing the WOS Veterans program in Ft. Washington, Pa. He joined the WOS team in July 2011. Prior to joining WOS, Russ worked in commercial mortgage banking, underwriting multimillion–dollar assets for a top FHA lender. Russ holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from Eastern Connecticut State University and a Master of Arts in Economics and Education from Columbia University. He is currently working towards his doctorate in education from Teachers College at Columbia University. Russ also brings a military background to WOS, currently serving as a Staff Sergeant in the Air National Guard.

Shayna McArdle joined the WOS program after graduating from Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J. in 2010. She currently works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding and billing, and expects to complete her WOS training in October 2011. Shayna likes traveling, fashion, art and studying sociology, and hopes to pursue a four-year degree after completing the Rutgers SOAR program.

Mr. Lewis graduated from George Westinghouse Technical High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., specializing in CISCO/Tele–communications. He is currently working at Channel Thirteen’s and Safe Horizon’s Helpdesk. He is currently attending New York Institute of Technology majoring in Telecommunication Network Management. He recently graduated from the SLICE program, learning skills such as HTML, Analysis & Design and Java.

Atiyah McDaniels graduated from University High School in Newark, N.J. and immediately joined the WOS program. She works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding. Atiyah is enrolled in Rutgers SOAR program and plans to complete her certification in October 2011. She enjoys drawing and spending time with family and friends.

Sandy Liao enrolled in Columbia University's Slice program in Fall 2011 and is projected to earn her certification Fall 2012. She is a graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology '11 where she studied communication design, computer animation and interactive media. She currently works at NYCHA in the Information Technology department. Sandy is an avid reader and a curious learner who also enjoys sewing and arts and craft during her free time.

Scott Woods joined the WOS family in April 2013 as a Program and Client Service Manager for the WOS Veterans Program in Jacksonville, FL. In February 2013,
Scott retired after 30 years of active service from the United States Navy as a Command Master Chief. He brings a wide array of military experience to the WOS team with assignments as a Career Information Team Instructor, Rating Assignment Detailer and major staff command experience in Washington, DC (two separate tours) and on the Navy Reserve Headquarters staff in New Orleans, LA. Scott is a graduate from the Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy and earned his Bachelor's degree from Excelsior College in Albany, NY.

Tanika Miller, who aspires to become a doctor, works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding. She graduated from Arts High School in Newark, N.J. in 2008 and is currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program. Tanika enjoys reading, music and writing poetry. She plans to complete the WOS program in October 2011 and to complete her bachelor’s degree on her way to medical school.

Coredrees Lindsey joined WOS shortly before graduating from Weequahic (Newark, NJ) High School in 2009, where he took an interest in computer science and graphic design. He earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2010.  He consults Prudential, where he specializes in architecture. Coredrees enjoys playing football, listening to music, and going to church.

Shonnette Miller is a 2005 graduate of Weequahic (Newark, NJ) High School. She joined WOS in June 2012. Shonnette currently employed with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she focuses on processing insurance claims. Shonnette earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. In her free time, she enjoys fashion styling and helping others.

Mr. Lopes graduated from East Side High School in Newark NJ where he was an award-winning short film director. As a consultant for WOS he is currently working at BlueCross BlueShield for Quality Assurance. He is part of the SOAR program at Rutgers Newark taking classes such as Analysis & Design, xHTML, MySQL, and Java.

Monae Myers currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in claims processing. A graduate of Columbia (Maplewood, NJ) High School, Monae joined WOS in September 2012. Monae earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. In her free time, she enjoys shopping and spending time with family and friends.

Shabeka Lucas joined WOS in the summer 2010 and has since been a student in the Rutgers SOAR program. She is also enrolled at Berkeley College and hopes to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in criminal justice in the spring of 2011. She also is a work-study student at Berkeley College, where she assists other student-veterans with educational issues and concerns. Shabeka has a total of seven years of service with the military, including active duty and currently serving in the New York Army National Guard. She has been stationed in places such as Germany and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and served in Iraq for two tours. Shabeka also enjoys spending quality time with her family.

Mr. Najera is a WOS consultant working at Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield New Jersey as part of the SDG T&R Quality Assurance Team. He acquired an Associates in Applied Science in Computer Network Operations and Security from Gibbs College in 2008. He is part of the SOAR program where he is attending class at Rutgers Newark, learning skills such as XHTML, Analysis & Design, My SQL and Java.

Brenda Martinez joined WOS in June 2011. She is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and consults Prudential in Corporate Record Management. Brenda currently serves in the Army National Guard with the 50^th Brigade Special Troops Battalion as a Human Resource Specialist. She graduated from Kearny (NJ) High School in 2008, where she was part of the National Honor Society and the KHS Marching Unit. In her spare time, Brenda likes to read, shop, play video games, and spend quality time with her family and friends.

Shakima Marshall currently consults Avon in their change management database analysis. She completed the Oneonta Job Corps program in 1998, and graduated from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in 2010. Shakima joined WOS in September 2010 and is currently enrolled in the SLICE program at Columbia University, which she expects to complete in October 2011. In her free time, Shakima enjoys reading and spending time with her inquisitive children.

Thameera Ramesar, who works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical billing and coding, graduated from Technology High School in Newark, N.J. in 2009. Currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program, she hopes to pursue a degree in pre-law after receiving her final certificate in October 2011. In her spare time, Thameera likes to read, write and play basketball.

Michael Matolchi served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years as a field artillery fire direction controlman. He joined WOS in August 2011 and is currently pursuing his certificate at Penn State-Abington. Michael works at Prudential in Fort Washington, PA, where he focuses on project and process management. He graduated from Bordentown (NJ) Regional High School in 2000, completed his associate's degree in law and criminal justice from Mercer County Community College in 2009, and earned his bachelor's degree in homeland security and emergency preparedness from Thomas Edison State College in 2011. Michael enjoys football, baseball, basketball, and barbecuing.

Jessica Rang works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in NASCO benefit coding. She learned about WOS from friends and joined the program in June 2010. A 2009 graduate of Technology High School in Newark, N.J., Jessica also attends Essex County College and is enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program, which she expects to complete in October 2011. Outside of work and school, she enjoys reading, art and tennis.

Mr. Matos is a graduate of Columbia University’s SLICE program and is currently employed by Russell Reynolds Associates. While he was involved in the program, he worked as a WOS Consultant for Channel Thirteen/WNET in New York. Mr. Matos is also a graduate of New York City College of Technology and holds an Associate in Applied Science Degree and a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Computer Systems. He specializes in Web Design, Local Area Networking, Database Administration and is A+ certified in Computer Repair.

Garnett Miller was born in Crewlany, Jamaica. He served as a Fire Support Specialist in the Army National Guard from 1998 to 2001. He attended Monroe College and received an associate’s degree. He also joined the Army again to answer his nation’s call from 2002 to 2005. During that time he deployed to Korea and Iraq as a Motor Transport Operator. He is now serving in the Army National Guard as a fire support specialist. His future plans are to receive a master’s degree in occupational therapy and an advanced degree in information technology. He enjoys fishing, auto racing and traveling with his child and wife.

Jamara Robinson is currently employed with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, where she focuses on data entry. A graduate of Newark (NJ) Vocational High School, Jamara joined WOS June 2012. Jamara earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2012. In her free time, she enjoys bowling and driving.

Ms. Negron accepted an offer of full–time employment at Medco Health Solutions in May 2010 after earning her WOS certificate. She is a member of the Rutgers University SOAR Program graduating class of 2010. Ms. Negron is also a graduate of Technology High School with a certificate from Cisco.

Damian Rodriguez joined the WOS program in June 2010 following his graduation from Abraham Clark High School in Roselle, N.J. He currently works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding. Damian is enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and plans to earn his final certificate in October 2011. He enjoys playing basketball and baseball, as well as singing and writing poetry.

Amber Newsome is a veteran of the U.S. Army, where she rose to the rank of Sergeant and served in Iraq. She is currently pursuing a degree in finance at Rutgers University’s Business School. At Prudential, Amber works in application development with the company’s PIM department. She volunteers with Rutgers Center of Urban Enterprise and Economic Development and La Casa de Don Pedro, a nonprofit aimed at improving the quality of Newark public schools. A native of Goshen, N.Y., she currently lives in Newark with her husband, son and daughter, and enjoys dancing, riding horses and reading historical literature.

Nico Steele currently consults Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, where he focuses on data entry. A 2012 graduate of Kearny (NJ) High School, Nico joined WOS in June 2012. Nico earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2012. In his free time, he enjoys all things music.

Mr. Nieves has completed the WOS program and has moved into full time employment with TMP Worldwide. He is a graduate of Columbus High School and Per Scholas Computer School. He graduated in 2006 from the SLICE program at Columbia University. His experience includes various specialized support roles such as desktop support technician, laptop repair and helpdesk technician. Serving currently as Quality Assurance (QA) technician at TMP Worldwide in NY, he has ongoing goals. To complete a college degree is the ultimate goal for him now.

Cesar Ortiz was hired by Prudential in January 2012. He works in Prudential's Global Business and Technology Solutions (GBTS) organization, where he supports document management service and support (DMSS)/library management, and supports the mainframe engineering group. Cesar is currently pursuing his associate's degree in computer science at Essex County College in Newark and hopes to pursue his bachelor's degree afterward. He is an avid fan of basketball, baseball, boxing, and football. He is also passionate about automotive science; in addition to working on his own car, Cesar plans to restore his grandfather's 1970 Chevy Chevelle in 2012.

Manuel Ortiz, a New York native, graduated from Teaneck High School in 1999. He has served in the Army National Guard since May 2009. He joined WOS in July 2010 and currently consults Prudential, in addition to studying in the Rutgers SOAR program. His main focus has been to take care of his two children, Manuel Jr., who is 11, and Lenaya, who is 9. His hobbies include sports, coaching his son’s football and baseball teams, and spending time with family and friends.

Kevin Valentine joined WOS in June of 2012 after graduating from University (Newark, NJ) High School. He earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. After serving as a consultant to Sealed Air Corporation's eSpendwise division, Kevin now provides quality assurance services to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. In his free time, he enjoys football, fixing cars and learning new things.

Mr. Patel graduated from Gibbs College in 2008 with an Associate in Computer Network Operations and Security. He is a graduate of Columbia University’s SLICE program where he completed his certification in Applications and Software Development. He has been hired by Prudential Financial where he does work with Wikis around Service Oriented Architecture.

Mosias Venord graduated from American History (Newark, NJ) High School in 2012. He joined WOS in June 2012 and earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. Mosias is a consultant with Blue Cross Blue Shield, where he focuses on data entry. He enjoys listening to music, watching TV, and playing Xbox.

Josef Pentz joined WOS in July 2010 and is enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program. Since graduating from Manchester Township (N.J.) High School in 2006, he has worked at Radio Shack and in a distribution warehouse. He later joined the Army National Guard. His interests include anything and everything related to computers, as well as Brazilian ju-jitsu and grappling tournaments.

Dwight Watson joined WOS in August 2012 after graduating from East Orange (NJ) High School. Dwight earned his certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013 and is currently consulting at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. Dwight enjoys playing basketball.

Tavon Pettway joined WOS in July 2010 and currently serves as an application development consultant to Prudential’s ATE group. Currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR Veterans program, Tavon expects to earn his final certificate in July 2011. He graduated from Bunnell (N.J.) High School and currently attends Housatonic College in Bridgeport, CT, where he is pursuing a degree in business technology. Tavon served in the United States Air Force for five years as a Corporal. He was part of the Operation Iraqi Freedom from July 2004 to July 2005 serving as the Civil Affairs OIC driver. He was also a Shift Leader for food operations in Mahmudiyah and Lutifiyah in Iraq from August 2006 to November 2007. Tavon was also part of the Fort Drum Culinary Arts Team in 2004. In his spare time, Tavon enjoys participating in outdoor sports, cooking, and spending time with his daughter.

Shalon Woods earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in January 2013. She is currently consulting at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. Shalon is a graduate of Lady Liberty Academy (Harrison, NJ) Charter School. In her free time, Shalon enjoys cheerleading, softball and volleyball.

Travis Pettway is a graduate of Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, CT. He is a four-year veteran of the United States Air Force. He attends Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT, pursing a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In his spare time, Travis enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball and producing music. He is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and expects to earn a certificate in Application and Software Development in the spring of 2011.

Robert Pincay joined WOS in September 2010 and serves as a project management consultant at Prudential. He is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and expects to earn his final certificate in spring 2011. Robert served in the United States Marines Corps from 2002 to 2006. He has been employed by several companies, including The Home Depot and The Newark Museum. Robert graduated from Arts High School in Newark, N.J. in 2002. His interests include photography, boxing and wrestling.

Mr. Pinho was hired by Prudential Financial, Inc. in January 2009. He graduated from East Side High School in Newark NJ, specializing in A+ Computer Repairs and HP Printer Repairs. He is an award-winning short movie director and is heavily involved in volunteering his time back at his high school as well as working with Columbia to identify future prospects for the program from his high school. He is a recent graduate of Columbia University's SLICE program where he completed his certification in Applications and Software Development.

Terrence Rembert joined WOS in September 2011. A 1988 graduate of Fairhope (AL) High School, he earned his associate's degree in bible studies from Freedom Seminary in 1994 and his bachelor's degree in management from University of Phoenix in 2011. Terrence served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years as a culinary specialist. He currently consults Prudential as a customer service representative. Terrence enjoys construction and home improvement, as well as sci-fi and action movies.

Eboney Robinson joined WOS in September 2011. She is currently enrolled in Columbia University's SLICE program, which she expects to complete in fall 2012. Eboney graduated from Thomas A. Edison (Queens, NY) High School in 2010 and is studying business management at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). She currently consults TMP Worldwide, where she specializes in quality assurance. In her free time, Eboney enjoys playing basketball and solving puzzles like Sudoku and Rubik's Cube.

Emmitt attended Somerset (N.J.) Vocational School and graduated from Franklin High School in Somerset in 2007. He is currently enrolled in Middlesex Community College, pursuing his associate’s degree in social science and participates in the Rutgers SOAR program. In his spare time, Emmitt works on his side business that offers many handyman services.

Lavera Robinson served in the U.S. Army for four years as an intelligence analyst. She graduated from King High School in 1983 and earned her bachelor's in business administration from St. Leo University in Tampa, FL, in 2002. Lavera is also currently attending Florida State College of Jacksonville in pursuit of her LEVEL degree in health information management. She joined WOS in September 2011 and is working toward her certificate at University of North Florida. Lavera also works as a mentor and volunteer with the Terry Parker NJROTC program in Jacksonville, FL.

Ms. Rodas is working at Blue Cross Blue Shield of N.J as part of SDG T&R. She graduated from Technology High School with a certificate in C.A.D (Computer Aided Drafting). She is a current student in the Rutgers SOAR program where she is completing her certification in Applications and Software Development.

Maybelline Roque joined WOS in July 2010 after learning about the program from friends who completed it earlier. She works with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in medical benefits coding. Maybelline—a graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Gibbs College, where she studied accounting—is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program, which she expects to complete in October 2011. Outside of work and school, she enjoys drawing.

Christian Saltos provides quality assurance analysis services to Avon. He graduated from Per Scholas Institute for Technology in 2010 after studying at Christopher Columbus High School in Bronx, NY. Christian joined WOS in September 2010 and currently studies in the SLICE program at Columbia University, which he expects to complete in October 2011. Outside of work and school, Christian enjoys music, video games and spending time with family.

Salina Saunders joined WOS in August 2011 and is currently pursuing her certificate at Penn State-Abington. She currently works at Prudential in Fort Washington, PA, where she focuses on project management for the Life Insurance division. Salina served in the U.S. Air Force from 1999 to 2003 as an operations administrator. She earned her associate's degree in communication from Burlington County (NJ) College in 2003 and her bachelor's degree in business management in 2008 from University of Phoenix in 2008. Outside of work and school, Salina enjoys spending time with her family.

James Sessions has served in the Army National Guard since May 2001, during which he has served in multiple missions, including Operation Enduring Freedom and the Hurricane Katrina relief in New Orleans. James holds the rank of Sergeant and has graduated from airborne and air assault school. He joined WOS in August 2010 and expects to complete the Rutgers SOAR program in spring 2011. While in the program he was certified by the American Software Testing Qualifications Board in software testing. James graduated from Rowan University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. While at Rowan he was the Director of Chapter Relations for the American Marketing Association, part of the senate in the Student Government Association and a founding father of Pi Kappa Alpha. In his free time, James likes to go to the gym, participate in outdoor sports, and spend time with his friends and family.

Divjot Singh joined WOS in August 2010 and has since been enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program. He graduated from Bentonville (AR) High School in 2006, and hopes to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Divjot served in the United States Marine Corps from 2006 to 2010 and was stationed in Jacksonville, NC. He served in the infantry with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In his spare time, Divjot enjoys playing golf, tennis, and spending time with his friends.

Leighton Smith came to WOS in September 2010 from Per Scholas Institute for Technology, which he completed in 2010. Previously, Leighton graduated from Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, NY in 2004, and St. Francis College in 2008. He earned his certificate from the Columbia University SLICE program, which he expects to complete in October 2011. At Avon, Leighton serves an analyst for the company’s project management department. He enjoys reading, movies, spending time with family and learning new technologies.

Dwain Sotilleo consults Prudential in enterprise systems management. A 2005 graduate of Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J., Dwain also completed studies at HoHoKus Rets Technical Institute in 2007 and studied at Gibbs College. He earned his certificate in quality assurance from Rutgers-Newark’s SOAR program in May 2010. Outside of work, Dwain enjoys fixing computers and networking.

Haitian native Frantz Sylvain is a two-time Iraq War veteran and serves as an Artillery Section Chief in the New York National Guard. He also served in South Korea for three years, and has completed numerous military training programs, such as Air Assault School and Military Occupation Specialty training. Outside the military, his interest in the arts motivated him to become a skilled music producer, film director, and graphic designer. Frantz is currently enrolled in the Rutgers SOAR program and consultants Prudential in quality assurance testing. In his spare time he likes to produce music and design website layouts.

Mr. Teixeira is a 2006 graduate of East Side High School in Newark, New Jersey. While attending high school he learned photography, video & music editing and directing with the hope of becoming a video editor or director. He is a graduate of the SLICE program, where he added skills such as HTML, SQL, and Java to his portfolio. After completion of the WOS program, he now works at Prudential Financial maintaining servers that process bank statements and insurance claims.

Yokasta Vargas is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in business administration, specializing in computer information systems, from Baruch College in Manhattan. She joined WOS in September 2011. Yokasta is currently studying in Columbia University's SLICE program and expects to earn her certificate in fall 2012. She serves as a consultant to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), specializing in Siebel for the agency's Process and Information department. Outside of work and school, Yokasta enjoys reading, writing, programming, and anything art-related.

Victoria Vasquez joined WOS in September 2011. She currently consults the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), where she specializes in VoIP for the Telecommunications department. A 2005 of SIA Tech High School, Victoria is pursuing her certificate in Columbia University's SLICE program, which she expects to complete in fall 2012. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with friends.

Mr. Vergara is an employee of Prudential Financial where he supports Lotus Notes Applications for the Life Insurance Business Unit. He is also a volunteer music teacher/counselor at the Second Baptist Church in Union City. In 2007, he graduated from Gibbs College with an Associates in Computer Network Operations and Security and is a graduate of Columbia University’s SLICE program where he completed his certification in Applications and Software Development.

Jackolyn Wade served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years as a career counselor and logistic specialist. She graduated from Irvin (El Paso, TX) High School in 1990 and is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Phoenix. Jackolyn joined WOS in September 2011 and consults Prudential as a customer service representative. In her free time, she enjoys volleyball and basketball, motorcycles and meeting new people.

Carson Williams served in the U.S. Army for almost eight years as a human resources specialist. He joined WOS in May 2012 and is currently pursuing his certificate at University of North Florida. Carson, who is also pursuing a bachelor's degree in corporate finance from Jacksonville University, serves as a consultant to Prudential's claims department in Jacksonville, Florida. In his free time, Carson enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, playing golf, fishing and camping.

Victor Williams, a native of Palatka, FL, finished up his 22-year career in the U.S. Army as a Communication Supervisor in 2003. Following his extensive military career, Victor held a few titles in the technology field, including a Systems Administrator and a Systems Analyst. He is continuing his education in pursuit of his bachelor’s degree in business information systems. Currently enrolled in Rutgers’ SOAR program, Victor expects to earn his certification in Application and Software Development in the spring of 2011. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing softball.

Maurice Wilson served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic on active duty with U.S. Army from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, he transitioned to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, where he is currently serving. Maurice has been deployed with the Army to Korea and Japan. He joined WOS in August 2011 and earned his certificate in Business Operations Support from Penn State-Abington in March 2012. He currently serves as a consulting in customer service for Prudential. Maurice holds a degree from Lincoln Tech in Automotive Technology. In his spare time, Maurice enjoys video games, researching stocks, and target shooting.

Shala Woods joined WOS in July 2009 after graduating from Arts High School in Newark, NJ. She earned her certificate from the Rutgers-Newark SOAR program in December 2010. Shala consults Prudential, where she focuses in security engineering. In her free time, Shala enjoys singing and working on broadcast projects.