Is Your Team Ready for AI? WOS Can Help!

Dr. Arthur M. Langer is the Chairman and Founder of Workforce Opportunity Services. He serves in a number of roles at Northeastern University including Assoc. Vice-Provost and Director of the Center for Technology Management and Digital Leadership as well as Professor of Professional Practice at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the D-Amore-McKim School of Business. Dr. Langer also is Professor of Practice and Director of the Workforce Education and Development Advanced Certificate Program in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Education (Teachers College). He also serves on the faculty of the Department of Organization and Leadership at the Graduate School of Education (Teachers College) and is the faculty director of the Workforce Education and Development Advanced Certificate Program.

Previously, Dr. Langer held multiple positions at Columbia University where he was Professor of Professional Practice, Director of the Center for Technology Management, and Academic Director of the M.S. in Technology Management programs at Columbia University.

Dr. Langer is the author of Analysis and Design of Next Generation Software Architecture (2020), Strategic Information Technology: Best Practices to Drive Digital Transformation (2nd Ed., 2018 with Lyle Yorks), Information Technology and Organizational Learning (3rd Ed., 2018), Guide to Software Development: Designing and Managing the Life Cycle (2nd Ed., 2016),  Analysis and Design of Information Systems (2007), Applied Ecommerce (2002), and The Art of Analysis (1997) and has published numerous articles and papers relating to service learning for underserved populations, IT organizational integration, mentoring and staff development.

Dr. Langer consults with corporations and universities on information technology, staff development, management transformation, and curriculum development around the globe. Prior to joining the full-time faculty at Columbia University, Dr. Langer was Executive Director of Computer Support Services at Coopers and Lybrand, General Manager and Partner of Software Plus, and President of Macco Software.

Jose Cabrera joined the WOS team in February of 2016 as a Talent Acquisition Associate. He is currently serving as the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition.

Jose joined the Marine Corp Reserve after the tragic events of 9/11. During this time, he deployed to Iraq twice in 2003 and 2005.

Jose then used his Post 9/11 G.I. Bill to complete his Bachelor’s of Arts in History, while also completing a Teacher Certification Program at Hunter College.

Andrew Champion joined the WOS team in May 2023 as Systems Administrator responsible for the network/cloud infrastructure and information systems of WOS. Andrew separated from Military in 2018 serving in both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army after 16 years of service as a Staff Sergeant.

He was previously an Operations Manager for Amazon.  He brings extensive networking, data science, and other technical experiences to the WOS team.

Philip Curry joined WOS as Chief Financial Officer 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.

Mike Keizur 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.

Wendy LaPlaca joined WOS in January 2018 as a Client Service Manager in Lincolnshire, IL. Prior to joining WOS, Wendy served as a Program Director for CASA Lake County, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing advocacy for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system. In this role, she managed a professional staff and was responsible for overseeing the work of over 200 trained volunteer advocates. Previously Wendy worked on a national sales team at the IBM Corporation.

Wendy earned a master’s in educational administration from Illinois State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology from Mac Murray College.

Cheyenne Nester joined WOS in November 2023 as a part-time Content Creator based in Reading, PA. In this role, she was responsible for developing engaging marketing materials that tell our story and inspire others. In June 2024, she transitioned to a full-time position as a Digital Marketing Specialist, with the added responsibility of managing and maintaining the company website.

Before joining WOS, Cheyenne most recently worked as a Marketing Specialist, focusing on trade shows and event logistics, registration, and coordination.

Cheyenne received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Design and Marketing from Waynesburg University in May 2019. She is a professional member of both AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) and AMA (American Marketing Association) and holds several certifications from HubSpot Academy. When not working at WOS, you can find her coaching color guard at her local high school.

Alyse Nullmeyer joined WOS in March of 2022. Alyse has worked in multiple fields and industries, most recently as a Service Delivery Manager with BTL Surpass, where she fostered successful relationships with her clients.

Alyse graduated from Temple University with her bachelor’s in business administration and got her start as a Bakery Team Leader at Whole Foods Market, where she learned that compassion and giving opportunities to people from all walks of life would allow them to find success and grow to their potential.

Steve Petruk joined WOS on January 1, 2024, after twenty-seven highly successful years in the technical support sales and delivery industry. He served in multiple roles with IBM, starting as an advisory project leader, project executive, Director of Sales, West Region VP of Maintenance and finally Vice President Professional Services before retiring to join Toshiba Global Commerce. At Toshiba, Steve was responsible for global delivery of warrant and post warrant delivery as Global Senior Vice President delivery. Prior to joining WOS, Steve spent four years at Computer Generated Solutions, Inc. as President of the outsourcing division.

Steve’s deep experience in sales and delivery, will establish a solid foundation for success in his new role as Head of Managed Services Strategy, Sales and Marketing. He will report directly to Dr. Arthur M. Langer, Chief Executive Officer.

Steve resides in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a proud parent of a daughter and son, and an even prouder grandfather of six grandchildren (2 boys and 4 girls). He is passionate about supporting homeless ministries, mentoring/coaching teenagers and young adults and dog training.

Patrick Spurgeon is the Systems Administrator for Talent Acquisition and is responsible for a wide variety of programs and systems used to identify and recruit diverse talent from local communities. He previously served as a Client Service Manager responsible for managing WOS programs in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

Patrick is a 27-year veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Force, retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer before joining the WOS team in February 2013. He served on five different nuclear submarines, one tour with the Navy’s Ceremonial Guard in Washington, DC and two tours as a Navy Instructor at Naval Submarine Base, New London.

Stuart Kippelman is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Parsons Corporation.

Stuart previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Covanta. He leads all aspects of global IT, leveraging innovative technologies to transform the way the business runs and generates revenue. For his transformational work at Covanta, Stuart has received numerous prestigious industry recognitions including Top 100 CIOs in STEM 2015, Computerworld’s 2014 Premier IT Leader Award and the CIO.com Top 100 Award in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Prior to joining Covanta, Stuart held many leadership and technical roles of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson. He was Corporate Director of Technology M&A and Emerging Market Growth, CIO/CTO of Health & Wellness, Vice President of Global Infrastructure Technology Engineering, and Development, as well as other roles in engineering, architecture, research, portfolio management, deployment, and operations.

Stuart is a monthly guest columnist on WSJ and is a featured blogger on Computerworld.com. He holds multiple patents in data mining, and Business Intelligence. As an accomplished speaker, he is a frequent presenter at many major industry conferences, delivering keynote presentations on a wide variety of topics ranging from Leadership, Innovation, Mobile Computing, Consumerization of IT, Cloud, and Cybersecurity.

Stuart is actively engaged in helping guide and develop the next generation of IT leadership and serves as a career mentor both for Columbia University’s Executive Master of Science in Technology Management program, as well as the CIO Executive Council Pathways program.

Stuart holds an M.B.A. in Technology Management and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Phoenix. He, his wife, and daughter resided in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Mike Keizur currently is responsible for outreach and marketing for WOS. His 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.

Shawn Banerji is the managing partner for the Data, Digital & Technology Leaders Practice at Caldwell, co-located in the New York and Stamford offices. He is an expert on change management and specializes in the recruitment and assessment of Catalyst Leaders who are resetting value propositions through the power of technology, data & analytics, accelerated software engineering, IoT, and cloud. As a trusted advisor to organizations seeking cultural and commercial transformation by unlocking the latent value of legacy assets and product portfolios, he advises clients on the convergence of talent and innovation across all facets of the evolving digital enterprise.​

Industry coverage includes retail & consumer, insurance, investments & banking, professional services, healthcare, process & industrial, technology & media, as well as financial sponsors and their portfolio companies. Roles include CIO, CTO, chief digital officer, chief data officer, CISO and the related leadership suites.​

Shawn joined Caldwell from Russell Reynolds Associates, where he was a leader in the Technology Officers Practice, and a founding member of both the FinTech and Digital Health practices.​

He is an ex-officio board member of SIM New York and serves on the board of advisors for The Center for Technology Management at Columbia University. He is a regular contributor at MIT’s annual CIO Symposium and an advocate for increasing technology representation and diversity on corporate boards.​

Shawn holds a BA in speech communications from the University of Richmond, VA and an MA in communications from the University of Westminster, London. He is certified in a variety of assessment tools and methodologies.​

Diana is the retired Senior Director of the Business Services Center at the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In this role, Diana implemented a unified back office to support the MTA’s legacy businesses. She also served as the Chief Information Officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  Prior to her public service, Diana had a successful career in financial services. Her most recent private-sector position was CIO at Marsh, Inc. Prior to joining Marsh, she was Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Travelers Insurance. In that role, she was directly responsible for the development and application of technology for all business lines and technical infrastructure.

Diana received her bachelor’s in accounting from Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Nicholas M. 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.

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 U.K-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 Advisory Board of Science and Technology, 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 and a Senior Fellow of the Kauffman Foundation.

Allan is an outcome-driven, people-oriented leader recognized for developing and executing pragmatic strategies that drive growth, improve efficiency and control risk. He serves as Connecticut’s Health Information Technology Officer within the Office of Health Strategy, a role appointed by Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman to build and implement statewide health information exchange and analytic services, and to develop and coordinate the implementation a state-wide health information technology (HIT) strategy.

Previously, Allan served as SVP & Chief Information Officer (CIO) at John Hancock Financial Services with oversight of the company’s technical teams. In this role, he introduced mobile computing and the first company-wide customer data repository.  As a catalyst for change, he created shared services and optimized vendors, generating millions in free cash flow to reinvest in new functions and capabilities.

Allan joined John Hancock from AIG Consumer Finance Group where, as CIO and Operations Executive, he led the effort to reposition autonomous banking and lending operations into a more integrated global platform to enable significant expansion.  Previously, he was SVP of IT for Bank of America Commercial Finance.

Allan started his career at GE, where he held a number of leadership positions in the USA and Japan for GE Capital’s global consumer finance business, led more than 50 global IT due diligence and M&A integration transactions, and headed GE Capital’s initiative to launch Six Sigma across its IT function.

Professionally, he holds CISM and CRISC certifications. He was named a Computerworld Premier 100 CIO during 2012 and is a Mentor in Columbia University’s Technology Management Master’s program.

In the community, Allan is co-founder and member of the Regional Board of Directors of buildOn in Boston, a national non-profit organization that empowers youth is to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education.  He is also on the Board of Directors for Common Impact, the national leader in developing tomorrow’s leaders through skill-based volunteering and community engagement.

Allan graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University.  He and his wife Jane reside in New Canaan, CT.

Vicki Hildebrand is an engaged and courageous leader. She is responsible for the Information Technology solutions at Blue Cross, as well as implementing future technology and data management capabilities to better serve consumers, clients, and employees. She understands the importance of technology solutions that can improve lives and help people get well, stay well, and live well with disease.

Prior to her time at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, Ms. Hildebrand served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the United States Department of Transportation where she drove a digital transformation program that resulted in tens of millions of savings, a more resilient cyber security infrastructure, and the implementation of modern data management techniques across all the Department’s agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration.

Before working in Washington, Ms. Hildebrand worked for Hewlett-Packard Inc. for more than 30 years. Her tenure covered leadership positions in hardware and software development, systems engineering, architecture, operations, global services. Most notably, she served as Vice President for Customer and Partner Advocacy where she advised customers on how to implement Digital and Business Transformation. She led the Marketing IT development teams through the complex acquisitions of Compaq and Electronic Data Systems Corporation or EDS.

Ms. Hildebrand has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in technology management from Columbia University where she continues to help teach Digital Transformation. She’s been active in STEM-related learning (science, technology, engineering and math) for her entire career and continues to support women with an interest in technology.

As a US Figure Skating Gold Medalist and former coach, she spends her free time as a national level figure skating judge. Ms. Hildebrand is happy to be working in her home state of Vermont.

Evon Jones is an experienced IT and business executive with over 15 plus years as a CIO in multiple industries including retail, life sciences, consumer goods, travel and aviation, and financial services. He is currently the Chief Informational Officer of Aventiv Technologies.

Evon was the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Hallmark Cards Inc. where he was responsible for developing and implementing IT strategies to enable business goals and drive company performance. In addition, he provided vision and leadership to develop technology solutions that advanced retail, operational and business strategies as well as delivered cost efficiencies and a roadmap for ERP and IT infrastructure improvements. Evon was also a corporate officer of Hallmark Cards Inc.

As former CIO of Fifth & Pacific companies, formerly Liz Claiborne, he oversaw the global IT organization for all portfolio brands including Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Liz Claiborne and others. Evon also served as CIO for Bausch + Lomb, The Dial Corporation, America West Holdings (airline and Leisure company), and held leadership roles at American Express and Lehman Brothers.

Evon received his B.A. from Baruch College in New York City and served on the boards of Henkel North America, Central & Northern Arizona Better Business Bureau, and was a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) IT Committee.

Evon’s former community involvement included serving on the board of Aid to the Adoption of Special Kids in Phoenix, a member of the Valley of the Sun United Way Funds Allocation Committee and was a member of the State of Arizona Attorney General’s Model Court Stewardship and Stakeholders Advisory Group on Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse.

As CEO of Knight IT Management Consulting, Jim Knight provides comprehensive consulting to drive IT optimization by employing an outcome-based approach at a lower cost.

From 2007 to March 2016, he was Global CIO at Chubb Corporation, where he provided vision and leadership to maximize the usage of information technology to create and maintain leadership for the corporation worldwide. Knight is a project management professional (PMP) and he serves on the boards of the Society of Information Management (Executive Vice Chair) – International, and the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development (ACORD).

Knight brings over 30 years of experience in the delivery and management of information technology primarily in the property and casualty insurance industry. Prior to Chubb, he worked at Utica National Insurance Company, Home Insurance Company, and Merck-Medco.

Knight holds a B.A. in computer science and a master’s degree of MIS from Utica College.

Warren Kudman is the CIO of Turner Construction.

​Previously, he was the Chief Information Officer of Sealed Air Corporation, a $7.8 billion global manufacturer and world leader in food and industrial packaging and cleaning and hygiene solutions. As CIO, Warren was responsible for delivering information services that enabled the execution of the Sealed Air’s strategic objectives, improved customers’ ease of doing business with the company, and supported continuous improvement in Sealed Air’s day-to-day operations. During his time as CIO, Warren was also selected to lead the Integration Program for Sealed Air’s acquisition of Diversey, a $3 billion global entity.

Prior to joining Sealed Air, Warren spent six years with McKinsey & Company in the New York, New Jersey, and Copenhagen offices. During this time, he advised clients in market strategy, information technology strategy and management, operations improvement, and sales force productivity in the transportation, financial services, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical industries.

Warren is on the Advisory Board of IT Central Station, a social network where IT professionals share their experience and expertise on a wide range of IT products and services.

Julie O’Brien has been driving marketing strategy and growth for industry-defining technology companies for more than 25 years. An accomplished builder and leader, she is energized by delighting customers and inspiring teams to deliver differentiated results.

Before joining Dazz as the Chief Marketing Officer, Julie served as the CMO at AttackIQ, as well as the SVP of Corporate Marketing at Nutanix (IPO), where she led the marketing engine that fueled the company’s double-digit growth. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at start-up, mid-sized, and enterprise companies including SightPath (acquired by Cisco), Cisco, Box, and Good Technology.

Julie serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Workforce Opportunity Services and is an active speaker at women’s leadership and technology events. She graduated from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts with a B.A./M.B.A.

Charles Sevola Jr. joined WOS in March 2020 as the Chief Strategic Advisor for Veteran Programs. Chuck brings with him three decades’ worth of experience as an IT Executive and in roles promoting education and employment, employee engagement, thought leadership, financial wellness and philanthropic activities.

Prior to joining WOS, Chuck was Head of Prudential’s Office of Veterans Initiatives, where he led the firm’s efforts in all facets of its Veteran and Military spouse advocacy. In that role, he worked closely with WOS to establish VETalent – the company’s adaptations of the nonprofit’s model for veterans and later military spouses.

Chuck began his career in Information Technology when he joined Prudential in 1990 and has held positions in Prudential’s Individual Life Insurance business as a program manager for Y2K remediation, head of development for product administration platforms, and head of technology for the Law, Compliance, and Business Ethics Organization. He also was responsible for the integration of infrastructure applications into a new data center in Tokyo, Japan.

Chuck sits on the board of directors for the United Services Organization (USO) of NYC and the board of advisors for the Center for New American Security. Additionally, he was a member of the inaugural class of Veteran Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.  He also has numerous designations including Fellow, Life Management Institute, and Project Management Professional.

Prior to joining Prudential, Chuck was a communications officer in the U.S. Army, serving as a Platoon Leader and a Battalion Signal Officer. He has a bachelor’s in computer science from the State University of New York and a master’s degree in information systems management from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Camille is a visionary and intuitive Human Resources Executive with extensive experience leading the full scope of HR programs and initiatives including, but not limited to organizational design, employee engagement, and capability building. She attended Michigan State University where she graduated with a BA in Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy and Master of Arts in Labor Relations & Human Resources.

After graduate school, Camille joined General Electric’s Human Resource Leadership Program (HRLP) within the Plastics business unit, where she held various roles including HR Integration Specialist, Human Resource Manager, and Marketing Specialist, eventually moving on to GE Water where she held a variety of HR roles before leaving GE in 2007 to focus on family.  In 2007, she and her husband became entrepreneurs as they launched their family business, Alden Oils.

In 2009 Camille began working with Catalyst Community Partners where she served as the Director of Business Development to revitalize distressed urban markets by recruiting companies and helping neighborhood entrepreneurs launch businesses. Camille was a primary contributor to the business plan for Kindred Kitchens, an incubator kitchen in North Minneapolis for food entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses.

In 2011 Camille returned to GE holding a variety of HR leadership roles when in 2016, she took on her most recent role as the Executive HR Business Partner for GE Digital’s Global Digital Hub Transformation. In this capacity, she was responsible for the culture, talent management, collaboration, learning & development and facilitating the restructuring and creation of horizontal organizations.

Camille enjoys spending time with her children (Kennedi, Isaiah & Payton), life coaching, hiking, reading and watching movies. She also loves to spend time with her husband, Donny.

Peter Cappelli currently serves as a George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA.

Cappelli brings knowledge and expertise in areas surrounding human resource practices, public policy related to employment, and talent and performance management to WOS. He formerly served as a Senior Advisor to the Kingdom of Bahrain for Employment Policy and was appointed to serve on the U.S. Secretary of Labor’s Commission on Workforce Quality and Labor Market Efficiency, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce, and the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on Post-Secondary Improvement.

Cappelli—who has authored several best-selling books that cover emerging workforce development trends—is currently conducting research that examines employment relations in the U.S. and their implications.

Alan Mandell is SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and College Professor of Adult Learning and Mentoring at SUNY Empire State College. In his more than four decades at Empire State College, he has served as administrator, mentor in the social sciences and director of the college’s Mentoring Institute. Mandell edits the college’s journal, All About Mentoring and co-edits (with colleague Nan Travers) the first international on-line journal on prior learning assessment, PLA Insideout. Mandell regularly makes presentations at conferences; facilitates workshops; and serves as a consult/reviewer on many projects on adult learning, mentoring and experiential learning.

Together with Elana Michelson, he is the author of Portfolio Development and the Assessment of Prior Learning (2nd edition) (2004) and co-edited the collection of essays, “Adult Education in the Age of Trump and Brexit” (2020). Together with Lee Herman, he has written many essays and book chapters, and has co-authored the book, From Teaching to Mentoring: Principle and Practice, Dialogue and Life in Adult Education (2004), and with Katherine Jelly, he co-edited the book, Principles, Practices, and Creative Tensions in Progressive Higher Education (2017).

Over the last several years, Mandell and colleague Xenia Coulter have regularly published on the state of adult learning today, including a recent edited volume on John Dewey in the New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education series. Recognition of his work includes the Eugene Sullivan Award for Leadership given by the  Adult Higher Education Alliance (2009), the SUNY Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Teaching (2001) and for Professional Services (1991), and the Empire State College Foundation Award in Mentoring (2000). Mandell held the first Susan Turben Chair in Adult Learning and Mentoring (2008-2009).

Charles Snow is the Mellon Foundation Professor of Business Administration in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. He brings extensive knowledge and experience related to innovation management, organization design, and new organizational forms to WOS.

Over the course of his career in academia, he has taught management subjects to executives and MBA students in more than 25 countries. Snow has been a visiting professor at The Amos Tuck School (Dartmouth College), Norwegian School of Management, and the University of Oregon. Snow co-founded OrgDesign.com, which is a community created to improve the practice of organizational design to accelerate the development of new designs that can meet the opportunities and challenges of the 21st-century global economy.

He has co-authored books that include Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process (McGraw-Hill, 1978) , Fit, Failure, and the Hall of Fame: How Firms Succeed or Fail (Free Press, 1994), and Collaborative Entrepreneurship: How Communities of Networked Firms Use Continuous Innovation to Create Economic Wealth (Stanford University Press, 2005). He serves 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.

Dr. David Thomas serves as the President of Morehouse College. Prior to being appointed to the helm of Morehouse, he was the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His research addresses issues related to executive development, cultural diversity in organizations, leadership, and organizational change. He served as a professor of management at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where he served as dean from 2011 to 2016. While at McDonough, Thomas was a member of the Federal City Council, and in 2014, the Washington Business Journal recognized him as a top Minority Business Leader.

Prior to Georgetown, Thomas spent two decades at Harvard Business School (HBS). While he had multiple responsibilities during his tenure, he most notably increased the diversity of faculty and staff, launched new research initiatives and increased research funding, grew Executive Education program revenues by 400 percent. His efforts lead to the growth of HBS’ endowment and increased philanthropic giving, ending the school’s capital campaign $30 million above its $100 million fundraising goal.

Thomas received a bachelor’s degree, as well as masters and doctoral degrees in Organizational Behavior, from Yale University. He also holds a master’s in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. He currently is a member of the Board of Governors for the American Red Cross, the Board of Directors of DTE Energy, and the Estoril Conferences Advisory Board. He also is an industry advisor for Brightwood Capital Advisors.

Danilo Gutierrez Halder joined Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS) in February 2022 and currently serves as Senior Director of Client Services & Operations. In this role, he leads service delivery programs across technical support centers and global delivery teams. He also drives the organization’s strategic recruitment, staffing, and professional development initiatives, aligning high-potential talent with the evolving needs of enterprise clients, and works towards advancing WOS’s mission to create sustainable career pathways for veterans and underserved communities.

Based in Naples, Florida, Danilo brings over 25 years of experience in Operations, Client Services, and Technology-Enabled Service Delivery, supporting Fortune 500 companies across North and Latin America. His background includes designing and leading global service organizations, building scalable support ecosystems supporting more than 60,000 users worldwide, and managing infrastructure and service operations across Latin America. He has successfully directed multi-region service desk operations, integrating international teams to deliver consistent, high-quality user experience with a strategic focus on performance, resilience, and business continuity.

Under his leadership, organizations have achieved measurable improvements in SLA compliance, user satisfaction, and workforce efficiency, while reducing cost, operational redundancies, and accelerating time-to-productivity across support teams.

He received his education in Business Management from Universidad Latina in Costa Rica and is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Danilo also holds multiple industry-recognized certifications, including ITIL, ITIL SOA (Service Offerings and Agreements), COBIT5, and Salesforce Administration, among others.

Cindy Jebb became Ramapo College of New Jersey’s fifth president on July 6, 2021. In her first few months as president of the state’s premier liberal arts college, Ramapo developed its Fall Operations Plan with the priority of ensuring a healthy, well, safe, and vibrant student experience, while embracing a culture of dignity and respect marked by empathy, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Moreover, under her leadership, the College has launched its 2021-2022 Strategic Planning process through a set of campus-wide summits known as The Future Series, a Needs Statement Process, and Campus Master Planning.

Dr. Jebb joined Ramapo College following her retirement from the U.S. military after 39 years of service at the rank of Brigadier General, Professor Emerita, and as the first woman Dean of the Academic Board at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Prior to her appointment as Dean, Dr. Jebb served as Professor and Head of the Department of Social Sciences. Additionally, she has served at home and abroad; conducted human security research in Africa; and completed study projects in Iraq and Afghanistan to include serving as a senior advisor to the Chief, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq during the Summer of 2015.

Dr. Jebb earned a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a M.A. in Political Science from Duke, an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and holds an honorary doctorate from Bard College. Dr. Jebb and her husband, who reside in Mahwah, have four grown children (including their daughter-in-law) and one grandchild.

A retired IBM executive, Robert (Bob) King is a former chair and officer of the Stamford Board of Education where, during his tenure, he served on committees focused on curriculum, community engagement and more. A member of the NAACP, Bob is a veteran of the US Army and graduate of the University of Connecticut. He has served in leadership positions for organizations throughout the community and he and his wife, Beverly, reside in Stamford and have three children.

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 and 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 of the Law School Association and of the Stephen Whitney Phoenix Society, and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Columbia Libraries.

Robert (Bob) Farina is an experienced CEO of Private Equity and Venture Capital backed technology companies with over 30 years of experience leading start-ups, turnarounds and high growth enterprises in the managed services (MS), software-as-a-service (SaaS) and business process outsourcing (BPO) business segments. In addition to his experience successfully running multiple businesses backed by professional investors, Farina has served on a number of Boards of Directors, started and successfully exited his own business, and ran a division of a publicly held company. He has been a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the State of New Jersey three times in his career and serves on the Advisory Board of the Columbia University Master’s Degree program for Information Technology Management. Farina is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Ming Wu joined WOS in December, 2018 as a Bookkeeper working alongside with the Executive Administrator and CFO to create a more effective and efficient way of data management. Before joining WOS, Ming worked as a staff accountant in Professional Bookkeeping Services, where he managed multiple clients’ bookkeeping services to ensure all data recorded are accurate in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Mr. Wolf brings over 30 years of experience in leading software engineering, product management, Information Technology, Information Security, Technology Architecture, Quality Assurance and Project Management to the Advisory Services leadership team. Mr. Wolf is a creative innovator, and passionate problem solver. He is an early pioneer in analytics and BI space, being named as the inventor of 10 patents related to Oracle Discoverer, on which Mr. Wolf was the Principal Engineer. Mr. Wolf is an expert in eDiscovery having led the creation of H5’s Information Retrieval and AI platforms, then led the enterprise architecture of H5’s eDiscovery Services. Mr. Wolf advises clients on the architecture, security, technical infrastructure, be it on site or in the cloud, applications, and application architecture needed to meet their objectives.

Dr. Addie M. Rimmer, Director of Student Learning, has designed and taught interpersonal skills courses for WOS since 2008. She previously served as a newspaper editor and journalism faculty member. She has a bachelor’s degree from The City College of New York, a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, and a doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Mayela Montano joined WOS as an HR Generalist/Office Manager in October of 2024. Mayela brings with her 15 years of HR leadership experience from both Non-profit and Corporate America. Mayela began her HR career working for the Texas Workforce Commission and with her most recent position in HR Operations for Corporate America.

Jessica Miller joined the WOS family in 2010. She directs all educational services and academic operations including curriculum development, relationships with universities, colleges, and other academic institutions, and new program implementations to develop the skills of untapped talent from underserviced and veteran communities. Jessica led and continues to oversee the adoption of Canvas as the WOS Learning Management System including moving all academic content and courses to Canvas which has been instrumental in providing continuity during the shift to remote training. She spearheads the various live, online training offerings including the Soft Skills Mastery Class and the Professional Development training. Previously, Jessica was responsible for managing all aspects of the WOS program in northeast Ohio from implementation to completion.

Jessica was named among the Top 50 Women Leaders for Ohio for 3 consecutive years (2024, 2023, 2022).  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.

Sandy Kelton joined WOS as Service Desk Manager in September of 2024. Sandy brings over 20 years of experience in IT Service Desk Management. Sandy has successfully lead teams in global 24/7 environments, supporting thousands of end-users. Sandy has a proven track record in implementing process improvements, achieving cost savings, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Sandy is a driven Leader with a Customer Service mindset. Her experience includes incident management, change management, ITIL best practices, software licensing and team leadership.

Harriet Hope joined WOS in October 2010. Her responsibilities include finance, human resources, data 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.

Dr. Hedin, a leading expert in the assessment of the effectiveness of advanced search and analytics technologies, brings expertise in gathering the evidence that allows an assessment of the trustworthiness of a technology. In his consulting practice, he supports clients in the design and oversight of sampling and measurement protocols to validate the results of AI-enabled review technologies; he also provides guidance to clients seeking the most efficient, and scientifically sound, methods to demonstrate the trustworthiness of the technologies they have adopted. Dr. Hedin has contributed to several initiatives in keeping with his expertise, including a model ESI protocol, manifestos on the rule of law in the age of artificial intelligence, the IEEE’s Ethically Aligned Design, and US NIST’s Text Retrieval Conference (TREC) Legal Track.

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.

Amy Dolph, Educational Services Coordinator, joined the WOS team in January 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector. With a strong background in both administrative roles and direct service, she is dedicated to enhancing educational services and supporting the organization’s mission.

Ms. Brickell, a lawyer, brings expertise garnered as in-house counsel and courtroom lawyer. Having served as general counsel of a technology company which deployed search and measurement expertise and technology to address eDiscovery, data management, and compliance challenges, and deputy general counsel of a top consumer products company, Brickell has worked closely with business units on data security, privacy, data management, compliance, contracting, intellectual property, eDiscovery, and litigation. As faculty teaching the implications of the law to technology executives for well over a decade, Brickell communicates effectively with technology teams, advises on business processes, elucidates ethical issues in the use of artificial intelligence, and speaks and writes frequently on these topics.

Eric Severson is a visionary leader in human resources and organizational development, known for his strategic insights and transformative approach to building high-performance cultures. With a notable career spanning leadership role at global organizations, Eric has earned a reputation for driving innovation and fostering employee engagement. Eric’s special interests encompass creating workplaces where employees thrive, developing inclusive leadership practices, and leveraging data-driven strategies to optimize organizational effectiveness. He is passionate about shaping organizational cultures that prioritize employee well-being, growth, and sustainable success. Eric has led initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion, elevate talent development programs, and implement progressive HR policies that support employee advancement and retention. His expertise in aligning HR strategies with business objectives has been essential in driving business outcomes and enhancing organizational resilience. Beyond his professional commitments, Eric is dedicated to mentorship and education, actively supporting initiatives that empower emerging leaders and promote lifelong learning. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and contributes thought leadership on topics ranging from leadership development to the future of work. Join us at the upcoming industry event to gain insights from Eric Severson and discover strategies for creating a workplace culture where talent thrives and organizations excel in today’s competitive landscape.

Deon Riley is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Bath & Body Works, recognized for her pioneering leadership and creative methods in human resources management. She is passionate about creating environments where equity and inclusion are foundational , and employees are enabled, empowered and valued as they deliver on company goals. Deon is also dedicated to leadership development, ensuring that future leaders are well-equipped to navigate the evolving business landscape with special focus on upskilling employees to take on more complex and more financially rewarding careers. She currently serves as a Board Member for the YWCA USA.

Donna Dorsey is the Executive Vice President of People & Culture at Navistar, praised for her strategic acumen and dedication to enhancing organizational culture and employee engagement. With a celebrated career in human resources leadership, she has consistently championed initiatives that align people strategies with business goals, driving significant organizational growth and transformation. Beyond her role at Navistar, Donna actively engages in mentorship and community outreach programs that support career development and diversity in the workplace. She is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, sharing her insights on effective HR practices and the future of work at various industry forums and conferences.

Liz Dente joined Priceline in 2016 as Chief People Officer. As head of People and Culture, Liz looks to celebrate and grow the Priceline culture while managing all aspects of human resources, including organizational development, workforce planning, talent acquisition, diversity equity and inclusion, learning and development, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and service delivery. With a background in transformative Human Resources, technology, and consumer goods, Liz is an integral member of the Priceline leadership team. She is an avid supporter of innovation and technology, and has spent over 20 years fine tuning her skills in bringing the best out of people and companies.