Our Career Coaches and Professional Resume Writers

Teresa graduated magna cum laude from Washburn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and English. Her first job out of college was at Sprint, where she advanced from administrative assistant to brand manager. While not related to her major, her career there provided a solid background in branding, marketing, and corporate communications. Today, she leverages those skills, along with her writing skills, to help clients market themselves to prospective employers. Teresa’s experience also includes copywriting and copyediting for a range of clients, developing digital and print marketing collateral, creating WordPress websites, and teaching business English to non-native speakers. When she’s not “wordsmithing,” Teresa enjoys spending time with her family of foster fails (two cats and a dog) and working with her three horses. She credits the horses with having taught her the value of non-verbal communication skills (and the importance of carrots as negotiation tools).

Nathan Moseley received his MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College and his BA in English from Kennesaw State University. He has worked as a translation editor for LUMINA Journal and WatchingAmerica.com. His fiction has appeared on The Other Stories podcast, and his first poetry chapbook—A Mouth Full of Feathers—came out in 2012. When he’s not writing or editing, Nathan can likely be found doing one of the following: playing the piano, getting lost while hiking, watching his friends run ultramarathons, or devising ways to visit the Galapagos Islands with his wife.

Alisa is a writer, editor, and musician with experience in both private and nonprofit organizations. She has been certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers and holds a BA in political science from Brigham Young University. In her role as a software quality assurance analyst, she authored technical test plans, release documents, and user guides. She also edited and improved user interfaces. In her work with a non-profit organization, she has written and edited press releases, concert program notes, newspaper articles, and website content. In her free time, Alisa enjoys community theatre and can often be found at the piano preparing for her latest musical.

Krasi is a Certified Strengths Coach and a Certified Career Management Coach with 11+ years of experience as a career coach, writer, English tutor, and educator. She holds Masters of Arts (MA) in international human rights from the University of Denver and in clinical psychology from University of Houston - Clear Lake, as well as a Certificate in Teaching Writing from the Johns Hopkins University. In her role as associate director of coaching & education at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Krasi leveraged her enthusiasm for life design and professional storytelling to support business professionals through all steps of the career journey, including career exploration, networking, and mock interviewing. Writing has always been an essential aspect of Krasi’s life, and she is excited to help clients communicate their value to potential employers through high-quality documents and optimized LinkedIn profiles. When not working with clients, Krasi can be found exploring new and familiar places through walking, often hot on the trail of the most delicious baked goods in town.

Becca received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Florida and spent several years as a singer/songwriter before taking a position as a research and administrative coordinator in the Department of Epidemiology at her alma mater. She worked with a faculty member, drafting/editing research documents, recommendation letters, research papers, and grants. With experience at a software company and a music-based nonprofit, she is familiar with information technology, business, the arts, academia, health science, and research. She enjoys glassblowing, studying foreign languages, and is known by friends for organizing concerts benefitting Gainesville Girls Rock Camp, with her pièce de résistance being a sparkling, sequined performance in the Dolly Parton cover band, Polly Darton.

Melanie Ashkar is an editor and opera singer who is passionate about helping clients land their dream jobs, as well as helping writers find the best words to convey their ideas. A lifelong lover of language, Melanie holds a Master of Science in linguistics from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in music and linguistics from the University of Virginia (Phi Beta Kappa), in addition to her Master of Music in vocal performance from Mannes College, The New School for Music. Following her opera career across the United States and Europe, Melanie has performed over 30 opera roles. Like many artists, she has worked in a variety of industries. She leverages that broad knowledge for the benefit of her clients, honing their materials for fast and—dare we say—dramatic results.

In the last decade, Hayden has had a mix of technical, didactic, and creative experiences that have given him strong writing, editing, and communication skills. He has done marketing writing for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes in the business-to-consumer sector. In this job, he learned to control language precisely to motivate specific online audiences. He has also worked as a writing center consultant, helping his peers become better writers, and as an English composition instructor, teaching undergraduate students to write well. Other experience includes online composition curriculum development to facilitate distance learning. He combines these skills with a strong sense of empathy to serve others through his work.

Hayden holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in English literature from Drury University and Washington State University (WSU), respectively. A visual media fiend, he can usually be found in off hours in front of his TV watching sci-fi, indie, horror, and classic films. Otherwise, he enjoys walking his mutt, Rosey, often while looking over his shoulder with the last horror movie he watched still fresh in his mind.

Jerad has worked as a marketing copywriter, as well as a journalist for a Chicago magazine and an e-sports website, writing persuasive, informative, and entertaining pieces. He enjoys presenting his clients in the best light possible, helping them achieve their career goals with a polished resume and cover letter. Jerad received his Bachelor of Communication in journalism with a minor in English literature from DePaul University. When he's not writing, he enjoys hiking and unsuccessfully fishing, making memories with his family (like adopting a puppy from a Kentucky farm), and polishing his lightsaber collection.

Melissa’s experience includes researching the job market, counseling candidates on job fit, editing resumes and cover letters, helping military personnel transition to the private sector, and preparing candidates for interviews. A military spouse, she has worked as a consultant, staffing specialist, and recruiter. Melissa holds a BA in psychology from Merrimack College and a MS in clinical psychology from California State University, Fullerton. In her downtime, she enjoys watching outdoor reality shows while conjuring up impractical business ventures related to them. Perhaps one day, you will see her fishing for tuna in Gloucester, panning for gold in Alaska, or surviving alone in the Arctic Circle for 100 days.

As one of YES’s three professional opera singer staff members, Catherine has learned and leveraged a variety of branding and marketing skills for both her own work and to benefit her clients. Passionate about helping others put their best foot forward, she does persuasive writing and editing, designs websites for opera singers and other creatives, performs as a coloratura soprano, and teaches voice lessons. Catherine holds a master’s degree from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s from the University of Houston. When she isn’t working or attempting to break glass by singing high notes, Catherine enjoys reading cheesy romance novels, drinking iced London Fogs, and collecting supplies for craft projects she may or may not ever finish.

Jamal S. Baadani is an award-winning recruiting executive and a retired U.S. Marine senior non-commissioned officer. Jamal has overseen departments and programs for numerous international companies and U.S. agencies. These include Constellis, Inova, Comcast, DynCorp International, AECOM, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State. Jamal specializes in coordinating expatriate and veteran hiring initiatives. He is also experienced with high-volume and executive recruiting. Using his diverse skill set, Jamal has built top-performing teams both domestically and internationally. He holds a master’s degree in human resources management from Concordia University.

Kristen Bell is an HR director and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) with over 20 years of HR leadership in the technology industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University. Kristen specializes in directing recruitment efforts for domestic and international staff. While with CSRA, she oversaw HR services for 500 employees. At CyberPoint, she established a focus group to develop diversity issues, such as an annual Women in Cybersecurity event that drew over 100 attendees and led to new hires. Kristen also spearheaded the talent acquisition process for the CyberPoint Abu Dhabi office, facilitating growth from 20 to over 130 expatriate staff.

Pattie is a trusted advisor with over 20 years’ experience delivering strategic HR programs that address business and operational needs in the healthcare, insurance, and legal services industries. While at Arora Group, Inc., she led HR functions for more than 800 geographically dispersed employees. As the director of employment with Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, PC, she led a recruiting team to hire over 120 physicians, executives, and operational staff members per year. Pattie develops and implements full-cycle professional recruitment, organizational development, workforce planning, and employee onboarding and engagement programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Cincinnati and is certified as a leadership and training instructor.

Tamika Mitchell is the acting chief HR officer for Universal Service Administrative Company. She holds a master’s degree in HR and counseling from the University of Bridgeport and has over 10 years of HR and organizational development experience. Tamika specializes in talent management, training, and leadership coaching. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), as well as a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Tamika is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Northern Virginia Society for Human Resource Management, American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and LeadingAge Virginia HR Committee.

Renata Sandham is a senior HR leader with over 10 years of experience in HR policy and management. Ms. Sandham has special expertise in international recruitment and employee retention. As an HR manager for the United States Air Force, Renata assessed and placed over 600 Air Force recruiters. While at GroundProbe Pty Ltd, she provided HR guidance to 8 business managers located throughout Australia, China, Indonesia, South Africa, South America, and the United States. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Trident University International.

Anita Simmons is an HR executive with more than 25 years of experience. For the past 15 years, she has been vice president and senior vice president of HR. Anita has overseen recruiting for the Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, helping it grow from 100 to 160 employees. At Lee Technologies, she transformed the employee benefits process, introducing changes that significantly reduced costs. Anita holds a master’s degree in HR administration from the University of Maryland—College Park. She specializes in implementing strategic initiatives for talent acquisition and retention.

Andrew Sylvia is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with over 20 years of experience managing staffing needs, optimizing HR policies, and maximizing employee productivity. As the director of talent management for National Quality Forum, he has recruited, trained, and led engagement initiatives for a workforce of over 100 employees. During a time of rapid growth, he instituted the use of an applicant tracking system, enabling easy tracking of data used in affirmative action planning. Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University. He is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) certified, a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist (CEAS).