Alex has a passion to help individuals in career/vocational transition. He is a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) and Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), as well as a member with the National Career Development Association. His passion for community service led him to turn Federal Career Connection, Inc. into an educational non-profit organized to provide individuals in career transition with the best insights on how to search and apply for fulfilling careers in public, national, and military service. Alex also spearheaded the development of the Richland County Young Marines and an internship program between the U.S. Army and three universities in Seoul, South Korea. He served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
Certified Professional Emergency Manager with more than 7 years of progressive, documented success. Skilled at delivering comprehensive emergency management and homeland security programs supporting the organization’s strategic goals and priorities. Compelling record in gathering and researching various issues to develop well-thought-out recommendations, with an outstanding ability to implement them within delegated authority. Documented success in strategizing the best solutions to solve problems, identifying training needs for others, developing and administering various programs, and building performance teams. Regarded in ability to establish priorities, multitask, meet time-sensitive deadlines and work independently or with a team to achieve goals. Excellent communicator and negotiator possessing the skills and aptitude to excel in results-driven environments, providing leadership and mentorship in a professional manner.
As a military spouse, Katherine launched her 33-year federal career in 1981 as an entry level clerk-typist. In 2009, with more than 10 years of international experience, multiple assignments of increasing complexity and leadership responsibilities, she joined the federal Senior Executive Service. Katherine served for nine years as a senior executive expanding her impact by providing successful, meaningful, performance shifting leadership and strategic direction for large, complex human resource and leadership development organizations.
Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), Narrative Coach Enhanced Practitioner, COR.E© Leadership Dynamics Specialist – iPEC, and COR.E© Transition Dynamics Specialist – iPEC.
Nathan Smith has coached dozens of job applicants through the Federal job application and interview processes to help them land their Federal job, and he’d like to share his ideas and methods with others. Nathan has worked for the Federal Government for over 20 years, and served as a hiring manager and in hiring roles for the last 10 years. He has been with the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service for the bulk of his career, working in offices in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. His roles within the agency have varied greatly: from Environmental Protection Specialist to the national Director of Fire, Safety, and Environmental programs; from Real Estate Portfolio Manager to the national Director of Portfolio Analysis. Through these roles he has learned how to work with Human Resources and the Federal hiring process to build teams that require wide ranges of expertise. He has hired engineers, data analysts, financial analysts, industrial hygienists, and many other roles. Nathan has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Finance and Economics, and he volunteers as Chair of the Board for the GSA Federal Credit Union. All of his free time is spent in Northern Virginia with his wife and six children.
Paul Cuddihy has more than 30 years’ experience in career coaching, training, consulting and executive search. His expertise includes: career transition consulting, project management, sales, marketing and operations.
He has worked with executives and professionals representing a wide range of functions and industries. He is known for his insight, resourcefulness and dedication. His positive approach and broad knowledge of the job market have enabled him to instill a sense confidence in the individuals with whom he works.
Paul currently leads the Job Search Help Desk Team and serves as Director of Volunteer Recruitment at the Career Network Ministry of McLean Bible Church in Vienna, VA. He and his team focus on assisting members who have been in a long term job search. They help to identify issues that are preventing a successful transition and offer solutions that can be implemented immediately.
Previously, Paul was with the General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service where he managed the successful overhaul of the PBS Training Academy. He also consulted with senior management regarding their career development needs. In addition, he assisted dozens of staff members make successful transitions to new positions during a major reorganization. Finally, he played a key role in improving the recruitment and hiring process.
Prior to GSA, he managed operations for Englerth Associates, a regional career management firm, where he was instrumental in building a start-up business into a multi-million dollar company. As Senior Vice President, he managed group projects, developed new business, managed major accounts, conducted consultant training and performed individual consulting. He has also served as a career management consultant for Lee Hecht Harrison, Right Management Consultants, Manchester and the New Options Group.
Paul also directed the Executive Search Division of the American Society of Association Executives where he turned around an unprofitable operation by doubling revenues in less than two years. He worked with association boards and CEO’s throughout the country to recruit senior executives. He also managed a national job referral service and a management consulting group.
Previously, he founded and managed P.R. Roberts Associates, an executive search firm that specialized in recruiting sales executives for national high technology companies. He also held sales positions with Xerox and worked in professional development and public relations with the American Cancer Society.
Paul holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and has completed graduate studies in business and education at American University and Adelphi University. He is certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Campbell Interest and Skills Survey, OPQ 32, FIRO B and the Center for Creative Leadership’s suite of 360 degree assessments. He currently serves on the Board of the General Services Administration Federal Credit Union.
Renee Small is a talent acquisition and executive recruitment expert who is passionate about building best-in-class cybersecurity teams. In 2017, Renee received the Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year.
She is a #1 Amazon best-selling author of Magnetic Hiring, a contributing editor to several cybersecurity magazines, and she co-hosts a podcast called “Breaking into Cybersecurity.” She is currently working on her second book focused on how top cyber leaders upskill and reskill talent.
As the founder and CEO of Cyber Human Capital, she brings a uniquely powerful background of almost 20 years of experience in both human resources and cybersecurity to her clients. Her direct experience with both fields gives her valuable insight into the challenges that companies face in attracting and retaining top cybersecurity talent. A consummate HR professional, Renee has worked across all disciplines in the field. She has made significant contributions at Fortune 500 companies including Freddie Mac, Verizon, Charter Communications, AXA Equitable, and Citigroup’s Investment Bank.
Renee’s business acumen and understanding of the increasing sensitivity surrounding confidential information naturally led her to work in the field of cybersecurity within Freddie Mac. In her role as Cybersecurity Program Manager, Renee was charged with strategic direction of internal security projects, management of cross-functional teams, task force creation, threat risk analysis and more. She holds a BS in Information Systems from Stern School of Business at New York University and holds an ITPM Certification. Renee currently blends her knowledge of the complete HR life cycle with a hands-on knowledge of the challenges facing the cybersecurity industry today, to bring concrete solutions to her clients.
She holds a BS in Information Systems from Stern School of Business at New York University and holds an ITPM Certification. She lives in McLean, VA with her husband and three children.
Tim is from Fishkill, New York and went to school at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh for both his undergraduate and master’s degrees. Tim has over a decade of experience in business strategy and process improvement. He has worked for several top-tier international consulting firms and has been involved in the hiring of many new team members. He volunteers as a mentor to many recent grads and moonlights as a serial entrepreneur. Tim is a PARW/CC certified resume writer and professional career coach.
Victoria has a passion to positively influence, engage, and motivate others. She began her Federal career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2009 as a student in the Student Educational Employment Program. She works for CBP’s Office of Human Resources Management Processing and Servicing Center where she serves as an Administrative Officer. Victoria is a highly qualified Human Resources professional providing support in multiple areas of internal operations. She is a subject matter expert in creating strategic options for new Human Resources programs/training and career development. She is detail-oriented and a team player with great analytical, administrative, planning and organizational skills. Victoria is confident in managing various programs and is a capable and reliable leader.
She has a Master of Business Administration in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University and an undergraduate degree in Merchandise and Marketing from Indiana University. She has received recognition and numerous acknowledgments for her work in Human Resources and has served on various work groups for process improvements, career development and training, employee engagement, and new employee orientation programs. Victoria is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and enjoys spending time with her family, friends, traveling, and serving at her church. All in all, she believes in simplicity by focusing on what’s important to ensure a desirable outcome.
One quote she lives by, “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”- John C. Maxwell