JA Inspire Virtual

Passionate and confident Engineer with 2 years of experience in hardware troubleshooting and
technical support. Solid experience in 3D technologies, prototype and designing, and integrating hardware
with software. Possessing great communication skills, problem solving, time management capabilities,
and great teamwork abilitie

Sandra is a motivated quality specialist, focusing on accessibility. Sandra provides an accessibility and usability perspective, which introduces inclusive and creative thought to team members and allows users to engage with applications effortlessly. Sandra believes in the power of collaboration and strives for open communication and dialogue, ensuring that not only are requirements met, but that they are implemented with quality, inclusivity, and the end-user in mind.

As Mindgrub's EVP & Chief Business Officer, Vince leads a diverse team of strategists and marketers to grow Mindgrub's impact within Baltimore and beyond. 

He is the son of a retired U.S. Air Force officer, and spent most of his childhood traveling around the country and the world. Vince attributes his worldview and character to his upbringing abroad: Traveling the world at a young age showed him how fortunate he was, especially relative to the youth in other countries. This perspective laid a firm foundation for his belief in the power of compassion.

After settling in Maryland in his early twenties, Vince became a partner in a printing firm. He has had an entrepreneurial spirit ever since. Being a young entrepreneur empowered him to be an advocate for people in his community and beyond. A former cast member on the FOX Reality Television Show, “Good Fellas of Baltimore,” he has also supported and sponsored many nonprofit and networking organizations in the Baltimore area and is one of the founding members of Network for a Cure, Baltimore Business Networking, and Baltimore Means Business. 

Kitty Glick is a Business Program Manager within the Workforce Development team at BGE. She joined the company in June 2018 after receiving her bachelor's degree from Dickinson College with a major in Policy Management and a minor in economics.  

She joined BGE as a talent acquisition coordinator, supporting recruiters with the hiring process to support roles within the organization. After spending time as a talent acquisition coordinator, she moved into a recruiter position where she hired work-ready talent for BGE’s utility trainee classes that support the company’s field organizations.  

On the workforce development team, she supports various programming that engages youth including the BGE High School Internship Program. Currently, Kitty is enrolled at Loyola University of Maryland to earn her Master's in Business Administration with a concentration in management and will graduate in March 2023.  

Kitty enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, watching television, and working out.  

Brian Duncan is a supervisor in the Space Exploration Sector at JHU APL. Software engineering is his passion, and he leads large teams that develop space missions for NASA.

Education

M.S. Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University

B.S. Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Diana Zhang is an electrical and computer engineer who works on wireless communications: her job is using math in different ways to help satellites, computers, and phones to send information to each other faster, so one day we can watch videos in HD from anywhere on the planet.

Education

PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

M.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

B.S. Electrical Engineering, Penn State University

B.S. Computer Engineering, Penn State University

Jake is a software engineer in the Space Exploration Sector of the Applied Physics Lab, and a space systems engineering graduate student at Johns Hopkins. Some of his work includes instrument commanding and data systems for planetary science missions—such as cameras on the Lucy, Europa Clipper, and Dragonfly missions—and he is the software lead for the Dragonfly Science Operations Center.”

            Education

B.S. Mathematics, Washington University

I graduated from UMBC in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Science. As an undergraduate, I worked at the office Off-Campus Student Services which aimed to connect Adult Learners, Veterans, Commuters, and Transfer students to the campus by providing a variety of programs and services. This is where my journey in Student Affairs began! Here I planned and organized events, mentored new students, and co-facilitated for the first ever Retriever Leadership Institute workshop series. At HCC I am the Student Life Associate where I primarily supervise our student Office Assistants and The HCC Times (newspaper) staff. I also program events like Welcome Week, Women of Color Series events, and diversity events.

Since entering the Hospitality and Culinary Education profession in 2009, I consider teaching my biggest accomplishment to date. I am deeply rewarded by sharing creative thoughts and material that is enriching the lives of future chefs and hospitality professionals.

Mastering pedagogies and methodologies that embrace diversity, culture, and the world community are values I bring to the classroom and programming.

I am a futurist who advocates for change and sustainability. Making connections, collaborating, and building community connections are the cornerstones of my work while thriving on balancing family, self-care, and personal goals.

Nathaniel “Nate” Roberts is an Admissions & Academic Advisor on the Outreach team at Howard Community College (HCC). He came to HCC after nine years in higher education as an advisor in various capacities. Originally from Washington State, Nate has worked at several institutions in the Pacific Northwest as well as Hawaii Community College with a focus on working with international and first-generation college students. He holds a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Linfield College in Oregon as well as a Master’s in Intercultural Communication from Portland State University. He loves what he does and is excited to help students navigate their higher education experience at HCC!

Elizabeth Homan leads the college’s strategic public relations and marketing efforts, oversees the college television and radio stations, and assists with government relations outreach. She also co-chairs the enrollment management team, a cross-functional college committee charged with developing strategies and implementing initiatives to enhance recruitment, retention, and completion. 

Prior to joining Howard Community College in 2014, Ms. Homan served in a number of progressively responsible communications management positions, from media relations director to director of communications. Her experience ranges from branding and social media to editorial services, integrated strategic communications, and crisis communications management. She previously worked as a television reporter in Boise, Idaho, and as a reporter/anchor at cable stations in Maryland.  

A former Howard Community College student, Ms. Homan has a strong connection to the Howard County community. She is chair of the Howard County Housing Commission and a proud graduate of Leadership Howard County, where she continues to give back to the organization by serving on the Lifelong Learning Day committee. She most recently served on the HoCo By Design Planning for School Capacity and Growth Strategic Advisory Group. She supports collegiate women as the academic development adviser for the Gettysburg College chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity. Committed to the community college mission, she also serves as the vice president of communications for the National Association for Women in Community Colleges.

Ms. Homan holds a master’s degree in public relations from Georgetown University, a bachelor of science in mass communication from Towson University, and a bachelor of arts in English from Transylvania University, located in Lexington, Kentucky.

Process Engineer in Material Technologies Plant

• Degree in Chemical Engineering
• Been with Grace 5 years
• 20 years of industrial experience in custom rubber/silicone compounding and specialty chemicals
• Though raising 3 sons takes up most of our time my wife and I still make time to race sailboats competitively on the Chesapeake Bay.

Characterization Manager at our Process Innovation & Quality Center

• BS Degree in Biochemistry from Washington State College with a minor in Chemistry & Mathematics, along with an MBA in Operations
• Been with Grace since graduating, 7 years
• My role involves managing and developing our laboratories that are responsible for checking the quality of our materials and supporting the development of our emerging products.
• Outside of work, I spend time with my wife and 3 kids. We enjoy being on the water boating, crabbing, and fishing.

Maintenance Engineer in our Advanced Refining Technologies Plant

• Degree in Chemical Engineering from UMBC
• Been at Grace since 2004
• I grew up in Frederick, MD where a High School Chemistry Teacher convinced me I should go into Chemical Engineering because I was good at chemistry.
• Have worked in Columbia MD, Boston MA, Chicago IL, East Chicago IN, New Orleans LA
• Have Visited Customer or Vendor operations in Germany, Canada, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Texas.
• Hobbies include Beekeeping, Scuba Diving, Fixing Anything and Digital Photography.

Environmental, Health, Safety & Security Engineer

• I have a degree in Biomedical Engineering from University of South Carolina. Go Gamecocks!
• I interned at Grace for two summers prior to graduating from College
• I joined the Manufacturing Leadership Program at Grace post-graduation. This allowed me to rotate through multiple disciplines in the company, such as Productivity, Production Engineering, and Process Engineering. I recently completed the 3-year program and accepted my current role as part of the EHSS Team
• My hobbies include traveling, hiking, and playing kickball. I look forward to answering any questions you may have

Process Safety Engineer

• BS Degree in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech
• I have been with Grace since graduating, 4.5 years
• My role involves reviewing new and existing processes and evaluating the risk of failure associated with everyday operation
• Outside of work I enjoy trying new foods and spending time outdoors

Organometallic Catalyst (OMC) Plant Operations Lead

• BS Chemical Engineering – Specialty in Bioengineering from University of New Hampshire
• Been with Grace 4 years
• 9 years in industry/research and development
• I manage the day to day operations of a chemical plant including running, maintaining, finance and all other functions related to the plant
• Outside of work I enjoy rock climbing, woodworking and traveling with my wife

Senior Site Assistant and Planner

• Degree in Business with a minor in Psychology from UCF
• I have been with Grace almost 9 years
• My role many things from assisting the site Director and his team with operational needs, to planning corporate and teambuilding events and managing community relations
• Outside of work I enjoy exploring new restaurants, traveling, music and time with family

Sara Fernández Cendón is a content producer for McCormick & Company. In this role, she is responsible for directing in-house and external content creation to promote the products, services, and initiatives of the largest spice company in the world. A Mexico City native, Sara is currently based in Baltimore after a decade living and working in the Midwest. Prior to McCormick Sara led product development teams as Creative Director at Hallmark Cards, in Kansas City. In that role, she engineered the launch of three new brands and helped strengthen Hallmark’s overall product positioning strategy to safeguard the company’s footprint within key retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, and CVS.

A communicator with a passion for all aspects of design, Sara has written for leading national consumer and industry publications, including the American Institute of Architects, Architect Magazine, and Metropolis Magazine. She has also consulted on retail messaging strategy for clients such as Total Wine & More, and she currently serves on the Board of the Baltimore Chapter of ALPFA, the Association of Latino Professionals for America. Sara has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia, School of Journalism, and an MBA from Rockhurst University, in Kansas City.

Bri Sheppard is an associate consumer testing technologist for McCormick & Company. In this role, she partners with food scientists and is responsible for recruiting consumers to taste and/or test new or changing products of McCormick and its affiliates in a variety of settings, including in-person taste tests, focus groups, home-use tests, etc.

 Prior to joining McCormick, Bri worked in human resources at a financial institution as a recruiter and led the onboarding training for new colleagues. She also has experience as a career counselor for the career center office at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore City where she is a graduate from with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Information Systems. When she is not busy convincing friends and family to sign up to be a taste tester, Bri spends her time with her husband and cats, playing kickball in a social league and volunteering with Junior Achievement of Central Maryland where she is a member of their Associate Leadership Council.

Carl Guastaferro is a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at McCormick. He covers R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Finance recruiting. Prior to McCormick, he was with a Swiss-based flavors and fragrance company covering similar Talent Acquisition responsibilities and special projects. He is a native of New Jersey and enjoys hiking and cooking.

 Nick is a passionate leader who uses data and creativity to grow our biggest retail partnership.

Courtney is a driven saleswoman who manages fifteen tool trucks and is striving to engage more women in the automotive tool business.

Jamalia Henry is an achiever and relator who delivers total trade solutions to distributors and contractors to help them achieve their business goals and drive sales too. 

Victoria Bechtel is an energetic creative who connects the dots between business needs, innovation, and good design.

Anita Hammond is LifeBridge Health’s Manager of Workforce Development. Using her 20+ years in workforce development, Anita is responsible for developing and implementing programs to help meet the organization’s workforce needs.  Anita leads programs for front-line worker programs designed to retain, advance, educate, and up-skill the system’s 2,000+ entry level workers. She also oversees educational programs for community members and students. 

Prior to rejoining LifeBridge Health in 2020, Anita served at the Executive Director of the Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Health (BACH), a healthcare workforce intermediary bringing education, training, and linkages to employment to the Baltimore region.

Anita holds a Master’s degree in Adult and Continuing Education from Coppin State College and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bowie State University.

Anthony “Tony” Kokosinski is a Systems Administrator for Telehealth at LifeBridge Health.  He has worked in IT for about 25 years, the last 7 at LifeBridge Health.  He has worked on the Desktop team as well as Telehealth.

Dr. Shilpa Myers is a National Product Manager for the National Product Design & Management department at Kaiser Permanente. Her role is to focus on the growth and management of KPMP (Kaiser Permanente Multi-Site) and Multi-State portfolio of products. Dr. Myers has been with Kaiser Permanente for 7 and 1/2 years.

In addition to her role, she also serves as the genKP co-chair and community involvement lead. A Kaiser Permanente Multicultural Business Resource Group (MBRG), genKP is made up of future leaders who are forward-thinking and ready to take charge of their careers. Through cross-organizational collaboration, their vision is to build and cultivate a community of empowered employees who will drive the change they seek in health care.

Ramses Chavarria is a Clinical Operations Manager at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States for the Northern Virginia service area. Ramses has been with Kaiser Permanente for 23 years and in his current role under the direction of the Service Area Director of Surgical Subspecialities he supervises Certified Ophthalmic Technicians (COT), Certified Ophthalmic Assistants (COA) and Vision Service Assistants II (VSAII). He also coordinates and manages daily clinical staffing requirements and operational needs that need ensuring high quality of service to members and staff. In addition to his role Ramses also serves as co-chair for the LatinX Business Group within Kaiser Permanente.

Mariana Capati has been working in various nursing leadership positions within Kaiser Permanente since 2013. She currently serves as the Regional Director of Nursing & Clinical Practice and oversees the Magnet journey for the region.

She is currently working toward completion of a Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Maryland.  She is board certified in Ambulatory Care Nursing and as an Advanced Nurse Executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.  
Mariana believes that nurses are positioned to affect the greatest change in healthcare. In pursuing the DNP degree, she hopes to make system level improvements that are sustainable and that result in improved safety, quality, access and affordability for individuals and communities. As the Director at Large of the Maryland Nurses Association-District 9, Mariana advocates for nurses in her district and at a state level. She has been recognized as a nurse leader, in 2021 she was the recipient of Washingtonian Magazine’s Excellence in Nursing Award and the Daily Record Nurse of the Year Award.

Born and raised in Seattle, Dr. Tadeo received his undergraduate degree in microbiology and neurobiology from the University of Washington. After graduating, he accepted a training fellowship at the National Institutes of Health where he had the opportunity to conduct groundbreaking research in cancer drug development and genetic engineering. For Dr. Tadeo, It was a dream come true to move to the nation’s capital and to work for NIH and the government. And now through Kaiser Permanente’s residency program he is happy to call the DC-area his home.

As a lifelong Kaiser Permanente member, it was a full-circle decision to join Kaiser Permanente's internal medicine residency program following medical school. Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to patient-centered care, wellness, and innovation provides the optimal system for practicing the type of medicine he envisioned and delivering the care his patients deserve.

Jim Gauthier is a Portfolio Manager for MCM: Maryland Capital Management

Alex Faber, CFP®, is a Research Analyst for MCM: Maryland Capital Management.

Dr. Michelle Daley is an experienced comprehensive planning specialist and State Coordinator for the Maryland College Application Campaign with over 25 years of experience in education.

Think|Stack is an IT services company specializing in cloud and cybersecurity with human centered design. Through education and co-management we design, build, secure, automate and optimize technology environments.

I started Think|Stack to serve organizations who serve their communities. I am an educator at heart and I’m passionate about helping leaders and their teams understand how technology can support their goals while delivering seamless, enjoyable technology experiences to their people. Whether you are curious, fully committed or somewhere in between when it comes to cloud and security I have stories and strategies to share!

Aside from Think|Stack I love to share my expertise in technology, design thinking and leadership with early-stage startups and entrepreneurs. I always learn something too.

An entrepreneur at heart, it is such a fun privilege to grow our Think|Stack tribe with my brother, Travis our CFO as part of the family business. My vision is to impact my community in greater ways and help others realize their untapped potential. I am proud to sit on the MD Governor's Workforce Development Board as Vice Chair as well as the Cybersecurity Association of MD as Treasurer.