| Ohio CareerDevelopment Association |
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Ohio Career Development Association
Executive Board & Chairs
2024-2025
| Board Role | Name |
|---|---|
| President & Archives Co-Chair | Richard Fajardo |
| President-Elect & Website Co-Chair | Kaleigh Mahon |
| Past-President | Christine Yancey |
| Treasurer & Social Media Co-Chair | Erin Liggett |
| Secretary | Vanessa Ault |
| President-Elect-Elect & Membership Engagement Chair |
Rachel Richardson |
| Membership Chair | Ryan Wilhelm |
| Awards Chair | Anna-Kaye Rowe |
| Professional Development Co-Chair | Marcos A. Rivera |
| Professional Development Co-Chair |
Mrs. Martha Marie Nicks |
| Social Media Co-Chair |
Chelsea Francis |
| Member-at-Large & National Career Development Month Chair |
Alicia Camak |
| By-Laws Chair & Archives Co-Chair |
Calvin Wagner |
| Website Co-Chair |
Danielle Bell |
| Newsletter Chair |
Maddie Kindig |
| Government Relations Chair |
Sarah JanTausch |
President & Archives Co-ChairRichard Fajardo, MBA, M.A., LPC, NCC
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Richard Fajardo is a Career Development Coordinator for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. He has worked full-time in higher education since 2019 after spending several years working in various roles in the business world. Richard earned Business Administration degrees from Xavier University (Bachelor’s) and Bowling Green State University (Master’s) and a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Carroll University.
President-Elect & Website Co-Chair
Kaleigh Mahon, M.Ed., LPCC, CDCA
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Kaleigh Mahon received her M.Ed. in clinical mental health counseling as well as a certificate in addictions counseling from Kent State University. She is currently a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor at Grow Well Cleveland, LLC. Through this position, Kaleigh is able to work with children, adolescents, adults, and families presenting with a variety of stressors. Kaleigh appreciates having the opportunity to continue to integrate her interest in career counseling within this position. This is also Kaleigh's sixth year serving as a Website Chair for OCDA. Throughout her time on the board, she has enjoyed the opportunities to continue to learn and be involved through taking on new roles of President-Elect-Elect, Government Relations committee member, Bylaws committee member, and President-Elect. She has enjoyed being an individual well versed in the history of OCDA and is excited to bring that history into the 2025 OCDA Spring Conference. In her free time, Kaleigh can be found spending time with her bird (Okra), creating art, and playing as a member of a community band.
Christine Yancey, MHR, CPRW, CEIP
christine.yancey@sinclair.edu
Christine is currently the Manager of Student and Community Engagement at Sinclair College, in Dayton, OH. With a master’s degree in Human Relations, from the University of Oklahoma, she brings to the table over 12 years of experience in career services and higher education and over seven years of experience in event planning. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer, a Certified Employment Interview Professional, a Global Career Development Facilitator, and a National Career Development Facilitator. Christine and her husband have traveled around the world for his military career which allowed her to work with active-duty military members, veterans, and civilians, and where her commitment to helping veterans and her passion for higher education met. While stationed in Germany, she worked in the Education Office at Spangdahlem Air Base. Upon relocating to the United States, she worked for the American Cancer Society and later served as the Education Chief at New River Air Station in North Carolina, the air base for Camp Lejeune, the largest military base on the east coast. There she counseled and approved tuition assistance for active-duty military members while managing the operations and personnel of the office. She was then part of the new Marine Corps transition program piloted at Camp Lejeune as a Personal and Professional Development Advisory, where she assisted active-duty personal transitioning out of the military, with job readiness skills. She has lived in Ohio for over ten years and is proud to call it home. At Sinclair College, she manages a staff that provides career development services and employer relations, hosts career fairs across campus, provides student leadership training and opportunities, and organizes campus programs and activities. She also manages the colleges career resource and assists in the planning of the college’s career fairs. Christine looks forward to the opportunity to serve as President for 2023-2024.
Treasurer & Social Media Co-Chair
Erin Liggett, M.Ed.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Erin Liggett currently serves as an Assistant Director at The University of Akron. Erin considers herself to be a career enthusiast and believes in the power of infusing one’s most meaningful life roles into their work. In her role at UA, Erin serves as a liaison to the College of Business and works one-on-one with students and alumni on career and major exploration, job search strategies and application preparation, and graduate school research. In addition to working closely with students and alumni, Erin also leads marketing and career fair planning efforts for UA Career Services & Student Employment, and plans professional development workshops for students in the College of Business. Erin also works closely with employers to identify their hiring needs and help them connect with talented students and alumni from The University of Akron. In her free time, Erin likes to be outside, create digital artwork, and spend time with her family, friends, and pets.
Vanessa Ault, Ed.D.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Dr. Vanessa Ault is the Assistant Director of Healthcare Careers and Early Career Engagement in the Career Center at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Before joining CWRU, Vanessa spent nine years at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Vanessa earned a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from USC, in 2020. In early 2024 Vanessa moved back to Ohio from Los Angeles with their husband, one-year-old daughter, and their eight-year-old boxer-ridgeback, Petey. She is very excited to grow her network in Ohio and continue making an impact in education and career development.
President Elect-Elect & Membership Engagement Chair
Rachel Richardson, BSBA, MA Workforce Development & Adult Education
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Rachel is the Career Development Manager at The Ohio State University at Lima. In her role there she serves as a liaison between students and the northwest Ohio business community to help connect students with internships and jobs upon graduation. Rachel has always had an interest in education, and served on the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, Bill & Melinda Gates Small School Transformation Initiative Center of Strength Representative for Lima City Schools, and was founding Administrative Principal for Heir Force Community School and Daycare.
Ryan Wilhelm, M.A., LPC
Ryan is a Senior Career Advisor with the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University. He is an LPC with a Masters in Counselor Education from Ohio State University and a Bachelors in Public Relations and Political Science from Bowling Green State University. He has served on multiple roles with OCDA over the last 10 years. Ryan lives in Columbus with his wife and 2 kids.
Anna-Kaye Rowe, M.A., MPA
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Anna-Kaye C. Rowe currently serves as an Assistant Director for Career and Employer Engagement in Career Services at Ohio University where she works primarily with students and employers in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. She provides career coaching with an appreciative lens and professional development for diverse student populations and student-led organizations. Anna-Kaye enjoys coordinating initiatives focused on career readiness and mentorship, teaching career courses, and seeing the positive engagement and self-efficacy students develop throughout their career journey.
Originally from Manchester, Jamaica, Anna-Kaye has lived in Athens, Ohio for the past 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She is a doctoral candidate studying Higher Education and Student Affairs at Ohio University, where she earned graduate degrees in Public Administration and Communication and Development. Anna-Kaye is also a Visiting Scholar at the Samuel D. Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice at Rutgers University. As a proud first-generation and international practitioner, Anna-Kaye is passionate about access and equity in higher education, international students, and their post-graduation outcomes, and remains invested in equity-centered, innovative career design and professional development.
Professional Development Co-Chair
Marcos A. Rivera, M.A., GCDF
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Marcos Antonio Rivera serves as the Assistant Director for Alumni Career Engagement with the Career Center at Case Western Reserve University. Marcos is the liaison to the Alumni Association, assisting alumni with career related matters, and works closely with all students in academic programs associated with the schools of Engineering and Management. In addition to working with students and alumni, he also serves as campus administrator to the Alumni Career Network platform and oversees the assessment of alumni career experiences through the National Alumni Career Mobility survey. Marcos earned both his bachelor's and master’s degrees from Bowling Green State University. He is an active donor to his alma mater and bleeds orange and brown. Which are the colors of not only BGSU but his favorite football team- the Cleveland Browns. Originally from San Francisco, Marcos is a Buckeye fan, loves Cleveland and San Francisco professional sports teams, and is a proud parent of three wonderful children and married to his best friend of over 30 years. In his free time, Marcos enjoys playing basketball, weight training, paddle boarding and dabbles in drawing, painting, 3D printing and laser engraving.
Professional Development Co-Chair
Mrs. Martha Marie Nicks, MSEd., CCSP, GCDF-I
Marie Nicks is a business owner, consultant, career coach, and instructor with over 17 years of comprehensive experience in workforce development, career development, and curriculum development. She specializes in helping youth and young adults with career exploration, job search, and personal growth. Marie is skilled at helping people with résumé building, interviewing, and personal branding. Marie Nicks is also a Global Career Development Facilitator Instructor and mentor career development professionals. She enjoys guiding professionals from all walks of life with starting and transitioning in their careers.
Chelsea Francis, M.S.Ed., LPC
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Chelsea works in Student Affairs at Columbus State Community College where she serves as a Project Manager on the Strategic Initiatives & Assessment team. In this role, she manages projects focused on enhancing the student experience through program and process development, supports Student Affairs departments in assessment and continuous improvement efforts, and promotes collaboration across the division. Chelsea's background includes over 10 years in Career Services and Workforce Development, helping students connect with job opportunities and assisting employers with programs to build talent pipelines within the Columbus Region.
Member-at-Large & National Career Development Month Chair
Alicia Camak, MBA, CPCC
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Alicia Camak currently works as a Human Capital Management Senior Analyst within the Office of Human Resources and Workforce Diversity at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Her focus is on statewide recruitment for the organization. Prior to serving in this role, she held roles in career services offices at various colleges and universities for nearly 10 years. Alicia holds a Master of Business Administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Marketing from The University of Akron. She is a Certified Professional Career Coach and serves as the OCDA Member at Large.
By-Laws Chair & Archives Co-Chair
Calvin Wagner, B.A.
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Calvin's career in Higher Education began at Wright State University in the Office of Disability Services as a Transition Coach. In that role, he was responsible for assisting incoming freshman students in making the transition from high school to college. Currently, he is a Senior Exploratory Career Advisor at Sinclair Community College. Calvin loves helping students choose their major and assisting them when they are feeling undecided or unsure. He also academic advises for Sinclair Community College's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics students. In his free time, Calvin enjoys spending time with his cat, Rosie, and going to Dayton Dragons and Cincinnati Reds games.
Danielle Bell, B.S.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Danielle Bell is a Human Resources Representative for the City of Columbus sworn-duty positions. Her focus is on candidate and vendor support throughout the pre-hire assessment phase of the selections process. Prior to serving in this position, she held roles in talent acquisition, general Human Resources and administrative support over the course of 15 years. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology, majoring in Textiles and Clothing with a specialization of apparel product development and design, from The Ohio State University.
She is the owner of EmpowerU Coaching & Consulting, LLC, serving high school juniors and seniors and recently graduated high school students not attending college. EmpowerU bridges the skills and knowledge gap between high school and workforce by delivering job readiness, career exploration and life skills content to groups and customized individual 1:1 coaching opportunities. A newly-appointed Board Member of OCDA, Danielle is passionate and driven to serve her community and the State of Ohio in this capacity.
Maddie Kindig, M.A.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Maddie Kindig is Assistant Director for Graduate Student Professional Success for The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success. Working with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, Maddie helps current graduate students and PhD holders explore and prepare for diverse career pathways beyond the tenure track.
Although originally from northern Indiana, Maddie has lived and worked in Germany, Czech Republic, and Italy within the last decade. She earned her B.A. in World Language Studies with a focus in German and history from Indiana University South Bend, M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literatures from The Ohio State University, and a certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Trinity College London. Maddie also gained experience in areas such as intercultural competence, higher education, translation, editing, and business.
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Sarah JanTausch, M.S.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Sarah JanTausch (Jan-Tosh) is the founder of SRJ Coaching and Consulting (valuesbasedcareers.com). She is an Executive & Career Coach, Speaker, and Trainer who works with individuals to create Values-Based Careers and to unlock the hidden job market. She coaches individuals on career pivots, Generosity-Based Networking (TM), and aligning total vocational impact with personal values. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Politics & Government and a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University. Sarah is an active member of the National Career Development Association having served as a member, State Coordinator, and upcoming Co-Chair of the NCDA Government Relations Committee.
Before her work in the career development industry, she served Ohio’s Governor and Lt. Governor in various leadership roles including Statewide Outreach Director and Regulatory Policy Advocate. She led a team and advocated for effective regulatory, education, and economic policy. She has served on several nonprofit and public boards and is active in her hometown of Delaware (Ohio) including the Delaware Morrow Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, a domestic violence shelter called Turning Point, and the City of Delaware’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.