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Greetings FCDA Members!
It is such a pleasure to be assuming the office of President for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. I have big shoes to fill from my talented and accomplished predecessors, Renee Hudson, Stacy Van Horn and Carolyn Jones. I joined FCDA in 2017, as one of my initial professional steps upon relocating from Atlanta, GA to Jacksonville, FL. And, as a seasoned career coach, I immediately found a welcoming, energetic and highly skilled group of peers at my new professional home.
Under Carolyn and Stacy’s leadership as president of FCDA, I witnessed a commitment to inclusion and professional growth, while honoring the diverse nature of the career development/services industry. And across this challenging 2019-2020 fiscal year, Renee has modeled resilience and professionalism. She has led FCDA through the necessary steps to represent and serve our membership in the face of a growing global health crisis and the realities of systemic racial injustice in the U.S.
I extend my appreciation to Board members who completed their service on 06/30/20. Rachel Keener Killam, Chair of Membership, and Emily Flositz, Chair of Communications and Social Media, consistently shared their energy and creativity to enhance the level of service, support, and engagement to our members, while growing our numbers at FCDA. And Alex Stewart, Graduate Student Representative, showed FCDA that there is a tremendous skillset, optimism and potential being unleashed among emerging professionals.
I remain grateful and excited to be sharing leadership responsibilities with our continuing Board members for 2020-2021: Dawn Kesselman, Secretary, Courtney Hand, Professional Development Committee Chair, and our Treasurer Chad Brown. Over this past fiscal year, Dawn, Courtney and Chad have shown an unwavering focus on friendly and professional collaboration, to elevate the representation and support for our membership.
And we are so happy to be welcoming our new Board members Jackie Gill, Membership Committee Chair, and Lashay Vazquez, Social Media & Communications Committee Chair. Our continuing goals at FCDA will be to advance awareness of our roles and work in this industry, expand our engagement as a professional body, and nurture a culture of diversity, inclusion, ethical conduct, and growth. And through the voices and engagement of our members, we will continue to join together to uphold a platform of social justice, cultural awareness, the future of work, and stewardship. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve.
– John E. Long, ED.S., BCC, CMCS
President, Florida Career Development Association (2020-21)
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John E. Long, ED.S., BCC, CMCS, President
John is a professional coach, university instructor and program facilitator. His private coaching practice has offices in Atlanta, GA and Jacksonville, FL. John specializes in career and life coaching, and is the author of the August ‘17 book, Career Judo – The Martial Art for the Mindful Career.
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John currently serves as the Chair of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Credentialing Commission. He is also an active member of the NCDA Committee on Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion. He has been a contributor to NCDA’s Career Convergence and Career Developments publications and has presented at multiple NCDA Annual Global Conferences.
John’s Professional Affiliations and Credentials Include:
- American Psychological Association
- Society for Vocational Psychology
- Society for the Teaching of Psychology
- National Career Development Association
- Florida Career Development Association & Florida Counseling Association
- Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches
- Learning Communities Faculty Scholar (2016): Kennesaw State University
- Board Certified Coach (BCC) and Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) through the Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc.
- Certified Master of Career Services (CMCS) and Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) through the National Career Development Association Credentialing Commission.
- Certified MBTI Practitioner through the Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc.
- Qualified Strong Interest Inventory® Practitioner through G/S Consultants.
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Renee Hudson, Ed.S., Past-President
Renee Hudson has more than 10 years of experience advising and educating individuals on the various aspects of career development. She is currently a Professional School Counselor for Orange County Public Schools and has provided career advising to students and parents both at the school and district level. Her experience extends to working with undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Central Florida and mother's facing homelessness within the Central Florida community.
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She has developed employability workshops, programs highlighting career exploration and options and managed career initiatives for local agencies. Recently, she launched a program called THE PLUG (A program of Gifted Ones), that supports students and families to and through their post-secondary experience. She has Specialist degree in Counselor Education from The University of Central Florida and has worked in the non-profit sector, K-12 and higher education.
She is the 2020-21 Orange County School Counselor Association President and the 2020-21 FCDA Past President. Renee is a member of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), Florida Counseling Association (FCA) and the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC).
She has a love for counseling and a passion for facilitating the academic, social and career development of students. She is excited to create more opportunities for career development professionals to ensure that all students and former students are career ready!
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Dawn Kesselman, M.S., NCC, Secretary
Dawn Kesselman has been a member of the FAU Career Center team since September 2014 and has been working in career services since January 2014. As a Career Counselor on the Career Advising, Counseling and Education Team, she is dedicated to helping students who are in the process of deciding on a major and potential career path.
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Dawn teaches multiple sections of FAU’s Career and Life Planning course, which aims to guide students as they learn about themselves and their options in order to make informed decisions regarding their major and career. She enjoys meeting with her students individually to personalize their experience with the course material and has earned multiple awards for her mentorship on campus. In addition to the Career and Life Planning course she also teaches Learning Strategies & Human Development, as well as a Learning Community Experience course to help students acclimate to FAU over their first summer semester.
Dawn also provides guidance in other career related topics such as internships, job search strategies, resume writing, and interview skills through individual appointments, walk-in advising, and workshops. Within the FAU Career Center, she chairs the Graduate School Fair Planning Committee, trains professional staff on career assessments, and has been instrumental in the development of the FAU Career Center’s Professional Clothes Closet. Dedicated to the field of Career Services, Dawn serves as the Professional Development Chair of the Florida Career Development Association, has presented at the National Career Development Association Annual Conference and the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers, and is published in Career Convergence.
Dawn earned an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Florida, where she primarily counseled children and adolescents before discovering her true passion for Career Counseling. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from the University of South Florida. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern in the state of Florida.
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Chad Brown, M.B.A., M.A., LMHC, & CCC, Treasurer
Chad Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Career Counselor operating a private practice in Central Florida that specializes in career counseling and professional development services. He regularly helps students and professionals discover personal purpose and develop professional potential.
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Chad brings over a decade of experience from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in the United States and around the world. His formal education includes a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida, and two Master's degrees from Rollins College (M.B.A. & M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling). Chad Brown, and his company Chad Brown Counseling & Consulting (CBC Helps), is an active member of many organizations such as:
- Junior Achievement of Central Florida (JA CFL), Chair of Leadership Council
- Mental Health Association of Central Florida (MHACF), Corporate Sponsor & Member
- Mental Health Counselors of Central Florida (MHCCF), Member
- Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, Consultant Member
- Florida Career Development Association (FCDA), Treasurer & Member
- Florida Counseling Association (FCA), Member
- National Career Development Association (NCDA), Member
- National Employment Counseling Association (NECA), Member
- American Counseling Association (ACA), Member
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Courtney Hand, M.A., CCC, Chair, Professional Development Committee
Courtney Hand is a Career Development Coordinator at the University of Central, Career Services Department. In her role, she counsels and advises students regarding major and career choices. She also assist in overseeing career peer advisors and graduate student interns. Courtney, served as an Adjunct Instructor for the College of Education and Human Performance teaching SLS 1501, Strategies for Success. In addition she will serve as UCF’s Black Faculty and Staff Association President for the 2020-2021 year.
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Courtney received a Bachelor’s of Arts double majoring in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and has obtained a Masters of Arts in Counseling from Seton Hall University. Additionally, she is a Certified Career Counselor through the National Career Development Association. Preceding Career Services, Courtney was with UCF Global as an Immigration Advisor working with UCF international student population. Prior to UCF, Courtney was the Director of Intercultural Programs at the West Virginia Wesleyan College where she oversaw both Multicultural Programming and International Student Services. Courtney enjoys supporting and advising students as they professionally and personally evolve into their own career passions.
Courtney resides in Orlando, FL with her husband, Derrell and two sons, Cameron (7) and Cayden (2).
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Jackie Gil, M.A., CCSP, Chair, Membership Committee
Jackie Gill recently relocated to Florida from Arizona, and is currently Counseling Faculty at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, FL. She has been an NCDA FCD Trainer since 2011.She has over 18 years’ experience working in student services and career development, including working in high schools in Michigan, and in higher education at Pima Community College, University of Arizona and in the Maricopa Community College District in Arizona.
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Jackie completed her M.A. in Counseling with a post-graduate certification in Career Development at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, and her B.A in Psychology at Michigan State University. She also earned her Transformational Life Coach certification through the Southwest institute of the Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Tempe, Arizona, and is a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) through NCDA.
Jackie has taught career exploration and student success courses to middle school students through adults, and has worked with dislocated workers in the One-Stop Centers throughout the Greater Phoenix area. Her professional association memberships include the National, Arizona and Florida Career Development Associations, for which she is the incoming Membership Chair for 2020-2021. Jackie has dedicated her professional career to helping people achieve their career goals through career exploration, job searching, networking, resume enhancement and career transition. She believes the skills required for successful job searching are the most important skills one can learn because they are utilized continuously throughout a person's lifetime.
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Lashay Vazquez, M.A., Chair, Social Media & Communications Committee
As a first generation and transfer student, Lashay Vazquez attended the University of Central Florida for her Bachelors in Psychology ('12) and Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a graduate certificate in Career Counseling ('18). Lashay has been able to successfully take her mental health counseling skills of diagnosis, treatment planning and rapport building and transfer them into the career counseling world via assessments, counseling sessions and goal planning.
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Lashay is a firm believer that mental health, careers and academics are closely intertwined with each impacting the other. With a love of travel, exploration, epiphanies and literature, Lashay has come to value the personalities and experiences of others that help shape their identities and choices.
Lashay currently works as a Career Counselor with Career Services at the University of Central Florida where she enjoys assisting students in both major and career exploration. She has also recently explored the world of teaching by instructing courses for international students focused on career development and succeeding during their university experience. Lashay also serves as a Career Services liaison to other departments on the university campus that reflect her interests such as Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Care Services, Office of Undergraduate Research, LGBTQ Services and UCF Global.
Lashay plans to earn a Ph.D. in either Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology.
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