2023-2024 Board of Directors

Victoria Rayel, Co-President

In the last 15 years I've worked in career services from non-profit and higher education to private practice and outplacement services. The thread that connects all of my experiences together is the energy and satisfaction I get from supporting professionals across ages, stages, industries and professions to discover a rewarding career that brings energy and joy to their life. The CCC was a primary part of my transition into career services and I'm forever grateful for the robust learning, development and networks I gained along the way.

Before getting into career services, I started my career as a Technical Recruiter, then transitioned to Finance Operations at State Street Corporation. After completing a master’s program at Northeastern University, I worked as the Career Program Manager and Employer Relations Director supporting first generation/low-income college students at the nonprofit Bottom Line. I later took a role at the Boston University Questrom School of Business as the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Career Services, and was later promoted to Director of Undergraduate of Career Management- I worked in this capacity until June 2021. During my tenure as Director, I started my career coaching practice in 2018, Victoria Rayel Career Development Specialist, LLC. Currently, I work as a private practice Career Coach, Senior Career Consultant and Webinar Facilitator for Keystone Partners and Adjunct at the Questrom, Northeastern University and Western Connecticut State University

Anastasia Lopez, Co-President

I have worked in career development since 2011, where I got my start in career services and coaching at Western Michigan University (WMU), where I also pursued my graduate degree. After I completed my Master’s in 2013, I moved back to the Pittsburgh area where I’m originally from, to work at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) as a Career Consultant for the Arts & Sciences, Pre-Business, and Careers Abroad. I then worked at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), to work in Workforce Development, helping underemployed populations from immigrants and refugees, veterans, people with disabilities and other diverse groups find gainful employment. In 2019, I took a role for three years at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) where I had two Directorship roles, one being in Career Services and the other in Student Engagement; I still teach a Job Search course at CCAC as an Adjunct Professor. Currently, I work at Pitt again, this time as a Professional Development Faculty Instructor and Director of Career Development and Recruitment for the Dept. of Economics. I am a Certified Master of Career Services, a Certified Start Smart and Work Smart Salary Negotiation Facilitator, completed NACE Career Coaching Intensive, and a MBTI Certified Practitioner. I am married to my wonderful husband, Fernando and we have a lovely daughter named Maya and enjoy our adorable black cat named Zorro. I have been a member of the Board with the CCC since 2020 and served in various roles in the past from marketing/social media, volunteer coordinator and secretary as well as various committees. It is an honor to continue serving as Co-President with the CCC!

Emily Planz is the Membership and Operations Manager at the Career Counselors' Consortium Northeast. She can help you with issues related to finances, billing, membership, and events.  Emily has been involved in the CCC since 2014 and transitioned to this role in September 2019.  Previously, she has worked in higher education and focused on major and career exploration.  Currently, she is focusing on human development as a stay at home mom of 3 boys!  She is thrilled to also serve the CCC and the development of career counselors.

Email Emily at info@careercounselorsne.org.


Andrea Horton-Meriçli, Treasurer

My first taste in the career counseling arena was in 2002, where I worked for Big Lakes Development Center in Manhattan, KS and later at Goodwill Central Texas in Austin, TX. Both organizations allowed me to help individuals with disabilities obtain and keep employment, fueling my passion for nonprofits. I then went into various teaching roles, including teaching in low-income schools and teaching English as a Foreign Language in Istanbul, Turkey.  I now work as a career counselor for a local nonprofit and get to combine my passion for helping refugees and immigrants, low-income individuals, and those facing educational gaps to help them reach their career and higher education goals. My experiences have allowed me to improve my skills in volunteer recruitment and management, event planning and management, relationship management, DEI advocacy, and program development. I am excited be on the CCC board, not only to offer some diversity in membership for the type of career counselor focus, but to help grow the CCC’s membership, promote their DEI initiatives, and help plan and administer great professional development workshops and events.

Anne Grieves, Secretary

I love my work as a career coach and always strive to help others find a career/job they will find equally fulfilling. My passion for working with people started in high school when I took an after-school job as a waitress at The Magic Pan. On any given shift, I looked forward to hearing stories from many different people from many walks of life. After earning my B.A. in Sociology (Skidmore College) and subsequently an M.A. in Higher Education Administration (Columbia University), I realized that my VIPS (values, interests, personality, and skills) were a perfect fit for career coaching and team building/facilitation. Through assessments, in-depth conversations, and developmental programming, I guide individuals, groups, and teams to identify and achieve their career and life goals, maximize their personal and professional potential, and experience a deeper sense of fulfillment.  My top Strengths are Positivity, Woo, and Input. Midway through the pandemic, I realized my “Woo” needed a bit more nourishment, so I joined the CCC board. I am excited to meet new people and engage in meaningful discussions with others that share a similar interest and purpose in helping others find fulfilling work.

Adesuwa Igbineweka, DEI Coordinator

As a first gen college graduate, it is a delight to be a career coach and DEI practitioner. I enjoy working with students to explore who they are and what they want as they seek to bring value into the workforce and earn a return on their college investment. I bring 10+ years of experience as a student development specialist and residential counselor for adults with mental and developmental disabilities.  I currently work as the Director for Career Equity and Access in the Career Center at Suffolk University.  

Joining the CCC was a big deal for me because it allowed me the opportunity to be part of a professional community that was local and provided the additional value of networking and learning with colleagues who have a vast range of knowledge and interest. In the last two years I have enjoyed serving as the treasurer and collaborating with the board to host the first virtual conference. This also was an exciting time to join the conference as an organizer and the most cherished honor of being a presenter, sharing with colleagues the value of preparing students for a diverse workforce. I am eager to continue serving on the board as treasurer as well as lead the CCC’s DEI initiatives for the current year. 

Jean Papalia, Co-Coordinator of Professional Development Seminars

During my career in Higher Education, I have enjoyed working in Career Development at Tufts University, Boston College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Bentley University. As the founder and Principal of A+ Etiquette, a consulting firm that provides coaching on networking and business dining skills, I've presented more than 100 programs to students and professionals at universities and businesses throughout New England and New York. Having been active with numerous professional associations including EACE, NACE, SCCA, LACN, GCC and, of course, the Career Counselors Consortium (CCC), I am a strong believer in the power of networking. Many of the colleagues I met through these organizations have become life-long friends. As a board member of CCC, I look forward to providing opportunities for our members to develop friendships and build their professional networks while learning from and sharing best practices with colleagues. Start building your network today - invite me to join you on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeanpapalia/

Laurie Stickels, Co-Coordinator of Professional Development Seminars 

I have been a member of the Career Counselor’s Consortium for many years.  My first professional seminar was for those new to the career counselling professional and the principles, models and exercises from that seminar continue to provide the foundation of my work with clients.  The CCC has consistently provided current information and tools relevant to the changing career landscape. In addition, the network of career professionals is a rich source of inspiration and friendship.  I have worked in the Career and Professional Development group in Human Resources at Harvard University for over twenty years.  I create and deliver a range of career development programs and initiatives to promote career development and internal mobility for Harvard staff.   I am experienced in a range of assessment tools; including the Myers Briggs Type Indicator Step One and Step Two, FIRO B, StrengthsFinder and Career Anchors.  My Master’s Degree ins Organizational Communication is from Emerson College and my Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology and Behavior is from Cornell University. I recently completed the Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching program at William James College. 

Priyanka Bishnoi

I am a Co-op Faculty at Northeastern University's Khoury College of Computer Sciences, where I teach a professional development course and advise undergraduate students for co-op search. With seven years of experience advising students, I have found my passion in connecting students with meaningful careers and helping them achieve professional success. Prior to Higher Education, I worked in the corporate sector as a Product Engineer and a Consultant for several years. I have a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California and have completed a Certificate Program in Business Studies from UCLA Extension. With a diverse skill set and variety of experiences, I am looking forward to contributing and adding value as a Board Member of the Career Counselors' Consortium (CCC).

CCC is a wonderful platform for career services professionals, who want to learn from other seasoned professionals, develop new skills, and brainstorm ideas. As a new Board Member, I am looking forward to working on the newsletter, sharing new ideas, getting to know other members of CCC, and setting strategic goals for the organization.

Ethan Selinger

I have worked in the field of higher education/career services for 6 years. I was drawn to Career Advising because I wanted to help people find their calling and build confidence in pursuing the careers of their dreams. I currently work as a Co-op Faculty Coordinator at Northeastern University, working primarily with students entering the field of Computer Science as career changers to prepare for co-op, internship, and full-time positions.

In my opinion, building a strong, structured, and caring community of professionals committed to learning and supporting one another is essential to career growth and overall happiness, regardless of career. The CCC provides this for us as Career Advisors, and I am excited to be on the CCC Board and play a role in both building new and supporting current CCC offerings for our community.

Montgomery Thomas

I strive to build relationships, mentor, and develop experiences for graduate and mid-career alumni/ae learners serving as the Associate Director of Alumni Career Engagement at Suffolk University. In addition, I aim to empower student learning and development and success as an ACE (Accelerated College Experiences) Coach. After being a member of the CCC for a few years, I decided to join the board to bring my knowledge, passion, and expertise! I look forward to embracing the wealth of experiences from the board to create an inclusive and equitable impact for members.  I am the coordinator of all our "other" events such as networking nights and book club/documentary discussions. 

Sabrina Woods, Past President & Board Member 

Being on the board of the CCC, early on in my career, really helped me to grow into who I am today. With close to 20 years of experience I’m now back to help guide the organization into its next stage. While I really loved the work that I did at NU and Harvard, what gets me the most excited these days is tapping holistic and mindfulness-based practices to help people with career transitions. Although I can’t leave out that I’m also fed by the energy that comes from running workshops. Some favorite topics include the Myers Briggs, Linkedin and believe it or not Neuroscience (at least how the brain responds to stress).  For more info: www.sabrina-woods.com.

2022-2023 Board of Directors

Sabrina Woods (President), Victoria Rayel (Co-President),  Adesuwa Igbineweka (Treasurer), Anastasia Lopez (Secretary, Marketing & Social Media), Jean Papalia (PDS Coordinator), Priyanka Bishnoi (Board Member at Large), Anne Grieves (Board Member at Large), Andrea Horton-Mericli (Board Member at Large), Ethan Selinger (Board Member at Large), Laurie Stickels (Board Member at Large), Montgomery Thomas (Board Member at Large)

2020-2021 Board of Directors

Sabrina Woods (President), Laurie Stickels (Secretary), Adesuwa Igbineweka (Treasurer), Michael Conte (Board Member at Large), Anastasia Lopez (Marketing & Social Media), Jean Papalia (PDS Coordinator), Sheryl Rosenberg (Newsletter Editor)

2019-2020 Board of Directors

Sabrina Woods (President), Laurie Stickels (Secretary), Adesuwa Igbineweka (Treasurer), Sarah Breen (Board Member at Large), Michael Conte (Board Member at Large), Briana Pena (Marketing/Social Media Committee), Gloria Choi (Junior Board Member)

2018-2019 Board of Directors

Becky Smith (President), Cindy Richard (Interim Vice-President), Divya Das (Secretary), Michelle (DuBow) Goldberg (Board Member at Large), Briana Pena (Marketing/Social Media Committee Co-Chair), Emily Brown (Treasurer and Marketing/Social Media Committee Co-Chair), Becky King (Programming Committee Co-Chair), Heather Fink (Membership Committee Co-Chair), Mariellen Fidrych (Programming Committee Co-Chair), Jen Siegel (Membership Committee Co-Chair)

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