TU Welcomes 2018 Professional Leadership Program for Women Class

Last week, Towson University welcomed 24 women into the fourth cohort of the TU Professional Leadership Program for Women. The women in this year’s class are an incredibly diverse and accomplished group, representing a broad range of professions. Each brings her own unique perspective, which benefits the other women in the current class and our growing alumnae network.

2018 Class Participants

	Cherita Fayton Adams is a Human Resources professional with over 15 years of experience. In January 2013, Cherita joined the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), where she currently serves as the Career Development Manager in the Office of Human Resource Services. As the Career Development Manager, she serves as an adviser, coordinator and collaborator for the purpose of building and developing an environment that encourages internal career mobility. Previously, Cherita served as a Senior Organization and Employee Development Consultant at UMB and as a Training Manager at MEDEX Global Group. She volunteers with efforts that encourage workforce stability for underserved populations and also is active with the United Way of Central Maryland and the Ronald McDonald House. A Virginia Beach native, Cherita graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. in psychology. She also holds an M.B.A. and M.S. in human resources management, both from University Maryland University College.
	Dr. Mary Boswell-McComas became Interim Chief Academic Officer for Baltimore County Public Schools in July 2017. Previously, she served as BCPS Executive Director of Academics and Coordinator of Professional Growth and Partnerships. Prior to those positions, Dr. Boswell-McComas was a principal in Baltimore City Public Schools and an administrator and teacher in Harford County Public Schools. She obtained the rank of captain in the United States Army Reserves. Dr. Boswell-McComas has a doctoral degree in education from Wilmington University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Loyola University Maryland.
	Janine Branch is a 2010 graduate of Towson University, Janine earned her a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. At WTCI, Janine leads the Professional Exchanges Department, where it is her goal to build confidence, capacity, and connections for international visitors while building a stronger local community and a more peaceful, prosperous world. Janine is a Certified Tourism Ambassador and works to turn every visitor’s encounter into a positive experience. She currently serves as a member of the Governor’s Subcabinet for International Affairs, as well as a Volunteer Career Mentor at Towson University. Janine currently resides in Parkville with her husband and son. In her free time, Janine loves running, traveling, and exploring gluten free restaurants around the country.
	Tara Reed Carlson, MS, RN, began her nursing career on the Neurotrauma Unit at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. A career move to Merck & Co. Inc. provided Carlson with significant experience in pharmaceutical sales, training, marketing and promotion during her extensive time there. Carlson then held the position of president for a health care advising company. In 2010, she returned to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in a Business Development role. In 2011, she began directing the Center for Injury prevention and Policy. Currently, Carlson is the Director of Community Outreach and External Affairs for Shock Trauma.
	Tamika Duppins is a Human Services Professional, who currently leads a team of professional case managers at a non-profit care management organization. With nearly a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, Tamika has worked with various groups, including youth and families, individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as individuals with chronic medical needs. Upon completion of her Masters of Science in 2014, Tamika has gained professional experience in various administrative duties, such as planning, evaluation, leadership and decision-making. Tamika continues to develop her leadership skills in the non-profit sector as she pursues a PhD in Human Services Administration, concentrating in Non-profit Leadership.
	Erin Duran is the Director, Talent Acquisition for LifeBridge Health since 2015. She holds responsibility for leading the system-wide talent strategy for LifeBridge Health’s four hospitals, physician enterprise, and ambulatory care centers supporting over 3,000 hires annually. Erin has championed multiple new initiatives supporting the organization to include enhancements to standard technology and operations, implementation of an RPO partnership, and development of a market aggressive sourcing strategy and executive recruitment program. Prior to her current role, Erin held human resources positions with Anthem, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Allegis Global Solutions. Erin graduated from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree. She holds a Senior Professional Human Resources certification.
	Natalie Estelle has 15 years of experience in creative marketing communications. Natalie worked in healthcare, technology and non-profit sectors; The Baltimore Ravens and Orioles; March of Dimes; The Classic Catering People; and Whole Foods to name a few. Co-Founder and President of Preemie Moms Rock, a 501(c)3 providing healthy food, therapeutic crafts and in-person parent-to-parent conversation helping moms of preemies navigate NICU life. Natalie graduated from Western High School and earned a BS from Towson University and a MA from University of Baltimore. She will begin working towards an MBA in 2018. Mrs. Estelle resides in Owings Mills with her husband and two children.
	Erin Flynn serves as an Executive Assistant at Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. Mrs. Flynn’s main responsibility is to the Chief Operating Officer as well as to oversee a variety of corporate meetings and policies. A 1998 graduate of Susquehannock High School in Glen Rock, PA, Mrs. Flynn joined The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company in 2002 immediately after earning her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, PA. Having held positions in various departments at Whiting-Turner, Mrs. Flynn has a firsthand understanding of each department’s individual needs and challenges. Along with her responsibilities at Whiting-Turner, Mrs. Flynn also sits on the board of The Egenton & Roberts Foundations. Mrs. Flynn resides in Baltimore City, MD with her husband Britton and their son Tripp.
	Sara Fike was born and raised in the UK and came to the USA seventeen years ago to travel and study. Sara settled in Timonium, and has spent 27 years in the field of early childhood education. Sara received a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson University in 2011 and has worked at TU for 10 years. She currently serves as Director of Towson University Child Care Center and teaches for TU’s Department of Early Childhood Education and PAGS. As a registered Maryland State Department of Education trainer, Sara focuses her professional development seminars on STEAM integration. Her work as a content consultant helped to develop an environmental science and dance curriculum, which connected TU, Port Discovery and the Baltimore City Head Start program. She has worked to create two reading programs for Ready at Five, a state preschool initiative, and has presented at numerous local and state conferences, co-authored three articles and edited a textbook focused on early childhood.
	Alicia Hamilton is a certified life-coach, facilitator, and community resource consultant. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Services from Towson University and an Associate’s degree in Interior Design. Over the past 15 years, Alicia has worked in environments focused on the needs of others and improving their circumstances. Her organizational skills coupled with a clear vision for the end result have promoted her to a leadership role in a variety of settings. Not afraid to follow her heart, Alicia combines steadfast faithfulness with strategically bold action when pursuing new endeavors. She delights in the process of developing ideas from concept to reality.
	Jinnefer Haslinger is a Senior Manager in the Risk Organization at Exelon. Her main focus is the Constellation entity, based in Baltimore. She leads the Curve Governance team, who are responsible for the daily monitoring of commodity prices that are used throughout the company. The energy industry is fast-paced, and future commodity prices can change due to weather, plant retirements, new builds, regulatory and political factors. She has worked at Exelon for about 12 years in various roles from Audit, Accounting, and Compliance. Prior to joining Exelon, Jinnefer worked at Ernst & Young in Baltimore for four years. She has a Bachelor’s from Towson and an MBA from Loyola
	Michelle D. Holly is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, who has been employed with the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) for the past 30 years. She has held several positions during her MDOT MTA career working in bus operations for nine years, Metro Transportation for two years and the Operations Control Center for 17 years. Since 2015, she has been Manager of Operations for the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink system, managing its transportation and field supervision departments. Recently, MDOT MTA recognized her as the 1st female Senior Manager in the history of the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink division.
	Michelle H. Huggins began her career in human resources (HR) in a low-paying, yet rewarding, student internship while earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Towson State University. Through professional memberships and volunteerism with local businesses and HR associations, Michelle was inspired to earn HR certifications (PHR and SHRM-CP), and a master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. For the past 20+ years, she has held progressively-responsible administrative and consumer assistance positions in both the private and public sectors. Michelle currently serves as Manager – Employer/Employee Relations for the Maryland Department of Transportation, one of the State’s largest and most robust agencies, employing approximately 10,000 workers State-wide. For stress relief, Michelle enjoys reading trashy “urban fiction” novels and watching reality TV shows
	Laura Kaspar, Vice President of Human Resources & Risk Management at Acton Mobile, is an accomplished HR professional with over 19 years of experience across multiple industries. Laura specializes in leading organizational talent strategy, spearheading cross-functional strategic planning, and developing and executing new approaches to improve multi-disciplinary organizational performance. Laura brings to the table highly diversified experience, with expertise across the range of human resources disciplines as well as Acton’s commercial legal function, a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an SPHR certification, that have helped her to develop and apply creative strategies to support many of Acton’s new endeavors.
	Heather Muir is the Head of Business Support at Legg Mason. In this role, she is responsible for financial management and business support for Legg Mason’s corporate business units. Prior to joining Legg Mason, Heather was the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for Discovery Communications. In this role, she was responsible for financial management and budgetary oversight for the Discovery Channel brand. Heather earned a BS in Finance and Management from Salisbury University and a MBA from the University of Maryland. She serves on the Court Appointed Special Advocates board for foster children in Baltimore City and is an active member of the Junior League of Baltimore.
	Katie Norton currently serves as the Director of Development for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, building community partnerships and securing philanthropic funding for the organization’s growth. Katie spent the previous ten years working with grateful patients at the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical System Foundation, specializing at different points on direct mail/annual giving and major gift development. Katie began her career in development at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra after working for a few years on Capitol Hill for a Member of Congress. She earned a B.A. in International Relations from Boston University and completed extensive coursework in mental health counseling at Johns Hopkins University.
	Dione Powell serves as Director of Employee and Labor Relations at LifeBridge Health. In this role, she directs the development and execution of labor and employee relations strategy for all LifeBridge Health facilities. She leads collective bargaining; directs and coordinates policy development for all LifeBridge Health facilities; ensures compliance with state, federal and local employment laws and regulations, ensuring balance with business and individual needs; and serves as a strategic Business Partner in implementation of Corporate and Hospital specific initiatives.
	Jessica Reighard is the Marketing Director for Brookes Publishing, a leading source of educational products for professionals dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families. She started her career in trade publishing and brings to her work over 18 years of experience in marketing strategy, product development, digital marketing, marketing communications, and staff development. Jessica is passionate about helping organizations make a difference for customers and communities. She serves on the Board of Directors for Child First Authority in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her BA from Barnard College and MBA from Loyola University Maryland.
	Kimberly J. Rosenfield, CFP®, CRPS® is a Certified Financial Planner™ Practitioner and Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist™ with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in La Plata. Kim graduated from North Carolina State University and worked several years in the Human Services field before joining Legg Mason, now Morgan Stanley, in 1997. Kim provides financial planning and investment management to high net worth investors and small institutions and advises on business and corporate retirement plans. Outside of Morgan Stanley, Kim serves on the advisory boards for the Non-Profit Institute of Charles County, the Community Foundation of Southern Maryland, and is a trustee for the College of Southern Maryland Foundation. She is a member of the Leadership Southern Maryland class of 2010, the Leadership Maryland class of 2014, and the Southern Maryland Women’s league. She is a past board president of the Zonta Club of Charles County and the Center for Children.
	Jennifer Salaverri, LCSW-C currently serves as a mental health counselor for the US Department of Veterans Affairs, specializing in treating combat veterans. She received her BSW from James Madison University and MSW from The University of Michigan. Jennifer’s diverse experience as a clinician includes working with children and adolescents, traumatic brain injury survivors, and adults struggling with mental illness, significant life transitions, and past trauma. Jennifer has spent her career helping the Baltimore community, and has engaged in multiple volunteer roles, including working with homeless veterans and those suffering from addiction. Jennifer is also a certified life coach and is committed to forming a partnership with her veterans that focuses on individuals’ strengths and encourages them to move forward in their lives, healing and eventually finding an identity outside of their illness.
	Dr. Monica Schneider is a full-time Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland- School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. She received her DDS from the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia in Lima Peru, and attended the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry where she completed an advanced graduate program in Orthodontics as well as a Master in Dental Sciences. Dr. Schneider is certified by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) and holds a Diplomate status. Currently, she serves as Director of Predoctoral Orthodontics. She also spends significant time in the Postgraduate Orthodontics clinic where she trains residents in all aspects of Orthodontics. Dr. Schneider keeps up with advancements in Orthodontics and is involved in the professional dental community by maintaining active memberships in the American Association of Orthodontists, Mid-Atlantic Society of Orthodontists and Maryland State Society of Orthodontists.
	Laura Stoner joined Greenspring Wealth Management as Client Service Manager in April 2010 after working for T. Rowe Price Investments for nearly six years. She was promoted to Operations Manager in 2012 and supervises the Operations Team. While at T. Rowe Price, Laura held multiple positions in both the Retail Service and Sales departments of the organization where she obtained her FINRA Series 6 and 63 licenses. In 2016, Laura was recognized by SmartCEO Magazine as one of their Brava Award recipients, which recognized and honored top female CEOs and business leaders in the Baltimore-metro area. Laura graduated from Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie College) with a B.S. in Visual Communication Design. Laura is an accomplished equestrian and has been a member of the American Quarter Horse Association since 1992. Whenever she has the chance, she’s either in the barn or in the show arena competing with her beloved Quarter Horse, “Murphy.” Laura is an active volunteer with Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. She currently lives in Baltimore County with her husband, Chris.
	Kristin Taddeo is the Director of Operations of the Sagamore Creative team within Plank Industries, the private-investment office of Kevin A. Plank, the founder, Chairman and CEO of Under Armour. Kristin leads the client relations and project management efforts across the team that focuses on marketing, creative and brand strategy for a diverse client base with a shared mission of cultivating economic development and opportunity in Baltimore City. Kristin’s professional career includes having held various support and marketing roles for Under Armour, Foreman Wolf, Charm City Concierge, General Growth Properties and Pam Shriver’s Annual Charity Tennis Challenge. In addition to being a part of the Sagamore Creative team, Kristin devotes time to serving on planning boards for key charitable events in Baltimore for Mercy Medical Center and Athletes Serving Athletes. Kristin earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Electronic Media + Film from Towson University in 2004. She currently resides in Severna Park, MD with her husband and 1-year old daughter
	Beth A. Woodring is Vice President Finance and Strategic Initiatives for Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA). She joined HCEDA in 2014 as Fund Manager for the Catalyst revolving loan funds and brings a strong background in business counseling, economic development and credit underwriting to her role. Beth also manages the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program at the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship (MCE). Previously, she worked with entrepreneurs in Carroll and Frederick Counties as a business counselor with Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center. A former banker, she completed her formal commercial credit training at Mellon Bank. Beth holds a M.B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in economics and Spanish from Bucknell University. She taught at both Frederick Community and Carroll Community Colleges. A Pennsylvania native, she resides in Carroll County with her children. Beth loves to travel and garden and is actively committed to animal welfare.