Building A Career in Washington, DC

February 28, 2013

On February 28, 2013, Trudy Steinfeld, the Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of NYU's Wasserman Center for Career Development, moderated a panel composed of expert career recruiters and professionals representing the American Red Cross, US Secret Service, US Agency for International Development (USAID), National Endowment for the Humanities, and The White House. Trudy led a discussion on how to best prepare and market yourself in today's challenging job market. The panel offered networking tips, shared organizational insights and answered audience questions. This event was co-hosted by The John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State University.

Meet the Panelists

Adrienne Alberts

Larry Myers

Steve Kowal

Trudy Steinfeld

Christian Peele

Jacqueline Wasson

Adrienne Alberts, Program Manager, College and Workforce Inclusion Programs, American Red Cross

Adrienne has been involved in talent management and career development for nearly 20 years. In her current role, she manages organization-wide talent acquisition programs (college and diversity recruiting), vendor relationships, and strategic sourcing efforts.

Prior to joining the Red Cross, Adrienne managed college relations for Booz Allen Hamilton, and college and diversity recruiting for Constellation Energy Group. Adrienne has also served as the director of client services for MonsterTrak, a division of Monster Worldwide, and on the staffs of career centers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Virginia, and the College of William and Mary.

Adrienne is member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers board of directors and a past President for the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers. She serves on the board of the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University in Maryland and is Vice President of the Caroline Center Board of Directors. The Caroline Center is a non-profit organization focusing on career preparation for unemployed and underemployed women in Baltimore City.

Adrienne has also served on the boards of the Maryland Career Consortium, the Professional Aptitude Council, Owen Software Development Company, Ltd, and University of Richmond Office of Alumni and Career Services and the University of Maryland University Career Services and The President’s Promise.

Led by her passion to make an impact, Adrienne founded Alberts Consulting LLC in 2010. Alberts Consulting is a small consulting firm that focuses on coaching for individuals and training and strategy development for organizations.

Camille Harris, United States Secret Service (Not Pictured)

Camille is with the United States Secret Service.

Steve Kowal, Education Program Specialist, Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment, USAID

In this role, Steve Kowal manages and coordinates operational plans, performance plans and reports, and budgets for the office. He also provides input and guidance on these processes for USAID’s education sector as a whole. He provides support and technical assistance to USAID education and program staff, with a focus on local capacity development and government-to-government assistance. He has provided on-site field support to USAID Missions in Afghanistan, Egypt, Mozambique, and Pakistan.

Originally from Amherst, Ohio, Steve earned a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Language Arts Education from Ohio University. After teaching at various grade levels, he received a Master of Public Administration degree from the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. Directly before starting at USAID as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2009, he served as an Undergraduate Programs Advisor for the John Glenn School of Public Affairs.

Christian Peele, Director, White House Internship Program

Christian Peele, Director of the White House Internship Program, completed her undergraduate studies at Mary Baldwin College and received her Master of Divinity degree at Duke University. After finishing her graduate studies, she worked for the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York and the Church of the Saviour, a faith-based non-profit community in Washington, D.C. Her work with the Church of the Saviour specifically involved creating educational opportunities for the incarcerated. Christian completed a White House internship in the fall of 2009 and became the director of the program in May of 2011.

Larry Myers, Director, NEH Office of Planning and Budget

Larry Myers has been a federal civil servant since 1980. In his more than three decades at the National Endowment for the Humanities—a small grant-making agency that supports projects and programs in history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities disciplines—he has served in a variety of capacities, including grant program officer, senior program analyst, Congressional and White House liaison, and, since 2001, as director of the agency’s Office of Planning and Budget.

Mr. Myers holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in American history (minor, American literature) from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Trudy Steinfeld, Early Careers, Talent and Workplace Thought Leader and Consultant, TruMann Consulting (Moderator)

Trudy has spent twenty-eight years in the field of teaching, training, and career development. She has been on several NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) committees and taskforces, as well as chaired several national conferences including the June 2006 New York City NACE Conference. In addition to these, Trudy has been a presenter at numerous national meetings and conferences and has been recipients of both NASPA and NACE Excellence awards. She has served as consultant to universities, (including Sciences Po in Paris), and corporate recruiting organizations.

Trudy has been interviewed extensively and appeared as a national expert with: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, Daily News, Newsday, New York Post, Crain’s, NBC, CBS, ABC, MTV, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC.

Jacqueline Wasson, United States Secret Service

Jacqueline Wasson is with the United States Secret Service.