Meet Our Staff
Career Development Center
- Julie Marx, Director, Career Development Center
- Elizabeth Berkely, Career and Employment Counselor
- Sandra L. Coda, Career and Employment Counselor
- Joseph P. D'Anna, Career and Employment Counselor
- Dorcas Evans-Miller, Information & Referral Specialist
- Patrick Ferraro, Employer Relations Coordinator
- Estee Gelman, Program Assistant
- Justin Kelly, Career and Employment Counselor
- Rossana Lawrence, Coordinator of Immigrant Employment Services
- Alayne Lowenberger, Scholarship Program Director
- George R. Ponticello, Career and Employment Counselor
- Wendy Solomon, Client Coordinator
- Nicole Stanish, Program Specialist
- Jeanne Williams, Career and Employment Counselor
Julie Marx
Director, Career Development Center
In her role as director of the Career Development Center, Julie Marx is responsible for planning, developing and administering career services programs for individuals and companies.
Prior to Julie's promotion to CDC director, she held dual positions of CDC's Work-Able Coordinator and Clinical Coordinator in Squirrel Hill Psychological Services (another division of CDC's parent organization, Jewish Family & Children's Service). In both capacities, she provided counseling services to clients. In addition, for Squirrel Hill Psychological Services, Julie focused on creating and promoting new and existing programs and services.
Past positions include senior clinician for the Late Life Depression Program at the University of Pittsburgh, providing assessment and counseling for older adults. She was involved in research on best treatment for depression in adults age sixty and above, as well as research on the relationship between depression and cognitive function in late life. She received training at Mercy Behavioral Health and through the geriatric unit of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
Julie received her master's degree in counseling from Chatham University. She also has a master's degree in communications. Prior to embarking on her work in counseling, she was the publisher of a family resource guide in the Washington D.C. tri-state area that is used as a fundraising tool for schools and children's organizations. She is also a certified teacher.
Elizabeth Berkely
Career and Employment Counselor
Elizabeth "Betty" Berkely's responsibilities include providing assessment, career counseling and job search skills to a variety of CDC clients.
Betty is a proven educator and senior business leader with more than twenty years of experience in the management of line and staff functions with Fortune 500 companies. While the majority of her career has focused on human resource management, she also served as the Director of Career Services for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Betty is also an adjunct Career Management Consultant with Right Management, an international human resources consulting and outplacement firm.
Betty has an undergraduate and graduate degree in English from Slippery Rock University, and a graduate degree in the Sociology of Education and Mass Communications from the University of Leicester, Leicester, England. She is also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the Society of Human Resource Management.
Sandra L. Coda
Career and Employment Counselor
As a career and employment counselor, Sandy's responsibilities include career counseling and job development. In addition, Sandra is a facilitator for workgroups and workshops providing job search skills training.
Sandy has over 20 years' experience relating to career counseling, job development, sales and marketing. In Pittsburgh, Sandy has worked as a certified employment counselor for a company with more than 450 offices in the U.S. For outstanding performance as an employment specialist, including the placement of more applicants than any other specialist, Sandy was honored with many awards and accolades.
Sandy also worked as an admissions representative for the Wheeler School. She counseled students regarding their careers, financial aid and course selection, and gave effective presentations at college fairs.
Sandy has a bachelor's degree in business and communications from Carlow University, where she received a Community Service Award. Sandy has been designated as a Certified Global Career Development Facilitator. Working with Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Career Link System, Sandy has completed requirements for Core Knowledge, Job Seeker Services 1 and Employer Services 1 certified professional designations.
Joseph P. D'Anna
Career and Employment Counselor
Joe D'Anna serves as a career and employment counselor in the CDC's Business Services Division. He is responsible for providing career counseling to individuals and assisting area employers with recruiting efforts and outplacement services, as well as conducting group workshops on career planning. He has more than 25 years of experience in management consulting, executive recruiting and corporate outplacement for major corporations and non-profit organizations.
Joe has served as Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County and as Chief Administrative Assistant to the County Commissioners where he recruited, trained and supervised department heads and managers for positions in Allegheny County government. He also has served as Vice Chairman of the Allegheny Housing Authority and as Chief Deputy Clerk of Courts.
Joe has authored numerous articles including manuals for successful job searching and termination training for managers. He has taught career planning courses for the University of Pittsburgh's Program Improvement Plan.
Joe holds a bachelor's degree in business management from Loyola University and is a Certified Career Development Facilitator.
Dorcas Evans-Miller
Information & Referral Specialist
Dorcas Evans-Miller is the Information & Referral Specialist for the Career Development Center. In this position, she welcomes clients to the CDC’s Resource Center and assists clients with their online job registration and searches. In addition, as an employment and career counselor, Dorcas provides clients with job search and career transition consultation.
Dorcas served as job developer from 1989 – 2006 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in the Job and Career Education Center (JCEC) located in Oakland. At the JCEC, she served over 200 job seekers a year by building resumes and referring clients to job leads.
Dorcas earned a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from the University of Pittsburgh and is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator.
Patrick Ferraro
Employer Relations Coordinator
Patrick Ferraro is an employer relations coordinator for the
Career Development Center. Patrick develops
relationships with regional employers to identify career
opportunities for CDC clients and facilitate their placement.
One of his initiatives includes hosting employers onsite at the
CDC, where job seekers meet employers face-to-face for
pre-interviews. Patrick also pre-screens and coaches clients
when referring them for specific jobs.
Prior to working with the CDC, Patrick was prinicipal owner of
Pinnacle Associates, a search firm specializing in placing middle
to upper management personnel in all disciplines. He also served as
vice president of client services consulting for Right Management
Consultants, an international career counseling and transition
firm. He has been involved in the planning and implementation of
career centers for numerous organizations in Western Pennsylvania
and West Virginia that were downsizing their workforce due to
restructuring or merger and acquisition activities.
Patrick earned his undergraduate degree in psychology at
California University of Pennsylvania and completed additional
masters-level coursework in human resources management at LaRoche
College.
Estee Gelman
Program Assistant
Estee provides administrative support to the CDC staff, ensuring materials are prepared for workshops on a timely basis, assisting with workshops and performing a variety of other administrative functions.
Prior to joining the CDC, Estee worked, in New York, for the Hebrew Academy of Special Children (HASC), a non-profit organization that deals with developmentally-disabled adults. Estee provided an array of services, including working closely with the director of the Health Center on updating manuals and ensuring all regulations were being met. She also worked under the Acting Director of Quality Assurance to ensure all staff members were properly certified and that all clients were receiving the best possible care from the staff.
Justin Kelly
Career and Employment Counselor
As a career and employment counselor, Justin Kelly's
responsibilities include providing assessment, career counseling
and job search skills training to a variety of CDC clients.
Justin started his career as an assistant recruiter at FreeMarkets
Inc. (now Ariba Inc.). While he gained great experience at
FreeMarkets, Justin decided that he wanted to utilize the skills he
learned and developed in human resource management to help students
at the university level. He became a career counselor at Duquesne
University, serving students (and alumni) in the A.J. Palumbo
School of Business. After spending six years at Duquesne
University, Justin went to Chatham University to serve as Associate
Director of Career Services/Internships. In this role, he developed
internship opportunities with employers and counseled students to
help them obtain internships. Justin then worked at the
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants as a Senior
Chapter Administrator before coming to JF&CS.
Justin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts
from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA.
Rossana Lawrence
Coordinator of Immigrant Employment Services
Rossana Lawrence works in the Career Development Center as an immigrant employment specialist. Rossana's responsibilities include providing job development for employable refugees and immigrants, planning and conducting workshops on acculturation and job readiness and coordinating delivery of employer program services.
For the last 12 years prior, Rossana was a sales manager/trainer for a retail corporation where she developed department business strategies and trained executives and associates on new policies and procedures.
She was a volunteer tutor for Catholic Charities in Miami for seven years, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to the Hispanic population and providing Spanish and French translation for immigrants and refugees appearing before the Immigration Office.
Rossana holds a law degree from Federico Villarreal University
in Lima, Peru and a teaching degree from the North American
Institute, sponsored by the American Embassy in Lima, Peru.
Alayne Lowenberger
Scholarship Program Director
Alayne Lowenberger is the scholarship program director of Central Scholarship & Loan Referral Service (CSLRS). CSLRS is a program of the United Jewish Federation, administered by the Career Development Center (CDC) of Jewish Family & Children's Service. CSLRS coordinates the efforts of a group of organizations, agencies and scholarship endowment funds which provide scholarships to local undergraduate and graduate Jewish students who have demonstrated financial need. Alayne interviews applicants, reviews and processes the applications, provides professional support to the lay allocations committee and markets the program.
Alayne worked in various capacities in the community prior to joining the CDC. She was the consumer benefits coordinator at Mercy Behavioral Health, the social worker/training and placement director at the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and the administrative assistant to the executive director at Three Rivers Youth. She had previously worked at Jewish Family & Children's Service as the administrative assistant to the executive director.
Alayne holds a master's degree in social administration and a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor's in Jewish studies from University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and she is a PA licensed social worker.
George R. Ponticello
Career and Employment Counselor
George Ponticello is a career and employment counselor at the Career Development Center. His primary responsibilities include individual assessment, career counseling/coaching, job search skills, training, job development and providing ongoing support and resources to CDC clients in career transition.
George has worked for several organizations in the human resources field where his primary focus has included corporate recruiting, contingency search, outplacement and career counseling. George also serves as an adjunct consultant with Right Management, an international human resources consulting and outplacement firm and spent four years working as a contract career advisor for Verizon Communications. In addition to his diverse experience in the human resources area, George's previous business experience includes positions in advertising, sales and information systems—working in small, mid-sized and Fortune 50 corporations.
George's educational background includes a master's degree in
human resources management from LaRoche College, a master's of
library and information sciences from the University of Pittsburgh
and a bachelor's in Journalism/Advertising from Penn State
University.
Wendy Solomon
Client Coordinator
Wendy Solomon handles client intakes, helps coordinate CDC contracts and conducts a client workshop. She is the first stop for clients seeking assistance. After carefully assessing their needs and background, she refers them to one of the career counselors. Additionally, she administers contract programs for the state and foundations as well as teaching workshops.
Prior to her role as client coordinator, Wendy managed the Central Scholarship & Loan Referral Service (CSLRS) program for several years, designing Access reports and maintaining data quality control. Before joining the CDC, Wendy coordinated research projects at WPIC and Carnegie Mellon and managed technical upgrades for UPMC departments.
She holds a master's degree in management from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.
Nicole Stanish
Program Specialist
Nicole is a program specialist for the CDC. Her responsibilities include a variety of tasks such as supervising the S.T.E.P. program, facilitating a weekly workshop, assisting in writing and editing, coordinating the CDC calendar and outside presentations and helping clients with their career transition needs.
After graduation and prior to her arrival at JF&CS, Nicole worked for various marketing companies doing project management and large-scale marketing programs.
Nicole graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in English.
Jeanne Williams
Career and Employment Counselor
As a career and employment counselor in the Career Development Center, Jeanne will be working with special populations including at-risk youth, immigrants, refugees and dislocated workers.
Jeanne has more than 20 years of leadership experience building internal and external relationships within financial institutions, corporations, and academia settings. Her most recent position as an admissions coordinator for Pittsburgh Technical Institute provided opportunities to work mainly with non-traditional students. Her desire to bring hope to a population of people who are often complacent and defeated about their careers became a reality as many students met and surpassed their goals.
Prior to joining Pittsburgh Technical Institute, Jeanne was a senior auditor with Mellon Financial Corporation’s Audit & Risk Review Department. The majority of her service with Mellon Financial Corporation resided within the Global Trade Finance & Services Department where she served as an assistant vice president.
Jeanne holds a bachelor’s degree in Professional Communication and Organizational Behavior from Duquesne University. She is currently a teaching assistant and has taught classes in organizational behavior, critical thinking and export finance.
