Morning Workshop Presentations for Jobseekers

Nhu-An White is a seasoned human resources professional with 20 years of experience in full-cycle recruitment, employee relations, and program administration across the corporate, local government, and federal government sectors. Since joining the Fairfax County Department of Human Resources in 2014, she has served as a strategic HR business partner to an average of 20 County agencies, providing expert guidance on recruitment and selection, personnel policies, and compliance with state and federal regulations.

In her current role as Senior HR Consultant, Nhu-An leads executive recruitment and selection processes for Fairfax County’s senior leadership positions and oversees the County’s LinkedIn program to support recruitment marketing, employer branding, and talent outreach. She is recognized for her strategic approach, cross-functional collaboration, and deep knowledge of public-sector human resources practices. Nhu-An holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from George Mason University.

Case Manager/Outreach Coordinator with the WIOA program.

Ivonne Salazar is currently a case manager/outreach coordinator with the WIOA program.

Ivonne has years of experience serving others, having worked for BDAG, Inc., a nonprofit organization that collaborated closely with WIOA case managers. BDAG helped people with barriers to employment, such as language or skills, to start their own businesses, gain income, and become self-sufficient. She then joined a home care agency, where she served as office manager and worked closely with caregivers, office staff, clients, and their families for 10 years.

In 2021, Ivonne began working with the Fairfax County Health Department as a COVID-19 Navigator. As a navigator, Ivonne would often go into the community to conduct outreach and assist at vaccine centers, translating as needed.

In 2022, Ivonne transferred to the Department of Family Services' PAES division and worked in the Employment & Training side. She has previously worked in the ELEVATE and SCSEP programs, helping individuals find employment by offering training or work opportunities.

Ivonne has leveraged her extensive background in customer service, working with individuals of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels, to get to know her clients, their skills, goals, and how to effectively reach them, often by thinking outside the box.

Fun Fact: While working at a BDAG, Ivonne applied her knowledge of starting a business and launched her own. Her love of art led her to start her own face-painting business. Seventeen years later, she is still working and has expanded her business to include glitter tattoos, fairy hair, henna, balloon twisting, and airbrushing.

Human Resources Specialist, Montgomery County Government

With over 20 years of recruitment experience spanning both the private and public sectors, Amina Getaneh brings deep expertise and insight to the field of talent acquisition. She has contributed over 11.5 years of dedicated service to Montgomery County Government. She currently serves as a Human Resources Specialist within the Recruitment Division of the Office of Human Resources. Her work focuses on aligning talent strategies with organizational goals, and she finds the daily challenges and rewards of recruitment both energizing and fulfilling. Passionate about connecting people with purpose-driven opportunities, Amina is dedicated to advancing effective, equitable hiring practices in public service.

Your LinkedIn Driving Instructor is a LinkedIn trainer, communications strategist, and workforce educator who teaches adults 45 and older to harness the power of LinkedIn for job searches, career transitions, nonprofit leadership, and encore entrepreneurship.

As the Owner, CEO, and Lead Trainer at Of a Certain Vintage Workforce Education, LLC, Dr. Barnes provides LinkedIn training in partnership with public libraries, nonprofits, and career, workforce, and business development organizations, as well as graduate school and university alumni programs throughout the United States.

Dr. Barnes also facilitates the Jewish Council for the Aging’s Career Gateway program, a career development course for 50+ jobseekers, and teaches nonprofit leaders to use LinkedIn for effective donor research and management and board member recruitment and engagement in partnership with the Westchester (NY) Library System.

Dr. Barnes is a graduate of the Leadership Montgomery Encore program and earned a BA from Yale College, a JD from Stanford Law School, and a doctorate in the history of U.S. foreign policy from the Ohio State University.

Email Dr. Barnes at elisse@vintageworkforce.com

Your Message Matters: A Purpose-Driven Approach to Career Transition

Kim Murphy is a Professional Certified Coach who helps individuals navigate career transitions by reconnecting with their sense of purpose and translating it into clear, compelling direction. With over a decade of coaching experience—and a career that spans service as a Peace Corps Volunteer, USDA Civil Servant, and State Department Foreign Service Officer—Kim understands firsthand what it means to evolve professionally while staying grounded in what matters most.

Having navigated dozens of transitions herself, she brings both lived experience and professional training to her coaching. Kim believes that when individuals articulate their purpose with clarity and intention, they unlock more aligned opportunities and more meaningful success. Her approach integrates purpose-driven reflection with practical strategy, empowering clients to shape careers that are successful and deeply fulfilling.

Kim is certified by the Co-Active Training Institute and credentialed by the International Coach Federation. She is passionate about helping people own their stories, communicate their value, and move forward with confidence and intention.

Contact Kim:

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/kimberlymurphy-coach

Email: kimberlymurphy2010@gmail.com

Debra Steppel, President and Founder of Essays Plus More, has been helping people present their experience, qualifications, and interests to decision-makers since 1985. As an undergraduate Psychology/Sociology major at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, she held campus jobs as a Career Assistant and Writing Tutor, where she began her career helping students and alumni with their resumes and writing skills, teaching them how to share their experiences in ways that demonstrate transferable skills for future positions. Debra also earned a Masters in Public and Private Management at Yale School of Management, where she focused on Strategy, Marketing, and Organizational Development. Her decades of industry experience span Silicon Valley, government contracting, financial planning, and political marketing. Since last year, she has been helping jobseekers write resumes that will be "found" in a hiring environment where over 98% of hiring organizations now use AI-based Applicant Tracking Systems.

At her happiest when she is helping others achieve their career and educational goals, Debra sees her career as a Coach, Mentor, and Editor to be her way of fulfilling the highest level of Maimonides' Seven Levels of Charity, which is to help individuals build dignity by finding gainful employment and self-fulfillment.

Debra can be reached at debra@essaysplusmore.com or 703-473-3276. Her company website is https://www.essaysplusmore.com.

Justin is owner of Volman HR Strategy LLC, which helps companies find solutions to attract, hire, and retain talent.

He is a 4x Award-Winning SHRM-CP certified Strategic Talent Acquisition Expert who has successfully hired over 1,000 individuals across 7 countries in less than 10 years across the startup, corporate, and non-profit sectors.

University of Alabama Alumni - “Where Legends are Made”

Shira Lotzar, with Purposeful Hire, is a seasoned career coach, small business coach, and recruiter passionate about helping people do what they love!

Through her dynamic career branding process, she helps job seekers and small business owners discover their career passions and showcase their professional superpowers through compelling LinkedIn profiles, standout resumes and websites, pinpoint networking, and memorable interviews.

She also co-founded a community service program, BoomerWorks.org, helping 50+ professionals’ re-career into self-employment. Her passion is best captured in her tagline: For every hire, there is a higher purpose.

Contact Information: Purposeful Hire, shira@purposefulhire.com, 703-508- 9573