Nanette Cooley
Executive Director - Career Development
Nanette Cooley is the Executive Director of the Center for Career Development at Washington College. She leads the career center efforts to advance career education, experiential learning, and on-campus student employment. Additionally, Nanette and her team provide personalized, meaningful experiences for students, alumni, employers and families. A true advocate for the liberal arts, Nanette connects students to opportunities aligning with their core values.
Having completed a master’s degree in counseling services from Rider University, she has worked in higher education for more than 30 years. Prior to her role at Washington College, she led career services at Lafayette College in Easton, PA where she was presented the President’s Award for distinguished service. During her tenure at Lafayette, she managed employer relations, served on various boards and committees, and was responsible for compiling and reporting first destinations outcomes.
Currently, her role involves providing strategic direction for career development within the student affairs division. Nanette provides individual career coaching and counseling to students and alumni, facilitates workshops, and coordinates on- and off-campus programs including regional networking events. Additionally, she is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers, Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association as well as the Maryland Career Consortium.
Lisa Moody
Associate Director
Lisa Moody joined the Career Development staff in April 2014 and currently serves as the Associate Director of Career Development. Her areas of responsibility include providing one-on-one career coaching, managing the First Year Career Awareness Program (FYCAP), data collection, management and reporting, workshop facilitation, employer relations and outreach, and other professional development services. Lisa is also the advisor for the Black Student Union (BSU) and Women In Business campus organizations.
Before coming to Washington College, Lisa served 8 years in Career Services at Delaware State University, where her last position was Director, and spent 16 years in management in Corporate America in Operations with a brief period in the non-profit sector. Most of her employment tenure has been in banking and finance in credit cards and consumer deposits in a variety of fields ranging from collections, imaging, new accounts, fraud, individual retirement accounts, and corporate facilitating. She also has a background in residential real estate.
Lisa earned a B.S. in Christian Ministry from Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary and earned her MBA from Delaware State University. She enjoys utilizing her past and current experience to help others develop to reach their professional and personal potential.
Georgina Bliss
Assistant Director
Georgina manages multiple functions as the Assistant Director of the Center including student 1:1 appointments, career communications, overseeing and supervising the development of center interns and ambassadors and presenting key career education workshop. Georgina is also certified in CliftonStrength, a leading Strengths Education Assessment that measures an individual natural processing and action talents. Georgina encourages students to define and articulate their goals and strengths, develop a toolbox of job support materials such as a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn Profile and manage their job processes. Georgina is a proud captain of the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) team, Identity & Privilege.
Georgina recently completed a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies at Northern Vermont University, part of the Vermont State University System. As part of Georgina’s work at NVU/VSC, Georgina completed an inquiry project, “An Analysis of Clifton Strengths Development Education as a core element of Higher Education curriculum” which will be published by the American Marketing Association, Faculty Papers program. Georgina has done extensive research for 5 years on the value that Strengths Education brings to students and developing natural talents around “what and how they perform”. Georgina is certified in Gallup Clifton Strengths and works with students, faculty, and staff to develop their strengths.
Georgina is a proud graduate of the University of Vermont where she completed a double major in French and Political Science with Honors and obtained a Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing in 2016 and completed a certificate via UVM in “Dealing with Difficult People”.
Prior to coming to Washington College, Georgina spent 30 years as a brand marketing manager-strategist working for the New York-based prestige consumer product industry, including Estee Lauder International, Guerlain, Inc, Sanofi Beauty, Davidoff of Geneva, and Veranda Magazine, while supporting a family firm specializing in retail project management for high profile clients. Georgina is passionate about marketing and co-advises the campus chapter of the American Marketing Association Student Marketing Team. The team has won several honors over the year which include placement as Honorable Mention in 2018 for their case presentation of the Wall Street Journal.
Mother of 3 adult children, Georgina loves to travel especially to France to visit family, is fluent in French, , sew, and chat with tea.
Tya Pope
Luis Mercado
Luis F Mercado, Jr., MBA is an experienced business professional credited with delivering exceptional operations, financial, and leadership results. He has always been engaged throughout his career in supporting the holistic undergraduate student experience. Signature competencies include resume development, mock interviews, advisement, career development, adjunct instruction, leadership, mentoring, staff/faculty collaboration, employer relationships, communication, and facilitating positive employment outcomes for students (including multi-generational individuals) across the diversity spectrum. Luis currently serves part-time a College of Business Adjunct Instructor at Shepherd University, previously taught at Kutztown University, and most recently served as an Academic Advisor & Success Coach at Salisbury University.
Penny Weintraub
Penny has dedicated her entire career supporting and guiding students of all ages, first as an elementary school teacher and then as the Associate Director of a children’s summer camp. She is also a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and was very helpful as a Covid tester for WC during the pandemic.
Penny is the Office Manager in our Career Center and keeps all the programs flowing. If you need anything related to the Career Center, Penny is available from 8:30 – 4:30, Monday – Friday.