GVSU Career Center
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Allendale Office
206 STU
Phone: (616)331-3311
Fax: (616)331-2070
Grand Rapids Office
116B DeVos
Phone: (616)331-6708
Fax: (616)331-6406
Meet Our Staff
Since joining The Career Center in 2004, Troy Farley has worked almost exclusively with students, alumni and faculty from the Seidman College of Business. He is particularly well suited for this role, having 14 years of experience in the private sector and maintaining strong ties with employers throughout the region. Prior to joining The Career Center, Troy served as vice president of business development for Archway Marketing Services, where he worked with some of the most recognized consumer product companies in the United States, including Fuji, 3M, Rubbermaid and Target.
Troy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration with a Business minor from Grand Valley State University.
Ginger Lange - Associate Director
As a 25-year veteran of the GVSU Career Center, Ginger Lange will tell anyone that she hit the jackpot when she joined the team in December 1985! Since then she has worked with students in virtually all academic areas; however, she now focuses on assisting students and alumni pursuing careers in health or education.Ginger is a licensed professional counselor and holds two degrees from Michigan State University: a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Education in College Counseling. Ginger is also involved in the wider GVSU community as a member of the College Student Affairs Leadership Professional Development Committee and the University Assessment Committee. She serves on the Executive Board, as treasurer, of the Michigan Career Educator and Employee Alliance (MCEEA).
Prior to joining GVSU, Ginger served as a career counselor at Lansing Community College, Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where she also served for a short time as a financial aid counselor.
Tom Demmon - Associate Director
Tom Demmon serves students and alumni in Engineering, Computing, Occupational Safety & Health and helps out in the Business program. Tom also performed advising and has taught Project Management and Engineering in the School of Engineering.
Tom has over 25 years of experience in engineering, teaching, project management, and functional leadership in the automotive, material handling, and office furniture industries. His most recent industrial position was director of technical learning & development at Steelcase Inc. He holds both BSE and MSE degrees from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of the Chrysler Institute of Engineering. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE), and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
Tom has been blessed with marriage and a growing family, loves sports, plays guitar and is active in youth ministry.
Breeann Gorham - Associate Director
Breeann coordinates career services for the Full-time Integrated MBA program and assists graduate students with resume writing, interviewing and career search strategies.Breeann graduated from Central Michigan University with a Master of Arts in Professional Career Counseling and a Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal Communication. Through her graduate program, she recognized her passion for helping students transition from college to the world-of-work.
Prior to joining GVSU in January of 2008, Breeann was a career and education advisor and career services coordinator at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has taught First-Year Seminar and Social Science courses at CMU, Alma College and Davenport University; and has worked in the sales and hospitality industries.
Rachel Becklin - Assistant Director and Internal Internship Specialist
As a GVSU alum, Rachel is very excited to be back at GVSU, assisting students, faculty, and employers with experiential education initiatives. Having experienced first hand how valuable an internship is, she thoroughly enjoys working with the campus community to help students gain meaningful work experiences. In addition to working with internship programming, Rachel also assists students seeking general career advice, such as resume assistance, practice interviewing and job search strategies.
Prior to returning to GVSU, Rachel served as the Student Employment Advisor/Counselor at The University of North Carolina Greensboro's Career Services Center. She earned her BA in Organization Communications from Western Michigan University in 2004 and her M.Ed from Grand Valley State University in Adult and Higher Education with an emphasis in College Student Affairs Leadership in 2006.
Lori joined the Career Center in March 2010, and works primarily with Seidman College of Business students at the downtown campus. She has been in the educational setting her whole career, with 7 years’ experience in higher education prior to GVSU. Before coming to Grand Valley, she was a Career Services Coordinator at Davenport University, working with School of Business, School of Technology, and MBA students, as well as alumni. She has also worked at Calvin College and Baker College of Muskegon.
Lori graduated from Hope College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and from California State University with a Master of Arts degree in Educational Counseling. Though she’s worked in residence life / student development, academic advising, and personal counseling and has enjoyed all of these areas, she has truly found her career passion in helping students prepare for their future careers, and in building partnerships with employers and faculty.
Janean Couch - Assistant Director
Janean has joined the Career Center team downtown and will work primarily with students, faculty, and alumni from the College of Community and Public Service. Janean has been a part of the GVSU community since 2001 and is excited to be working in The Career Center as an alumnus. She is passionate about helping students to achieve their career goals.
Prior to joining the Career Center Janean worked as a Program Coordinator in the Johnson Center for Philanthropy where she worked extensively in the areas of nonprofit cultural competency, providing professional development opportunities for nonprofit leaders, and nonprofit capacity building. She also gained valuable experiences in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the President’s office, and in The Career Center.
In the community Janean is an active member of the Business Leaders Linked to Encourage New Directions (BL²END), and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration and a Masters in Education in Adult and Higher Education, both from Grand Valley State University.
Megan Riksen - Assistant Director
Megan joined The Career Center in July of 2010, and works primarily with students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. Megan has a passion for students in these majors, and she was a liberal arts student herself as an undergraduate. She appreciates the challenges and opportunities that these students face, and works to implement innovative ways of serving this unique student population.
Prior to joining the Career Center team, Megan was an academic advisor at Lansing Community College. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of Michigan and a Master of Education in College Student Affairs Leadership from Grand Valley State University.
Susan Proctor - Assistant Director
Susan is responsible for the planning and coordination of career-related special events, as well as outreach to area organizations/employers to promote internship and employment opportunities for GVSU students. Susan joined the Career Center staff in January 2011 after spending four years as GVSU's Assistant Director of Alumni Relations.
She earned a B.S. in chemistry from Grand Valley State University in 1998. Prior to joining GVSU's staff, she worked in alumni relations at Davenport University and as a non-profit administrator for the Michigan Pharmacists Association in Lansing.
Lisa Knapp works with students from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. As a liberal arts major herself—English and Communications—Lisa understands the importance of finding ways to turn the things you know into the things you do. She loves working with students as they make these connections and transition into the professional workplace. Lisa joined the staff in 2011.
Prior to joining the Grand Valley Career Center Office, Lisa worked in student affairs at her alma mater—Hope College—for over a decade. For seven years, she lived on campus as a resident director. Most recently, Lisa served as the program coordinator for a first-year academic/residential program focused on race and culture.
Lisa has additional experience as a freelance reporter for The Grand Rapids Press and The Holland Sentinel, and as a creative writing teacher with the Program for the Academically Talented at Hope. (P.A.T.H.)
Sue Smith - Office Coordinator, Allendale Campus
smithsu@gvsu.edu
Sue joined Grand Valley State University in March of 2008 as the Office Coordinator in the Allendale Student Services Office. She brings over 25 years of office experience including Administration Assistance and Human Resources. Sue coordinates activities to ensure effective and efficient operation of support functions at the Allendale Office, including career fairs and internships. She received an Associate Degree of Applied Science from Delta College. Sue and her husband, Kim, have been married for 30 years and have two children.
Judy DeBoer - Office Coordinator, Pew Campus
Judy has been with The Career Center since April '07 and previously worked on campus as a secretary in the School of Engineering; this is after spending 22 years working for the State of Michigan with the Unemployment Insurance Agency as an administrative assistant and five years at Michigan State University. She earned an associate's degree from rival Ferris State when it was still a "College" (long, long ago!). Judy enjoys being back in the university atmosphere, being part of the "downtown" Career Center team, and especially the student interaction.
Justin McKenzie - Information Systems Specialist
Justin joined The Career Center team in July of 2011 as the department’s systems administrator. His focus is on the implementation and management of the technology components used in the department.
Justin earned an Associates degree from Grand Rapids Community College and a B.A. in Secondary Education majoring in Computer Science from Grand Valley. Justin was a member of the 2006 and 2007 conference champion Laker baseball teams. He was named a Preseason All-American second baseman his senior year. Justin is excited to continue his career with GVSU and looks forward to working with the students and staff that make up this great institution.
Page last modified April 24, 2013
