New Jersey
Counseling Association

NJCDA/ECA Leadership Team

2017-2018 Leadership Team

 

Lisa Cardello, MA, LAC, NCC (President) formerly served as the division Secretary and President-Elect. Lisa is the Associate Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, NJ, where she developed and coordinates a career counseling and residency advising program for 650+ medical students. She also teaches “Career Planning & Development,” an undergraduate course at Rowan University which aims to engage students in the Bachelor of General Studies program in self-assessment, career exploration, job search strategies and decision-making. Lisa earned her Master’s Degree in Counselor Education at TCNJ and will complete an Educational Specialist (Ed.S) degree in Counseling Services at Rider University in December 2017. She is a National Certified Counselor and NJ Licensed Associate Counselor. Lisa can be contacted at cardello@rowan.edu.

Bob Bullard, MA (President Elect) is currently the Director of the Office of Career Advancement at Rowan University. Bob has over 10 years of experience in higher education in various aspects of student life including career counseling and recruitment, academic advising and coaching, first year experience, student success course development, athletics, disability and veterans resources, and student activities. He is also an adjunct faculty member of the Psychology Department at Rowan University, teaching in the Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling program while also developing student success and career planning courses at Rowan University. Bob currently serves on the Advisory Board for the NJ Center for Student Success and as the NJ Liaison to the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). His research is focused on career readiness and Bob is a member of a research team that was recently awarded an NCAA Innovation in Research Grant investigating career readiness and wellness in Division III student athletes.

Jennie Vila, EdM, LAC, NCC (Secretary) has been working in the field of mental health since 2009. Throughout her career Jennie has become a passionate advocate for low-income individuals with mental illness and believes in being the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. Jennie firmly believes that wellness and recovery are possible for everyone regardless of diagnosis. In addition to working at an outpatient counseling center, Jennie has opened her own business (Growth Mindset, LLC) as a career and life coach in Highland Park, and volunteers with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Fun fact: When Jennie learned about Project Semicolon, she knew immediately that the semicolon was the perfect tattoo for her as it encapsulated everything she believed about mental health and reducing stigma.

Mary Sylvester, MA, NCC, BCC, (Treasurer) has worked in Career Development for the past 9 years. She graduated with a degree in Counseling Services from Rider University in 2011 and worked with the career development office there from 2008 until 2016. She currently teaches a series of Career Planning courses to Rider University undergraduate Business students. She holds both the National Certified counselor (NCC) and Board Certified Coach (BCC) credentials.

Kelly Gentry, MA, NCC, LAC (Past President) is a licensed associate counselor, doctoral candidate in Counselor Education at Montclair State University, and is currently pursuing the NJ Domestic Violence Specialist certificate. She has ten years of experience in higher education as a career counselor, instructor, and program coordinator. Kelly currently teaches in the graduate counseling program at Montclair State University and is the Program Manager of Career Services in the Public Health program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her current research is focused on intimate partner violence and college students.

Ilana Tolpin Levitt, M.A., M.Ed. (Past President) is a clinical career counselor with over 25 years of experience in private practice in New York City and Central New Jersey. She is the 2013 recipient of the Outstanding Career Practitioner Award from the National Career Development Association. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and with a strong background in Organizational Psychology and Human Resources, Ilana’s focus with many clients is a deep exploration of the psychological roots that impact career development and workplace dysfunction. For over a decade, Ilana ran mother-daughter relationship workshops with her mother who was a psychoanalyst. Her recently-released book, What’s Mom Still Got to Do With It? integrates her extensive knowledge and experience about mother-daughter relationships with her expertise in career development.