Career Mentors

During the on-site residency, Fellows are matched one-on-one to a career mentor with a similar career background.  Fellows interact with the career mentor through a mock interview, resume workshop and a networking lunch.  Additionally, career mentors are available to Fellows after the on-site residency for ongoing mentorship as the Fellows work to meet their professional goals.

Abby Neely, J.D.

Abby Neely grew up in Brookston, Indiana. She lives with her husband and Great Pyrenees, Nora Bones. After graduating high school in 2014, she began working at Ball Eggleston each summer while attending college. Her internships at Ball Eggleston only enhanced her desire to become an attorney. Abby obtained a bachelor of science in legal studies from Ball State University in 2018, graduating at the top of her major. She then attended I.U. Robert McKinney School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctorate in 2021.

Abby focuses her practice on family law matters, including divorces, custody, and guardianships. She also practices in general civil litigation. Abby believes putting children first in every case creates a better outcome for everyone involved. She enjoys helping her clients navigate the legal system while making sure questions are answered and her clients feel empowered. In her spare time, Abby enjoys reading, baking, golfing, and spending time with family.

Blair McKissock, Ph.D.

Blair McKissock, Ph.D. serves as the community outreach specialist for the Military Family Research Institute’s Star Behavioral Health Providers at Purdue University and the director of education and research at Strides to Success. After college, she became a therapeutic riding instructor beginning her 25 year career as a recreation therapist incorporating horses and nature-based experiences. The last 10 years focused on supporting the military-connected population. She earned her masters in education and a Ph.D. in applied ecopsychology, focusing her research on the mental health impact of equine interaction for veterans and trauma survivors. She is a certified therapeutic riding instructor and equine specialist, certified trauma specialist, certified FLOW coach, and master horsework facilitator. She serves as the equine-assisted learning community chair for PATH International and sits on the equine consortium for the Veterans Administration. She is a passionate advocate for all equine-assisted services as an international speaker and author of editorial and research-based resources.

BreAnna “Bre” Davis

BreAnna is an associate located in Frost Brown Todd’s Indianapolis office, where she focuses her practice on product liability and tort litigation. Prior to joining the firm in 2021, BreAnna worked as a personal injury and medical malpractice attorney.

BreAnna received her law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where she served as treasurer for the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and a faculty research assistant. During her first year of law school, BreAnna served as a judicial intern for Judge Ezra Friedlander in the Indiana Court of Appeals, and for Judge Terry A. Crone in the Indiana Court of Appeals for her second year. During her third year in law school, BreAnna served as a law clerk in the General Counsel’s Office at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

BreAnna graduated from Purdue University, where she was a Division I All-American Athlete, serving as team captain of the Varsity Women’s Track and Field Team. BreAnna also served as an executive member of the Purdue Student Union Board.

Charlene Sullivan

Charlene Sullivan is an emeritus professor from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue, having served on the faculty for 44 years and retiring in June 2022. She completed an MBA and a Ph.D. from Purdue in 1975 and 1978 respectively, with specialties in accounting and finance.

Charlene joined the faculty of the Krannert School in 1978, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1985, and served as the associate dean of the Krannert Undergraduate Programs in Management from 2012 to her retirement in 2022. Charlene taught courses for undergraduates, graduate students and multiple executive education programs for Krannert and the Center for Agribusiness. Sullivan was recognized for her teaching with the University Undergraduate Murphy Award and was a two-time winner of the Salgo Noren Award for best teacher in the Krannert MBA program.

Outside of her work at Krannert, Charlene served on the Boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Bioanalytical Systems, Purdue Federal Credit Union, Greater Lafayette Community Foundation and the Lafayette Symphony Foundation. Charlene did extensive consulting work in the areas of credit card risk management, gaming operations in Indiana, and consumer credit. Her current passions in retirement are being physically fit, connecting to activities associated with improving students’ readiness for high school, work, and college, and acquiring the Master Gardener qualification in Tippecanoe County.

Christie Pronzato-Lodics, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Dr. Christie Pronzato is the current women veteran program manager for the Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. Christie is responsible for ensuring timely, equitable, high-quality, comprehensive health care services are provided in a sensitive and safe environment.

Christie is a graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University with her bachelor of nursing (BSN) degree. After receiving her BSN, she worked as a nurse caring for patients and received the coveted Daisy Award for her exceptional care. Eventually she returned to school to receive her family nurse practitioner degree from Indiana State University and then landed at the VA in 2017 to care for women veterans in the gynecology clinic. Christie received her clinical doctoral degree from Chamberlain University in 2021 as a doctor of nurse practitioner. She has dedicated her career to the continued advancement of clinical research and care for women veterans in her current role as the women veteran program manager.

She is certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which is activated in emergency and disaster situations.

Christie strives to be a role model in her community as a high-school mentor, foster parent, and a career mentor. She is also a guest lecturer at Butler University, Purdue University, Indiana University, and Indiana University-Purdue University striving to instill her knowledge and the pursuit of higher education to the next generations.

Christy Collette

Christy Collette is a program associate for the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, she assists in the national expansion of Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP). SBHP is a training and registry program with a mission of increasing access to high quality behavioral health services to the military-connected population, especially to those in the National Guard. Christy also serves as a faculty member and teaches workshops on a variety of topics including traumatic brain injury, assessment and management of suicide in the military, PTSD, and working with military families. She also trains a series of workshops specific to working with military couples.

Prior to coming to CDP, Christy worked at the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. In this capacity, she worked on SBHP and implemented the program in new states. In her role at MFRI, Christy sat on the executive committee for Joining Community Forces Indiana and worked to coordinate resources across the state of Indiana.

Christy received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University. She is a licensed mental health counselor with experience in community mental health and private practice. She currently maintains a small private practice and works as a crisis clinician at a local hospital. Christy has more than 15 years’ experience working with children through play therapy and has worked extensively with military families.

Jamie Linville, Ph.D.

Jamie Linville has a Ph.D. in sports leadership from Concordia University Chicago as well as a masters in special education and bachelors in Psychology from Purdue University. She lives in Carmel, Indiana with her daughter and spoiled Mane Coon, Boiler. Her research interests center around the areas of self-efficacy and retention.

She loves to workout including boxing to stay healthy. She also enjoys attending sporting events and wine tasting. She currently works part-time at Cooper’s Hawk in the wine tasting room.

Jasmine Norris

Jasmine Norris is an award winning and published wedding photographer. She captures the romantic, joyful, and authentic elements of every wedding day. Her work has been featured in over 400 publications including The Knot, Bridal Guide, PopSugar, Gay Weddings, Huffington Post, and more. Jasmine’s presentations and speaking style takes a no-fluff approach. She wants to fill her presentations with valuable information and actionable steps that attendees can implement right away. Besides being a full time wedding photographer and educator, Jasmine is also an educator and speaks at events and conferences throughout the year. Professionally,
Jasmine is a full time business owner with a BA in Film studies, communications, marketing, and English.

Jeni Brett

Jeni Brett (she/her) completed her Navy career as a Chief Petty Officer, retiring after 20 years as a sonar technician. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology with minors in women’s and gender studies and linguistics, and is currently a PhD student at the University of Texas at San Antonio conducting research in maritime ministry and volunteerism in the Seaport District of Boston, Mass. She is active on campus as a graduate senator in UTSA’s student government association, a board member of the Anthropology Graduate Student Association, and providing mentorship to undergraduates in the Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honors Society. Jeni maintains memberships with the Society for Medical Anthropology and the Association for Feminist Anthropology and is a certified Extended DISC Trainer and a Focus Forward Alumna.

Jenna Winger

Jenna Winger is a Purdue University alumni with a bachelor’s degree in communication. She spent the first 10+ years of my career in the human services field, working for a variety of local non-profit agencies training individuals in career development programs. While working in human services, she had the opportunity to do some work in recruiting, onboarding, and benefits and in 2014, she transitioned into the field of human resources.

In July 2016, she joined the Wabash (WNC) Lafayette Operations HR team. Over the years, she has been involved in various HR projects for the Lafayette plants, including hiring, onboarding, evaluating, and developing an amazing workforce. After five years on the HR manufacturing teams, she moved into a corporate role, to lead the company’s community impact programs.

In 2019, she had the honor to serve on the board of directors for the UW of Greater Lafayette, and since 2022, she served on the UW campaign cabinet and the board of directors for the YWCA. She is passionate about learning and helping others develop their professional skills.

Motto: “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

Juna Matsuda-Johnson

Juna is a proud Boilermaker alumni. She received her B.S. in food science in 2020. After getting her bachelor’s degree, she went on to get her master’s degree from Ball State University in student affairs administration in higher education. She currently serves as a Student Affairs Specialist and Alumni Relations Liaison for the Purdue Student Activities and Organizations office. Juna also advises the Old Masters program. Juna is passionate about creating equitable opportunities for students to develop professionally and personally through leadership, strategic planning, and event management. In her free time, Juna enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and snuggling up with her cat, Miso.

Kathy Broniarczyk

Kathy Broniarczyk is the senior director for outreach and operations at the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. Her work with the family support team involves providing support and resources to children and families of veterans and service members, community organizations that assist military families and community professionals who offer care for veterans, service members and their families. She is responsible for MFRI’s outreach initiatives including Reaching Rural Veterans, the Star Behavioral Health Providers, and Measuring Communities which she has worked with since the initiative’s inception. She was also a member of the curriculum development team for the Department of Defense Child Development Program assigned to develop a comprehensive, evidence-informed curriculum for birth through age five.

Ms. Broniarczyk received her bachelor’s degree in child and family sciences from the University of Wisconsin and her master’s degree in early childhood education from Boston University. She has worked with children and families her entire professional career. Kathy has been a public school teacher, an early childhood trainer for childcare providers, childcare center administrator, and preschool teacher. She has also worked with pre-service early childhood teachers and taught undergraduate early childhood courses. Prior to joining the MFRI team, Kathy served as center director for the Department of Army Child and Youth Services in an overseas facility with a large population of deployed service members. She has worked with military families and communities for over 30 years and is also a military spouse.

Kayla Williams

Kayla M. Williams is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, where she focuses on issues related to military personnel and veterans. She most recently served as Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where she was previously director of the Center for Women Veterans. Kayla was also a senior fellow and director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She was enlisted for five years as an Arabic linguist, serving in a Military Intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). She authored the memoirs “Love My Rifle More Than You” and “Plenty of Time When We Get Home”, published by W.W. Norton. Kayla graduated cum laude with a BA in English Literature from Bowling Green State University and earned an MA in International Affairs from American University. She is a former member of the Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach; the VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans; and the Army Education Advisory Committee; a 2013 White House Woman Veteran Champion of Change; and a 2015 Lincoln Award recipient.

Kyleanne “Ky” Hunter

Kyleanne Hunter is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. She came to RAND from the United States Air Force Academy where she was director of the Strategy and Warfare Center, associate director of the Institute for Future Conflict, and a professor of military and strategic studies. She was the cochair of the Culture and Climate Line of Effort for the Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault, and chair of the Employment and Integration Subcommittee for the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.

Her other previous positions have included vice president of Programs at Brady: United Against Gun Violence, and researcher in residence at the Kroc School of Peace and Justice at University of San Diego. She is a Marine Corps combat veteran with several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an AH-1W Super Cobra attack pilot, and worked in the Office of Legislative Affairs.

Her research interests include military gender integration, suicide prevention, sexual assault and harassment prevention, gun violence prevention, and the impact of emerging technologies on military personnel policies. She has published extensively on the above topics in both peer reviewed journal and the popular press. She holds a Ph.D. in political science & international relations from the University of Denver.

Laura Belko

Laura Belko currently works as the program development manager at Servants at Work, Inc, where she focuses on marketing and fundraising to increase impact. She served as an aviation structural mechanic Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in nonprofit and association management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Residing in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Laura believes in ethical leadership, open communication, integrity, and civic engagement. She is actively involved in supporting her local government and community organizations. Through her role at Servants at Work, Inc, Laura utilizes her expertise to drive program development, implement effective marketing strategies, and lead successful fundraising initiatives.

Lori Curless

Lori is the manager of Crawfordsville Regional Airport and serves as the chair of the Cinnamon Franklin Memorial Scholarship program, is the EAA Young Eagle Coordinator in her area for free flights for kids ages 8-17, and serves on the Central Nine Aviation Advisory Board. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Crawfordsville Airport including fueling, aircraft handling, hangars, flight school, aircraft maintenance, community events, airfield maintenance, contracts and leases, and FAA grants. She also is responsible for developing budgets, making budgetary decisions, and executing business model operations for the various services of the airport. She also serves on the Aviation Indiana Legislative Committee, championing two changes to Indiana state legislative aviation code.

Prior to joining Crawfordsville Regional Airport, Lori was the airport manager at Indy South Greenwood Airport, Anderson Municipal Airport, worked airport operations for Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority and Monroe County Airport. She’s also been an airport consultant, assisting other airport managers across Indiana and West
Virginia in FAA grant obligations and airport management needs.

Lori earned a bachelor of science in aerospace administration and associate of science in general flight technology from Indiana State University. Lori holds a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating and tailwheel endorsement, holds a fire fighter I/II with an aircraft rescue fire fighter accreditations, and is an American
Association of Airport Executives – Airport Certified Employee. Lori enjoys the personal relationships built with her team and customers, and fostering aviation in youth through mentorships, field trips, and community events.

Marcia Cherry

Marcia Cherry is the nursing director of the Women’s and Children’s Center at Franciscan Health Lafayette East. Marcia earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from Purdue University and a master of science in nursing from Ball State University. Marcia received a nurse educator post master certificate degree from Ball State in May 2018. Prior to her current role she has served as a nursing supervisor, intensive care nurse, and director of the adult intensive care unit. Marcia is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and in has led multiple process improvement initiatives at Franciscan Health. She has been instrumental in translating evidence-based knowledge into practice at a local and system wide organization level.

Marcia has demonstrated a commitment to the health and wellbeing of children and families through the altruistic act of volunteering time and energy at the local, organizational, and state level. She has exhibited scholarship of service as demonstrated by her active role in community organizations and participation in community initiatives.

Marcia has passionately led initiatives that enhance the wellbeing of the residents of our county, surrounding counties, and the state. She continually strives to meet the needs of the community and works to bring services to those in need. Currently, Marcia is addressing the social determinants of health with a goal of reducing heath disparity. In collaboration with other key stakeholders, she is addressing infant mortality, neonatal exposure to opioids, and pediatric mental health.

Morgan Torres

Morgan serves as the director of the Veterans Success Center. The center supports over 1,700 military connected students in a variety of ways at Purdue University. Her team of 6 works to ensure all service-connected education benefits are processed, such as the GI Bill and that service members have a space to truly grow and transition into their next big leap at Purdue University. She herself, served in the Army Reserves and received four Army Achievement Medals during her time in service. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, Peppercorn and Dolores, running, and baking pies.

Stephanie Railey

Lieutenant Colonel Stephanie M. Railey is the State Homeland Defense Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters Indiana, Indianapolis, Indiana. Lt Col Railey represents the Indiana Air National Guard during planning, exercise, and real world disaster support in cooperation with the Indiana Army National Guard and Indiana Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Lt Col Railey is the communication link from headquarters to the Indiana Air National Guard
wings for defense support to civil authorities in regards to training, exercises, and response.

Lieutenant Colonel Railey joined the Air Force in 2003, and began her service as a Personnel Journeyman in the Indiana Air National Guard. In February 2007, Lt Col Railey earned a commission through Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB. As an officer, Captain Railey has served as a Logistics Readiness Officer with the 122d Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Lt Col Railey has served as the Officer in Charge of the Air Force Transient Control Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Control Center at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Currently she is serving at Joint Forces Headquarters Indiana as the State Homeland Defense Officer.

Wan Ting Chiu

Wan-Ting Chiu is a clinical assistant professor at Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. She graduated her Ph.D. in strategy (distinction) at INSEAD in France and Singapore, and she also received a B.S. in chemistry (first class honors and dean’s award), M.A. in social science, and M.Phil. in innovation management from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prior to graduating her Ph.D., she worked at London Business School, Imperial College, and the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University. At Krannert, Wan-Ting teaches Strategic Management, Global Strategy, Competitive Strategy, Management Consulting, and Technology Commercialization. Her research is mainly on the fundamental questions in strategy about firm scope and sustaining competitive advantage, and she focuses on how firms create value through configuring and coordinating their assets across firm boundaries. Wan-Ting was born and raised in Hong Kong, and she has lived in Hawaii, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Singapore, and now in the U.S. She speaks Cantonese (native), English (understandable), and Mandarin Chinese (conversational), and she can read French menu. Outside Purdue, she manages rental properties.