Career Transitions for Women Staff

Debbie Lawrence is a baby boomer whose own career path is an inspiration for anyone considering transitioning for one career to another career. Her listening skill and experience gives Debbie a unique ability to motivate clients toward making self-directed career choices and those decisions. Debbie initially started her career in the sciences. Shortly thereafter she transitioned to Marketing and excelled in sales with one of the world's largest retailers. Debbie soon transformed herself into the role of Manager of Sales and Marketing as the first African American woman in this position with that international company. Later she pursued another career path towards one of her passions, Deaf Culture. She gained her BA degree in Deaf Culture Studies. That career choice has afforded Debbie the ability to work as an adjunct faculty member for the St Paul College teaching an inaugural course for students pursuing their careers in Early Childhood Development and American Sign Language (ASL). In her own business, "Easy Signing," Debbie Lawrence conducts customized ASL training for local colleges and design ASL curriculums to teach traditional and Special Needs students. Her appointment as a Regional Coordinator for Sign2Me^©, has given Debbie opportunities to coach professional women transitioning from various career fields who desire to become successful ASL instructors with this international company. Debbie's experiences and expertise in corporate America, leadership roles in AmeriCorps National Service, Vocational Rehab Job Developer, Entrepreneurship and career coaching along with her numerous awards makes Debbie uniquely suited to the position as Career Counselor with Career Transitions for Women. Before arriving to the Twin Cities Debbie Lawrence was an award recipient from her hometown, Philadelphia, for "Year of the Woman". She was recognized "for her contribution to the progress of women. Debbie lives her life as an example and motivates others by welcoming challenge and inspiring change." As a newer transplant to the Twin Cities she has been featured on KARE 11 News and is a recent recipient of Neighborhood's Development Center for the "Small Business of the Year" awarded by Mayor Rybak. When asked what makes Debbie such an effective Career Counselor, clients universally cite Debbie's extraordinary listening and intuitive skills. She challenges and motivates women to "Discover new ways to work and live!"

Professional Affiliations
Toastmasters International
MN Professional Development Center
Arthritis Foundation

Debbie can be reached by phone at 612-752-8491
dlawrence@resource-mn.org

Naomi St. Gregory has a unique gift of drawing out the creative potential in each of us to reconnect to who we really are to facilitate individual career/life success.  She has personal understanding of  the blending of both our  analytical and creative sides.  She has a bachelor's degree in Accounting, spending the first chapter of her career in corporate America, with 16 years at American Express Financial Advisors.  She continually renewed her career and reinvented herself based on the needs of the company.  Along the way, she honed her skills in career management, dream-building, creative problem solving, and group facilitation.  Naomi joined the non-profit arena in 2001, bringing her natural consulting and counseling skills to the world of career development.  Since then, she has helped hundreds of people develop job strategies and renew their career paths.  She has earned her certification as a Global Career Development Facilitator, is earning her M.A. in Counseling at Adler Graduate School, and continues to be a gifted facilitator of career workshops. Naomi brings intuition, empathy, wisdom, imagination, humor and creativity to her work at Career Transitions for Women

Lonna Szczesny has an extensive understanding of career transitions, drawn from her 30-year career path involving 9 jobs and 4 career changes in the areas of Art Education, Sales and Marketing, and Management.  She has worked in both profit and non-profit organizations.  She currently directs 3 women’s career programs.  In addition to her program management duties, she keeps her energy level high by presenting single topic seminars to a wide range of business associations, community groups and women’s retreats.  Her passion is life/work potential and personal fulfillment issues.  She manages a highly energetic staff that job shares, flex times, and telecommutes.  She not only copes with change effectively, but embraces it for the opportunities it presents!

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     Copyright 2005 Career Transitions for Women    612-752-8491  6715 Minnetonka Blvd, #212, Minneapolis MN 55426