We are the 2017-2018 PTMBAA Board of Directors. We are excited to be serving you this school year! If you have comments or suggestions for how to improve the PTMBAA, please send us an email at ptmbaa@rhsmith.umd.edu. Ashley Duelks, President & 2018 MBA Candidate Ashley celebrated her ten year anniversary at Accenture in the summer of 2017. Upon graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in psychology, she joined the firm, a global professional services company, as a campus recruiter. During her tenure, Ashley has traveled the world, serving in a variety of roles within the HR and Human Capital functions where she has focused on creating an engaging environment for employees where they can thrive, develop and reach their potential. Ashley currently serves in an internal change management role implementing a new performance management process and also consolidating multiple business and HR programs into one cohesive employee facing initiative. Chris DeWitt, Chief Financial Officer & 2018 MBA Candidate For the past six years, Chris has been a Software Client Leader at International Business Machine Page 1 of 6
(IBM), where he promotes IBM Cloud and Cognitive capabilities. Focused solely on US Federal Government, he is responsible for developing, managing and delivering enterprise cloud solutions. Chris' professional areas of interest include business development, team management, and leadership. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, gardening, and jigsaw puzzles. Amy Tram, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer & 2018 MBA Candidate With over 15 years of marketing and proposal experience in the Washington, D.C. architecture and engineering industry, Amy has worked for a wide range of firms, from small landscape architecture firms to large nationally ranked multi-disciplinary engineering firms. She began her career after graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in History. Amy is experienced with proposal management and developing and establishing marketing processes and systems. A dog lover who owns two border collies, she is also a dog trainer in her spare time. Amy is obsessed with all things cupcakes, which she balances out by practicing yoga, barre and spinning. Ryan Blaszczak, Chief Officer of Special Events & 2018 MBA Candidate While initially trying his hand in high finance in Boston upon graduation from Dickinson College, Ryan has been in government contracting since 2012. For the past five years, Ryan has negotiated contracts for Northrop Grumman with his experiences spanning land, sea, and aerial platforms. In a recent move to round out his skill set, Ryan has taken a role as a financial analyst responsible for Page 2 of 6
monitoring the financial growth and budget of some specialty programs within the Research and Development Division. While focusing his MBA pursuits on financial consulting and strategy, he tries to seize each day with a healthy balance of academic excellence and levity. You can typically find him running on trails, racing in triathlons, or engaging in merriment with his MBA cohort on the weekends. Jaclyn Walkins, Chief Professional Development Officer & 2018 MBA Candidate Born and raised in Massachusetts, Jaclyn moved to Washington, DC after earning her B.A. in French Studies at Smith College. She has worked at the American Council of Life Insurers for the last four years and currently serves as Senior Law and Regulation Analyst in the Taxes & Retirement Security Department. Her MBA areas of focus are operations and project management. In addition to her role on the board, Jaclyn also serves as a DC Track Representative. In her free time, she enjoys traveling (particularly to Francophone countries), exploring Virginia wineries, and completing home improvement projects with her partner, James. Tina DeFeo, Chief Community Development Officer & 2018 MBA Candidate Tina was born and raised in New Jersey, and it was her interest in international affairs that brought her to D.C. ten years ago. After graduating from college at American University with a double major in International Studies and Spanish, she worked at a large law firm doing paralegal and business Page 3 of 6
development work. Since then, Tina has transitioned to a project management role at Discovery Communications where she manages distribution deals for cable and digital content for the company's TV networks. When Tina's not working or studying, she likes to read, work out, and cook. She also volunteers at local women's organization N Street Village. Franklin Phillips, VP of Baltimore & 2019 MBA Candidate Franklin is a design engineer for a growing healthcare company who earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In addition to his role on the board, he is a Baltimore Track Representative. Franklin likes to stay active and be creative through leisure activities like photography, cooking, bowling, and snowboarding. He loves a challenge and is always ready to dive in and try something new. Katie Kee, VP of Washington, DC & 2018 MBA Candidate Katie has over five years of experience working as a government consultant. In her most current role, she serves as a geospatial analyst for DigitalGlobe where she is responsible for using spatial analytic approaches to identity activity and patterns in specific areas of interest. In her previous role as a business consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, she gained experience in knowledge management, change management and strategic communications. Katie grew up in the D.C. area, earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in Geographical Sciences. An avid Redskins Page 4 of 6
fan, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Rachel Carstens, VP of Shady Grove & 2018 MBA Candidate Rachel, who has worked at the Shady Grove campus since 2012, is an active member of the campus community. She serves on the Graduate Student Advisory Committee, as a Shady Grove Track Representative, and on the National College Learning Center Association's Maryland planning committee. She received her Master's of Fine Arts from the University of Maryland s Creative Writing Program. Rachel was previously an adjunct instructor with the UMD English Department, where she taught Introduction to Academic Writing and Introduction to Creative Writing. Her work has been published in The Atlas Review, jmww, From the Catbird Seat, among others. Britt Wright, Chief of Staff & 2018 MBA Candidate Britt is second year concentrating in marketing. During his time at Smith, he has served as a Baltimore Track Representative and participated in Change The World Consulting. After receiving his Bachelors in Communications from George Mason University, he started his career as a reporter for CTV. Britt has since transitioned to his current role as Sales Manager for Fortune 200 company, Altria Group, Inc. He is also Founder/CEO of Rhino Group, LLC an event and entertainment company that has created over 30 branded events for young professionals in the Mid-Atlantic. When Britt isn't at work or class he's listening to Soulection Radio, playing billiards, and hoping for the day when the Page 5 of 6
Cowboys win a Super Bowl. Source URL: https://networth.rhsmith.umd.edu/ptmbaa/meet-board Page 6 of 6