2026-2027 Career Navigation Practitioner Advisory Council

Author: Ikeia Miller | 5-min read | November 9, 2026

The Britebound Center for Career Navigation at JFF is proud to announce the 2026-2027 Career Navigation Practitioner Advisory Council. This council features a new cohort of leaders in education, workforce development, and career advising who share a commitment to helping the next generation confidently take their next steps.

Building on the foundation of last year’s council, which provided valuable insight that informed our policy work, tool development, and future offerings, this year’s council will continue to shape tools, resources, and strategies that make high-quality career navigation support more accessible to young people everywhere.

Additionally, this year’s council will include four practitioners who will also serve as CNPAC AI Practice Innovators, bringing valuable practitioner perspectives to the Center’s exploration of how AI can support young people as they navigate education and career decisions.

Read on to meet this year’s cohort of amazing advisors and learn how they’re helping redefine what effective career guidance looks like.

CNPAC members

Diana Arellano

Diana Arellano is the Work-Based Learning and Industry Partnerships Coordinator at Eastern Hancock High School, where she plays a key role in connecting students with meaningful, real-world career experiences. Through strong relationships with local businesses and community partners, she develops and oversees internship and placement opportunities that allow students to build practical skills, explore career pathways, and prepare for life beyond high school.

With a focus on student growth, professionalism, and career readiness, Diana is committed to helping young people develop the technical skills, confidence, and workplace habits needed to succeed in high-demand fields. Through innovative programming and a strong network of industry partners, she continues to expand opportunities that bridge the gap between education and the workforce.

Kelsey Bickett*

Dr. Kelsey Bickett is Director of Workforce Strategy & Partnerships at QuantHub, where she develops strategies that connect data and AI learning to education-to-career pathways. She leads the development of Alabama’s technology-enabled, skills-first work-based learning intermediary model and works with education, government, and industry partners to build new approaches for a workforce being reshaped by AI. Previously, she led national STEM talent initiatives at NASA and worked in higher education administration.

*CNPAC AI Practice Innovator

Robin Blanc

Robin Blanc is the Associate Director of Pathway Gap at New Visions for Public Schools. In this role, she works with schools and practitioners in NYC to help build a New York City where every young person can clearly see, navigate, and access best-fit career pathways, supported by shared civic infrastructure that helps the adults advising them guide the way, including leading the development of the New Visions Career Directory. Prior to joining NVPS, Robin oversaw postsecondary services at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, where she led the organization’s work to develop holistic career pathways planning models. She holds an M.A. in Sociology and Education, with a concentration in Education Policy, from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. in American Studies and Sociology from Reed College.

Nate Clayberg*

Nate Clayberg, CEcD, serves as Business & Industry Director for the CAPS Network, where he works nationally to strengthen partnerships among education, employers, and communities through profession-based learning and career navigation. For the past 10 years, his public and private work has focused on career navigation, employer engagement, workforce and economic development, and the creation of authentic professional experiences that help young people discover purpose and confidently pursue education and career pathways. Nate holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Nate lives near Jesup, Iowa.

*CNPAC AI Practice Innovator

Amanda Daniels*

Amanda Daniels, Director of Work-Based Learning Strategy at GPS Education Partners, facilitates locally designed career readiness and work-based learning strategy for school districts nationwide. Notable client results include 75% of students identifying a career goal, a 51% increase in staff confidence to support students’ post-graduation planning, and the development of more than 30 business partnerships across four industries in two years. Amanda, a contributing author to Make School Work, brings 20 years of experience helping schools prepare students for meaningful careers.

*CNPAC AI Practice Innovator

Kyle Jones*

Kyle Jones is Director of Fund Development and Strategic Partnerships at the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Kentucky’s leading independent education advocacy organization, where he works to reform systems and understand AI’s role in education. With twenty years of experience in teaching and education policy, he is now focused on exploring how AI can be applied responsibly to strengthen career navigation and decision-making for young people. Kyle is a PhD candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University, and holds degrees from Samford University and King’s College London.

*CNPAC AI Practice Innovator

Stan Martin

Stan Martin serves as a Job Developer with extensive experience building partnerships that connect job seekers to employment, training, and career pathways. His work focuses on workforce equity, employer engagement, and community-based solutions that help individuals achieve long-term economic success.

Melissa Nunez Winfree

Melissa Nunez Winfree is the Director of Program Operations at Capital IDEA Houston, bringing over 20 years of workforce development leadership grounded in Motivational Interviewing techniques and agile, data-driven operational strategies. As a former teen parent who navigated her own career journey while earning her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, she has a passion for breaking down systemic barriers and building equitable career pathways that is deeply personal and self-driven. In her role, she leads multidisciplinary teams and leverages cross-sector partnerships to empower young adults and adult learners and expand sustainable economic opportunity.

Juan Ramos

Juan Ramos is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of R3 Generations, an organization dedicated to empowering youth and young adults through holistic mentorship, academic support, and career pathway development. Driven by a deep commitment to community outreach, he leads hands-on initiatives designed to revive hope, restore identity, and equip students with essential technical and life skills. Under his leadership since 2019, R3 Generations has provided thousands of young people with the resources, guidance, and confidence needed to build meaningful futures.

Lisa Stout

Lisa Stout is the founder and Executive Director of Project Next, a North San Diego County nonprofit helping high school students build the clarity, confidence, and connections they need to own what comes next. A first-generation college graduate and former high school counselor for nearly 20 years, Lisa is passionate about serving as a bridge between schools, employers, and communities so students can access the people, experiences, and opportunities that help them see what is possible for their future. She believes the goal is not for young people to have their whole future mapped out at 17, but to have the confidence and tools to take the next step and keep building from there.

Christina Sullivan-Mutia

Christina Sullivan-Mutia is a higher education professional with 20+ years of experience developing programs and partnerships that support college access and career success for students of color, a mission rooted in her own experience of disconnection as an undergraduate at the University of Mary Washington. She holds a master’s in Higher Education-College Student Affairs from Virginia Tech and an Executive MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and has built a strong track record managing fellowship, internship, and study abroad programs for students from HBCUs and other institutions nationwide. She currently serves as College and Career Navigator at Wheaton High School in Silver Spring, MD, supporting over 2,600 students.

Desjane’ Venable

Dr. Desjane Venable has more than 18 years of professional experience in workforce development, organizational and learning development, program management, grant and budget management, and teaching in traditional and online classroom environments. Desjane’s passion is to motivate and assist individuals in developing into their full potential by aligning workforce trends with professional and career development. She has had the pleasure of educating at universities and colleges, as well as working in the nonprofit and local government sectors, providing leadership to grant-funded career programs.

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