#hardestworkingmaningovernment

Twaun Samuel shares his depth and breadth of sage counsel in our conversation. While he now serves as the Chief of Staff for one of the most senior members of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Samuel has served our national government in various roles. His move across the country without a promised job, during a recession, will resonate with many new graduates. His views on discerning one's vocation or calling are impactful, and his expansive educational and work experiences captivate.

After spending 10 years in secondary education, Katie Pagano Gerwitz, M.Ed. transitioned into instructional design and corporate training where she helps subject matter experts bring their ideas to the training room. Katie shares her perspectives on work-life balance, identifying your professional passion(s), and tying your personal identity into career excellence. She also offers advice for tapping one's full potential and accessing all available resources.

Mr. Wood serves as a Lead Enterprise Applications Analyst with Wellington City Council, and has held various change management, project management, and liaison roles with the Council. Prior to this public sector posting, Mr. Wood worked with major international corporations in support of programming, software infrastructure, and coding projects. In this discussion we explore his international work experience and personal journey.

In this candid conversation, we consider the decision-making process to choose a graduate program of study and the value of working abroad. Professor von Biedenfeld has been an educator in San Antonio, Texas, Honolulu, Hawai’i, and Ishikawa-ken, Japan. College students and graduates seeking to gain international experience will find particularly useful information within this exchange.

City of Pearland Mayor Pro Tem, small business owner, and Keep Pearland Beautiful Executive Director Adrian Hernandez offers his wit and perspective to this candid conversation. Councilmember Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science and a Master of Science in Health Education from Texas A&M. Councilmember Hernandez serves and has served on numerous boards and committees over years of public service and civic contribution. We cover a range of relevant topics, such as communication and business development.

Abigail M. Gonzalez is a small business expert with municipal and federal government experience. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Texas Woman's University, and is a University of Houston - Downtown alumnus. We discuss the value of education, career decision-making, and entrepreneurship. Abigail brings her subject matter expertise and enthusiasm for supporting diverse communities using her knowledge and abilities to this candid conversation.

In this episode, University of Houston - Downtown colleague Professor Elking shares his experiences with private sector work. He also brings perspective on graduate education and ideas on discerning a best path for personal success. Professor Elking brings his knowledge of the Supply Cycle, project management, and PhD education to our discussion intended to benefit working professionals and soon-to-graduate college students.

Sarah Doucet is an experienced Senior Environmental Engineer with more than ten years of experience with air and water quality, compliance, and permitting. In this episode we discuss project and personnel management, academic and professional lessons learned, and other topics relevant to students, recent graduates, and entry level professionals.

This inaugural episode features the highly educated and experienced Kurt Gerwitz. When teaching students at Regis University, Professor Gerwitz seeks to make complex topics within finance and economics “fun, understandable, and meaningful.” Join our conversation intended to benefit students and entry-level professionals.