Learn about The Opportunities Project’s Team
Tracy Brisson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Our Founder and CEO Tracy Brisson is a recognized career expert, recruiter, educator, author, and leader. Her career coaching expertise has been featured in the national press, including the New York Post and The Star Ledger, and on Monster+HotJobs, CBS MoneyWatch, Mashable and The Ladders. Before starting The Opportunities Project, Tracy worked in recruitment for over a decade, a career option she never dreamed of when she was in college. Writer, maybe. Even a potential tax lawyer at one time. However, it turned out that helping others meet their personal and professional goals was what she was meant to do.
Tracy started her career as a Teach for America corps member in Washington Heights. She taught fourth and sixth grade and piloted an award-winning laptop program with her students who now keep her abreast of their 20-something lives via Facebook. In 2000, she joined the founding management team of the NYC Teaching Fellows, a program that recruits and trains high potential career changers for teaching positions and has received over 100,000 applications since its inception. Through that experience, and throughout her career, Tracy has reviewed over 10,000 resumes and conducted thousands of interviews with people from multiple industries.
From 2007-2010, Tracy was the Director of Teacher Recruitment for the New York City Department of Education and was responsible for recruiting high quality teaching candidates for 3,000 to 7,000 annual teaching positions across 1,600 schools. Tracy and her team were recognized in 2009 when they won Second Place for Best Employer Brand in ERE’s Recruitment Excellence Awards based on their use of social media to improve their applicants’ experience. She also implemented a successful national and local college recruiting program, increasing applications by over 30% from key New York City universities.
In addition to being a Certified Professional Coach, Tracy has a BA in Public Affairs from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, an MPA in Public Finance from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, and completed the coursework for her doctorate in Educational Leadership at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, also at New York University. She is also writing a forthcoming book on how to integrate corporate recruitment strategies into public sector recruitment. Tracy is also a graduate of the Kauffman Foundation’s Fast Trac NewVenture Program for early stage entrepreneurs.
Tracy’s full resume is available on LinkedIn. You can also read more about why she started The Opportunities Project in the FAQ and on her blog.
Contact her to schedule a free 30 minute phone coaching or consulting consultation.
Justin Mathews, Market Research, Digital Strategy & Operations Consultant
Justin joined The Opportunities Project in January 2011 and is helping the organization become more competitive through research and analysis, as well as co-authoring our forthcoming white papers on education, college career centers, and issues specific to young professionals. Justin will also help execute The Opportunities Project’s digital and social media strategy.
Before joining The Opportunities Project’s team, Justin participated in many internships. Last summer, Justin worked at the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Teacher Recruitment and Quality where he helped organize career fairs for over 1,000 teachers and 300 schools, facilitated human resource communication with 250 newly recruited teachers, and assisted with the office’s social media strategy. In Fall 2010, Justin collaborated with a team of researchers, the Central New York Community Foundation, and FOCUS Greater Syracuse to produce the Onondaga Community Indicators Report.
In addition to working with The Opportunities Project, Justin is a Marketing, Research, and Communications Intern for Loretto, a non-profit that provides services to Central New York’s elderly population.
Justin is a senior at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and will be graduating in May with a degree in Policy Studies. While his academic studies and internships have kept him busy, Justin has found time over the years to pursue his extracurricular interests. He is a fourth-year member of the Syracuse University Marching Band, President of the Sour Sitrus Society (Syracuse University’s completely student-run basketball pep band), and Vice President of Service of the Eta Phi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. Justin’s full resume is available on LinkedIn.
Tanisha Christie, Recruitment Consultant and Coach
Tanisha Christie has extensive experience in the field of arts, entertainment, education and activism. As an educator and designer of creative and educational curriculum, she has consulted with teachers, administrators and not-for-profits. Organizations include, The Lowell School, Martha’s Table, Maya Angelou High School, Lookingglass Theater, The Federation of East Village Artists and The Kennedy Center. While Assistant Artistic Director at the former Living Stage Theatre Company – the preeminent theatre for social change, she spent four years conducting workshops with members of the Washington, DC community – ages 3-103 – including Garrison Elementary School, Bell Multicultural High School, Ballou High School, the Congressional committee for Faith and Politics, the National Psychologist Association and the Center for Inspired Teaching.
Tanisha holds a BFA in Theatre from Arizona State University with an emphasis on Production/Holistic Drama and a Masters in Media from The New School. Thriving on an entrepreneurial spirit, she remains committed in aiding educators, artists and community workers to be agents of change in their classrooms, communities and lives. Her full resume is available via LinkedIn.
Salena Moore, Client & Partner Management Assistant
The Opportunities Project welcomed Salena Moore to the team in May 2011. During the summer, Salena will be helping the organization manage its contact database of partners and clients, as well as assisting us with analyzing our marketing metrics. She will also be a key partner on higher education research projects.
Salena is entering her junior year at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and is majoring in Policy Studies and a minoring in Accounting. Her prior internships include conducting research for the Onondaga County Law Department in Syracuse. Salena also dedicates much of her time tutoring first graders at a Syracuse elementary school. She is interested in education, business, and management and would like to continue to relate her interests and analytical skills to future internships or careers.
Lauren Wannermeyer, Social Media Assistant
Lauren Wannermeyer joined The Opportunities Project in June of 2011 as a Social Media intern. She is a rising senior at Syracuse University majoring in Hospitality Management in the College of Human Ecology and minoring in Marketing in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Lauren will be communicating via The Opportunities Project’s social media channels throughout the summer.
Lauren has held a position as the Public Relations officer for the Hospitality Management Association at SU since 2010, is the Vice President of Campus Relations for the Alpha chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta, and a founding member of the new Social Media club at Syracuse. Professionally, Lauren works as a volunteer Social Media strategist for legendary SU watering hole Faegan’s Café & Pub and as a Public Relations intern at BR Guest Hospitality. In the fall, Lauren will be starting as a PR & Marketing intern at Syracuse University Career Services.
Lauren is a self-proclaimed social media geek, an aspiring foodie, Apple fan-girl and Starbucks addict with a soft spot for sunglasses and animals. She would someday like to achieve a career in digital marketing with a specific interest in Hospitality and Luxury Lifestyle. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn, or keep up with her on About.Me.
