Meet Our Staff

Colleen Monks (she/her/hers)
Assistant Vice President for Career Advancement &
Director for the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center
  monks@lakeforest.edu

Colleen Monks is the Director for the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center and leads strategic planning and execution of the Lake Forest College four-year Career Pathways program in alignment with the College’s institutional planning priorities and mission to “prepare our students for, and help them attain, productive and rewarding careers.” 

Colleen has more than 10 years of professional experience in higher education in roles with a focus on career development and student success. She joined the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center in January of 2015, and prior to this role, she provided strong leadership as Associate Director, serving as the Pathway Leader for Science and Health Care and leading the CAC’s first-year and undecided student advising strategy. Before coming to Lake Forest College, Colleen worked at Northwestern University Career Advancement, advising and coordinating initiatives for students within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications, and the Bienen School of Music. She also brings with her experience as a TRIO, Student Support Services program advisor and assisted with the launch of their program at Triton College.

Colleen has been a presenter for and has been actively involved in the National Career Development Association and the National Association of Colleges and Employers. She holds a master of education in counseling from DePaul University, and a bachelor of arts in psychology from the Ohio State University. 

 Marie Josephitis
(she/her/hers)
Senior Associate Director

Business, Finance, and Data Science Career Pathway Leader
mjosephitis@lakeforest.edu

Marie Josephitis leads the Business, Finance, and Data Science Pathway, leveraging her human resources and recruiting experience to provide students with effective career search skills.

Marie has held human resources leadership positions in a wide range of industries including financial services, insurance, marketing and healthcare. Throughout her career she has created meaningful internship and full-time entry-level opportunities for students in many types of business disciplines and industries. She has created comprehensive recruiting, on boarding, mentoring and training programs to ensure that interns and entry-level employees were successful in their roles.  Previously, she was an active volunteer with the Lake Forest College in roles as a career advisor and liaison to employers to create career opportunities for students.

Marie earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northern Illinois University. She holds a Life and Health License and is an active member of Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), and Human Resources Association of Chicago (HRMAC).

Albert Greene (he/him/his)
Business, Finance, and Data Science Internship Specialist
greene@lakeforest.edu

Albert Greene is the Business, Finance, and Data Science Career Pathway Internship Specialist. He has a passion for coaching students and looks forward to helping them find rewarding and productive internships.

Prior to coming to Lake Forest, Albert worked as an admissions representative at American Intercontinental University and then transitioned into corporate America where he was a payroll specialist for a wide range of companies, including Aon. Most recently, he worked at Reynolds Consumer Products, where he was in charge of the salaried payroll. In addition to these roles, Albert has been coaching football at the College since 2014. Albert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Monmouth College.

Danielle Kelly (she/they)
Senior Associate Director

Creative Arts and Communication Career Pathway Leader
dkelly@lakeforest.edu

Danielle Kelly is the Creative Arts and Communication Career Pathway Leader. Her work in the non-profit, public, and private sectors encompasses executive, administrative, curatorial, and educational experience as well as arts & cultural programming, content development, media relations, and team development.

Danielle most recently served as Executive Director for Surface Design Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to contemporary fiber arts by supporting exhibitions, biennial conferences, and the quarterly publication, Surface Design Journal. Previous executive experience includes serving as Executive Director for the Las Vegas Neon Museum, where Danielle led the development of the Museum’s operational, programmatic, and educational structure. Danielle was also the curator and exhibition designer for the Museum’s Neon Boneyard exhibition, and collaborated on numerous historic preservation projects in the City of Las Vegas.

Danielle‘s project-based visual art practice ranges from installation to performance and has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Portland, OR. Danielle’s writing experience encompasses catalog essays, art criticism, and arts & cultural reporting.

Deja McClellan '20 (she/her/hers)
Assistant Director

Law and Public Service Career Pathway Leader
dmcclellan@lakeforest.edu 

Deja McClellan ’20 is the Law and Public Service Career Pathway Leader, providing strategic leadership to advance students’ career preparation and success. She also leads early career engagement efforts for the office and supports related initiatives for the Build Your Own Pathway.

An alumna of the College, Deja graduated from Lake Forest with a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies and a Concentration in Communication. During her time at the College, she was an active community member, participating in various committees and organizations, and serving as President of the United Black Association. Deja was honored with several awards, including the first Dr. Judith E.B. Harmon Endowed Scholar, the Student Leader of the Year Award, and the Edward H. Oppenheimer Memorial Prize. Prior to joining Lake Forest, she served as Development Coordinator at Mikva Challenge, a non-profit in the Chicagoland area focused on youth development and civic engagement.

Deja’s journey into career development is driven by her lifelong passion for education. She leverages her extensive background in educational training, non-profits, and career services to support students in the Law and Public Service Pathway, helping them achieve their career readiness goals.

Hilary De Vries (she/her/hers)
Associate Director

Science and Health Care
Career Pathway Leader

hdevries@lakeforest.edu

Hilary De Vries is the Science and Health Care Pathway Leader. She believes in the care of the whole person, the formative nature of the student experience, and the power of experiential learning to achieve a purposeful profession.

Hilary has led a dedicated career specializing in student development and wellness in higher education, and has worked under the umbrellas of Academics, Student Affairs, and Athletics and Recreation. She teaches as an adjunct professor for Loyola University Chicago’s Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, leading exercise science courses, some with service-learning requirements, for undergraduate students. Prior to her time at Lake Forest College, Hilary served as Northwestern University’s Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness, Loyola University Chicago’s Fitness Programs Coordinator, and Boston College’s Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness.

Hilary graduated from Boston College with a Master of Arts in Higher Education, from Southern Connecticut State University with a Master of Science in Exercise Science, and from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She is also an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP).

Khadija Manzoor '19, LCPC, CRC (she/her/hers)
Science and Health Care
Internship and Health Care Specialist

kmanzoor@lakeforest.edu 

Khadija Manzoor is the Internship and Health Care Specialist for the Science and Health Care Pathway. Khadija, an alumna of the college,  graduated in 2019 with a double major in Psychology and International Relations. Outside of classes, Khadija was a part of multiple organizations, such as the President of South Asian Student Association (SASA) and Project Nur. Khadija utilized these organizations as a way to bring back to communities, such as fundraising for Syrian refugees and education for students in the poverty areas of Pakistan. 

Khadija went on to receive her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Rehabilitation Counseling. Khadija is also a certified substance use counselor. Khadija is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor and practices mental health and career counseling with different populations. Khadija is excited to to be back at Lake Forest College as a career professional, and working specifically with the student population on academic and career goals for the future. In-her down time, Khadija is writing her dissertation for her PhD program, learning new recipes, knitting, and traveling.

Melissa Ramirez '20
 (she/her/hers)
Science and STEM Career Specialist 

mramirez@lakeforest.edu 

Melissa Ramirez is the Science and STEM Career Specialist for the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center. Melissa provides internship and post-graduate career support for students in environmental studies, and any science majors pursuing environmental, physical science, and broader science careers (outside of health care), as well as those students who are undecided about their path. Additionally, she assists in supporting our data-science, computer science, and math majors, interested in STEM careers. These majors are housed within our Business, Finance, and Data Science Pathway. Melissa also leads engagement efforts for the office to support undecided students with strategic planning to provide career clarity and advance their career preparation. 

An alumna of the College, Melissa graduated from Lake Forest College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology. Prior to joining the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center, she served as human resources and onboarding coordinator for a staffing agency. She also served as an admissions representative for Lake Forest guiding prospective first-year and transfer students through the admissions and financial aid process from the Chicagoland area. 

Melissa's journey into career development is driven by her passion for access to higher education. She leverages her background in non-profit, human resources and recruiting, and college and career readiness to support students with their academic and career goals for the future. In her downtime, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her dog Tobi.  

Pauline Binder-Finnema
PhD, MPP (she/her/hers)
Science and Health Care Research Liaison
pbinderfinnema@lakeforest.edu

Pauline Binder-Finnema has worked extensively over the past 25 years in diverse, international settings in the fields of scientific and health care research and evaluation.  She has over 10 years’ experience with university teaching and mentoring in these fields, as well as a vast professional network to help students explore future career opportunities.  Pauline has lived in and/or worked with medical science projects in several different states in the U.S., and across the globe, including in several European cities, the United Kingdom, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam.

Pauline earned two bachelor of science degrees in anthropology and psychology from the University of Utah, a master of public policy – community health degree from Adler University in Chicago, and a PhD in medical science – international health from Uppsala University in Sweden.

Colleen Monks (she/her/hers)
Associate Vice President for Career Advancement
 Director

Build Your Own
Career Pathway Leader
  monks@lakeforest.edu

Deja McClellan '20 (she/her/hers)
Assistant Director

dmcclellan@lakeforest.edu 

Danielle Kelly (she/they)
Senior Associate Director

Creative Arts and Communication Career Pathway Leader
dkelly@lakeforest.edu

Danielle Kelly directs the Academic Internship Program, overseeing strategy and policy and working closely with students, faculty, staff, employers, and stakeholders. In addition to her work with internships, Danielle leads the Creative Arts and Communication Career Pathway, supporting students in this pathway.

Katie Isler (she/they)
Internship and Program Coordinator
 isler@lakeforest.edu

Katie Isler is the Internship and Program Coordinator in the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center. She coordinates internship program registration and supports both the work of the Internship Specialists and the data mobilization needs for the internship program.  

Katie has worked in higher education for over 10 years, first as an English instructor at Central China Normal University in Wuhan, China, and later as international admissions advisor for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Katie joined Lake Forest College in 2018, supporting transfer students in their transition to Lake Forest College, first as Transfer and Registration Coordinator and then as Assistant Registrar in the Registrar’s Office. Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Augustana College and plays the bassoon. 

Brittany Lenz (she/her/hers)
 Associate Director for Communication, Operations, and Data
lenz@lakeforest.edu

Brittany Lenz leads the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center’s operations, communications, data, and event management. She draws on her experience in writing, technology, and program administration to create innovative solutions and strategies to support the College’s career planning initiatives.

Brittany earned her master of arts in English at The Ohio State University, where she taught first-year composition courses and served on the administrative team of Ohio State’s business writing program. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in history and English from the College of Wooster.

Meg McDonough
(she/her/hers)
  Employer Relations and Office Coordinator
mmcdonough@lakeforest.edu