Meet Our Team
Adalberto Jaimes
Director of Workforce Development & Economic Mobility
Adalberto Jaimes is the Director of Workforce Development & Economic Mobility at JVS/MassHire Downtown Boston with over 10 years of financial education and coaching experience. He has developed and delivered financial education programming for the FES Foundation in Bogotá, Colombia, ACCION USA and Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners (NTFP) in New York, the Harvard University Employees Credit Union and JVS in Boston.
Adalberto is passionate about creating economic mobility for individuals and families. He has inspired hundreds of individuals to develop effective budgeting techniques, reduce debt, and achieve long term financial goals.
Alejandra Ruiz
Career Navigator
Alejandra Ruiz joined MassHire Downtown Boston as a Career Navigator with the Access to Recovery and Healthcare teams in September of 2020, after working at JVS for four years. Alejandra acts as a liaison for a variety of MassHire programs as well as with several community-based organization in the greater Boston area. She plans, organizes, and facilitates educational courses and workshops at the career center. She recently graduated from Emerson College and earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theatre and Performance. As an immigrant from Barranquilla, Colombia, Alejandra is passionate about aiding and uplifting people in marginalized communities and helping them reach their full potential.
Alicia Smith
Director of Employer Engagement
Alicia Smith is a mission-driven workforce leader with over a decade of experience advancing equitable employment outcomes for diverse populations. Alicia joined the MassHire Downtown Boston team in March 2025 as the Director of Employer Engagement. In her role, Alicia leads strategic initiatives to build employer partnerships, strengthen job placement pipelines and facilitate connections between employers and talent.
Alicia has a strong track record of designing and scaling innovative programs, developing inclusive workforce strategies, and mobilizing cross-sector stakeholders to drive employment outcomes. She is passionate about creating pathways to economic opportunity and mentoring teams to achieve meaningful results. Alicia holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Suffolk University.
Andrew Weston
Multi-Lingual Career Navigator
Andrew Weston joined MassHire Downtown Boston as a Bilingual Career Navigator in January 2025. As a Career Navigator Andrew works with community partners to provide onsite support for a diverse range of clients in the Boston area.
Prior to joining MassHire Downtown Boston, Andrew worked at The Public Schools of Brookline in multiple roles including as a Spanish teacher. This experience has equipped Andrew with exceptional skills in communication, teaching, and building relationships with clients. Andrew earned a BA in Spanish and Linguistics from Northeastern University.
Bellie Hacker
Director of Career Center Operations & Innovation
Bellie Hacker is the Director of Career Center Operations & Innovation at MassHire Downtown Boston. In this role, Bellie oversees the daily operations of the busy Downtown Boston Career Center and works to build strong relationships with staff and customers. In addition to her operational responsibilities, Bellie is also responsible for managing all external communications across our digital platforms, including social media sites, and the MHDB website. She skillfully manages the design and content of the website, and efficiently executes bulk email campaigns.
Her passion for art and graphic design has made her a dynamic digital marketer, who is able to effectively communicate visual ideas and concepts in a compelling and impactful way. Bellie’s commitment to promoting services and advancing job seekers’ careers is evident in her innovative marketing strategies, which leverage her expertise in graphic design and photography to create eye-catching marketing materials.
Prior to her current role, Bellie worked as a freelance graphic designer, corporate trainer, and is an experienced public speaker. Her diverse skill set and breadth of experience make her a valuable asset to our team at MassHire Downtown Boston.
Catherine Snedeker
Career Navigator
Catherine Snedeker is a Career Navigator, Webinar Instructor, and Program Liaison at MassHire Downtown Boston. She brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to her work—whether guiding job seekers through career transitions, facilitating group workshops, or building partnerships across programs. Catherine creates space where clients and colleagues feel informed, encouraged, and seen.
Previously, she served as Director of the Allston-Brighton Resource Center, a community-based workforce initiative launched through a community benefits agreement between the City of Boston and Harvard University. She also held project and program roles with the Boston Police Department, supporting cross-agency initiatives focused on organizational training and logistics, project management, communications, and public health.
Catherine holds an M.S. in Leadership and Administration from Boston College’s Woods College and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Harvard University Extension School
Deisry Huliselan
Business Services Associate
Deisry Huliselan is the dynamic force driving employer engagement as a Business Services Associate within the Greater Boston Area. Stepping into her role in March 2024, she passionately connects employers across diverse industries with their ideal candidates, leveraging individualized services and mass marketing strategies alike. Her efforts transcend traditional boundaries, empowering businesses, employers, and job seekers to realize their mutual objectives.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing, Deisry brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to her current position at MassHire Downtown Boston. Formerly a Sales Associate, she seamlessly transitioned her talents and passion for aiding others to a broader platform, amplifying her impact within the professional realm.
Donald Haynesworth
Career Navigator
Donald Haynesworth is a lifelong Boston resident and Career Navigator with ATR, driven by a deep commitment to equity and justice. With a passion for confronting systemic barriers and bridging differences, Donald empowers individuals to navigate their career paths with confidence and purpose, fostering inclusive growth across communities.
Frisnel St. Fort
Bi-Lingual Career Resource Assistant
Frisnel St. Fort joined MassHire Downtown Boston in April 2024 as a Multilingual Resource Center Assistant. In this role, he supports clients who speak Haitian Creole, Spanish, French, and English. Frisnel brings warmth, inspiration, insight, and problem-solving skills to his work—helping clients navigate MassHire resources, build resumes, and complete job applications.
Before joining MassHire, Frisnel worked as a Field Operator at E-Power, a Maintenance Technician with Doctors Without Borders, and a Project Manager at Elmeco. These diverse roles strengthened his communication, technical, customer service, leadership, and teamwork skills. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electromechanical Engineering from the State University of Haiti.
Fernando Alvarez
Senior Career Navigator
Fernando Alvarez joined MassHire Downtown Boston as a Bilingual Career Navigator on the RESEA team in July 2022. As a Career Navigator, Fernando supports a diverse group of job seekers through educational workshops and individual coaching to help them achieve their career goals. Prior to his work at JVS MassHire Downtown Boston, Fernando worked as a Wage & Hour Investigator at the Mass Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division.
Recently Fernando has been promoted to the position of Senior Career Navigator on the RESEA team. In his new role, Fernando will work alongside Tiffany Lo to build a highly effective team that can help RESEA clients access all the services that our JVS and career center have to offer.
Fernando earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Instruction from the Institute of Higher Education in Paraguay and his Master in Creative Writing from Salamanca University in Spain.
Gail Burton
Career Navigator
Gail Burton joined MassHire Downtown Boston in October 2022 as a Career Navigator working within the Access to Recovery program. In this role, she facilitates and co-designs workshops which empower newly returning citizens and individuals recovering from substance use disorder to re-enter the workplace with skill and dignity. Prior to joining MassHire she taught developmental English and U.S. History through the lens of social justice in the Adult Diploma Pathway program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Harvard University and graduated with her master’s degree in Education with a specialization in Drama, Politics and Civic Engagement.
She has studied and currently trains popular educators in the pedagogy of the oppressed of Paulo Freire and is the director of the Center for theater and pedagogy of the oppressed. She is a 2022 recipient of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) New Works New England Award and 2023 Rhode Island State Council of the Arts (RISCA) Make Art grant in support of her play Truth: A biofictional choreopoem based on the lives and experiences of 19th century black female resistors.
Jessica Russell
Career Navigator – Upskilling Specialist
Jessica Russell joined MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center as an Upskilling Navigator in May 2022. In this role Jessica works on identifying training providers, as well as placing clients interested in gaining new skills in training programs that will lead to new careers and employment opportunities. She worked for several years in children’s and academic publishing in sales and marketing. Jessica has a BA in History from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master’s in Late Medieval English History from University of Glasgow in Scotland.
Jordan Tavares
Program Manager for ATR | P2E Site Supervisor
Jordan Tavares is a proud native of Boston, MA, and serves as the Program Manager | Site Supervisor for ATR at MassHire. Jordan leads and supports a team of talented Career Navigators in providing a high quality job-readiness training for the ATR Pathway to Empowerment Program (P2E); assisting clients in taking the necessary steps towards permanent employment and stability. Jordan is a passionate professional with fourteen years of experience at leading non-profits and educational settings. He takes great joy in dismantling barriers in the minds of those in his community; helping them discover their true potential. He is driven by love, committed to progress, and eager to contribute towards the personal, educational, and professional development of those he serves.
Kevin Parham
Vice President - Career Services
Kevin Parham joined Masshire Downtown Boston Career Center as Senior Director of Operations in November 2021. Having spent over eighteen years in workforce development, Kevin brings vast knowledge of the Massachusetts Career Center system to his new role. His responsibilities include management, compliance, and operating functions at the Career Center and to ensure that high quality workforce development and labor exchange services are provided to Boston employers and jobseekers.
Prior to entering workforce development, Kevin held positions in the private sector as Manager of Customer Services and Support at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and as General Manager of call center operations at Verizon Wireless.
Kevin possesses a broad range of personal interests, for he is a professional musician and author of four published books. Also, he is a recipient of the ‘IBM MEANS SERVICE’ award and the ‘YMCA Black Achievers award.
Maricela Menaker
Manager of Employer Engagement
Maricela Menaker joined the MassHire Downton Boston team in December of 2019 as the Manager of Employer Engagement. However, Maricela joined the JVS team in 2017 as a volunteer, she then became a Post-Employment Career Coach in the Refugee department. In her current role, Maricela helps develop and strengthen relationships with businesses and supports their workforce needs. She also leads the planning and execution of job fairs and hiring events.
Melissa Vining
Operations Manager
As Operations Manager for MassHire Downtown Boston, Melissa leads the career services team and oversees career center programming, including job search webinars, career coaching, and the career resource center.
During her time at MassHire Downtown Boston, she created and launched 35+ webinars (and counting!), including record-breaking “Remote Jobs” and “The Neurodivergent Job Search.”
Melissa’s cutting-edge content and operational process improvements have significantly increased client attendance and engagement, positioning MassHire Downtown Boston as a regional leader in content innovation and ensuring job seekers state-wide have the knowledge and support they need to achieve their goals.
Rahel Amare
Career Navigator
Rahel Amare joined MassHire Downtown Boston as a Career Navigator on January 2023. In her new role, Rahel assists clients in their pursuit of training and job opportunities, providing invaluable guidance throughout their job search journey. With a genuine passion for helping individuals, Rahel is dedicated to making a positive impact on their professional journeys.
Rahel Amare brings extensive experience as a store leader at 7-11 for over 10 years. Her exceptional skills in hiring, training, and developing employees, along with adept expense management and effective communication, have consistently driven team success and fostered collaborative environments.
Rahel’s educational background includes an Associate’s degree in Business Administration, providing her with a solid foundation in key business principles
Robert Desousa
Career Navigator
Robert Desousa, Joined MassHire Downtown Boston in May 2023 as a Bilingual Career Navigator within the RESEA team. Robert leverages his expertise to offer invaluable support to a diverse range of job seekers, combining educational workshops with personalized coaching to guide them towards their ultimate career objectives.
Prior to joining the MassHire Downtown Boston team, Robert’s background included serving as a Patient Services Coordinator at Mass General Hospital. This experience equipped him with a strong commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others. His unique blend of healthcare and career development insights continues to drive meaningful transformations in the lives of those he assists.
Rose Zheng
Career Navigator
Rose Zheng joined MassHire Downtown Boston in July 2023 as a WIOA Career Navigator. Her role includes assisting clients in identifying training programs, applying for WIOA funding, and providing job search support.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Japanese Language and Literature and a background in education and volunteering, Rose is dedicated to empowering individuals on their career journey. Her diverse experiences in early childhood education, English tutoring, and volunteer work at non-profit organizations have honed her communication skills and empathy, enabling her to connect with clients from all walks of life. Rose’s passion for helping others achieve their career aspirations drives her commitment to provide personalized guidance and support, ensuring that her clients find the most suitable paths to success.
Susan Goldman
Career Resource Center Associate
Susan Goldman is an invaluable asset to our team at the Career Resource Center. Her journey began as a client seeking job opportunities after dedicating over 25 years to Medical Administrative work, primarily at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge.
Susan transitioned into a volunteer role at MHDB and later served as a SCCEP intern at Career Resource Center. Her commitment and dedication were quickly recognized, leading to her progression to her current position as a full-time Career Resource Center Associate.
In the Career Resource Center, Susan’s dedication knows no bounds. She assists every job seeker, ensuring they overcome obstacles, utilize our resources effectively, and leave equipped with valuable insights and opportunities guiding them towards the fulfilling career paths they deserve.
Susan holds a Masters in Social Work from Boston University and has a rich history of volunteerism in arts administration and human services throughout her career. Her passion for helping others and extensive experience make her an invaluable member of our team, driving positive outcomes for our clients
Tania De La Torre
Bi-Lingual Career Navigator
Tania De La Torre joined MassHire Downtown Boston as a Bilingual Career Navigator in April 2025. In this role, she supports job seekers from diverse backgrounds and experience levels, helping them build the skills needed to navigate the job search process and secure meaningful employment through community partner locations in Boston and nearby neighborhoods.
Tania holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and a Master’s degree in Social Investment Management from Universidad del Pacífico in Peru.
Before joining MassHire Downtown Boston, Tania worked in the public and nonprofit sectors in Peru. Her experience includes leading social projects in education, training, food security, and humanitarian aid, working with children, teenagers, women, and elderly populations. This background has given her the skills and motivation to support and strengthen communities.
Tania is passionate about empowering individuals and communities, guiding them in their job search, and helping them reach the goals they set for their lives.
Tiffany Lo
RESEA Program Manager
Tiffany Lo joined MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center as a Career Navigator in March 2020. She assists job seekers with the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment Program (RESEA) to help them maintain their UI benefits, as well as educating them on how move forward advancing their career goals. She also facilitates webinars and performs various services at the Career Center. In April 2022 Tiffany was promoted to a Lead Career Navigator on the RESEA team.
In February 2023 Tiffany was promoted to a new role as a RESEA Manager, in this role Tiffany will build on her previous achievements and work to further enhance the services provided by her team to RESEA clients. With her leadership and guidance, the team will be able to provide a comprehensive suite of services that will help clients access all the resources offered by JVS and the Career Center.
In her previous career Tiffany worked in travel industry, and in an elderly service agency, her focus was customer service. As a customer service agent and an immigrant to the United States, Tiffany understands the challenges of starting new life in a new place. Her multi language abilities in Cantonese, Mandarin and English allows her to assist job seekers and UI claimants navigate the unemployment maze. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in Management.
Trish Anjesky
Career Navigator
Trish Anjesky joined MassHire Downtown Boston in July 2023 as a Career Navigator. With a unique ability to establish genuine connections with clients, she excels as a career coach, guiding individuals towards discovering the most suitable training and career paths that align with their aspirations. With a genuine passion for helping others, Trish provides comprehensive support throughout her clients’ job search journeys, assisting them in pursuing training and job opportunities.
With over 20 years of experience in education, including senior roles at esteemed institutions like Lincoln Tech Institute and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Trish brings a wealth of expertise to her role as a Career Navigator. She has successfully guided numerous prospective students through the admissions process while passionately advocating for their educational goals. Now, at MassHire Downtown Boston, Trish is committed to leveraging her experience to positively impact the professional journeys of clients by assisting them in obtaining training opportunities that will elevate their career paths.
Yama Estime
Career Navigator
Yama Estime joined MassHire Downtown Boston as a Career Navigator in January 2025. As an ATR Career Navigator, Yama leads a three week, job-readiness training, to support individuals along their journey to success. Before her work at MassHire, Yama earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in criminology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During Yama’s four years at UMass Amherst, she worked in the North Hampton Community Corrections Office, conducting group therapy sessions with inmates to better prepare them for life after imprisonment. Yama’s mission in life is to help as many people as she can reach their full potential.