NACE Advocacy- Federal Update

Shawn VanDerziel, President & Chief Executive Officer, NACE

As president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Shawn VanDerziel leads the association of 18,000 college career services professionals, early talent recruiting professionals, and business solution providers that serve the community. As a leading voice on the employment of the college educated and advocate for opportunity and access for all students, VanDerziel is featured regularly as an industry expert and is a sought-after speaker on a range of topics, including internships, hiring, career readiness, and trends in the workforce and college job market. Prior to joining the NACE staff, VanDerziel was with the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for 23 years, where he most recently served as chief human resources officer and as chief of staff. His earlier roles included corporate recruiting with Norrell Corporation and a position in higher education as associate director of student enrollment at National Louis University.

Alanna Suda, Senior Vice President, MWW Group

Alanna Suda, vice president at MWW, works in government and public affairs, with a focus on legislative strategy, issues management, and government relations. Prior to joining MWW in 2008, she served as a legislative adviser at Jorden Burt LLP. She holds a bachelor's degree in politics from Catholic University. She is the co-chair of the Health & Social Policies Task Force of Women in Government Relations, Inc. (WGR), one of the most respected nonprofit, non-partisan government relations associations in the Washington metropolitan area. Suda is known and respected for her thoroughness and effectiveness in working with the federal government and her proficiency in using both the legislative and regulatory processes to achieve client-specific objectives. She specializes in affecting broad policy changes through authorizing legislation; increasing federal funding and influencing future agency opportunities through the appropriations process; and working with clients to create strategic partnerships with federal agencies, the White House, and professional associations in Washington, DC.

David Ong, Early Careers Leader, Jobworx CareerOS SL

David Ong chairs the NACE Advocacy Advisory Task Force. Currently serving as an adviser to CareerOS, a careers software organization, he has extensive experience in early talent acquisition, including roles at Maximus, Citigroup, and Capital One. Ong has served in several leadership capacities for NACE, including serving as the association's president for 2021-22.

Mark Rhoads, Immigration Attorney, McCandlish Holton

Mark Rhoads is a director of the Immigration Practice Group of McCandlish Holton PC. Rhoads regularly provides immigration advice and visa processing services to career services offices and U.S. employers that employ foreign graduates to work in the United States. He has extensive expertise in all temporary visa and permanent resident categories. Rhoads has spoken on immigration topics at national and regional conferences, including NACE's annual conference, as well as at many other university-related organizations. Among other honors, he is listed in "Best Lawyers in America in Immigration Law."