BCR Cyber, a leading provider of comprehensive cybersecurity training and job placement services, has hired Dr. Jodi Gonzalez as Assistant Vice President of Workforce Development, Laurie Williams as Assistant Director of Workforce Development, and promoted Khadejah Lovelace to Government Programs Director.
In their new roles, Dr. Gonzalez and Willams will help lead and collaborate with BCR Cyber President, Michael Spector, to implement, oversee, and manage all BCR Cyber workforce development grants. Lovelace, who is a graduate of BCR Cyber’s ICE-T program, will help oversee training programs for the company and will assist with operations and systems administration.
All three positions are a result of the expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Accelerator program, which was developed by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and BCR Cyber. In just six years, the program has trained more than 1,000 unemployed or underemployed students and transitioned them into family-sustaining wage IT and cyber careers. This year’s expansion scales the program’s training and job placement from approximately 180 cybersecurity professionals per year to several thousand.
“Our mission is to increase Maryland’s workforce development efforts by providing access to advanced experiential training and education technology that helps train and certify entry level IT and cyber practitioners and upskills current cybersecurity professionals,” says Spector. “The collective knowledge, experience, and skill Dr. Gonzalez, Khadejah, and Laurie bring to BCR Cyber will not only help propel this important mission locally, but also help us expand what we do on a national level.”
Dr. Gonzalez has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, developing and scaling grant-funded student programs, executive collaboration, and leading cross-functional teams. In her previous role at Montgomery College, Dr. Gonzalez managed a multitude of diverse projects funded by a $44 million grant for COVID-19 relief. She led the national competition submission that earned Montgomery College an Honorary Mention in the NSF COVID-19 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion STEM Challenge. Additionally, she was instrumental in guiding the college through a major project involving federal grant law and regulation. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Lubbock Christian University, and a Master of Public Administration and Doctorate in Family and Consumer Sciences Education/Educational Psychology from Texas Tech.
Williams brings 15 plus years of experience in higher education as an educator and project manager to BCR Cyber. Previously, she served in various roles at Montgomery College, including career and transfer services, teaching English as a Second Language, academic coaching, and grants management. She also provided lead support and direct effort for more than $42 million of federal funding and developed the processes for Montgomery College’s first Dual Admission partnership grant. Williams has also worked in the field of community arts, instructing communities in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. She holds her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education from the University of Maryland and holds a Master of Science in Urban Economic Development and a Master of Education in Multicultural Education from Eastern University in Pennsylvania.
Lovelace has been with BCR Cyber for four years. She graduated with her CompTIA certifications and training from BCR Cyber in 2019 and worked for a Managed Services Provider in a contract position configuring laptops for distribution to schools. From there, she transitioned to full-time employment with BCR Cyber and has been instrumental in helping the company grow.
