Maureen E. White, M.A., Ed.D., SPHR
Don’t let your education interfere with your learning. Mark Twain
The end of all education should be service to others. Cesar Chavez
When people are out of work, it’s as if the universe is giving them the message
that their skills are no longer needed. The ReInvention of Work. Matthew Fox
Maureen’s passion and expertise are in career, organization and workforce development. She began her education career as a peer counselor in EOP&S at Sacramento City College at age 18. After receiving her Associates Degree, she transferred to UC Davis and was hired as a peer counselor for EOP&S, Career Planning & Placement/Work Experience and the Women’s Center. A highlight after graduation was representing UCD at the first Annual Women’s International Conference in Mexico City in 1975. After a creative detour working for ten years in Los Angeles in the Entertainment Industry and for the 1984 Olympics, Maureen returned to Sacramento.
In 1987 Maureen worked for the City of Sacramento as a Management Liaison. In 1988 she returned to Sacramento City College to coordinate ReEntry Services, then Job Placement. These positions included community & media relations, planning team for the annual Career Day, and project manager for conferences and workshops. Her Communication Studies masters thesis/project focused on recruiting and retaining returning students. She wrote and produced a video, “Going Back and Moving Forward,” used for re-entry orientations. A Los Rios career highlight was engaging in conversations about the dramatic changes from apartheid to democracy in South Africa as a member of a U.S. Public Administration delegation.
In 1997 the University of San Francisco recruited Maureen as Assistant Director of the Sacramento campus. At USF she enjoyed academic & career advising, marketing, recruiting and teaching. A highlight was managing USF programs on site at Hewlett-Packard. At USF, she co-founded the Sacramento Higher Education Coalition. Since 1991 Maureen has taught and trained hundreds of students, staff, faculty and professionals from various sectors in communication, career, customer service, HR, leadership, OD and change management skills. She was Adjunct Professor for several public and private colleges including USF, CSUS and Los Rios CCD.
In 2004 Maureen received her doctorate in Organization and Leadership from USF’s School of Education. Her dissertation focused on the connection between career development and organization development in higher education. Since then she was Director of a post-secondary, WASC-accredited vocational training school, Center for Employment Training. In 2007, after being laid off as VP, Programs, for a national mentoring nonprofit, Maureen provided career consulting for many professionals in transition, wrote articles, made presentations and was interviewed by local media on career and recession resilience. In 2009 she was hired as a grantwriting consultant for ARRA vocational training grants for Healthcare IT and emerging green careers.
Maureen is pleased to support the Los Angeles community colleges and the Career Development Advisory Committee in her Career Technical Education position for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office division of Economic Development and Workforce Preparation. Maureen serves on the Sacramento area HR association (SAHRA) board as VP, Workforce Readiness, and is certified as a Senior Human Resources Professional (SPHR). She has represented her HR colleagues on Sacramento’s Partners for Prosperity & Mayor’s Greenwise committees, comprised of the region’s major employers, colleges, training schools, unions, technology companies, workforce investment boards and chambers. Maureen is past President of the California Career Development Association (CCDA). An article on careers and caregiving was published by the National Career Development Association Journal.
April 2011