Team

An avid animator since the age of 11, Alan Saunders earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Film & Video from Columbia College Chicago in 2006. After working on several personal and professional animated projects, he transitioned into the world of e-learning in 2009, where he quickly discovered an appreciation for the process of researching and animating complex topics. In 2012, Alan relocated to Southern California and joined the CareerSmart Learning team soon after.

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Fun Fact: Alan gets the hiccups when eating spicy food.

Alysha started her career as a social worker, working in long term care facilities, specializing in patients with dementia and mental illness. After supervising in social services, she decided to go back to school and obtain her Master’s Degree in Public Administration, after which she was recruited and worked for three years for the California State Auditor. Wanting to be closer to family, Alysha returned to her roots in Southern California and in social services, working as both a licensing program analyst and licensing program manager for the Community Care Licensing Division, Senior Care Program, of the CA Department of Social Services. After leaving state service in 2010, she helped found CareerSmart Learning. She is currently responsible for all CareerSmart Learning operations, conducts presentations and offers consultation to healthcare and social service professionals, and participates in community and educational advisory boards.

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Fun Fact: Alysha played the accordion as a child.

Angie has over 25 years of experience as a nurse case manager. She is a certified nurse case manager and certified rehabilitation nurse. She is one of the original founders of ISYS Solutions, Inc., which provides nurse case management in the workers’ compensation industry, and CareerSmart Learning, which provides continuing education to healthcare, rehabilitation, and social services professionals nationwide. Angie’s approach to case management and to educating are similar: she strives to ensure high quality content and delivery.

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Fun Fact: Angie and her husband were on the Newlywed Game just after getting married, and they won!

Beth Hawley comes to CareerSmart Learning from a varied background in B2B and B2C digital marketing and communications at Fortune 500 firms and non-profits . She also brings several years of experience as a reporter for print media, having worked for The Hill Newspaper, GovConExec Magazine, The Kansas City Star, and The Baltimore Examiner. She particularly enjoys finding that sweet spot where the data and the creative overlap to better reach customers and provide them the user experiences, services and products that enhance their lives. An avid reader and explorer, Beth is always looking for her next adventure.

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Fun Fact: Former Senator John Kerry once picked me up and moved me out of the way while we were in a media scrum at the U.S. Capital in Washington, DC.

After growing up and graduating college in the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri, Britt packed up and headed west to California! She joined the ISYS Solutions, Inc. family in 2012, and has recently joined CareerSmart as Accreditation Specialist & Executive Assistant. Britt looks forward to supporting our clients alongside her incredible team. Britt meets every day with a smile and eagerness to learn. In her free time, she enjoys hanging with friends and family, attending concerts, and trying new foods.

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Fun Fact: At age 8, Britt learned how to walk on stilts. She would regularly perform at fairs, parades, and other events throughout her adolescence.

Clinton joins Career Smart with over 15 years of outside sales experience, having previously excelled at ISYS Family where he contributed significantly to the expansion of regions in Northern California and Northern Nevada. Beyond his professional achievements, Clinton is actively engaged in charitable initiatives and social networking events. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his wife, camping, and indulging in outdoor activities such as golfing, fishing, and kayaking. Clinton’s diverse skill set and commitment to both professional excellence and personal enrichment make him a valuable asset to our team.

Fun Fact: Clinton has been to 49 of the 50 states.  Maine is his very last state and hopes to visit it soon.

Inspired by Saturday morning cartoons as a child, Cristina knew she wanted to be an Animator/Designer early on. She earned an Associate Degree in 3D Animation at Miami International University of Art & Design. Upon graduating, Cristina became a designer for print and web for several media companies, including the Miami Herald and Univision. She brings decades of experience in working with various creative projects, from video editing to print design.

Cristina is fascinated with how technology changes and improves the way we learn and interact with each other and is happy to return to her original passion for animation. She is looking forward to designing courses that will help people further their careers.

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Fun Fact: Cristina loves all dogs, enjoys working on pottery projects and roller skating. Not at the same time!

Daniel Salazar was hired with ISYS Solutions in January 2018 as a Quality Review Specialist. After being with ISYS for a little over three years, Daniel transitioned over to CareerSmart Leaning to become our Education Services Assistant. Daniel has spent more than four years working in customer service throughout his work life. Being an extrovert, Daniel loves to engage in conversation with people and develop new friendships by sharing his comedic personality. Daniel spends his free time getting caught in the rain and enjoying piña coladas.

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Fun fact: Daniel is heavily involved in the art of music. He is the vocalist and lyricist for a heavy metal band who’ve played at festivals and various venues including the famous Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood, California.

Diana discovered her love for writing at the age of six and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2007 at San Diego State University. She has eight years of experience in quality customer service and six years of experience in proofreading and editing healthcare related material. She enjoys meeting professionals and learning about their needs, applying the “Hug Your Customer” philosophy whenever she can. She especially enjoys being part of any creative process, from the content review of courses to the visual aspect of advertising, and feels right at home working with a team of highly creative individuals who love what they do.

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Fun Fact: Every year, Diana visits at least one place where she has never been.

Heaven has always had a passion for storytelling, whether it’s through photography or writing. It’s no wonder she decided to spend most of her weekends in high school watching movies, taking pictures, and writing about anything and everything. This would lead her to get her BA in Radio/TV/Film at Cal State Fullerton in 2013. After graduation, Heaven continued to pursue her passion for the arts while working as an administrative assistant. In 2022, Heaven joined CareerSmart as an Education Services Assistant. In her free time, Heaven enjoys writing, listening to music, photography, building her Criterion Collection, and looking at pictures of Corgis because Corgis are simply the best.

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Fun Fact: Heaven didn’t learn how to talk until she was four years old.

I have a BSN from University of North Carolina Charlotte and a MSN from Clemson University. I have been a RN since 1994. My clinical background is in cardiac care and home health. i have been in nursing education and nursing professional development since 1999. I have taught undergraduate nursing in universities and community colleges. I have been developing, managing and certifying professional development courses since 1999.

I hold three ANCC certifications-Nursing Professional Development, Nurse Executive and Geriatric Nurse. I challenge myself professionally through life-long learning.

In my spare time enjoy family time with my 2 children, their significant others, and my new husband. We enjoy traveling, jeep adventuring off-road, Harley Davidson riding and exploring new things. I enjoy college sports, reading, sewing, crafting, learning new things, people and places.

I enjoy challenging myself professionally by obtaining certifications, obtaining new skills and through life-long learning. I enjoy challenging myself personally through escape rooms, solving problems, crosswords, and jigsaw puzzles.

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Fun Fact: I have a pink shed, called the she shed, I have a gray jeep with pink accents, called the Barbie Jeep. I love to play in the mud in my Jeep and ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles in the mountains.

Joe has an extensive and diverse professional background with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Public Administration. He has worked with ISYS and CareerSmart since 2009 and is currently the Vice President and COO at CareerSmart.  Joe loves his job and the people he works with.

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Fun Fact: Joe and his youngest daughter share the same birthdate. (Within about an hour!)

Karen is a Registered Nurse and Certified Legal Nurse Consultant with clinical experience in acute and long-term care settings as a staff nurse, Director of Nursing and multi-facility consultant.   She is also a licensed nursing home administrator and certified RCFE administrator.  She has enjoyed the challenges of managing successful facilities, including the implementation of dementia care and post-acute rehabilitation units to improve quality of life for residents.

As the owner of Coast to Coast Legal Nurse Consultants, Karen has provided expert review of medical-legal cases involving assisted living, skilled nursing, long-term acute, and acute care facilities.

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Fun Fact:  Karen is a fan of NASCAR racing.

Patrick was hired as an elearning Designer after working in the Video Game and Consumer Electronics industries as a 3D Artist for over 10 years. While working for an afterschool STEM education company, he pursued and received a Preliminary Teaching Credential, and earned his Master of Science Degree in Instructional Design and Technology from CSU Fullerton in 2020. He loves creating content which is fun and informative!

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Fun Fact: Patrick paints and plays with tabletop war game miniatures.

I’m a recent transplant to California (arriving in early 2023), but long-time traveler and have lived all over the country. I come from the fields of Psychology (B.S. in Psychology from Clarkson University), Technology (M.S. in Educational Technology from SUNY Potsdam), and Education (M.S. in Learning, Design, and Technology from Penn State) and I truly believe that empathetic and experiential design are the tenets to inclusive and meaningful learning design. This philosophy served me well as a K-12 Technology Education teacher and in the various workshops, makerspaces, libraries, and discovery centers where I have facilitated intergenerational learning programs. I am passionate about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and have been fortunate to support a large international company in these efforts to create safe, inclusive, and supportive workspaces. Here at CareerSmart Learning, I take the scaffolding of a supportive, engaging, and efficient learning experience extremely seriously and work hard to ensure that our learners have exactly what they need, when they need it, and with the support built-in to meet them wherever they are at on their learning journey. My digital and physical door is always open, and I’d be happy to hear any and all feedback about our Learning Management System so that we can better deliver on our mission, values, and goals surrounding learners.

Outside of work, I love to play games of all sorts – from Dungeons and Dragons to Hardcore Roguelike RPGs and pretty much anything in-between. I’m an avid foodie and have nearly endless filibusters about various types of foods and drinks. I have a fiancée, Andie, who is from the SoCal area and a furry little gremlin, Biscuit, who occasionally can be seen around the office! Other than that, I’m a maker, crafter, builder, tinkerer, and nerd who loves to go to conventions, conferences, tournaments, and meetups around Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Comics, the Renaissance time period, and pretty much anything else.

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Fun Fact: Zach has spent many nights sleeping in snowbanks and carved out snow shelters back home!

Barbara has been serving seniors since 1995. She began as a certified recreation therapist in acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing settings. She subsequently moved into the field of home care as a branch manager before starting her career as an RCFE Administrator in 2001. Her first community served 100 seniors in assisted living and memory care. After taking a regional position for three years, she returned to managing a large community which served independent, assisted, and skilled nursing residents. She is presently pursuing a certificate in Fiduciary Management at California State University, Fullerton in order to become a licensed Fiduciary through the state of California.

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Fun Fact: Barbara is married to a food and beverage director for an RCFE facility, which means that he is in charge of cooking at home, an activity that Barbara is thankful he enjoys as she does not. Barbara has four dogs- two chihuahuas and two mini dachshunds.

Caitlin is a Residential Care Program Administrator, Consultant, and Instructor. She joined CareerSmart after working with the California Department of Social Services – Community Care Licensing Division for over 7 years, including 3 years in the Statewide Adult and Senior Care Program Office (where her responsibilities included acting as liaison with the Department of Health Care Services for the Assisted Living Waiver Program) and 2 years as a Licensing Program Manager. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication and her diverse experience also includes contract management and teaching severely emotionally disturbed adolescents.

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Fun Fact: As a child, Caitlin had a pet Squirrel Monkey.

Carla Yaldezian is a registered dietitian and has earned a Master’s Degree in Nutrition with an emphasis in disease-related nutrition therapy, education, and wellness. During her career, Carla has gained experience in the field of nutrition developing online nutrition-related curricula, conducting adult nutrition education classes, and providing one-on-one nutrition counseling where she implements individualized nutritional care plans for nutrition-related comorbidities such as obesity, eating disorders, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. As a member of several professional organizations, Carla is very dedicated to provide nutrition education on a variety of nutrition-related topics that enhances one’s self-efficacy to eat healthy and live an active life style.

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Fun Fact: For fun, Carla enjoys riding her bike along the sunny California coast with the wind in her hair and the sun on her back.

Our Public Relations Specialist, Cody, is a soft coated wheaten terrier. He is a certified therapy dog and earned his Distinguished Title from the AKC for completing over 400 volunteered therapy visits. He and his owner, Angie Jung, have brought countless smiles and comfort to many residents at Assisted Living facilities, children with brain injuries or other illnesses, as well as therapy services for victims of crime or troubled youths. In 2017, Cody earned his Trick Dog Champion title and recognized as Trick Dog Performer by the AKC. Cody enjoys taking part in many healthcare exhibits and presentations for CareerSmart and is our very own therapy dog at the office. Cody is passionate about his job and consistently delivers positive memorable experiences to everyone he meets!

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Fun Fact:  Cody thinks he’s a seal when it comes to being at the beach. He loves jumping over waves and diving in to find his water toys.

Edna is a Residential Care Program Instructor and Consultant, responsible for delivery of our Initial Certification Training Program and continuing education, as well as consulting with licensees on compliance, quality assurance, appeals and RCFE license applications. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B – Dar es Salaam University, Tanzania) and a Master of Laws (LL.M – London School of Economics, University of London) degrees. She joined Career Smart after working with the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing for 21 years. Of those, she was a Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) for 10 years as a case carrying analyst and as an application specialist; 2 years as an Associate Governmental Program Analyst (AGPA) in the Adult Care Policy Unit in Sacramento; and a total of 9 years as a Licensing Program Manager (LPM) in the Adult and Senior Care Program offices in San Diego and Riverside. Prior to that, she was an Individual Program Coordinator (IPC) at Lanterman Developmental Center where she monitored programs and advocated for persons with developmental disabilities for 4 years. She also worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Junior Programme Officer in Liberia, West Africa, where she liaised with local government and monitored international donor agencies regarding UNDP projects for 2 years.

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Fun Fact: Edna loves to garden, especially vegetables.

Kim received her BSN in 2002, and most recently her MSN in Nurse Education in 2019. She hails from New England and has always worked as a pediatric nurse. Her career started in Boston in a pediatric rehabilitation facility where she also became experienced in pediatric home care and primary care outpatient visits. Shortly after, she worked for a short time in the pediatric intensive care unit. After having children, her career moved her closer to home where she worked as a school nurse and on a small pediatric floor in a community based hospital. While she continues working in the hospital and occasionally for the local elementary school, she most recently has been working as adjunct faculty for a local university. She considers it a privilege to care for families when their children are sick and makes educating patients, parents, and students a priority.

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Fun Fact about me: Kim is trained in Muay Thai Kickboxing, and is the daughter-in-law of Karen, another Career Smart contributor!

Kristen has been in the aging services field for 20 years, specifically managing senior housing communities for the past 15 years. She earned a bachelors degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a masters degree in Gerontology from the University of Arizona. Kristen has experience managing various care settings from CCRC’s to stand alone Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Health Centers in 6 different states. She also oversaw the start-up and opened two multi-care level communities. She holds current RCFE and NHA licenses in California.

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Fun Fact: In her spare time, Kristen loves to travel and has been all over North America, Europe, Asia and Central and South America. One of her favorite trips was hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.

Lee-Anne is a Registered Nurse (RN) with a background in quality assurance and improvement, healthcare education/training, healthcare sales and marketing, and clinical case management and acute care clinical settings. She is an experienced educator in professional staff development, community outreach, and in the development of educational programs with special expertise in areas related to aging, hospice and end of life care, and dementia.

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Fun Fact: Lee-Anne likes to participate in triathlons.

Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of California Los Angeles in 1989. She has 12 years of experience working in the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing for Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties. For the last five years, Lisa has owned Right at Home in-home care in Rancho Cucamonga and presents training and acts as a consultant for assisted living communities, senior living communities, the Alzheimer’s Association, hospice agencies, and home health agencies.

Luis joined the senior care industry in August 2007 as an Activities and Volunteer Director. He served in many other roles, including managing the Assisted Living Care Team for a large Independent Full Service Facility before accepting the Executive Director position at the large Assisted Living Community he currently oversees.   During his tenure, he has been selected to be part of the Strategic Development Group for his company, also acting as a one-on-one mentor for aspiring Administrators in the assisted living industry, a job coach for current administrators, and a training leader for various state approved programs and quality of life programs.

Luis enjoys providing support to fellow administrators and executive directors working in Assisted Living and watching these administrators and his employees grow professionally. He enjoys creating pleasant days and enhancing the quality of life for all residents, especially those suffering with dementia. He is passionate about the work he does.

Outside of work, Luis enjoys playing tennis, spending time with his family and watching his children play sports.

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Fun fact: Prior to working with seniors, Luis was a High School Math teacher.

Renée is a senior care professional and the owner and licensee of Chapters RCFE. As the Director of Administration & Client Services, Renée works with each client to design and implement programs that will exceed expectations. In addition to her work at Chapters RCFE, Renée is an RCFE instructor with CareerSmart Learning and is actively involved with the Alzheimer’s Association Orange County chapter, where she volunteers as a community education speaker and a support group facilitator for caregivers of adults with younger onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She holds a B.A. in Advertising and M.A. in Psychology from Pepperdine University.

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Fun Fact: Coming Soon…

Dr. Sadie Phillips is a clinical health psychologist with specialities in behavioral and rehabilitation medicine. She brings to CareerSmart Learning her passion and expertise for the growing field of health psychology, which includes the evaluation and treatment of psychological disorders that stem from physical illness and injury. She currently sees patients in both the hospital setting and private practice and consults extensively with hospitals and multi-disciplinary staff to improve institutional mental health screening and early intervention.

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Fun Fact: In her spare time, Dr. Phillips DJs and collects vinyl records.

Scotti began her nursing career as a critical care nurse in the progressive care and surgical intensive care units at the University of California, San Diego. After earning a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research, she became a clinical nurse educator specializing in orientation and competency, responsible for the successful proposal and implementation of UCSD’s first New Graduate RN Residency Program. Following this, Scotti was nurse manager of a 27 bed medical-surgical unit for several years. She is currently a nursing supervisor on a busy orthopedic unit at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, CA. Scotti loves to spend time with her two sons, Henry and George, and husband, Neal. They love living in California and spending time outdoors.

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Fun Fact: Scotti is an artist at heart; she loves to refinish furniture, do DIY projects, and spend time on Pinterest!

Tracy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), trainer, and long term care consultant. She is a nationally recognized expert on the topic of relocation stress syndrome in the elderly and has given presentations on this topic to case managers, long term care administrators, nurses, social workers, therapists, and other disciplines that serve seniors. She has a common sense approach to educating and believes that knowledge is power and that elderly clients deserve all the power we can shift to them in this complicated healthcare delivery system.

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Fun Fact: Prior to her life in social work, Tracy spent 12 years working in film and television.

Whitney has been a Certified Case Manager (CCM) and senior nurse case manager specializing in workers’ compensation medical case management. Her registered nurse experience includes acute care nursing, post-acute care placement specialist, nursing leadership, and case management, including complex and catastrophic case management skills. She currently serves as the CareerSmart lead nurse planner/healthcare program evaluator, overseeing educational programming for clinical professionals, participating in the curriculum development review committee, and even authoring some of CareerSmart’s courses.

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Fun Fact: Whitney enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling as well as spending time with family and friends. She loves to wrap gifts during the holidays and has master gift wrapping skills!