Members
We are home to 100+ career practitioners working with clients of all ages in a variety of settings, including public agencies, private practices, K-12 schools, and universities in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Goals
Establish and improve the standards for professional service in the field of career development in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Encourage and foster career development assistance across the life span.
Provide a diverse network of support, resources, and information for members through professional development, networking, and training opportunities.
Inform, practice and promote high standards and principles of career development/career counseling.
Endorse the incorporation of theory and effective practice models into career development services.
History
In 2001, the late Josephine (Jo) Hayslip, approached several career practitioners in the state of New Hampshire with a vision to form a state chapter of the National Career Development Association (NCDA). Jo had a passion for enhancing the lives of others through career development. Jo was a Guidance Director, a Career Development Consultant at the New Hampshire Department of Education as well as faculty at Plymouth State College as a counselor educator. Jo carried her lifelong interest in teaching and career development into her retirement and worked with several individuals in an attempt to form a New Hampshire chapter of the NCDA. Professionals who first joined Jo’s efforts include Cheryl Oswoski, Rich Paiva, Linda Sellner, April O’Keefe, Sarah Bennett and several other dedicated individuals. For several years, a great deal of time and effort were put into creating a chapter who’s mission was to promote the career development of all persons and support the efforts of career professionals in all contexts. The group’s efforts pinnacled in a professional workshop/conference held at Second Start in Concord, NH. This one day conference brought together over 50 career practitioners from all around New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints as well as other challenges, the chapter never officially incorporated. The spirit of those career professionals continues in the NH/VT Career Development Association.
At the Long Beach NCDA Conference in, 2014 Doug Cullen initiated a meeting with career professionals from New Hampshire and Vermont. Barbara Wirth, Squeak Stone and Doug met to talk about challenges New Hampshire had launching a CDA and the pros and cons of a combined VT / NH Career Development Association. In March 2015, Doug sent an invitation to VT and NH NCDA members to begin the talks of a combined chapter, around the same time Maria Paquin and Carol Bokan sent emails to Vermont constituents about starting a Vermont chapter.
Over the following months several meetings were held and NCDA members from Vermont and New Hampshire voted that they wanted to move forward with the first ever bi-state NCDA chapter. With the hard work of Doug Cullen, Carol Bokan, Andrea Gould, Abigail Nelson, Drew McDowell, Maria Hanron, Barbara Wirth, Angela Bourassa, Rich Paiva, Bonnie Robinson, Sharon Harris, Susan Silk, Susan Posluszny, Diana Abath, Louise Ewing, Beverly Behrmann, Kimberly Davis, Aaron Rock, Patti Tomashot, Tom Navak, Sandy Demarest and Squeak Stone, we are aiming to announce the joint charter for the Vermont / New Hampshire Career Development Association at the 2016 Chicago NCDA Conference.