New Students: Meet your Career Coach!
Last Names A-B: Marquise McGriff
Last Names C-Ha: Ellie Mobley
Last Names He-R: Alcedos Vanterpool
Last Names S-Z: Ciara Suarez
Dwayne Peterson
Executive Director, Career Education
Email: dpeterson@ncf.edu
Dwayne joined the New College CEO team in July 2019. Dwayne is a nationally recognized educator and career strategist with over a decade of experience in higher education. He is an advocate for liberal arts and sciences education and a thought leader on how to position liberal arts academic programs as a solution to labor market needs and prepare graduates of those programs for the careers of today and tomorrow.
Dwayne oversees New College’s strategic and innovative vision for career education which includes an integration of career education into the academic curriculum as a personalized four-year developmental plan, recruitment consultation for employers and graduate programs, faculty collaborations, work-based learning, prestigious fellowships advising, pre-professional programs, and mentorship initiatives.
A certified career development facilitator, he holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Florida, a Master of Science in College Student Personnel from Miami University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Studies from the University of South Florida. Dwayne represents New College as a member of the Florida Career Centers consortium and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE). He is also an active member of the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE), the National Career Development Association (NCDA), and the Sarasota-Manatee Human Resources Association (SHRA).
Madeline Tympanick
Associate Director, Employer Relations and Work-Based Learning
Email: mtympanick@ncf.edu
Maddie joined New College of Florida in September 2018 as an Assistant Director and Career Coach and was promoted into her role as the Associate Director of Employer Relations and Work-Based Learning in June 2022.
Maddie is a nationally recognized educator with experience at multiple higher education institutions and non-profit organizations with focus areas including career education and employer relations, global education, leadership development, common reading experience, and service-learning and community engagement. She specializes in partnering with faculty to integrate work-based learning and internships into academic programs. She serves as the campus point of contact and a consultant to community partners and employers developing internship programs/positions and recruiting from New College’s campus. A skilled career coach, Maddie has a passion for helping students become active agents in their own career planning.
Maddie holds a B.A. in Communication with minors in Theater and Gender Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University, and an M.Ed. in Higher Education Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in College Student Affairs from the University of South Florida. She is an active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE), and the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA), and recently presented at all three 2021 annual conferences about innovative internship and career education models.
Duane Smith
Assistant Director, Scholarships, Fellowships, and Pre-Health Advising
Email:dusmith@ncf.edu
Dr. Duane H. Smith joined the New College CEO team in February 2020. Duane serves as the advisor for students considering or pursuing competitive scholarships and fellowships as well as those pursuing health-related professional programs, including medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry. He also oversees the Student Research and Travel Grant (SRTG) program, which provides funding for students’ undergraduate research pursuits.
Duane earned a PhD in English from Auburn University, specializing in 18th-century British literature. He has been a faculty member at Ithaca College and Saint Louis University. He served as the Director of University Honors at Saint Louis University where he was also the faculty advisor for scholarships and fellowships; as Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies at Temple University, where he oversaw undergraduate research, pre-law programs, and pre-professional health studies advising; and as Director of Honors and McNair Scholars at Mercy College. Most recently, he worked in the International Programs Office at Saint Martin’s University in Washington state, contributing to the development of international partnerships in China and India, tutoring students in the ESL program, and teaching English in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Duane is an active member of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA) and the National Association of Advisors of Health Professions (NAAHP).
Ciara Suarez
Assistant Director and Career Coach
Email:cisuarez@ncf.edu
Ciara joined the New College CEO team in October 2019. She currently holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Florida and a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University. She is committed to life-long learning and is passionate about helping others. She has years of experience supporting and empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds as they worked toward their goals. A career-changer, she uses her unique perspective and transferrable skills to coach and encourage New College students throughout their career and professional development journey. Ciara is a Board Certified Coach and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She leads the CEO’s mentorship and career education programs and is an active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FL-ACE).
Marquise McGriff
Assistant Director, Internship Programs and Career Coach
Email: mmcgriff@ncf.edu
Marquise joined New College of Florida in September 2022. He leads CEO internship programs and consults with employer and community partners and partners on how to design transformational work-based learning experiences and recruit talent from our campus. He also serves as career coach for students and recent graduates.
Marquise started his journey as a professional educator during his high school years where he was both a student and teacher’s assistant. Shortly after graduating high school, he became a substitute teacher and furthered his service to education with Americorps. He attended Florida Memorial University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and went on to earn a Master of Arts in Higher Education at Lincoln University of Missouri all by the age of 21. Over the course of his undergraduate and graduate matriculation he completed education internships and leadership fellowships with Breakthrough Collaborative in Miami, FL, the Ambassador Andrew Young Emerging Leaders Institute in Atlanta, GA, Thurgood Marshall College Fund in New Orleans, LA, and the Walton Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Marquise is an Honorary Staff Member of the U.S. Department of Education (as appointed by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities), the founder of a nonprofit organization, and the author of a children’s book.
Prior to coming to New College of Florida, Marquise was the Coordinator of Graduate Program and Continuing Education at Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami where he provided college and career advisory to high school graduates. He also has experience in international education through his time as a University Guidance Advisor at Amerigo Education and student affairs experience as the Student Conduct Officer at Lincoln University of Missouri. He is active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE), and the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA).
Ellie Mobley
Assistant Director & Career Coach
Email: emobley@ncf.edu
Ellie joined the New College CEO team in January 2023. Ellie is passionate about helping students realize and reach their full potential. She’s been working with people of all ages since she could remember. Ellie is excited to work alongside students as they navigate their ever-changing career goals in this dynamic world.
Ellie holds a BA in Sociology from Wake Forest University as well as a M.Ed. in School Counseling from Vanderbilt University. She credits these experiences as truly what paved her way towards giving back to causes greater than herself. Her diverse professional background includes professional experience as a school counselor as well as various roles in nonprofits including AmeriCorps and as a College and Career Advisor for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Desoto Counties.
A Nationally Certified Counselor, Ellie is an active member in the American Counselor Association (ACA), Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE), and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Alcedos Vanterpool
Career Coach
Email: avanterpool@ncf.edu
Alcedos joined the New College CEO team in June 2022. He is an alumnus of Kent State University from which he holds a B.S. in Educational Studies and a Ed.M. in College Student Affairs from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Alcedos has a passion for service and helping others. He has worked with students from diverse backgrounds and is a huge proponent for self-advocacy. He brings professional experience from a number of areas in higher education including career exploration and success, residence life, and the Equal Opportunity Fund.
As a career coach, he hopes to be an opportunity connector for students at New College helping them leverage their experiences and identities to be the best versions of themselves in their career development journey. Alcedos is an active member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), and the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE).
Sam Carmer
Office & Recruitment Services Coordinator
Email: scarmer@ncf.edu
Sam joined the New College CEO team in January 2023. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She was previously an elementary educator and has a background in student life, event planning, and human resources. Her goal is for everyone who enters and leaves the CEO to feel supported when it comes to their involvement in the success of NCF students.
Through her role, Sam provides administrative support to the entire CEO team. She also coordinates recruitment services for recruiters sourcing talent from New College as well as serves as the fiscal liaison for the center.
Maya McKibben
Receptionist
Email: mmckibbin@ncf.edu
Maya joined the New College CEO team in April 2022 and serves as the Receptionist. She has over three years of sales, management, and office assistance experience, most recently with TeBella Tea Company and PaperSource. She is currently pursuing her degree from State College of Florida. Maya greets and assists students, recruiters, faculty, and other CEO guests.
