Our Team

 

Marcelle Yeager

Marcelle is passionate about helping mid- to executive level professionals land jobs that get them to the next level of their career. At Career Valet, she works with clients on their branding strategy and job search materials to secure new roles. This has led to many successes, including a senior director becoming the COO of a start-up and the CFO of a small firm becoming a VP in a $12B company. For 3.5 years, she simultaneously ran ServingTalent, a boutique recruiting firm for top U.S. military and diplomat (foreign service) spouses. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Marcelle did her fair share of job searching and career exploration, eventually spending many years in strategic communications at a Washington, D.C. public affairs firm and Booz Allen Hamilton. She also worked at the Department of Defense and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In addition, she’s worked in Russia, Chile, and Lithuania. She is the spouse of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.

Marcelle holds an MBA from the University of Maryland College Park and a BA from Georgetown University. She is a former regular contributor to the U.S. News and World Report On Careers blog and ClearanceJobs, and has been featured in Forbes, MONEY Magazine, Business Insider, The Ladders, Monster, and FlexJobs, among others. She is a certified professional resume writer (CPRW). She serves as the school board chair of The American International School of Vilnius. Marcelle has three children and loves to dance.

Marcelle is a regular speaker and author, available to share her expertise on podcasts and at events.

 
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Alison Griffith

Alison is a senior writer at Career Valet who loves discovery and transformation. These elements are key to her successes while working with the federal government, nonprofit, and university sectors. Specializing in program coordination and advising, Alison has drafted and edited policy papers and speeches that furthered the mission of the U.S. Department of State and advanced legislation in the U.S. Senate. While working for the U.S. Embassy in Managua, she published numerous online articles and stories in State Magazine that showcased collaborative engagement in the areas of security, education, health, energy, the environment, and development that strengthened U.S.-Nicaraguan relations.

As an adviser, Alison works with individuals on professional development, skills growth, and exploring new career paths. Through her work with a civic nonprofit and the University of Kentucky she focused on training the next generation of leaders to enter the workforce. Offering guidance and resources to launch or pivot careers, Alison helps all her clients put forward the best version of themselves.

Alison holds an MA in Public Policy from Central European University and a BA in Communication from Wake Forest University. Having lived and worked in eight countries, Alison knows what it takes to start over in a new place and recreate yourself. A Kentucky native, she currently calls Geneva, Switzerland, home with her husband, two daughters, and two Hungarian pulik.

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Kristal Alley

Kristal Alley is a freelance analyst, published writer, and editor whose specialty is developing and implementing strategies for multi-faceted policy and communications initiatives. Prior to setting out on her own, Kristal worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce first as their permanent representative to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, and later as a special advisor for the U.S. Chamber’s International Division. During her time with the U.S. Chamber, Kristal advised Chamber leadership and corporate members on transatlantic policy issues, spearheaded the European intellectual property rights campaign, and launched the Eurasia Business Platform initiative.

Kristal started her life as a global nomad when her husband became a diplomat with the Foreign Commercial Service. During their first tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kristal led the American-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce as executive director. Kristal began her career in Washington, D.C. where she was the government affairs associate for the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and an international trade analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce-International Trade Administration. There she investigated some of the Commerce Department’s most complex and politically sensitive countervailing duty cases earning her the Bronze Medal Award for Superior Federal Service.

Kristal is originally from Lexington, Kentucky. She obtained her MA in International Political Affairs and International Economics from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce and her BA in Political Science from the University of Kentucky. With a passion for adventure, Kristal counts riding a camel around the Great Pyramid of Giza as one of her favorite experiences.

 

Lynann Dunn

Lynann enjoys guiding professionals in their careers and telling their stories through writing. She brings over a decade of writing and editing experience in the private and nonprofit sectors and in the federal government. She has advised senior U.S. Department of State officials and senior executives at Fortune 500 companies.

Lyn provided employment guidance and support to the Foreign Service and military community at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia. She explained Department of State employment regulations and coached community members on how to navigate employment options both inside and outside the embassy. She has drafted policy reports, talking points and memos to further U.S. Department of State policy goals.

While working for U.S. business advisory firm BowerGroupAsia, she worked with corporate clients in the technology, energy, healthcare, and fast moving consumer goods sectors to explain the complex regulatory and political environment in Indonesia and its impact on their businesses. As a hiring manager, she reviewed hundreds of resumes and understands what makes candidates stand out.

In the nonprofit sector, Lyn brought together senior officials in the private sector, academia, and government to discuss energy and trade policy at the National Bureau of Asian Research’s Pacific Energy Summit and published findings in the final report. Her report on Japan’s demographics has been cited in Congressional reports and college syllabi. Starting her career in journalism, Lyn reported from the United Nations for Associated Press in New York and visually pieced together stories at AP Television in London.

Lyn is also a health and nutrition coach, providing support and strategies to those who wish to lead consistently healthier lifestyles.

She holds an MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in Journalism from Northeastern University. She enjoys hiking, CrossFit, travel, and fantasy football.

 

Ann Tropea

Ann brings many years of professional and academic writing experience to her current position as consultant. As a defense litigation attorney in New Orleans, Ann drafted both federal and state legal arguments as well as publishing legal articles in professional journals. She is also the former editor-in-chief of the online news website TheLatest.com, where, in addition to managing the editorial staff and contributing writers, she was the regular food and lifestyle section writer. Additional writing and publishing experience include: editing and self-publishing a community cookbook for the (now former) U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, serving as the managing editor of the Law Journal for the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, the editor-in-chief of the magazine for the New York University Department of Culture and Communication, and the associate publisher for the New York City lifestyle publication GO Magazine. Ann currently runs her own business as a certified birth doula, where she provides birth support and childbirth education.

Ann holds a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and graduated magna cum laude in mass media communication studies from New York University. She is proficient in French. In her free time, Ann enjoys traveling, exploring local food cultures, and practicing yoga.

 

Gretel Patch

A storyteller at heart, Gretel enjoys capturing someone’s unique story – and their heart and spirit – so that it shines through in various formats. In her volunteer work with Daybreak Vision Project, Gretel travels with surgeons to remote areas of Ghana to find and interview patients before, during, and after cataract surgery. Documenting their journey as they regain the gift of sight is an immensely meaningful quest

A wife of a Foreign Service Officer, Gretel has reared their four children in Djibouti, Australia, Nepal, India, Germany, and currently Saudi Arabia. Passionate about where technology and education meet, Gretel has worked with students and teachers in classrooms, workshops, and conferences. She holds a Masters of Educational Technology and a Technology Integration Specialist certificate from Boise State University, and a BA in Communications from Brigham Young University. She was presented in Washington, D.C. with the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad for her technology outreach efforts with disadvantaged Nepali students and received a literacy grant to help her work with girls in Mumbai. Gretel is a published writer online and in print, and she is currently completing her first book: a memoir. If lost, you will find her by the nearest flowers, forest, or mountain. She’s never been known to pass by two things: a paper store or a street market.

“As a diplomat spouse who had my communications career disrupted when we chose to follow my husband’s dream career, I hire diplomat and military partners and spouses to work for Career Valet. As you can see from their backgrounds, they are experts with years of experience across diverse disciplines which isn’t something you find in a typical resume writing company. I am proud to support these individuals and enable them to continue their careers as they move with their families.”

— Marcelle Yeager

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