Meet the Team

Staff bios

Sharyn Grove

Director of Operations

Sharyn provides administrative oversight, developing the annual operational budget and supporting monthly financial meetings. Sharyn organizes new program development including planning efforts to launch new courses; leads instructor recruitment and retention efforts; and manages vendor relationships. Sharyn is involved with student recruitment and planning to determine programs to address regional workforce needs.

Trudinique (Trudy) Munroe

Student Success and Program Manager

Trudy supports students from course registration through course completion and beyond to ensure student and program success. Trudy previously worked as a career consultant with Baltimore County Department of Economic and Workforce Development for over 10 years. She provided career guidance to unemployed or underemployed individuals and assisted with resume writing, interviewing practice, career mapping, developing training plans, and connected them with local resources if needed to help meet their employment goals.

Chunta Olaseha

Senior Relationship Manager and Career Consultant

Chunta oversees a comprehensive sales cycle that includes vital functions such as prospecting, recruiting, financial arrangements and registration. She collaborates with the marketing team to activate and maximize opportunities to increase enrollment in instructor-led and self-paced certification preperation courses that leads to student success and helps to develop new products and services tailored to meet the needs of adult learners and clients across Greater Baltimore and the region.

Faculty bios

Katelyn Bell, RN, MSN, CCM

Course taught: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Program

Katelyn Bell is a nursing instructor at Towson University and proud TU alumna, having earned both her undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees there. She brings a strong clinical foundation shaped by her work in telemetry and case management, having developed expertise in patient monitoring, care coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration. In her role as a clinical instructor for J1 nursing students, she focuses on building clinical judgment, confidence and professional identity at the bedside. Beyond academia, Katelyn coaches tennis and runs a senior dog rescue, blending her commitment to mentorship, advocacy and compassionate care across every part of her life.

Adrienne Blackstone

Course taught: Medical Coding Course

Adrienne Blackstone is a dedicated, insightful, and results-driven healthcare professional with 20+ years of experience in healthcare administration and revenue cycle management. She is skilled in problem-solving, practice management, compliance, medical coding education, and developing and implementing medical billing processes in both private practices and academic practices.

Ethan J. Bryant, DNP, MBA, RN

Course taught: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Program

Ethan Bryant is a nurse leader with a background in emergency nursing, critical care transport and pediatric intensive care. He currently serves as the assistant nurse manager of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he supports daily operations, staff development and high-quality patient care. Ethan began his nursing career in Alabama at the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital and later worked as a pediatric travel nurse before transitioning into leadership. He earned his BSN from the University of South Alabama and his MSN and MBA from Grand Canyon University. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Chamberlain University. In addition to his leadership role, Ethan serves as a clinical instructor and is passionate about mentoring healthcare providers and improving teamwork in the clinical setting. Outside of work, Ethan enjoys staying active, spending time with his dog Piper and finding ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Maria Green, DBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CEBS

Course taught: Human Resources Certification Prep Course

Maria Green has over 20 years of HR experience in healthcare, higher education, hospitality, and human services. She is currently director of human resources at Melwood, where she manages HR administration including employee relations, benefits, compliance, and HRIS.

Shannon Kennedy-Rios

Course taught: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Program

Shannon Kennedy-Rios has worked in the medical field as a medical assistant since she was 19 years old. She obtained her medical assistant certification in 2015 from the Allen School of Health Sciences in New York City. She also obtained a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration with a concentration in patient safety and quality from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020. She has extensive knowledge in pediatrics, OBGYN, and primary care. She most recently worked at Johns Hopkins Community Physicians as a registered medical assistant. In her free time, she spends her time with her child and husband.

Susan King, Ph.D.

Courses taught: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Program, Certified EKG Technician Course

Susan King is a registered nurse with a background in leadership, critical care, and emergency nursing. She currently serves in the role of faculty and simulation coordinator for the Towson University Department of Nursing. She earned a B.S. in nursing from Bowie State University. She also obtained a M.S. in nursing, an MBA in healthcare administration, and a PhD in 2017. King is certified through the National League of Nursing as a Certified Nurse Educator, as well as a Certified Clinical Nurse Educator demonstrating standards of excellence in knowledge of nursing education through the National League of Nursing. King earned certification from the society for simulation in healthcare as a certified simulation healthcare educator in 2023. Dr. King’s lifelong passion of nutrition and fitness is supported by a certification as a personal trainer, group fitness professional, and nutrition counselor in sports nutrition and nutrition for weight management. She is certified in Barre Connect by the National Exercise Trainers Association. She has earned a certification in an aquatic fitness from Aquatic Alliance International and group spin certification from Kaiser Cycling Association. She enjoys the outdoors and time with her family.

Alison Pannell, DMSc, CHES, CWP

Courses taught: Certified EKG Technician Course

Alison Pannell is a seasoned healthcare leader with more than 25 years of experience in patient care and allied health education. She brings a deep passion for patient safety and healthcare quality to her role as a medical assistant instructor. Dr. Pannell earned a doctor of medical science in healthcare leadership and patient safety science from Northeastern University, a M.S. in health education and behavior from the University of Florida, and a B.S. in health services management and psychology from the University of Maryland. Her strong academic foundation complements her extensive clinical background as a nationally certified medical assistant, phlebotomy technician and EKG technician. Dr. Pannell's interdisciplinary training and hands-on experience allow her to effectively bridge theory and practice in the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys free-hand painting and writing poetry.

Gina Pomilla, MBA, SHRM-SCP, GPHR

Course taught: Human Resources Certification Prep Course

Gina Pomilla is an HR leader specializing in global benefits and total rewards at the corporate level and is dedicated to leading change management initiatives and maximizing organizational efficiency. She currently serves as associate vice president of human resources and Title IX coordinator at University of St. Thomas Houston.

Tushar Rathod, MBA, PMP, CSM, SAFe SPC

Courses taught: PMP® Certification Prep Course, CAPM® Certification Prep Course

Tushar Rathod is an experienced project manager and instructor skilled in adult learning styles. He brings the complex language and concepts of project management to meet students where they are.

Willie Sanders, Jr

Courses taught: CompTIA

Willie Sanders, Jr is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science at Towson University and a former technology instructor for Baltimore City Public Schools. Willie teaches CIS+ programs and is a support instructor for TU Continuing and Professional Studies CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certification prep courses.

Stephen Yozviak, AABA, RMA

Course taught: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Program

Stephen Yozviak is a Navy veteran with over 45 years of experience as a medical assistant and educator. Since 2018, Stephen has worked as a medical assistant educator for MedStar Medical Group, where he’s responsible for training and certifying over 1,000 medical assistants. He also teaches a monthly Medical Assistant Professional Development Class for all MedStar Health associates and has developed a curriculum for MedStar Health’s Clinical Associate program, which trains anyone with no previous experience to become valuable medical assistants within MedStar Health. Previously, Stephen was a medical assistant educator at Fortis, where he served as program chair for the Medical Assistant Department for four years. He was also the primary phlebotomy instructor, designing, developing, and integrating a program to certify medical assistants in phlebotomy. Stephen holds an associate degree in business administration from American Intercontinental University and several certifications.