Our authorsThe Top HR and Government experts

Bob Lavigna, author of Engaging Government Employees (American Management Association) is Director of the Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement, a division of CPS HR Services, an independent government agency. The Institute is dedicated to helping public sector and nonprofit organizations measure and improve employee engagementBefore joining the Institute, Bob was Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of HR for the University of Wisconsin. His previous positions also include Vice President- Research for the Partnership for Public Service and Director of the Wisconsin civil service system. Bob began his career with the U.S. Government Accountability Office.He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and was selected as a “Public Official of the Year” by Governing magazine. Bob has a B.A. in public affairs from George Washington University and an M.S. in HR from Cornell University.

After growing up in the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Texas, Mashaal (muh-SHAWL) Ahmed can attest to the complexity of a DC identity. She helps DC overachievers find and communicate their inner awesome, whether they are looking for that next step in their career or aiming for greater things where they already work. As a certified Job and Career Transition Coach and Certified Professional Resume Writer, she helps DC job seekers look more employable on paper, online, and in person. She has worked with clients from a variety of backgrounds, including business, advocacy, public policy, public relations, and international development. Mashaal continues her lifelong education in organizations such as the Career Thought Leaders Consortium and the Professional Association for Resume Writers & Career Coaches. She is certified in assessments such as the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Step I and Step II. She has been featured in CareerBuilder, Recruiter.com, and JobHero, in addition to Careers in Government.

Tiffany Dovey Fishman is a manager with Deloitte Research, Deloitte Services LP, where she is responsible for public sector research and thought leadership for Deloitte’s public sector industry practice. Her research focuses on how emerging issues in technology, business, and society will impact public sector organizations. To learn more about how leaders can enable the mission of government through their people, see Deloitte University Press’ Government’s Talent Factor collection.

Swati Srivastava , Assistant Manager Content at Naukrigulf.com (a part of Infoedge). She is an MBA, a career counselor and a writer by choice, with over 5 years of experience in the respective field. She is a follower of latest trends in the global job market and love to pen down her views on career domain for various reputed websites. She has a passion for music, travelling and meeting people.

Paul Luizzi, Fire Chief. Paul has been involved in public safety for over 25 years, 19 of those in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. For the last few years Paul has served in a variety of leadership capacities for the City of Goodyear, AZ including Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Interim Fire Chief, Interim Deputy City Manager and most recently Fire Chief. Paul has achieved a Certified Public Manager from Arizona State University, MBA from Franklin Pierce University, Bachelors in Public Administration from Roger Williams University and was designated as a Chief Fire Officer from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Timothy Evans is currently in county management as a Local Government Management Fellow within the Greater Minneapolis region of Minnesota, and is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).Through his efforts in Minnesota and previously with the National League Cities in Washington DC, he continues to work on a variety of social, economic, and systemic issues that impact local governments across the nation.Further, Timothy’s experiences motivate him to help local governments navigate the challenging political and economic realities of today. Coupled with his local government experiences, passion, and education through Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, Timothy brings a comprehensive understanding of the challenges that face our education system. Supporting his comprehensive understanding of education are his years of experience in the DC public schools, through Teach For America, his educationally focus work in the non-profit sector (nationally/internationally), and his graduate teaching degree from American University.He utilizes his diverse range of experiences to help local governments gain a holistic view of a policy’s impact on the respective community. Timothy seeks to exercise his knowledge to help communities nationally understand the various connections and impacts of policies and environmental changes.Through his passion and experiences, he is working to provide actionable steps for local governments to build thriving communities.

Augusta is PR Manager for CV-Library and has been writing about career-related topics for over six years. She has a passion for communication and enjoys creating all sorts of content for her employer.

Dr. Ashley Allen-Brown is Field Faculty in Regional Economic Development and Assistant Extension Professor with the University of Missouri Extension. For nearly three decades, she has worked with government agencies, community leaders, and workforce partners to strengthen human capital, leadership capacity, and economic resilience. Her work focuses on adult-centered professional development, communication training, and building adaptive public-sector teams prepared for the future of work.

Jennifer is a budding freelance writer with an interest in data, technology and practical applictions of both. When not writing, she loves to explore the world as much as possible with her two daughters.

Tony Restell is the Founder of Social-Hire.com and a respected commentator in the online recruitment and social media sectors. A published author and Cambridge graduate, Tony is focused on helping recruiters and candidates make better use of social media.

Noah St. John is the best-selling author of The Book of Afformations: Discovering The Missing Piece to Abundant Health, Wealth, Love, and Happiness (Hay House). Noah is famous for inventing Afformations® and creating customized strategies for fast-growing companies and leading organizations around the world. His sought-after advice is known as the “secret sauce” for creating breakthrough performance. Noah’s books have been translated into ten languages and he appears frequently in the news worldwide, including CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, National Public Radio, PARADE, Woman’s Day, Forbes.com, Los Angeles Business Journal, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Post, Bottom Line/Personal, Selling Power and The Huffington Post. Get up to $500 worth of breakthrough performance training FREE when you order The Book of Afformations at AfformationsBook.com/more

Marielle Lea is a content marketer and writer who works to grow her client’s brand awareness through content creation and promotion. She is a passionate creative who thrives on marketing strategy and keeping up with the latest in SEO trends. She currently writes for Coupon Chief on topics related to e-commerce, personal finance, and small business strategy.