Resources

Lesa is the Director of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Career Center. She uses a strengths-based approach to helping students with their career development and planning processes. She believes in the power of positive psychology within Strengths as a significant confidence booster in personal, professional, academic and leadership arenas. Her own strengths lend well to developing the potential of students, staff and employers and building meaningful connections and relationships with others. Lesa graduated from Defiance College in 2004 with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Arts and Bowling Green State University with a Master of Arts in College Student Personnel in 2009. She has worked in higher education, non-profit, banking, retail, and secretarial positions.

As a full-time Employer Relations Coordinator and Career Coach, Amanda has the pleasure of working with both employers and students on a daily basis from a higher education perspective. She assists students with all aspects of their career development from self-awareness to exploring careers and gaining experience. For employers, Amanda assists by connecting with students, understanding hiring practices (including internship hiring), and building lasting relationships on campus. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Social Science with a focus on Communication and Sociology from USF and a Master of Science in Higher Education from FSU. Her educational background paired with over 3-1/2 years of career service experience and three years experience in commercial insurance gives her a unique lens of to help a variety of individuals throughout their personal and professional development. You will benefit from Amanda’s expertise if you are uncertain about the things that are happening in your life, want to improve your current status, want to learn more about your strengths, need career coaching, or just need a coach to help you get to the next goal in your life. For employers, you will benefit from her expertise if you need help understanding your team’s strengths, want to learn better ways of incorporating new graduates into your business, or would like to build cohesion amongst those you work with. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the skills and qualifications Amanda would bring to you or your business.

Anita is a licensed clinical psychologist, and has worked at USF St. Petersburg since January 2008. She currently serves as the Director of the Wellness Center and Student Disability Services. She has trained and worked with people of all backgrounds and in many different settings throughout her career. Anita approaches her clinical, educational, and administrative roles from an holistic, multicultural, and strengths-based perspective, which is what drew her to become a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. Anita believes in the power of strengths coaching and training to help individuals and teams reach their highest potential.

Al Gentilini is the Associate Director of Campus Recreation with the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Al has over 15 years of experience in collegiate recreation and six years of experience as a Family Services Counselor with Hillsborough Kids, Incorporated. Prior to coming St. Pete he worked at USF Tampa where he has served in various roles including Coordinator of Intramural Sports with Campus Recreation, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development with Athletics, Academic Foundations Instructor, and most recently, 5 years as Assistant Director of Campus Recreation. Al was also the Owner/Event Director of RubberNeck Racing, Inc. where he created and developed a startup business that conducted events such as 5 &10k events, half-marathons and adventure races. Al is green and gold all the way – as he earned a B.A. and a M.Ed. from USF Tampa. Al received certification as a Gallup Strengths Coach in 2016. He is passionate in helping people reach their full potential by capitalizing on their strengths.