NCCB Advisory Board members serving National Career Certification Board are Subject Matter Experts in their respective career fields who support NCCB’s mission by providing real-world input. Backed with years of experience and leadership, each member brings a wealth of applied knowledge related to the entry level certifications our students are seeking. The recommendations of our Advisory Board members contribute to the creation and enhancement of our exams, ensuring NCCB’s test questions remain industry-current.
Administrative Assistant - Shirley Rivers
Shirley Rivers began her career as the secretary to the Director of Finance for the City of Titusville one month after she graduated from high school. The only skills she had at that time were typing, shorthand, and one class in business law. Those basic skills, combined with drive, ambition, and a willingness to tackle any challenge carried her all the way to a prestigious position as Director of Facilities Maintenance at Orlando International Airport, and on to new adventures after she retired from OIA. She says it has been a wild, exciting ride-but it all started with typing and shorthand taught in a high school classroom. “I feel very strongly about promoting the professionalism of secretaries and administrative assistants because I believe they are grossly undervalued, and the profession has never received the respect it deserves. And, unfortunately, that isn't going to change until schools and training facilities start teaching students what they really need to know to build a career instead of a job.”
Floral Designer - Shelli Black, Certified Texas Master Florist
Shelli Black is a Texas Master Florist, interior decorator, and artist residing in Houston, Texas. Her passion for plants and flowers developed during her preschool and elementary school years as she assisted her mother, an avid horticulturist, in their backyard greenhouse. In high school, Shelli began to accompany her mother on countryside photo shoots, and developed a love for nature in art. As an adult, Shelli combined her love of horticulture, floriculture, nature, and art by studying at Texas A&M University Benz School of Floral Design, North Harris Montgomery College, and also by becoming a Certified Texas Master Florist. Her college studies include Studio, Graphic, and Decorative Arts, which give her an artistically‐intuitive design vision, making her designs stand out from the ordinary. Shelli’s enthusiasm is abundant, and she enjoys educating others in both private and group instruction and workshops. In addition to Floral Design, her freelance work includes interior decorating, graphic arts, calligraphy, and paint party instruction at local wine rooms. Shelli has three grown children, and is already teaching music, painting, and the proper names of trees, and plants to her toddler grandchild. As owners of many dogs and cats found and rescued off the streets, Shelli and her husband, Chris, ask that everyone spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinate and ID tag your pets.
Green Technology Specialist - Adrienne LaBranche Tucker, Ph.D.
Adrienne is an experienced sustainability professional with a focus on higher education. She has served as a campus sustainability director and has worked with numerous non-profit agencies to disseminate sustainability related information. Adrienne approaches sustainability with an environmental science background. She has degrees in horticulture, turfgrass, and a Ph.D. in environmental design and planning. She has researched and worked in the rainwater harvesting field and has researched alternative water supply opportunities. In addition, Adrienne has worked to bring renewable energy trainings to professionals and students in order to make renewable energy technologies more mainstream and to reduce the soft costs associated with the technology adoption.
Mental Health Specialist - Tricia Seymour, Ph.D., L.P.C.-S.
Dr. Tricia Seymour has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and a doctoral degree in counseling psychology. She has been in private practice for over 30 years and is a supervisor for psychotherapists. Dr. Seymour has worked at in-patient psychiatric hospitals and with outpatient children, teens, adults, and families. In her practice, Dr. Seymour has dealt with a variety of psychiatric disorders, including bipolar, depression, eating disorders, drug & alcohol addictions, women’s issues, spiritual issues, childhood trauma, adjustment disorders, and PTSD. Dr. Seymour has taught college psychology courses as an adjunct faculty member of Park University.
Interior Decorating Specialist - Lindsay Biondo, B.A. Art History
Lindsay has worked in the interior design field for many years, transitioning from the concrete jungle of New York City to the tropical paradise of Miami, FL. After craving a service that offers consumers an easy, fun and affordable approach to interior design, Lindsay founded and runs Beyond Interiors Co, a company dedicated to making interior design and home decorating accessible to everyone. Also freelancing as a Miami based designer, Lindsay immerses herself in the industry daily. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Syracuse University.
Physical Therapist - Amy J. Vant, PT, DPT
Amy Vant is a doctor of physical therapy and clinician for an outpatient physical therapy clinic. Amy received her bachelor degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois and completed her graduate training at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Amy has a clinical interest in geriatric rehabilitation, specifically Parkinson's disease management.
Veterinarian - Deborah Shores, DVM
Experienced American veterinarian who divides her time between Japan and the US. "With a touch of warm bedside manner, I excel at providing my clients with detailed content from reliable scientific and medical sources." Her past experiences encompass academic writing, "ask the vet" blog content, and writing veterinary client communication materials. Her clinical experience spans both private practice and research, working with cats, dogs, rabbits, reptiles and non-human primates. She is passionate about food, keeping ourselves and our pets healthy, sustainable agriculture and animals. She speaks both English and Polish and enjoys learning about new cultures!
Wellness Coach - Renée Eli, Ph.D.
For nearly three decades, Renée Eli has served as a professional, health educator, embodiment scholar and mentor, as well as lecturer on topics related to health and well-being, embodied mindfulness, embodied presencing, and flourishing. She is the founder of Embody Well-Being: Institute for Human Flourishing. Renée believes that at the heart of every person is a desire to flourish: to be well, to feel alive, to find meaning, and to expressively fulfill a sense of purpose in life. Renée offers a body-centered approach to health and well-being. Her unique “body-presencing” practices invite individuals to become aware of habits of body, mind, and emotion; learn to listen to and trust the wisdom of the body; and powerfully nurture and transform overall health and well-being.