Meet the Team

Jennifer Shaffer is the Director of the Career Development Center. She is a seasoned leader of teams in higher education with more than 25 years of experience. Her background includes work across a variety of administrative roles, including academic programming, office of the registrar, admissions, and event planning and management. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and her Master of Science degree in Management, both from the University of Maryland.

Geralyn Jordan is the Associate Director for Career Development in the Career Development Center, focusing on classroom presentations and 1:1 coaching for students in the Reich College of Education. Prior to coming to Appalachian State University, she was a Recruiter for AppleOne, focusing on Administrative and Financial opportunities for both transitioning military members and civilians in Newport News, Virginia. A passion for working with college-aged students and those looking for careers brought her back to Higher Education and to Appalachian State. Geralyn has a BS in Public Relations and Public Speaking as well as an MS in Educational Leadership from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.

Les Miller received his BS in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design at the University of Tennessee and in his later years his MA in Higher Ed at Appalachian State University. During his undergraduate time, he interned at Opryland Hotel where he later worked and met his lovely bride. He then went to work at Walt Disney World, BASF Plant Sciences, and Duke University. He even owned and operated his own landscaping company for a while.

Les has worked in Higher Ed since 2010 teaching adult education and is happy to be a part of the Appalachian State family as the Associate Director for Student Employment and Internships. He enjoys working with on and off-campus employers, faculty, and staff providing meaningful internship opportunities for students where they can develop the necessary career readiness skills employers seek. Les formerly served as President of the Southern Association of Student Employment Administrators.

During his free time, he enjoys volunteering with community organizations, fly fishing, gardening, hiking, performing on stage with local little theatres, and spending time with his family and friends.

Alex is a Technology Support Analyst for the Career Development Center where he offers an extensive range of technical services. His role encompasses technical support, data analysis, and the development, implementation, and deployment of new technologies. Alex is an experienced and dedicated IT professional with half a decade of hands-on experience in a technology support role. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree and is pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in both Computer Science and Biology. Outside of work and studies, he enjoys reading science fiction, watching films, and playing racquetball.

Jordan Jackson is originally from Boone, NC. He has his Master’s degree from Wingate University and his Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. He is married with three children, and enjoys lots of eccentric hobbies, including playing an assortment of musical instruments and growing his music library, which features several days’ worth of Bob Dylan recordings. Jordan is also an NFL football fanatic and enjoys yelling at the TV during Green Bay Packers games.

Melissa is a two-time Appalachian Alumni, completing a Bachelors degree in Recreation Management and a Masters in Professional School Counseling. After living all over the country, working in summer camp administration and environmental education, she has “boonerang’ed” back to the high country to work in student support service at the collegiate level. She is passionate about educating students through presentations and individual meetings on how to set and reach goals for their future. Melissa loves to cheer on Mountaineer football, watch live music of local bands, and hike with her dog Clark.

Em works to support career readiness while connecting various offices and student organizations to the Career Development Center. With previous experience in community engagement and outreach roles, they look forward to building relationships across campus. Em values the opportunity to help students make meaning of their experiences and build skills to support their development at Appalachian and beyond.

I have had the great privilege of being a part of the App State community since my Freshman year of college here back in 2017. I earned my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Music, and I just recently earned my Master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration. Being a two-time alum of App State is something I know I will cherish forever. My love for student development and engagement is what gave me the push to continue providing for this University and its students as a staff member. I now work at App State’s Career Development Center as our University Program Associate where I am in charge of reconciling our budget, and working with my student staff to provide customer service to the many stakeholders/patrons who visit our center. In my free time I am playing video games, watching TV with my fiancée Lindsay, and collecting vintage records and cassette tapes.

Nick serves as the Assistant Director for Employer Relations for the Career Development Center. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Norwich University and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Columbus State University. Before coming to Appalachian, Nick served with the United States Army as an Armor Officer. He is excited to be help produce high-quality employment and internship opportunities, so students feel confident navigating and entering the job market.

Holly has been a proud Mountaineer since 2016, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Family and Consumer Sciences, followed by a Master’s in Student Affairs Administration. During her time at Appalachian, Holly cultivated her passion for supporting students through leadership roles in Emerging Leaders, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the Appalachian Leadership Forum. She has also served as a Student Employee Supervisor, Graduate Assistant in Student Success, and Academic Advisor for the Psychology Department.

Now part of the Career Development Center, Holly finds fulfillment in connecting students with opportunities and guiding them toward success. She is dedicated to helping students and staff navigate their paths while strengthening the Appalachian community.

In her free time, Holly loves exploring farmers’ markets, reading, and spending quality time with her husband, Patrick, daughter, Gianna, and fur baby, Luna.

Sydney has been with Appalachian in varying capacities since 2018. She started as an undergraduate student in Anthropology and History with concentrations in Language and Politics in 2018 and remained as such until May 2022. During that time, Sydney worked with Campus Dining as a student employee – with 1 year of being a regular student and almost 3 years of being a Student Manager. She oversaw anywhere from 50-70 students with the help of her supervisory teams during that time. Post-graduation, Sydney was not quite ready to leave Boone and the surrounding area yet, so she took up a full-time position in 2022 with Campus Dining as their Student Employment Coordinator and remained there until November 2023. She now works with the Student Employment Team in the Career Development Center.

Sydney did not set out to work in Higher Education in such a student-focused environment, but she is incredibly happy that that is where she ended up. She looks forward to continuing her involvement with the Appalachian community and bringing a variety of ideas to the table for our student employees on campus.

In her free time, Sydney enjoys building her book collection (at 400 and counting), going on walks with her 4-year old dog, Loki, and perusing her Master’s degree in Creative Writing.

Jonathan serves as the Assistant Director for the Career Development Center as well as Career Coach for the College of Health Sciences. Jonathan graduated from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a M.Ed. in Higher Education in Student Affairs from Salem State University. He is passionate about helping students build confidence and preparing for life after college. Before coming to Appalachian, Jonathan worked in the NC Community College System as a Student Success Advisor, Career Counselor, Testing Center Administrator as well as Assistant Director of the Career Center at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland.  He is also currently active with the North Carolina Association of Colleges and Employers (NCACE). Jonathan is also a Travel Advisor for Fora Travel, traveling around the globe! Jonathan enjoys traveling, as well as reading history, cooking variety of casseroles, watching movies, college football and his favorite hockey team, the New York Rangers.

Shelley Leder serves as the Associate Director of Employer Relations and Marketing at Appalachian State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Science in Higher Education. A long-time Boone resident, Shelley has strong ties to the community and a commitment to fostering connections between students and employers. Her work focuses on creating opportunities that meet the needs of graduating students and hiring organizations.