Nancy DeCrescenzo

President 

Nancy DeCrescenzo has over 25 years of diverse experience working in career development in higher education, adult education and juvenile justice environments. 

Nancy serves on the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee, Education and Reentry Subcommittees and the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators, Education Committee. Her current work with the State of CT Judicial Branch, Juvenile Residential Services Unit, includes educational, vocational and enrichment programming. Current projects focus on the benefits of the arts for career development of teens, having most recently presented Career Exploration through the Arts in Carceral Settings, at the CT Arts Learning Collaborative: Collective Impact Summit in January 2026, and The Benefits of Amplifying the Arts in Juvenile Justice, at the Southern New England Teaching Artist Conference (SNETAC) in March 2026. Her work was supported by a grant from the CT DECD in September 2026 to expand the arts as career exploration.

She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut and a graduate degree from Wesleyan University. 

Emily Canto

Secretary

Emily Canto has worked in the field of career services for over 30 years.  She is experienced in providing guidance to students within four year and two-year environments in both state-supported and private colleges and universities. 

She is a licensed LPC in the state of Connecticut.  Emily holds an earned M. Ed from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Arts with double majors in Psychology and Sociology from North Adams Sate College (Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.)  In addition, she has held leadership positions within professional organizations at the community colleges and state Connecticut Counselor Association organization.

  

Caitlin Grant

Treasurer

Caitlin Grant is a Connecticut native and entered the world of higher education in 2010. Caitlin has worked at Post University in Waterbury, CT for almost 15 years. She joined the Honors Team in early 2020, and was promoted to Director in October 2023. In addition to her full-time position, she is an Associate Faculty member for the Department of Communication and Media Studies and has taught honors courses for eight years. Caitlin holds a B. A. in Communication from Albertus Magnus College and an M.S. in Journalism from Quinnipiac University. In 2023, she completed the Facilitating Career Development training course and is a CCSP candidate. Additionally, she is a graduate of Leadership Greater Waterbury Class of 2022, a personal and career development program that creates lifelong partnerships and develops community awareness among future leaders in civic, professional, and community organizations in the Greater Waterbury area.

Qu Chen

Trustee

Qu Chen is presently an Assistant Professor at Southern Connecticut State University in the department of Counseling and School Psychology Programs. At Pennsylvania State University, Qu taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in Counseling, as well as courses in Job Search Skills and Career Planning for specific degree programs. Her supervisory experiences include that of Faculty Supervisor for Counseling students, Tele-mental Health Counseling Supervisor, Advanced Doctoral Supervisor, and Student Practicum Supervisor. While at Penn State, Qu served as a Career Counselor and Practicum Counselor in the Office of Career Services. She is a published author, has presented at numerous conferences, and has worked on a variety of grant projects. Qu holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology from Troy State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Instructional Technology from Fujian Normal University in China.

Michelle Salvador

Trustee

Michelle Salvador, an accomplished professional in academic and business environments, is from Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Ashland University with her BSBA degree, majoring in Broadcast Sales and Station Management with a minor in marketing, she began her career in advertising. She partnered with a variety of local businesses and regional advertisers to create and maintain effective multimedia advertising campaigns. 

She relocated to Connecticut and transitioned from a business environment to Higher Education. She has been part of the Post University Community for over 7 years, holding the positions of campus admissions advisor, online academic advisor for both undergraduate and graduate students, and her current (and favorite) position as Assistant Director of Online Honors Program. Working with the online student population, she strives to connect with her students, support and encourage them to challenge themselves, reach outside of their comfort zone, build their sense of community, and continue to be successful.