Trainer Bios
Our government agency trainers are experts in the field with extensive experience.
Kathryn Troutman
President & Founder, The Resume Place
For more than 30 years, federal job search and federal resume-writing expert Kathryn Kraemer Troutman has assisted job seekers with landing jobs with the US government. Her expertise in this marketplace led to Troutman being nicknamed the Federal Job Search Guru. Troutman was also a pioneer in developing and streamlining the format now accepted by government agencies. Kathryn is a popular federal career trainer throughout government with signature training strategies that result in new ideas, motivation for writing, and confidence building.
As a Senior Executive Service ECQ Instructor and Executive Coach, Kathryn advises SES candidates in development of ECQs, coaches in the Top Ten List of Accomplishment writing strategy, and prepares SES candidates for executive interviews. Kathryn has trained ECQ writing strategies in more than 25 agencies for CDP and other leadership programs.
As the director of an expert federal resume-writing team, Troutman understands the needs of all types of federal job seekers, including those already in government seeking a change, newcomers and those looking to return. Every year, she trains thousands of people, including employees and human resource professionals at more than 50 federal agencies on federal resumes and KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) writing. Troutman also runs The Resume Place, a resume-writing and federal-job search consulting firm in Baltimore.
In 2003 and 2004, Troutman’s books Ten Steps to a Federal Job and the Student’s Federal Career Guide (co-authored with daughter Emily Troutman), were recognized as “Best Career Book” at the Publishers Marketing Association Awards. Her best-selling title, the Federal Resume Guidebook, is now out in an all-new 4th edition, and she has also created a companion CD-ROM of federal resume templates/samples.
Diane Hudson Burns
Certified Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor SES Strategist & Writer / SES Project Manager, The Resume Place Certified Professional Resume Writer & Coach Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach Federal Government Resumes & Applications Procedures Specialist Military Conversion Authority
Diane Hudson Burns is multi-credentialed career coach and executive writer and editor, specializing in posturing federal and non-federal employees to enter the federal government’s Senior Executive Service (SES). She is an expert in writing SES and ECQ packages, coaching clients to define their strengths and “tell their leadership stories” according the ECQ leadership competencies/requirements, and target ROI for employers. She expertly analyzes clients’ core leadership qualifications and maps them to the ECQ competencies. Diane is an experienced trainer and co-trainer in Federal Resume, ECQ/TQ, and KSA Writing topics for SES Development Leadership program candidates at the Naval Ship Yard at Capitol Hill, and Air Force Leadership; for military employment readiness specialists and retiring military; as well as train-the-trainer at industry conferences internationally.
Diane is an active member of the Board of Directors, Professional Association of Resume Writers/Career Coaches (PARW/CC) and Director of the Certified Professional Career Coach program. As an award winning resume writer, her achievements include “Best Executive Resume” award by PARW/CC. Her resumes, cover letters, and case studies are published in over 60 books and periodicals including chapter author on military to civilian in the Federal Resume Guidebook, Third & Fourth Editions, case study author for Ten Steps to a Federal Job, Second Edition, and multiple case studies author for Creating Your High School Resume, Third Edition. She writes columns as the Veteran Expert for Job-Hunt.Org and as the Federal Expert for Workforce50.com.
Diane formerly held a federal job as a Special Agent Investigator for the Department of Defense, and was a Recruiter/Employment Specialist for a major aerospace corporation in Los Angeles, California. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State Polytechnic University and a number of industry credentials. She is an active member of the Career Management Alliance, and serves as an outplacement coach for such organizations as CareerBuilder. During the past 18 years, Diane navigated four international moves, living abroad for 12 years and in the Washington, CD/Baltimore corridor for five years.
Sandra Keppley
Federal Human Resources Instructor
Sandy Keppley comes to The Resume Place as a Human Resources Professional with over 25 years of solid experience as a manager, supervisor, team leader and technical professional in the field of Human Capital Management. Sandy began her Federal career in the clerical field at one of the lowest levels, GS-2. Through years of diligence, self improvement, and hard work, she recently retired as Director, Labor Employee Relations at Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. at the GS-15 level.
Her career spans various Federal environments such as Navy Supply, Army installations, Army Research and Development, Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Labor, and she uses her knowledge of professional, scientific, administrative, clerical and trades occupations to help Resume Place clients present their qualifications effectively. Her own experience in leadership, human resources management, team and partnership building, and problem solving allows her to inspire applicants to develop application content on their own accomplishments. She also has experience in labor and employee relations (union and non-union); alternate dispute resolution; position management and classification; training; staffing; workers compensation; performance management; employee benefits; and employee recognition; she is a certified mediator.
Sandy’s expertise in federal application writing includes the federal resume as well as KSA narratives and self-assessment questions. She has comprehensive knowledge of automated staffing mechanisms such as RESUMIX, and has extensive first-hand experience with the federal hiring process.
Tim Cannon
Senior Management Consultant, United Solutions and Services Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland University College
Mr. Cannon has over 35 years of federal government and military experience with expertise in the areas of strategic human capital management, HR operations, leadership coaching, counseling, organizational development, employee development, change management and facilitation. He has accumulated a solid record of accomplishments including making numerous contributions resulting in the improvement of the management of federal human resources and increasing organizational effectiveness.
He successfully transitioned from the military as a commander of a military human resources command to federal government services. After executive level human capital management positions with the Department of Treasury, the Library of Congress and the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency he began his HR consulting career with his firm Main Gate, LLC.
Mr. Cannon has been involved in federal human capital management consulting work in health care, federal automated hiring systems and the defense sector.
Mr. Cannon is a former member of the Senior Executive Service, is a retired Army Colonel, holds a Certificate in Leadership Coaching from the George Washington University and serves as an Adjunct Professor in HR Management for the University of Maryland University College.
Mr. Cannon has a BA degree in Public Service from the University of San Francisco, and a ment from Webster University, St. Louis, MO.
Master's Degree in Human Resources Develop Mr. Cannon and his wife reside in Alexandria,VA.