Key Team Members
Alice F. Dyer, Ed.D.
Founder
Mentored by Malcolm Knowles (long considered the “father of adult education” in America), Dr. Alice F. Dyer has devoted her professional career to a brain-based approach to human development via teaching and training. She founded Corporate College Services in 1997 for the express purpose of building a knowledgeable, flexible, competent workforce.
Dr. Dyer is a graduate of the University of Maine, BS in Human Development and MS in Education, and has her Doctorate of Education from Nova University in Educational Leadership in Adult Education.
Previous to CCS, Dr. Dyer was the Director of Education, Training and TQM at Passaic General Hospital; directed the Center for Adult Learning at Bloomfield College; served as Education Director for the Maine State Department of Labor, Portland, ME; and for twelve years was State Supervisor, Bureau of Adult and Continuing Education, NY State Department of Education, Albany, NY.
Dr. Dyer has been interested all her life in how things work. As an educator, that naturally led to exploring how humans learn and, especially, how adults learn. “I am absolutely fascinated with the adult mind and how it learns and changes behavior — what I call the ‘inside-out’ approach to learning,” states Dr. Dyer, explaining how she embarked on this particular educational path.
A true believer in the limitless learning potential of adults, Dr. Dyer reminds everyone that they have 100 billion brain cells and they can learn anything. Throughout her life, Dr. Dyer has challenged herself to pick up new hobbies notably becoming a pilot, running a 10k, and making quilts and donating them to those in need.
Lisa De Virgilio, M.B.A.
Vice President, Operations
With over 20 years of adult learning and higher education experience and mentored by Dr. Dyer, Lisa serves as the Vice President, Operations overseeing all facets of the undergraduate and graduate programs within CCS including the curriculum evaluation at NCCRS and Excelsior University.
She also maintains relationships with the partnering institutions as well as our client organizations. Since 2014, Lisa serves on the Industry Advisory Council at Excelsior University learning about current industry news and its’ impact on higher education.
Lisa achieved a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration focusing in Management from Seton Hall University. Twelve years later, she completed her Master of Business Administration in the Global Economy from Excelsior University. Prior to joining CCS in 2001, Lisa worked for a company who specialized in the import and export of textile machinery. There she learned about foreign cultures, travel, quality assurance, and customer service.
Completing her MBA allows her to empathize and understand the challenges adult learners face in their pursuit of higher education and career achievements as she learned to navigate the journey first-hand. Lisa feels the struggles are worth it as “once completed, it’s yours to keep and no one can take that degree or knowledge from you!”
Lisa is a testament to the sacrifices and journeys her grandparents and father made from Molfetta, Italy to America. The first in her immediate family to graduate from college, she is both mentor and role model to other family members’ education initiatives. With her husband, Eddie, Lisa is savoring every moment in raising her young son and is reliving her youth by being involved in his elementary school education. She is also a Stepmom of an active teenager.
Aside from her roles at work and home, Lisa loves spending time with her family and friends but especially her parents and brothers (and in-laws too!). She enjoys traveling, crocheting, watching football, is an avid knowledge seeker and is known to make others laugh (mainly through light sarcasm) as she believes a good laugh can alleviate some stress.
Elaine Chudzik, B.A.
Senior Undergraduate Academic Advisor
With a degree in English and Journalism from Montclair State University, Elaine’s career path has always been education – focused, with an inherent desire to guide and motivate others in setting and reaching their educational and professional goals.
The former award-winning teacher dedicated almost 20 years to teaching English and History among other subjects at a private secondary school in New Jersey. She transitioned to supporting adult learners as a Student Services Advisor for a technical institute. It was here that Elaine refined her managerial skills and was promoted to Student Services Manager. Outside these roles, Elaine enjoyed the time she invested in tutoring young adults by encouraging and helping them navigate through their learning struggles.
Since 2008, Elaine relishes her role of Academic Advisor for the Undergraduate Program for CCS. As a continued advocate for the adult learners in her care, she is responsible for advising students by reviewing their individual academic plans and guiding them through the program. Elaine also advises students through the application and enrollment processes of the college conferring their degree. Aside from advising, Elaine contributes her expertise in writing to many projects in the CCS Office.
Crucial to her role at CCS is remaining supportive and providing words of encouragement to students, however often needed, until their degree completion goal is achieved. “Each individual has a story and as an advisor it is essential to listen. The sharing of these stories allows me to create meaningful connections with the students.” As a result of her dedication, Elaine consistently receives praise from the students she advises.
Going above and beyond to help others is second-nature to Elaine, but when time permits, she recharges and renews herself through her love of nature – hiking, birding, and photography. An avid reader, she also loves to travel, seeing her favorite band, U2 in concert, and spending time with her family and friends.
Kim Maute, M.A.
Senior Graduate Academic Advisor
Prior to joining CCS, Kim worked for over a decade in varied Human Resources capacities ranging from a nationwide insurance company to a start-up technology company to a stock exchange to a multi-national organization. Each allowed her the opportunity to develop competencies and skills transferrable to the world of student advising. Although there are many facets to Human Resources, Kim most enjoyed the roles she played when visiting college campuses and working with students at the career center providing interview preparation and career counseling. Additionally, she enjoyed onboarding new hires and conducting management development training for new Supervisors.
Before ultimately joining CCS as a staff member, Kim worked as an adjunct faculty member teaching in our undergraduate program. With a continued interest in engaging with people, she eventually pivoted to an Advising role for us. Here she thrives hosting Information Meetings, educating prospective students about our degree completion programs and working passionately with our adult learners to get them successfully from application to graduation. In so doing, her goal is for the undertaking to be a positive, fulfilling self-development experience and not just a to-do box to check.
Kim earned a Bachelor of Science from West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She also earned a Master of Arts degree from Montclair State University in Administration and Supervision for the Educator/Trainer. She admits that although she is the first in her immediate family to go to college, she recognizes the luxury of going away to school full time. Likewise, however, she is also cognizant of the balancing act of holding down a full-time job and pursuing an advanced degree while navigating a few of life’s curveballs along the way.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Kim remains close to her roots. She and her husband live in New Jersey where they are presently raising their three teenagers and a rescue dog. Over the years, she has spent time volunteering in the school system, serving as a member of the Home and School Association, coaching soccer and was a founding member of a local charity organization Project Amazing Grace.
Of late, Kim has found herself echoing to her kids that “growth begins where comfort ends” encouraging each of them to push themselves to try new things and operate outside of their comfort zone. To date, she has helped her oldest navigate the daunting college admissions process and is about to embark on the same for their middle child. In addition to spending as much time as possible with her kids before they themselves are adult-ing, she loves fiddling with interior design, relaxing at the beach, delving into good fiction and playing tennis.
Peter M. Kurtin, M.B.A., C.B.M.
Senior Business Development Manager
Pete is the Senior Business Development Manager involved in the search for new markets and clients for Corporate College Services. Pete has an MBA in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University, BS in Accounting from Rutgers University, and holds a certification in business management and a tax certification.
Pete started his career with Pfizer in NYC in Finance on the Consumer Products side of the business. His focus and purpose changed as he started with the Department of Justice assuming a position with the Drug Enforcement Agency before ascending to the position of Chief Administrative Officer with the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn in 2003. There, he functioned in an intense, high pressure environment with responsibility for 15 managers and 400 employees including contractors spanning the departments of Finance, Budgets, Procurement, HR, IT, Security, Graphic Design and other Support Services. Despite his work combating corporate fraud, terrorism, gangs and mafia, Pete’s claim to fame of his own admission is the employee benefit he saw a need to establish; a day care center which has operated at maximum capacity since its inception. Pete continues to serve as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Federal Daycare Center.
Coupled with his full-time work, Pete has taught a myriad of Business courses over the last twenty years at institutions such as William Paterson University, Ramapo College, Jersey City State College, Concordia College and Corporate College Services.
On a personal level, Pete spends time with his wife and grandkids in addition to practicing his martial arts skills and keeping up with the latest tax laws.