Employee Spotlight: Shareen Drilling

Today, we’re excited to spotlight Shareen Drilling! Shareen is originally from New Jersey but moved around a bit, both geographically and within her career, before joining FMP in 2018. She is currently a Senior Human Capital Consultant and a member of FMP’s Learning and Development Center of Excellence (L&D COE). Keep reading to learn more about Shareen, her journey to FMP, and her involvement in the L&D COE!

What brought you to FMP?

My path to FMP was not the most traditional one. I graduated from the National University of Ireland with a B.S. in Business and Hotel Management before moving to DC over 10 years ago. I worked in the Food & Beverage and the Front Office departments in hotels for a few years, but decided I wanted to transition to the “back-of-the-house” (as we say in the hospitality world) and work in Human Resources. Shortly after landing my first HR role as a Hiring and Recruiting Coordinator at a local tutoring company, I discovered my passion for Learning and Development. On top of my day-to-day tasks, I was also responsible for coordinating onboarding training, professional development workshops, and an annual learning conference for 100+ part-time tutors. My next role allowed me to gain additional experience in L&D as a Training Specialist for an IT government contractor that specialized in military housing. This eventually led me to FMP, when I was referred by a friend who worked there. My recent experience working with the DoD and my passion for L&D made me a fit for a new position FMP was hiring for. Despite the career changes, many of the skills I gained from working in the hospitality and IT industries were immediately transferrable to consulting and have stuck with me over the years.

What skills or competencies areas are you excited to expand upon at FMP?

I’m always trying to expand and grow my skills in instructional design and training facilitation, but another related topic that I have become very focused on the past few years is accessibility. I think it’s crucial that the content and deliverables we create are accessible for everyone, including for individuals with disabilities. There is so much to learn about accessibility, both on the technical side, especially related to Section 508 compliance, as well as on the cultural side. We can all take steps, even just by asking questions and being open to learning, that contribute to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace.

Outside of your everyday responsibilities, how do you spend your time at FMP?

I’ve been a member of the Learning and Development Center of Excellence (L&D COE) since I joined FMP nearly 6 years ago. I always look forward to our annual offsites where we dedicate time to strategic planning, knowledge sharing, and team building activities. Last year, I co-led one of our strategic action items to implement a new Knowledge Management structure and transfer existing L&D assets and resources to our new SharePoint site, making relevant information for client projects and internal efforts easy to navigate to and maintain. I’ve also created job aids and resources on various topics, including best practices for conducting training needs assessments and quick reference guides on instructional methods. Outside of the L&D COE, I volunteer to write a blog and host internal cross-trainings at least once a year on topics I’m interested in and want to share with others.  

Describe FMP in 3 words.

Flexibility. Innovation. Collaboration.

What are your hobbies?

I had a baby earlier this year, so many of my hobbies are on hold at the moment, but one hobby I have stuck with is cooking. I love trying out new recipes and getting creative in the kitchen. I also enjoy spending time in nature, when I can. Before I had a baby, I used to go kayaking often – my favorite local spot in Northern Virginia is Pohick Bay, which is also fantastic for birdwatching. Lately, I’m enjoying taking long walks on nearby trails with my family.

When you’re not working, where can we find you?

Unsurprisingly, you can usually find me doing other things related to food. I love watching cooking videos online, binging the Great British Baking Show, researching the food scene in cities I want to travel to one day, and exploring restaurants in the DMV. I also carve out a few hours every weekend to meal plan, meal prep, and bake a sweet treat – a weekly ritual I always look forward to. 

Zoe Nerantzis joined FMP as a Consultant in May 2021 and works with the National Science Foundation team by supporting NSF’s learning and development branch. Zoe is from Rockville, Maryland and can generally be found reading fantasy novels, working out in her basement, or rooting for the Washington Football team.