CEA CAPA Human Resources Directory

Shawn Coover is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources. In this role, he oversees the development and implementations of policies, processes, and best practices to ensure CEA CAPA continues to be a great place to work. This includes consultation on strategic business initiatives, employee relations, staffing plans and recruitment, compensation and benefits, communications, training and development, and legal compliance. Most importantly, Shawn and his team work diligently to make sure that everything we do is true to the organization’s Core Values, Mission, and Vision.

Shawn earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics and MBA from Northern Arizona University. He joined CEA CAPA in 2018 and brought with him 19 years of international leadership experience, including eight years in Human Resources. His professional background also includes leadership experience in operations, project management, development, customer service, and purchasing with Honeywell, AT&T, and Belden Wire and Cable. 

An avid traveler, Shawn has traveled to over 30 countries.

LeeAnn Baranski is the Senior Director, Human Resources and has been with CEA CAPA since December 2019. She is an accomplished human resources professional with extensive experience in talent management, organizational development, employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits and payroll. She focuses on developing and implementing innovative HR programs that drive employee engagement, retention, and productivity. LeeAnn brings over 15 years of Human Resource experience and an MBA from Davenport University. As the Senior HR Director, LeeAnn is committed to developing and implementing HR strategies that align with the company’s vision and goals while promoting a positive work environment where employees can thrive and contribute to the company’s success. Working as a Business Partner for CEA CAPA’s Academic, IT and Finance and Accounting teams, she strives every day to keep the “Human” in “Human Resources.” In her spare time, LeeAnn enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter and attempting various Pinterest projects and other crafts.

Prior to joining CEA CAPA, Abby was the President and Executive Director for the World Ocean School, an organization she founded in 2001. After building the company to a sustainable level, she handed it over to a new management team and moved into private philanthropic consulting for a couple of years. While she still does consulting for nonprofits and individuals in her spare time, she took on a full-time role in the Office of the President for CEA CAPA in 2018. As the Director of Internal Operations, Abby works across departments and sites to support and guide the structure and function of daily operations. Identifying gaps, finding solutions to challenges, and actively managing change, she engages with all staff to maintain a strong foundation from which the company’s mission can be accomplished. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a master’s in Environmental Ethics and is still active on nonprofit Boards and within the Philanthropy community.

Amanda is an HR Coordinator at CEA CAPA based remotely in Miami, Florida. Amanda graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Spanish. Upon graduating high school, Amanda's father advised her to take a gap year and travel before resuming her academic studies. She decided to accept a communications internship position at The American University of Armenia in Yerevan, which was a life-altering experience that motivated her to pursue a career path in international education. Amanda subsequently pursued a year of study abroad in Madrid, Spain, during her sophomore year of college, where she interned at a small consulting firm, and developed a strong interest in learning about other cultures and their impact on businesses. Amanda enjoys going to the beach, traveling, spending time with her dog Stella, and watching Harry Potter movies. Amanda is enthusiastic about her career with CEA CAPA and eager to help bring communities together while making a positive impact.

As Office Assistant at CEA CAPA Boston, Eleonora performs clerical and administrative tasks to support daily operations in the office setting. She maintains a positive, welcoming, and productive environment while keeping the office supplied and organized. Prior to joining CEA CAPA, Eleonora worked in sales for private companies in various sectors. She then decided to continue her professional career specializing in Education and teaching Italian to English native speakers, which she still does in her spare time. She holds a Master's degree in Modern Languages for Communication and International Cooperation. She participated in a study abroad program in Europe during which she lived and studied in Germany. This allowed her to understand the importance of cultural exchanges that she now wants to work with. She is a native speaker of Italian, she speaks fluent English and German, and has different levels of French and Spanish.

As the Corporate Recruiter for CEA CAPA, Kate develops and executes talent management strategies to bring top talent to our workforce. By partnering with stakeholders across the organization, she is able to identify the gaps and find creative solutions. Managing the full lifecycle of recruiting, she puts an emphasis on diversity based recruiting strategies at every step of the process. Kate graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelors in Sociology, with a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's studies, and her prior experience in HR and recruiting have allowed her to build a focus on employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and employee retention. As a member of the JEDI Committee leadership team, she is continually working to create a sense of belonging in the workspace. When she's not talking about talent acquisition, you can find her exploring her way through Arizona.

Working with the Go to Market departments as a Human Resource Business Partner, Rachael works closely with CEA CAPA staff on all levels to align and streamline processes, procedures, trainings, professional development and performance management. Her belief that people are the most important asset of every organization, and passion for creating workplaces where people can bring their whole self to work informs every aspect of her role. While Rachael did not study abroad herself, she values the experience that only travel can bring and loves supporting staff who facilitate and create educational study aboard programing for students. Rachael holds and M.S. in Human Resource Development and a certificate in Organizational Development from Villanova University. She is also a SHRM- Senior Certified Professional. She is an avid reader, violinist, wife and mother to four wonderful children.

Vee is passionate about people and has spent the past two decades fine-tuning her HR skills across different industries, from the fast-paced world of FMCG to the rewarding realm of the charity sector. With a specialization in UK employment relations, Vee enjoys enabling leaders to create work environments where colleagues can prosper.