Your Part-Time Controller, LLC (YPTC) has seen incredible growth over the last several years, and there is one department right at the forefront: Talent Acquisition.
This “talented” team is not only responsible for overseeing recruitment and the entire interview process, but they also guide each stellar candidate’s journey to becoming part of YPTC’s staff. To showcase what makes the Talent Acquisition department so great, each member shared a little about themselves, their own careers, and why they love working at YPTC.
Debra Abrams, Director of Talent Acquisition
I went to college at American University, Washington, DC where I majored in accounting with a minor in economics—my husband, Steve, was the second person I met there, and in November we’ll be married 30 years!
My career started in public accounting, but then I began to work as a recruiter for accounting and financial positions. Prior to starting at YPTC in 2019, I was a director at the Urban League, where I developed career-oriented programs for the underserved.
Getting recruited to YPTC was incredibly exciting. I felt it was the first place that valued all the parts of my experience, from my CPA designation to my prior roles in nonprofit management and accounting recruitment. I was also drawn to YPTC when I heard about the anticipated growth and opportunity.
Since joining, my team has grown from one full-time recruiter (me) and a handful of part-time recruiters to thirteen full-time staff members. We’ve helped YPTC go from 200 staff members to over 600 in the last four years and have maintained the company’s strong culture and status as a “Best Place to Work” in that growth. I am so proud of my team—not only for work we produce and all the staff that we hire, but also for how well we work together, support one another, and how we represent YPTC with candidates.
I am so happy to be at YPTC and be able to learn and grow here. I’m so thankful for both my team and Jen and Eric’s leadership—this is by far the best place to work!
Matt Zheleznyak, Talent Acquisition Manager
I received my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Allegheny College and later received my master’s in nonprofit management from Fordham University.
I started my career in nonprofit development and worked for several organizations, mostly related to environmental and Jewish causes. After some time, I was thinking about a career change and moved to New York City. A former colleague educated me on the recruiting industry, and I was very interested in learning more. I interviewed with a recruiting agency and started my recruiting journey in 2015. My last position prior to working at YPTC was with the Girl Scouts of the USA.
I heard about YPTC through LinkedIn, and after I applied, Debra Abrams reached out! I always knew I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector, and I felt that working at YPTC would give me an opportunity to make a difference by making sure that small nonprofits received the best accounting talent.
The most rewarding parts of my job are ensuring great candidates get hired and working with my team to do so. My teammates always go above and beyond in exemplifying YPTC’s strong culture of collaboration and support—whether it’s helping with resume reviews or video screens, we can always rely on each other.
I am excited about future growth at YPTC and am proud to be working at a company that’s making such a positive impact in the nonprofit sector.
Rosemary Malunis, Senior Recruiter
I attended La Salle University and graduated in 2016 with a dual major in marketing and management. I went right from La Salle to my first role as an Account Executive for a logistics company.
I quickly moved from there to a recruiting firm where I specialized in accounting and finance recruitment. After a few years, I knew I wanted to make a move but didn’t have a strong interest in any organizations, until I saw the posting for an opening with YPTC. I had the right skill set for the position, and when I learned more about the company and what they were doing, it sealed the deal for me.
What I love most about my role is listening to someone’s background and career goals and then watching as they get hired and achieve those goals here at YPTC; it’s extremely rewarding to be a part of that journey.
YPTC’s growth is also very exciting because it means that there are more nonprofits having the chance to financially succeed. This success means that they are better able to accomplish their missions, which is the ultimate goal.
The culture of support and continued development at YPTC has made a huge impact on my career progression, and I regularly see that impact in my teammates as well. I am extremely grateful to be part of the company and my team!
Chris Wims, Recruiter
I attended Temple University and majored in management information systems. I started my career working in IT audit at PwC right after college.
I heard about YPTC while looking for jobs in Talent Acquisition on LinkedIn. I knew that I wanted to make a switch to recruiting because I assisted in campus recruiting initiatives at PwC and enjoyed that a lot more than the IT audit work I was doing.
Given that I was from the public accounting sector, a great work-life balance was something that I sought in my next role. Ultimately, the opportunity for this balance is what motivated me to apply to YPTC.
It is wonderful knowing that when I help bring new employees into YPTC, I am helping nonprofits focus more on their missions. Because of this, and YPTC’s strong culture, it is easy to speak on what makes YPTC so great to candidates, since I truly believe in what we do and enjoy being a part of it.
My team is amazing, and I look forward to reaching new heights alongside the company in the future.
Dalton Lewis, Recruiter – College Partnerships
I studied international relations in college and planned to go into the Foreign Service, but I ended up working as an admissions counselor for my alma mater and found that I loved recruiting!
After six years in college admissions and college advising, I decided to pivot into corporate recruitment, but I had mixed feelings about possibly no longer working with nonprofits.
During my job search, I came across YPTC and was very intrigued by the business model. Having worked at different nonprofits in the past, I was excited to find an opportunity that allowed me to pursue a career in corporate recruitment while still working with mission-driven organizations. It’s the best of both worlds.
It’s always been deeply rewarding to know that my work helps support nonprofit organizations—and this passion for serving our mission-driven clients permeates across the entire company, making for a wonderful workplace culture.
From my first day at YPTC, I have always felt welcomed, supported, and encouraged by my team and everyone else I encounter. It’s great being able to pitch YPTC’s culture to our candidates with my personal experiences as testament!
Over the past year and a half, I’ve moved up from a Junior Recruiter role to Recruiter, and I’ve led an exciting new initiative: building YPTC’s brand at college campuses around the country to create a pipeline for future talent. I’m excited to continue expanding this initiative as YPTC itself continues its phenomenal growth!
Sandy Parrish, Recruiter
I am a graduate of Penn State Main Campus and was a member of the Blue Band during college. My career began at a not-for-profit outpatient counseling center where I was responsible for recruiting and assisting human resources. I then moved to a for-profit organization, and then realized that I wanted to return to work in the not-for-profit sector.
When I was recruited to YPTC, I applied right away given its nonprofit client base. I celebrated my one-year anniversary this past April. And even though I am fully remote, there is never a time where I don’t feel supported by my colleagues.
The best part about my job is the ability to help others. I love matching candidates with YPTC—I get to help someone obtain a great job and help clients with their mission!
Ellen Spiegel, Recruiter
I’m a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and studied speech communications and sociology. My first professional opportunity was working in retail and buying management for a large East Coast-based department store.
After 5 years working in the merchandising part of the business, I transitioned to human resources within the company, specifically managing training and development. From there, my HR career moved from a generalist position to Talent Acquisition, and eventually HR management before I returned to what I loved most, Talent Acquisition.
I learned about YPTC through a business colleague. He had so much great information to share about the company. I was highly interested in YPTC due to its mission-based clients, company growth, culture, Talent Acquisition technology platforms, employee geography, company marketing efforts, and its “Best Place to Work” recognition. So, I applied and officially began my tenure here three months ago.
Each day at YPTC presents a new, challenging experience that enables me to use my unique skills to assist the company in its hiring goals and objectives. Identifying top candidates to best serve our client energizes me, and I also find the multiple opportunities to collaborate with Market Leaders, Market Managers and other YPTC team members extremely rewarding.
YPTC’s culture and core values—specifically the focuses on integrity, equity, and forging strong relationships—highly resonate with me. I enjoy sharing these core values with our candidates during the hiring process to learn more about their interest in these areas.
The abundant opportunities for growth at YPTC are extremely motivating! I’m excited about all the plans and initiatives that will help our clients better meet their financial and accounting needs.
The Talent Acquisition team itself is highly knowledgeable, dedicated, focused on the goals, hard-working collaborative, and fun—what a brilliant combination for success! I feel so fortunate to have found YPTC!
Melissa Pennypacker, Referral and Talent Acquisition Specialist
I went to Shippensburg University, where I studied business administration with a concentration in human resource management. Prior to working with YPTC, I held two key positions in my career. The first was as the Director of Recruitment for a financial services office, the other was a management position for a medical center.
Elizabeth Williams, my friend of 30+ years, introduced me to YPTC. She helped me become so interested in the organization that, when a position opened on the Talent Acquisition team, I jumped for it!
Whether directly or indirectly, we’re all here to help nonprofits succeed and have a good time doing it! I love that, as part of the Talent Acquisition team, I can help give that same fulfilling opportunity to others.
Never in my career have I ever felt a stronger culture of positivity, support, and responsiveness, as I do at YPTC. I feel this through the organization, as well as within our team. It is an exciting time to be a part of this expanding organization, and Talent Acquisition plays a big part in that!
Suzanne Gorman, Talent Acquisition Specialist
I received a master’s in accounting from Pace University in New York City. I started my career as an auditor at PwC, and went into industry about four years later, working at AIG, Deutsche Bank, and Skadden Arps. When I gave birth to my son, I needed work-life balance and took a part-time position at a small tax firm.
I heard about YPTC when searching for a job on Indeed, given that I missed the professionalism of a larger firm. YPTC checked all my boxes: work-life balance, helping nonprofits, “Best Place to Work” accolades, flexible part-time schedules, training opportunities, and working with accounting professionals.
I love that Talent Acquisition team helps find people who are both great accountants and passionate about nonprofits. Being a part of YPTC’s growth is something I am very proud of, and it’s also nice to know that the people who join YPTC are joining an organization that will truly value them.
The level of support and positivity present at YPTC are incomparable, and when we talk to candidates, the greatness of YPTC’s culture shines through.
This is the happiest I’ve been in my accounting career, and all members of the Talent Acquisition team are fantastic to work with and have each other’s backs. I feel so lucky to be a part of this team and to be led by Debra Abrams!
Susan Buck, Talent Acquisition Specialist
Growing up, my family ran several small businesses; all the kids worked at the store, with me doing basic bookkeeping. I always saw myself in a business setting where people are working together toward a goal. With that interest, I got a business degree and worked my way through public accounting, got my CPA license, and then worked in different industries at a controller level.
In the middle of 2019, I moved from California to New York for family. I also left a job with long hours and the move allowed me to consider doing something different. I wanted to leverage my work experience in a place that valued work-life balance with colleagues doing some good. A friend referred me to YPTC. In researching YPTC, I found that it offered flexibility, work-life balance, and the chance to support nonprofits, so I applied and got the job for the Associate role in the New York office.
With the company’s growth, opportunities exist to expand skills in different areas, which is how I began working in Talent Acquisition! There is an extrovert in me who enjoys talking to people, so it was a natural progression for me to move into Talent Acquisition where I could talk to people about YPTC!
I enjoy the collaborative atmosphere present both within my team and at YPTC overall. There is significant respect for work-life balance and the dynamic environment encourages all of us to grow and adapt. I wish I found YPTC earlier in my career!
Matthew Pochal, Talent Acquisition Coordinator
I attended Mitchell College in New London, Connecticut and graduated in 2017 with a degree in business administration. Prior to joining YPTC, I worked at a public accounting firm in Mystic, Connecticut.
A former colleague and close friend of mine, Roanna Breen, started at YPTC in December 2021. Shortly after her start date, Roanna referred me and encouraged me to apply. After hearing about how amazing YPTC is and the excellent work they do for their nonprofit clients, I was sold!
While we don’t have any face-to-face contact with our clients in Talent Acquisition, it’s still rewarding to know that we’re making a difference to our clients and contributing to their success by finding the best nonprofit accounting experts.
YPTC has created an incredible culture that promotes positivity and good communication. This has certainly impacted the Talent Acquisition team, as everyone is very encouraging and has an open-door policy.
Overall, my experience with YPTC has been incredible. I get to work with and learn from the most professional, kind, and knowledgeable recruiting experts, all while supporting our client-facing staff to help their clients succeed!