Announcing the 2022 Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Resumes (ROAR) Winners: Anne Barnwell, Cathy Lanzalaco, and Marie Plett
The winners of the 8th annual Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Resumes (ROAR) competition were recently announced at the National Résumé Writers’ Association (NRWA) conference, Unveiling Strategies for Success, September 18–20, 2022.
The NRWA holds this competition annually to recognize top-tier resume-writing talent in the career services industry. Winners of the ROAR competition join an elite circle of resume writers who have been recognized for their technical writing and presentation skills. One winner is selected in each of several categories by a judging panel, consisting of the following NRWA members this year: Kathi Fuller, Lorraine Beaman, Bob Janitz, Arno Markus, and Dr. Cheryl Minnick.
The 2022 ROAR Award winners are:
- Anne Barnwell, winner in the Military to Civilian Transition Category.
- Cathy Lanzalaco, winner in the Professional Category.
- Marie Plett, winner in the Mid-Level Manager, Executive, and Fictional Client categories.
Anne Barnwell, of Keller, TX, got her start in the resume-writing business 30 years ago as a student at Cornell University, where she worked in the career development office. For many years, she honed those skills by helping friends and family members. In 2018, Anne launched The Write Resumes and has earned credentials as a Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW). She writes resumes for clients spanning college students to C-suite executives across various industries. Anne specializes in working with transitioning service members and helping people return to the workforce after a long career break.
Cathy Lanzalaco of Buffalo, NY, owns Inspire Careers, specializing in helping executives and career-minded professionals build careers and land jobs they love in less time than going it alone. She is the creator of the Inspire Careers Student Professional Launch Program™, the only new college graduate success program in the country. With 15+ years of human resources experience, Cathy gives her clients the perspective “from the other side of the desk,” helping them create career marketing materials and stories that align with what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for in a job candidate. In addition to this award, Kathy won a 2018 ROAR award and has been a proud member of the NRWA since 2017.
Marie Plett of Toledo, OH, is an 11-time ROAR Award winner whose passion for resume writing goes back to her childhood. As a 12-year-old, she would often help her recruiter parents by reviewing resumes. She started her business, Aspirations Career Services, Inc., in 2004. A Certified Executive Resume Master, Marie has won more than 30 industry awards for producing best-in-class resumes featuring high-impact content and visually stunning formats. She is widely known throughout the career services industry for her award-winning resumes and generosity in sharing her knowledge as a trainer and mentor of some of the best resume writers in the business. This includes this year’s NRWA conference, where she led an intensive “boot camp” to help fellow resume writers develop the graphic design skills that serve as a foundation for the visually stunning resumes she creates for her own clients.
About The ROAR Competition
Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Resumes or the “ROAR” competition was first launched in 2015. Contestants submit resumes they have written (and fictionalized to protect job-seeker identity) to be judged by a panel of industry experts, most of whom hold the Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) credential. Submissions are evaluated based on several criteria, including strategy, style, creativity, positioning, layout, readability, ATS compatibility, branding, keyword optimization, grammar, technical writing skill, and compliance with the NCRW Study Guide and The Gregg Reference Manual. Winners, who are typically announced at the NRWA’s annual conference, receive multiple forms of recognition and a free one-year membership in the association. To learn more about this year’s competition, visit the NRWA website at: www.thenrwa.org/ROAR
Cathy Lanzalaco, of Buffalo, NY, was selected as a winner in the Professional Category of the Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Résumés (ROAR) competition. She is shown holding a poster of her winning resume submission at the National Résumé Writers’ Association annual conference on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Marie Plett, of Toledo, Ohio, was selected as a winner in the Mid-Level Manager, Executive, and Fictional Client categories of the Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Resumes (ROAR) competition. She is shown with posters of her winning resume submissions at the National Résumé Writers’ Association annual conference on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Anne Barnwell, of Keller, Texas, was selected as a winner in the Military to Civilian Transition Category of the Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Resumes (ROAR) competition, awarded during the National Résumé Writers’ Association annual conference, September 18-20, 2022.
