Board Bio
Brenda M. Cunningham became a member of the NRWA in 2012 the same year she attended her first conference. The people and expertise displayed made her sure that she was where she belonged. The very next year, she started in service to the NRWA as a member representative and eventually led membership efforts as Director of Membership. She was honored to receive the Vivian Belen Award in 2015. Never losing connection to NRWA leadership, she was called upon to help with a few special projects outside of formal board roles. And in 2024, she served as association President.
Certified as a professional resume writer, job search strategist, career manager, and interview and compensation negotiation coach, Brenda provides holistic career services from resume development to outplacement services with an emphasis on building confidence in nervous job seekers. Brenda is also a degreed electrical engineer, a certified project manager, and certified in Employment Law through Cornell University (eCornell).
Her core beliefs:
* Resume writing is a critical skill and dedicated writers make a world of difference!
* We cannot tolerate stagnation, keeping up with changing trends is necessary for our clients’ success.
* Our work has value, and we should not be moved by others’ opinions of our profession.
* The NRWA is our safe space to learn, grow, and build industry relationships.
* We can never leave it to “someone else” to do what needs to be done, WE must answer the call (service).
She is a keynote speaker, frequent NRWA conference presenter, teaches classes for the City of Phoenix (Workforce Development) in resume writing, interview preparation, and LinkedIn, and volunteers her time as a resume reviewer for local nonprofit organization. Author of “Crush the Pink Slip: Get Back to Work in 60 Days,” she is also the past president of the Resume Writers’ Council of Arizona, where she began her formal writing journey.
Brenda lives in Phoenix, AZ, with her two, near-adult children, and her puppy, Blue. She loves puzzles, taking walks with Blue, the beach, singing in the car, traveling, binge-watching shows, and anything to do with food, except cooking.
