Our Team

Joe is a customer focused management executive with a passion for building, leading, and growing high performance teams. Joe started his career in software engineering and grew through management ranks within telecommunications and consumer electronics firms. Joe led teams in engineering, program management, and product management, as well as leading cradle to grave businesses. He chose to leave a Vice President position at Motorola in 2008, to create a premiere recruiting and consulting firm. The firm he created, 180, refers to the different approach and better results he was committed to delivering. 180 has grown into the firm he envisioned, servicing technology companies in the US and Europe. Joe received his MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg’s Graduate School of Business, and his Masters in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Kathy has been with 180 Engineering since 2010. She has a BSEE from Marquette University and worked for 13-years as a Software Engineer/Manager at Motorola Cellular prior to joining Joe in the early days of 180. She manages the company’s finances and HR department, processing payments and invoices, and is a central figure in day-to-day operations. Kathy is an avid sports fan, enjoys working in her yard, and spending time with her husband and 2 daughters.

George leads the Talent Delivery Team and marketing group for 180 Engineering. Before joining 180 Engineering in 2013, he spent over 6 years in retail sales leadership where he led his team to become one of the top performing stores in the nation. George joined 180 in search of another opportunity that combined his love of technology and working with people. George prides himself on extensively researching the roles he works on in order to match the perfect candidate with the right opportunity, as well as delivering quality talent to his clients. When he is not working, George can usually be found under the hood of a classic car or researching the latest in technology trends. George received his BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2013.

Sean joined the 180 team in July of 2020. He is a results driven leader with particular strengths in motivating teams to develop new ways of growing relationships between business partners. Sean has multiple years of experience building, recruiting, and managing candidate sourcing programs for positions across all job functions which partnerships include Fortune 500 to mid-size companies within Information Technology and Engineering industry. Sean received his degree in Business Management from the Charleston Southern University (Charleston, SC) Go Bucs! Sean was a former baseball player that now turns his free time into teaching the youth the game of baseball along with traveling and spending time with family, friends, and his dog Rollie!

Julie is a seasoned full desk recruiter who began her career within the medical/technical industry in the 1990’s working for a major Chicago teaching hospital as a career adviser and nurse recruiter. She moved into the financial services industry in the late 1990’s serving the mutual fund/financial industry and eventually started her own successful search firm, Kittridge & Associates, running it for 10 years. When Joe Coletta called her and asked her to join 180 Engineering, she could not pass up the opportunity to work for a start-up firm with the kind of vision Joe had. Julie has the right mix of enthusiasm and knack for finding the right candidates for her clients. She has been working at 180 Engineering since 2011.

Jenny joined the 180 Engineering team in May of 2018. Jenny has a background in HR and seamlessly handles all contractor and internal relationships at 180. Jenny believes that a good start in a new position stems from building relationships during onboarding and ensuring a smooth process from the moment the offer is accepted. She is the go-to person at 180 for generating reports and maintaining the integrity of all company data. Jenny enjoys traveling with her family, crocheting, and attempting to roller skate.

Dana joined 180 Engineering in February of 2019. Dana brings 15 years contract recruiting experience, excelling in business support placement (administrative, accounting, HR, supply chain, and customer support). Dana prides herself in her client management and candidate relationship building. She will always go the extra mile to ensure successful placements by performing extensive research and truly listening to her client’s needs, along with the candidate. Dana is excited to venture into technical/engineering recruitment. When Dana is not recruiting, you can usually find her watching a Cubs or Bears game, enjoying the outdoors, or going to the latest concerts. Dana received her BA in Organizational Communication from North Central College.

Kaniz joined 180 Engineering in June of 2020 with the goal of meeting the staffing needs of new clients. She has 15 years of solutions sales experience in various consultative sales verticals; including client recruitment, supply chain & logistics, post-secondary technology sales and retail. Kaniz is very passionate about bringing client and candidate satisfaction within recruiting. She is a graduate of Auburn University, with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Business. In her personal time, you will find Kaniz enjoying the many restaurants, fests, and music venues Chicago has to offer. She also enjoys group dance classes and hope to master salsa dancing one day. Lastly, she is a doting aunt of 3 adorable nieces and loves spending time with them.

Patrick brings over 5 years of talent acquisition, technical recruiting, and HR experience all from 180 Engineering. Patrick joined 180 in our earlier days, and helped design, implement, and manage organizational wide internal and external recruiting processes, training/development programs, as well as onboarding programs. Patrick has also managed a variety of 180’s largest accounts, priding himself on building consultative relationships while consistently delivering very high quality customer service and technical talent to our customers. Presently, Patrick is a Sr. Recruiting Consultant working with candidates within the medical device and manufacturing industries. His approach is to deliver transparent advisory level services to candidates, to ensure the best candidate experience and career coaching throughout their journey. Patrick has a BS in Psychology from Loyola University, has studied organizational management at Northwestern, and is certified in people analytics from the Human Capital Institute. In his free time, Patrick is a lover of dogs, music, and learning new things.

Ryan joined 180 Engineering in 2021. Before joining 180 Ryan spent the previous 2 years working in Accounting and Finance recruiting, where he got the experience placing administrative, accounting, HR, and customer support professionals. Ryan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management with a minor in Finance from Purdue University Northwest. In his personal time, Ryan likes to stay busy being around his 3 nieces and playing/watching sports. He’s a very big White Sox fan and excited for his future here at 180!

TJ joined the 180 team in March of 2023. Before joining 180, TJ spent two years working in recruiting and account management in IT and Engineering staffing. In his account management role, TJ realized he had a passion for recruiting and helping candidates find their next career home. TJ prides himself on tackling challenging roles while guiding candidates throughout the difficult hiring process. TJ holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Marketing and Management from Judson University where he was a student athlete. In his free time, you can find TJ playing in men's baseball and basketball leagues. Ask him about his fandom for the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Bulls!

Chris joined 180 Engineering in April 2023, bringing over 8 years of technical recruitment experience (2 years in direct hire recruiting for energy industry clients, focused on oil and gas, then 6 years recruiting for contract roles primarily on system integration for newly built distribution centers.) Chris is dedicated to steadfast honesty and transparency for candidates and clients alike, driven by a passion for matching both sides of the equation with opportunity and talent that will enrich each organization and their people. While away from work, Chris can be found either outdoors in one of the many forest preserves and river greenways in the Chicago area or indoors learning a new language (whether spoken or programming), practicing singing or trumpet, and spending time with his wife and family. Chris received his MS in Political Science in 2014 plus BS in the same subject in 2012 from Illinois State University.

Carrie joined the 180 Engineering team in 2023. She is an experienced IT Recruiter with a demonstrated history of working in the staffing and recruiting industry. She is a strong human resources professional who is skilled in sourcing, time management, customer service, organizational development, and training. Prior to shifting into talent acquisition, she was an account manager, responsible for 120+ accounts throughout the Midwest. She hired and trained support staff and managed B2B and B2C interactions. Carrie has a BS in Psychology with a minor in Business Management, from UIC, and is a veteran of the US Navy. She enjoys hiking, strength training, and practicing yoga. She loves festivals, exploring new towns and seeking out the best food options on any given weekend. She spends most of her time with her husband and her two trouble-making dogs, Louie & Leo.