School Administration

Cheryl Zapata
President/CEO

Ms. Cheryl Zapata took office as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dawn Career Institute on May 7, 2010. She brings over 28 years of corporate experience in the postsecondary education field to her role with DCI.

Ms. Zapata effectively employs her leadership, management, communication and marketing skills to fulfill Dawn Career Institute's mission of cultivating an environment where students thrive in the pursuit of fulfilling personal, professional and academic goals. Under her leadership, DCI produces innovative programs within the allied health, wellness and business fields that integrate curriculum and technology to position graduates for success in their chosen career fields. Ms. Zapata is passionate about the global mission of career education and fosters a culture focused on providing accessible, affordable and relevant education programs centered on outcomes and career opportunities to a diverse student population.

Her proven ability to build enterprises and motivate people, and her experience in developing long-term, productive strategic relationships, is demonstrated through the school's recent recognition as a "Top Workplace" in the state of Delaware.

Ms. Zapata earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Management from Wilmington University. She currently serves as a board member for New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and is a member of Vistage International. Previously, she served as Chair for the Delaware Coalition for Literacy. Ms. Zapata is a native Delawarean. Outside of her responsibilities with DCI, she enjoys reading, photography, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Jena Zapata
Chief Operating Officer
Marketing and Human Resources

Jena Zapata is Chief Operating Officer of Marketing and Human Resources at Dawn Career Institute, Inc. Zapata is responsible for the company’s marketing strategy and functions, including brand management and recognition, tactics and programs to create interest, strategic relationships, local and national marketing, advertising, social media and public relations. In addition, to ensure product exposure, she works closely with the chief operating officer; admissions, career services, and corporate partners; PlattForm Advertising, and ComCourse Learning Solutions to establish the right mix of quality, position and value. Zapata encourages an environment that fosters creativity and strives to bring Dawn’s brand to the forefront of the career college sector by managing all marketing functions to achieve the company’s objectives of delivering exceptional education while maintaining a consistent presence to support the corporate mission.

Zapata also provides strategic and functional leadership to the institution's human resource initiatives. She executes this by developing and implementing human resource policies with partner Paychex to support the organization's strategic plans and goals, all while demonstrating behavior consistent with the core values and serving as a role model, exemplifying excellence through integrity.

Zapata’s professional career growth and development began during her own time in college, working as the Assistant Marketing Coordinator and Administrative Assistant at DCI. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Wilmington University, Zapata seized the opportunity to join the organization and aspired to increase her responsibilities and roles. While attending Wilmington University, she also completed Dawn’s Esthetics program and became a licensed esthetician in the State of Delaware. In addition, she gained a passion for business development, human resources and marketing strategy, which provided a natural transition to marketing and human resources and, ultimately, her role as Chief Operating Officer of Marketing and Human Resources.

Shannon Yerkic
Chief Operating Officer – Admissions and Career Services

Shannon Yerkic’s background and experience consist of corporate management and sales, as well as director positions in both supplemental and proprietary education. Yerkic is a graduate of Valdosta State University.

Yerkic’s management and sales career began in the healthcare industry where he managed over 150 healthcare professionals and provided service to over 132 clients. He transitioned his success and experience into the educational industry as both a director of career services and director of admissions. During his tenure with the organization, he raised and improved the placement rate 52% within a six-month period as well as the enrollment rate 75% from the previous year’s statistics. In the expansion of his career, Yerkic served as the Managing Director for two Huntington Learning Centers where he set sales records from the onset.

In his former roles, Yerkic served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing at a consulting and training firm, Managing Director at Huntington Learning Center, Director of Admissions at Florida Technical College, Director of Career Services at Florida Technical College and Healthcare Recruiter at Maxim Healthcare Services.

Yerkic brings energy, excitement and enthusiasm to our organization. He approaches every situation with the dedication and determination to lead his teams successfully and looks forward to fostering those results to the students and employees of Dawn Career Institute.

Jim Garrett
Corporate Director of Student Financial Services

Jim Garrett is the Corporate Director of Financial Affairs at Dawn Career Institute. He brings over twenty years of financing experience and management in the higher education industry.

Jim is known for increasing efficiencies and his ability to implement bold transformations.  In 2000, while serving as bursar at Purdue University Calumet, the campus was recognized with an IBM Best Practice Award in Higher Education Finance for Jim’s efforts in promoting e-business processes for streamlining the registration processes. As the controller for Coyne College in Chicago, IL, Jim was able to effectively grow the campus operations. As the associate director of student financial services at the University of Miami, he promoted innovative business practices and procedures in streamlining the financial registration processes..

During his free time, Jim enjoys reading history books, visiting historic sites and watching his FSU Seminoles compete in the ACC.  He also volunteers his time with local animal shelters in the rescue of stray pets.

Dr. Abul Salamat Hussain
Dean of Academic Affairs

Dr. Abul Salamat Hussain is the Dean of Academic Affairs at Dawn Career Institute.  He brings eight years of progressive management experience and more than 16 years of experience in developing results-driven curriculum and delivering enthusiastic instruction in a variety of educational settings.  Dr. Hussain earned his Master of Science in Health Services Management from Argosy University in 2010 and his Bachelor’s in Medicine and Surgery (equivalent to U.S. M.D. title) from Sylhet Osmani Medical College in Bangladesh in 1993.

Dr. Hussain was awarded the “#1 Faculty in the American Education System” honor in May 2002 and was a part of the Circle of Excellence for Education Affiliates in 2009.  He has served as the Director of Education at Fortis College, the Dean of Academic Affairs at Brown Mackie College and an instructor at the Asher School of Business.  

Learning is a lifelong process to Dr. Hussain.  He believes that educational institutes should create learning communities that promote the desire for knowledge and the ability to learn.

He believes that excellent teaching and learning requires close, continuous cooperation among faculty, students, staff and administration, who each take a personal responsibility for learning. 

Matt Penrod
Director of Admissions

Matthew Penrod, who is very familiar with the challenges that employees need to overcome, brings his experience in executive recruitment and admissions to his new role. He works with Dawn’s faculty and admissions staff to ensure that the Institute’s current and future students receive the attention and high-quality services they need to succeed in their educations and careers.

Prior to joining Dawn Career Institute, Penrod worked as an executive recruiter with a third-party recruitment firm where he worked with everything from small to Fortune 500 companies – both nationally and internationally – to help them meet their staffing needs. He also served as an admissions representative at Florida Technical College in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was an instrumental part of a team that vastly increased the enrollment rate and developed many community outreach programs. Penrod was also a General Manager of Terraplan Development Inc., where he was responsible for 30 direct reports and provided services to over 500 clients.

Eddie Barksdale
Director of Online Admissions

Eddie Barksdale brings leadership and analytical support to students through exceptional problem solving, communication, organizational and customer service skills.

Barksdale’s background consists of management and real estate, as well as insurance sales. Barksdale is a graduate of Wilmington University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing.

His sales career began in the insurance industry, where he advanced to become a senior account representative, mentoring, monitoring and training new and existing staff. In addition, Barksdale worked in real estate as a buyer and listing agent where he created and implemented a variety of sales techniques which enabled him to obtain many high industry-standard awards.

In the continuing development of his career, he transitioned his success and experience into the rental service industry as a management assistant at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. During his tenure with the organization, Barksdale was responsible for creating new corporate accounts, retrieving overdue accounts balances and supervising administrative staff.

In advancement of his career, Barksdale obtained the position of admissions representative at Dawn Career Institute, where he exceeded expectations and provided the utmost in customer services to each and every prospective student. In his current role as Director of Online Admissions, he and his team provide the same exceptional services to reach prospective student and motivate them to change their lives through the institution’s stellar educational programs.

Gail Gardner
Assistant Director of Education

Gail Gardner is the Assistant Director of Education at Dawn Career Institute. Her tenure with the Dawn family exceeds 10 years; she has served as a medical billing instructor, program coordinator and as assistant to the Director of Education. Gardner brings over 15 years of medical billing experience to Dawn, as well as her title as a Licensed Practical Nurse. With her professional experience in insurance companies, hospitals and billing management companies, Gardner’s practical know-how can truly make the difference for students at Dawn Career Institute.