Peter Ratzan
Peter Ratzan is president of Your College Concierge. The firm, based in Weston and founded in 2007, helps families throughout the U.S. and beyond with the challenges of applying to and paying for college. Peter is a former high school social studies teacher at RansomEverglades School in Miami, his alma mater. He also served for three years as a guidance counselor to 12th grade students at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, helping to prepare students for the transition to college. Peter volunteers his time with Take Stock in Children, a mentoring program for at-risk youth, as a mentor and as a member of its Corporate Council. He was named the 2020 Mentor of the Year. Prior to founding Your College Concierge, Peter worked for 12 years in corporate America, including 9 years at Motorola. During these years Peter noticed first-hand the challenges faced by “forgotten middle class” families in paying the ever-rising costs of college. Peter holds a BA from Tufts University, and an MBA and MA (International Affairs) from The George Washington University. He and his wife, Jill, live in Plantation. Peter loves to play tennis and golf on Saturdays and cheer for the Miami Dolphins on Sundays.
Carla Holness
Carla Holness is a professional with more than 20 years experience in higher education. She grew up in Western Massachusetts and graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State College). Carla landed in Florida in 2000 and hasn’t looked back at those cold New England winters since she arrived.
After many years working in Admissions at both public and private colleges, Carla transitioned to the “dark side” (Student Loans). She continued her work in higher education on the financial aid side of the house as a professional with Nellie Mae, Sallie Mae and SunTrust. A shift in the student loan industry gave Carla an opportunity to return to the wonderful world of admission where she had the opportunity to continue to assist students and their families with the process of choosing the right college or university.
In her spare time, Carla loves spending time with her husband, Dennis and friends, traveling and dancing. She has a great sense of humor and believes that having a positive spirit in all circumstances is important. She is passionate about her work as a higher education professional and knows she can make a (positive) difference to those she interacts with.
