Area Business Leaders Launch Talent Acquisition Network of Orange County

TANOC is a professional networking community committed to advancing the careers of corporate talent acquisition professionals at all levels.

TUSTIN, CA, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Bright Talent, Inc. today announced the formation of the Talent Acquisition Network of Orange County (TANOC), a professional networking community for corporate talent acquisition professionals in Orange County, California. TANOC is an expansion of the successful TAN of San Diego (TANSD). The inaugural co-chairs of the OC network – Brenan German, founder and president of Bright Talent, and Mariah Miller, talent acquisition director, Americas for Yum! Brands – launched TANOC with the vision of creating a strong local networking community for corporate talent acquisition (TA) professionals across all levels — from recruiting leadership to TA managers, recruiters, operations, sourcing, employer brand and related functions.

“What appealed to me about TANSD is that it has remained focused on real community, relationship building, shared learning and practical discussion rather than becoming overly commercialized or vendor-driven,” said German. “We want to recreate that great experience here in Orange County to foster an accessible and collaborative community that creates value not only for senior leaders, but also for the broader corporate TA teams and professionals in our area.”

The aim of TANOC is to create an environment where corporate TA professionals at every career stage can meet quarterly to collaborate, freely exchange knowledge and share best practices that elevate the collective expertise and success of the network’s members. The organization held its inaugural board meeting on September 4, 2026.

“Corporate TA professionals face unique challenges in their day-to-day work – from ever-shifting labor markets to changes in corporate priorities,” said Miller. “TANOC provides us with the opportunity to meet others who face similar challenges, tap into their collective wisdom and build community.”

Next TANOC Event

TANOC will hold its next event on October 29. For more information or to request an invitation to join, visit: tanoc.org.

TANOC Founding Board Members:

Co-Chair, Brenan German, Founder and President, Bright Talent
Co-Chair, Mariah Miller, Talent Acquisition Director - Americas, Yum! Brands
Jennifer Van Iersel, VP Talent Acquisition, Pacific Life
Mike Peterson, Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition, Edwards Lifesciences
Cindy Navarrette, Sr. Director Talent Acquisition, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
Annie Boneta, Director Talent Acquisition, Qcells
Melissa Rutledge, Assoc. Director Talent & People Ops, SpyGlass Pharma
Dana Atherton, Global Talent Acquisition Leader & Advisor
Laura Jafarkhani, Talent Acquisition Manager, Boldyn Networks

About Bright Talent

Bright Talent, Inc. is a human resources consulting firm that helps organizations get more value from their HR technology, workforce data and people investments. Through HR technology advisory and optimization, workforce planning and analytics, and flexible HR expertise, Bright Talent helps HR leaders improve operations, make better workforce decisions and connect HR investments to business outcomes. We enable HR to Power Business. Learn more at brighttalent.com

Jennifer Allen Newton
Bluehouse Consulting Group, Inc.
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