Experience

Kansas State Department of Education

• United States
• Government Administration
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Director of Early Childhood

  • Jul 2018 - Present

  ● Leads the agency’s work to advance the Kansas State Board of Education’s Kindergarten Readiness goal. ● Leads a team of five responsible for administering several state preschool programs (Preschool-Aged At-Risk, Kansas Preschool Pilot, and Early Childhood Special Education) and Kansas Parents As Teachers. These programs represent a state investment of nearly $40 million annually and serve more than 25,000 children. ● Coaches and provides technical assistance to school administrators.… Show more ● Leads the agency’s work to advance the Kansas State Board of Education’s Kindergarten Readiness goal. ● Leads a team of five responsible for administering several state preschool programs (Preschool-Aged At-Risk, Kansas Preschool Pilot, and Early Childhood Special Education) and Kansas Parents As Teachers. These programs represent a state investment of nearly $40 million annually and serve more than 25,000 children. ● Coaches and provides technical assistance to school administrators. Develops training, fact sheets, and budget templates to build administrators’ understanding of options to finance programming. ● Responsible for the state lead agency’s initial Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five planning grant, which engaged more than 6,100 Kansans to develop the All In For Kansas Kids needs assessment and strategic plan. Chairs the advisory group informing implementation. Show less ● Leads the agency’s work to advance the Kansas State Board of Education’s Kindergarten Readiness goal. ● Leads a team of five responsible for administering several state preschool programs (Preschool-Aged At-Risk, Kansas Preschool Pilot, and Early Childhood Special Education) and Kansas Parents As Teachers. These programs represent a state investment of nearly $40 million annually and serve more than 25,000 children. ● Coaches and provides technical assistance to school administrators.… Show more ● Leads the agency’s work to advance the Kansas State Board of Education’s Kindergarten Readiness goal. ● Leads a team of five responsible for administering several state preschool programs (Preschool-Aged At-Risk, Kansas Preschool Pilot, and Early Childhood Special Education) and Kansas Parents As Teachers. These programs represent a state investment of nearly $40 million annually and serve more than 25,000 children. ● Coaches and provides technical assistance to school administrators. Develops training, fact sheets, and budget templates to build administrators’ understanding of options to finance programming. ● Responsible for the state lead agency’s initial Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five planning grant, which engaged more than 6,100 Kansans to develop the All In For Kansas Kids needs assessment and strategic plan. Chairs the advisory group informing implementation. Show less



Kansas Action for Children

• United States
• Public Policy Offices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Government Relations

  • Jan 2016 - Jul 2018

  ● Planned and executed successful legislative campaigns to protect state investments in early childhood programs, enact prudent tax policy, and advance policies that benefit children’s health and economic security. Managed the coalition vote count for the successful 2017 campaign to enact comprehensive tax reform. ● Strategically identified, targeted, built relationships with, and influenced elected and appointed decision makers. This included managing contract lobbyists and informing… Show more ● Planned and executed successful legislative campaigns to protect state investments in early childhood programs, enact prudent tax policy, and advance policies that benefit children’s health and economic security. Managed the coalition vote count for the successful 2017 campaign to enact comprehensive tax reform. ● Strategically identified, targeted, built relationships with, and influenced elected and appointed decision makers. This included managing contract lobbyists and informing advocacy strategy. ● Directed the Kansas Dental Project, a legislative scope of practice campaign with over 50 coalition partners. Led negotiations that prompted the opposition to offer a compromise position after eight years of impasse. ● Responsible for daily legislative monitoring. Drafted weekly legislative email updates. Wrote testimony and regulatory public comment. ● Worked with the Revisor’s Office to draft legislation and amendments. ● Synthesized information to identify policy opportunities and set organizational policy positions. ● Built public support for policy priorities by speaking to partner organizations, boards of directors, legislative committees, and members of the media. Wrote research briefs, fact sheets, and blog posts.

• Director of Research & Analysis

  • Sep 2015 - Dec 2015

• Policy Analyst

  • May 2015 - Sep 2015



Kansas Legislature

• Legislative Offices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Legislative Intern

  • Jan 2015 - May 2015

  - Drafted 18 amendments and prepared arguments to oppose a law restricting access to public assistance programs. - Identified and recruited nonprofit organizations, law enforcement officials, and members of the media to a press conference that generated 30 print and broadcast stories. - Drafted 18 amendments and prepared arguments to oppose a law restricting access to public assistance programs. - Identified and recruited nonprofit organizations, law enforcement officials, and members of the media to a press conference that generated 30 print and broadcast stories.