Experience

Viva la Vida

• 1 - 100 Employee

• Retired

  • Feb 2022 - Present



Montgomery County Police Department

• Rockville, MD

• Spanish Instructor

  • May 2016 - Jun 2023

  - Teaches Spanish to police recruits and sworn officers - Coordinates Hispanic Community Academy building bridges of trust between the police and the Hispanic community - Teaches Spanish to police recruits and sworn officers - Coordinates Hispanic Community Academy building bridges of trust between the police and the Hispanic community



Montgomery County Department of Economic Development

• Rockville, MD

• Director IT and Cybersecurity Strategy

  • May 2013 - Apr 2016

  - Creates and executes strategies for building and growing the local cybersecurity ecosystem by connecting public, private and academic players. - Advises county leadership on policy for cybersecurity and IT especially big data analytics. - Builds and maintains networks and advisory boards of industry and academic players. - Stimulates innovation in cybersecurity and data analytics through a market-driven approach. - Creates and attends events from meetups to regional conferences. - Attracts new companies to area. - Helps local companies with introductions to grants, contracts, funding sources, potential partners. Show less



Montgomery County Government

• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Manager Life Sciences and Satellite Communications

  • Apr 2007 - Apr 2013

  - Developed a strategy for a market-driven translational consortium for infectious diseases to increase commercialization in the vaccine and diagnostic sectors, involving NIAID, Walter Reed, GSK (Belgium), Sanaria and Aeras.- Initiated partnering program between small companies in the county and large biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and venture capital organizations at BioVision/BioSquare in France that lead to substantial collaboration and business growth.- Led and participated in over 20 business development missions to Europe, Asia and Central America mostly to biotechnology, IT, satellite and aerospace trade shows and conferences. - Received certificate as a RainForest Architect for the development of innovation ecosystems.- Managed and motivated numerous foreign interns contributing to research on local industry.- Guided startup companies through the different phases of commercialization from concept to commercial product. Show less

• Business Development Specialist I

  • Apr 2001 - Jul 2007

  - Developed and implemented strategies for retention, expansion and attraction of foreign companies to Montgomery County, MD, especially biotech and IT companies.- Assisted hundreds of local companies to grow their business by providing them with financial incentives, workforce and training programs, permitting services, and networking and cross cultural guidance – often finding innovative solutions. - Attracted over 30 U.S. and foreign companies to set up in Montgomery County.- Graduated from the first 18-month Management Development/Leadership Training Program of the Montgomery County Government in May 2007. Show less



State of Maryland, Department of Economic Development

• Baltimore, Maryland

• International Marketing Executive

  • 2000 - 2001

  - Proactively marketed Maryland to attract foreign direct investment from Canada and Europe. - Persuaded six foreign companies to locate in Maryland. - Proactively marketed Maryland to attract foreign direct investment from Canada and Europe. - Persuaded six foreign companies to locate in Maryland.



Embassy of Belgium

• Investment Officer

  • 1995 - 2000

  - Directed Belgian foreign investment attraction program. - Organized seminars for top executives of pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, Johnson&Johnson, BMS, GSK – Vaccine, Pharmacia etc.).- Coordinated projects with regional development agencies of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.- Represented Belgian embassy at meetings with the European Union science and technology counselors.

• Public Affairs, Education, and Consular Affairs Officer

  • 1979 - 1995

  Edit monthly newsletter, facilitate academic exchanges, visa and passport officer.



Holy Sepulcre Institute

• Turnhout, Belgium

• French and Spanish Teacher

  • 1977 - 1978

  - First Spanish high school teacher in Flanders. - High School French teacher. - First Spanish high school teacher in Flanders. - High School French teacher.