Brenda O'Connell
Community Development Administrator at Lake County- Claim this Profile
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Topline Score
Bio
Conswala Jones
Brenda is an amazing supervisor and asset to any agency that she is employed with!!! I will miss the dedication and loyalty she possessed with past employer. I know with this new venture, she will continue to do great things!!!!
Heather (McGough) Frentzen, ACC
I was constantly impressed by Brenda's leadership as the Executive Director of the Literacy Council. She was professional, consistent and constantly looking to build our skills and develop a resourceful network in order to best serve the community. She works on projects she truly believes in and never cuts corners. Brenda was an incredible inspiration to me as a young woman just starting out in my career and I continue to use the many tools I learned from her in my own business.
Conswala Jones
Brenda is an amazing supervisor and asset to any agency that she is employed with!!! I will miss the dedication and loyalty she possessed with past employer. I know with this new venture, she will continue to do great things!!!!
Heather (McGough) Frentzen, ACC
I was constantly impressed by Brenda's leadership as the Executive Director of the Literacy Council. She was professional, consistent and constantly looking to build our skills and develop a resourceful network in order to best serve the community. She works on projects she truly believes in and never cuts corners. Brenda was an incredible inspiration to me as a young woman just starting out in my career and I continue to use the many tools I learned from her in my own business.
Conswala Jones
Brenda is an amazing supervisor and asset to any agency that she is employed with!!! I will miss the dedication and loyalty she possessed with past employer. I know with this new venture, she will continue to do great things!!!!
Heather (McGough) Frentzen, ACC
I was constantly impressed by Brenda's leadership as the Executive Director of the Literacy Council. She was professional, consistent and constantly looking to build our skills and develop a resourceful network in order to best serve the community. She works on projects she truly believes in and never cuts corners. Brenda was an incredible inspiration to me as a young woman just starting out in my career and I continue to use the many tools I learned from her in my own business.
Conswala Jones
Brenda is an amazing supervisor and asset to any agency that she is employed with!!! I will miss the dedication and loyalty she possessed with past employer. I know with this new venture, she will continue to do great things!!!!
Heather (McGough) Frentzen, ACC
I was constantly impressed by Brenda's leadership as the Executive Director of the Literacy Council. She was professional, consistent and constantly looking to build our skills and develop a resourceful network in order to best serve the community. She works on projects she truly believes in and never cuts corners. Brenda was an incredible inspiration to me as a young woman just starting out in my career and I continue to use the many tools I learned from her in my own business.
Credentials
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LEAD & SEI Presents: Balancing Leadership - Personal, Professional, Organizational & Community
Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of VirginiaSep, 2021- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Lake County
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United States
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Government Administration
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700 & Above Employee
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Community Development Administrator
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Nov 2020 - Present
Facilitates community investment of Federal funding in affordable housing, homelessness and human services. Scaled rental assistance programs to meet the increased need during the Coronavirus pandemic, expanding to over a dozen new partners with 100x the amount of rental assistance.
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Continuum of Care Program Coordinator
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May 2015 - Present
Led the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless initiative that ended veteran homelessness, obtaining certification from Built for Zero and the federal government, the 10th community in the country to achieve both certifications.Developed comprehensive, real-time data tools to evaluate new strategies to reduce homelessness including street outreach, rapid rehousing, diversion and a landlord risk mitigation pool.Facilitated collaborative funding processes to invest more than $3 million annually from multiple federal and local funding sources in projects most successful at achieving desired outcomes that aligned with local needs.Cut chronic homelessness in half by expanding housing opportunities, streamlining intake processes and targeting intensive interventions for the most vulnerable population. Doubled the number of units of permanent supportive housing by using new funding streams and collaborations, including new partnerships with public housing authorities and expanding services at high-capacity organizations.Participated in cross-sector community planning processes with goals such as improving physical and behavioral health integration, decreasing the jail population by leveraging community treatment interventions and increasing collaborative care across health and human service providers.
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Education
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2002 - 2004
University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
MA -
1995 - 1999
Albion College
BA -
1991 - 1995
Downers Grove South High School
Community
