Experience

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  Center for Urban Families

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Chief Operating Officer

    • Oct 2017 - Present
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    Reporting to the Founder, President & CEO, provide consistent day-to-day leadership presence for internal operations of $8 million human services organization whose mission is to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. Manage senior staff with responsibilities for programs, partnership development, finance and administration, human resources, research and evaluation, and strategic initiatives.Grew organization’s budget by 31 percent, from $5.73 million in 2017 to $7.52 million in 2023, and headcount by 71 percent, from 28 to 48 FTEs.Partnered with national consulting firm to develop five-year strategic plan; oversee plan’s implementation by focusing on strengthening client outcomes, forging strategic partnerships, effecting policy and broad scale change, and adopting data-driven approaches to demonstrating impact. Establish vision for providing high quality programs locally and nationally, with emphasis on Two-Generation approaches that help advance outcomes and opportunities for whole families, and economic mobility strategies that improve economic success. Oversee staff who execute on key strategies of racial justice grant funding: supporting resident-led change; strengthening economies in neighborhoods of color; supporting small businesses owned by people of color; and integrating community systems to facilitate large-scale transformation. Led organization’s COVID-19 response, including successful pivot to remote work, and resumption of business operations, post-COVID.

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  U.S. Department of Labor

  • Washington D.C. Metro Area

  • Executive on Loan

    • Nov 2013 - Jan 2017
    • Washington D.C. Metro Area

    Supported Obama Administration initiatives to improve service coordination and service delivery for vulnerable individuals by forging strategic partnerships with multiple federal agencies. Guided public workforce system stakeholders to execute effective strategies for helping job seekers find jobs and businesses find skilled workers as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Advised state and local governments designated as Performance Partnership Pilots to utilize federal waivers and exploit funding flexibility to achieve better results for programs serving disconnected youth. Coached communities participating in My Brother’s Keeper initiative to identify and address challenges facing boys and young men of color, and to leverage public and philanthropic resources to scale effective programs and practices. Advised staff at U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to articulate and promote workforce development as a critical strategy for maximizing Federal government’s effectiveness in reducing and ending homelessness. Conceptualized and spearheaded development and launch of GetMyFuture.org, a mobile-friendly website application to help youth plan their careers, explore education and training options, and obtain employment.

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  Casey Family Programs

  • Washington D.C. Metro Area

  • Director, Knowledge Management

    • Aug 2013 - Jan 2017
    • Washington D.C. Metro Area

    Utilized collective knowledge, experience and expertise of colleagues and partners to create products and services that advanced foundation’s mission and promoted excellence within public child welfare systems. Leverage on-loan assignment to U.S. Department of Labor, and relationships with senior staff across federal agencies, to exploit federal funding opportunities that benefited foundation partners. Provided targeted support to human service agencies in order to advance foundation’s strategic priorities focused on Building Communities of Hope.

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  Annie E. Casey Foundation

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Senior Associate

    • Dec 2002 - Jul 2013
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    Managed grant portfolio and awarded over $25 million to nonprofits and public sector clients to champion scalable and sustainable approaches to improving outcomes for individuals in need. Established portfolio’s strategic goals and objectives, managed execution and alignment of grants, coordinated delivery of capacity building assistance, and assessed grantees’ outcomes against agreed-upon targets. Administered youth development programs that improved employment outcomes of over 4000 youth and exceeded performance metrics for job placement, retention, and career advancement. Helped to develop foundation’s evidence-based practice framework for improving family well-being through active community stakeholder engagement. Led consortium of over 20 funders to execute multi-year strategic investments, advance mission-critical federal legislation, and achieve public systems innovation for youth in foster care.

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  Enterprise Community Partners

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Program Director, Economic Opportunity Program

    • 1997 - 2002
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    Provided strategic direction to foundation’s comprehensive community initiative to transform disaffected Baltimore City neighborhood. Conceptualized and advanced economic opportunity strategy targeting workforce development, financial capability, asset building and economic development as key levers for improved quality of life. Implemented Department of Labor-funded Welfare to Work program in Baltimore City resulting in hundreds of hard-to-employ welfare recipients transitioning to unsubsidized employment.

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  CoreStates Bank

  • Allentown, Pennsylvania Area

  • Assistant Vice President

    • Apr 1994 - Oct 1997
    • Allentown, Pennsylvania Area

    Guided team of retail bankers, credit analyst and administrative assistant to solicit, analyze, negotiate, structure, close and manage over $4 million of credit relationships for small business borrowers.

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  Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation

  • Greater Boston Area

  • Special Assistant to the President

    • May 1991 - Apr 1994
    • Greater Boston Area

    Counseled President to translate organizational vision into mission-driven strategic priorities that delivered financial and reputational value. Administered statewide program that tripled number of minority and women contractors awarded public procurement and construction contracts. Secured private capital and launched SBA-backed venture capital subsidiary that provided mezzanine financing to minority-owned businesses across diverse industries.

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  PaineWebber, Incorporated

  • Greater New York City Area

  • Financial Analyst

    • 1986 - 1989
    • Greater New York City Area

    Structured tax-exempt housing revenue bond financings to support the creation of affordable housing nationwide.