Experience

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  Partners for Rural Impact

  • Vice President of Capacity and Implementation

    • Sep 2022 - Present

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  Promised Season LLC

  • Chief Operating Officer and Senior Consultant

    • Jul 2020 - Present

    Shanda Cummings Crowder, MEd, EdD, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Consultant. Dr. Crowder is an accomplished professional with 20 years of experience in education and human services with a passion for serving children and families. Over the course of her career Dr. Crowder has developed and supported education and government organization structures; provided management and strategic planning; developed and implemented programs for youth and families; and has provided leadership and support for staff. Dr. Crowder has experience in business development, education planning and administration, restorative practices, leadership development, community planning and development, faith based ministry supports, implementation science, and conference planning and operations.

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  Annie E. Casey Foundation

  • Baltimore, Maryland

  • Senior Associate, Leadership Development Unit

    • Nov 2018 - Sep 2022
    • Baltimore, Maryland

    As a senior associate I am responsible for the management and oversight of an array of existing leadership development and capacity-building programs, as well as the development of new leadership initiatives, in support of and in concert with the Foundation’s efforts to influence systems and effect large-scale community change on behalf of children and families. My primary duties revolve around planning and implementation of external and internal leadership development programs built on the Casey Foundation’s Results Count™ framework. As the Leadership Development team works with other organizations to apply this approach and builds their capacity to spread it to their networks, the senior associate will lead design teams associated with these different programs and work closely with other Foundation staff to ensure these initiatives are successful and maintain fidelity to the Results Count model.

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  Family League of Baltimore

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Senior Director of Collaboration

    • Mar 2017 - Nov 2018
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    As the Senior Director of Collaboration I will support the Chief Operating Officer and President & CEO on specific initiatives within Family League and in collaboration with coalitions and the community. The focus of my work will be on school climate, school health, learning (professional development and quality improvement) and other cross-organizational initiatives. As the Senior Director I will support organizational leadership in working with local, state and national partners, funders and policy makers to advance the mission of Family League and to connect related initiatives. I will work with various departments to ensure the alignment of assigned focus areas with the broader work and strategic goals of Family League. The Senior Director will be a member of the leadership team and will support decision making that will result in both the short- and long-term growth of the organization.

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  University of Maryland School of Social Work

  • Director & Clinical Assistant Professor

    • Jun 2015 - Feb 2017

    Director of the Positive Schools Center for the Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS) at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work; a new multi-year project of SWCOS created to partner with administrators and staff in all 24 Maryland school districts to help improve school climate, and reduce out-of-school suspensions and expulsions of students of color and students with disabilities from the state’s public schools. In addition to being the Director I am on the faculty of the UMB School of Social Work as a Clinical Assistant Professor.

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  Maryland Department of Human Resources

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Chief of Staff, Social Services Administration

    • May 2012 - May 2015
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    •Senior management position that serves as a member of the Executive Team at the Social Services Administration (SSA) within the Department Human Resources (DHR). Responsible for oversight and support of interagency initiatives, legislative process and intradepartmental initiatives.•Review, interpret and implement Federal and State legislation, regulations and rules governing residential child care, child and family well-being, prevention and youth development, and other issues related to child and adult welfare, DHR and the Maryland Children’s Cabinet. •Responsible for the coordination and development of legislative reports, facilitation of workgroups that focus on: Maryland’s Medicaid Residential Rehabilitation Program, Residential Child Care Rate Setting Processes, and Federal Funding Streams•Develop and support the management of the Executive office Budget on behalf of the Executive Director of SSA.•Maintaining effective working relationships with members of the courts, General Assembly, media, public/private businesses, national advocacy and research organizations and a wide variety of other stakeholders at the local, State, and Federal government levels

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  Maryland's Governors Office for Children

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Chief, Interagency Initiatives

    • Aug 2009 - May 2012
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    •Senior management position that serves as a member of the Executive Team at the Governor’s Office for Children (GOC). Responsible for oversight of all interagency programs and policy related to: Prevention Strategies, Youth Initiatives, Community Resource Development, Residential Child Care Programs, and Special Projects. •Provide leadership and direction to the interagency initiatives team consisting of 5 staff members. •Review, interpret and implement Federal and State legislation, regulations and rules governing residential child care licensing and monitoring, child and family well-being, prevention and youth development, childhood hunger and other issues related to GOC and the Children’s Cabinet. •Review, interpret and implement research concerning improving child and family well-being results and indicators. •Responsible for the coordination and development of several state-wide resource reports such as the Maryland Results for Child Well-Being, State Resource Plan for Out-of-home placements, and the Annual Report on the Children's Services Outcome Measurement System.

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  Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Interagency Specialist

    • Mar 2007 - Aug 2009
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    •Responsible for interagency collaborative initiatives on behalf of the Maryland State Department of Education in addressing issues that affect children from birth through high school graduation. Represented the Department at interagency meetings, task forces and work groups.•As Statewide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coordinator for the “Special” schools was responsible for providing the training, technical assistance and support for the fidelity of implementation of PBIS.

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  EdisonLearning

  • United States
  • E-Learning Providers
  • 200 - 300 Employee

  • Baltimore Special Education Compliance Coordinator

    • Jun 2006 - Mar 2007

    •Provided oversight and management for the special education programs at three inner-city schools. Responsible for oversight and monitoring of the school based special education programs to ensure that schools implemented the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process in accordance with local, State and Federal guidelines as well as ensuring that 504 plans were developed and implemented appropriately. •Coordinated the development and facilitation of training, guidance and support to the Baltimore Edison Partnership schools staff as it relates to the 504 plan process and implementation, IEP process including the Least Restrictive Environment and accommodations, implementation plans for IEPs in order to ensure compliance with special education Federal, State, and local regulations.

  • Special Education & 504 Plan Coordinator

    • Jun 2003 - Jun 2006

    •Responsible for the day to day management and operations of the special education program. Ensured that Gilmor maintained compliance with all local, State and Federal regulations with regards to the special education process and 504 plan process. •Facilitated all IEP/504 Meetings, monitored a school based special education program, provided school based workshops for staff, parents and students, provided leadership/supervision to special education staff, acted as a standing member on the school based leadership team & student support team, and provided educational and function based assessments to students who were being referred and or reevaluated as a part of the IEP process.•Provided oversight to the instructional aspect of the special education program. Developed annual reports for the special education program. This annual plan included an evaluation of academic performance, school wide initiatives, and a strategic plan that focused on the implementation of enhanced or new programs that would increase student access and achievement as in order to ensure that all of our students reached their potential.