Experience

Atlas Obscura

• United States
• Media and Telecommunications
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Instructor

  • Mar 2021 - Present

  Instructor for two self-designed courses: "Stories in the Stones: How to Read a Gravestone" and "Ask A Cemeterian: The Business of Burying." Each offered as a web conference course several times a year to on-line participants. Instructor for two self-designed courses: "Stories in the Stones: How to Read a Gravestone" and "Ask A Cemeterian: The Business of Burying." Each offered as a web conference course several times a year to on-line participants.



Harvard University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• • May 2022 - Present

• • Aug 2017 - May 2022

• • Feb 2017 - Aug 2017

  Term-limited position.



Harvard Extension School

• United States
• Higher Education
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Instructor

  • Sep 2018 - Present

  Teaching a Social Sciences proseminar to students in the History, Government, and International Relations tracks on Issues in Cultural Heritage. Teaching a Social Sciences proseminar to students in the History, Government, and International Relations tracks on Issues in Cultural Heritage.



Association for Gravestone Studies

• • Jun 2017 - Jun 2019

• • Jun 2012 - Jun 2018



Mystic Valley Elder Services

• United States
• Individual and Family Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Fundraising Events Specialist & Development Officer

  • May 2014 - Feb 2017



The Forest Hills Cemetery

• United States
• Performing Arts
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Sales and Marketing and Curator of History, Archives and Collections

  • Mar 2009 - Jul 2012

  Director of Sales and Marketing • Conducted approximately $2 Million in annual sales of graves, cremations, and perpetual care endowments; streamlined sales management and reporting procedures; initiated and marketed enhanced customer services. • Worked personally with families planning burials, commemorative events or celebrations (including weddings). • Produced all written materials, including annual reports, website content, and marketing brochures. • Initiated after care customer service management of families after a burial, with personal follow-up and invitations to special commemorative events such as the annual Lantern Festival and the Compassionate Friends Ceremony. • Established “Next of Kin” program; managed special projects as necessary • Strengthened relationships with specific organizations important to Forest Hills’ varied constituencies, including the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and various African-American churches, for events and outreach. • Supervised events planning logistics and coordination of volunteers for concerts, tours, and annual Lantern Festival. • Redesigned (with graphic designer) Cemetery’s website and and logo, and associated materials. Created Constant Contact account and on-line access to marketing materials. • Spokesperson for all media; featured on WCVB-Channel 5’s Chronicle; quoted in numerous print publications. Curator of History, Archives and Collections • Responsible for preservation and care of selected outdoor monuments and contemporary sculpture over 275 acres, and indoor collections of paintings, decorative arts and paper-based archives. • Developed museum, archives, and research policies following AAM standards. • Conducted prospect research for potential donors and for grant opportunities. • Held grant-funded preservation and conservation workshops on stained glass and marble. Show less



Forest Hills Cemetery Educational Trust

• Boston, Massachusetts

• Project Director, NEA "Access to Artistic Excellence"​ Grant and Curator of Collections

  • Jun 2004 - May 2009

  Project Director, NEA “Access to Artistic Excellence” grant • Obtained National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant to document over 300 of Forest Hills’ most historically significant and fragile marble monuments and sculpture. • Supervised documentation procedures with three NEA project interns; designed and implemented database and on-line catalog of selected monuments; trained and supervised 10-12 volunteers at transcription workshops. • Coordinated Preservation Task Force, which developed guiding principles for adoption by the FHC Board of Trustees. Curator of Collections • Responsible for care of indoor objects and works of art; maintained in-house collections databases. • Hired and managed subcontractors, including objects and fine arts conservators, preparators, preservation and restoration specialists, sculptors, and monument care specialists. Recruited, trained and supervised interns, docents and volunteers. • With Executive Director and Director of Development, planned and managed various events, including the annual Lantern Festival and the “Summer Solstice” event, and assisted with the Annual Appeal. • Wrote grants and collaborated with staff on outreach, marketing and prospecting. Show less