Experience

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  • Director Of Health & Wellness

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  Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston

  • Director of Healthy Lifestyles

    • Apr 2022 - Present

    The Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston helps young people build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizens and leaders. BGCB operates 8 Clubhouses in Chelsea, Dorchester, Charlestown, South Boston, Mattapan and Roxbury, as well as YouthConnect, BGCB's violence prevention program in partnership with the Boston Police Department.• Health promotion – Develop comprehensive health programs and policies for 8 clubs located across Boston and Chelsea in collaboration with MGH and other partners, spanning healthcare access, mental health, food access, hygiene, physical activity, nutrition, sexuality, socioemotional learning, and other social determinants of health.• Strategic planning – Engage healthcare leaders across Boston in strategic planning process to align BGCB’s health/wellness approach with community needs and evidence-based best practices.• Contract management – Manage CACFP and SFSP meal program contracts with MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, including staff training, procurement, ongoing reporting, and site monitoring/evaluation.• Financial management – Manage financial and programmatic components of over $500k in grant funding from foundations, state agencies, and individual donors for healthy development activities.• Program management/supervision – Develop and implement health and safety/medical protocols across BGCB. Supervise and support RNs in delivery of health and safety-promoting programs.• Partnership engagement – Identify and cultivate relationships with community partners and leverage community resources to address health-related needs and support positive youth development of club members.

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  Health Resources in Action

  • United States
  • Public Health
  • 100 - 200 Employee

  • Bilingual Screening and Information Specialist II (per diem)

    • Feb 2021 - May 2022

    HRiA is a leader in developing programs that advance public health and medical research. HRiA operates the MA, IL and VT Substance Use Helplines, which are statewide, public resources for finding substance use treatment and recovery services.• Information and referrals - Assess needs of Helpline callers in Spanish/English to educate on continuum of care and refer to substance use treatment services in Massachusetts, Illinois and Vermont.

  • Bilingual Screening and Information Specialist I (per-diem)

    • Dec 2018 - Feb 2021

  • Graduate Social Work Intern

    • Sep 2018 - Apr 2019

    • Outreach - Increased awareness and utilization of Helpline services among Latinx communities in MA.• Policy analysis – Implemented internal protocol revisions to increase Helpline language equity and train staff to better serve undocumented noncitizens and those with non-English language preferences.

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  Project Bread

  • United States
  • Civic and Social Organizations
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Director of Community Partnerships

    • Oct 2021 - Apr 2022

    Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry.• Engagement - Leveraged Project Bread’s resources and partnerships to increase awareness of food resources, including SNAP and the Foodsource Hotline, throughout MA, with a focus on historically marginalized populations.• Grantmaking – Oversaw department with budget of $1 million, piloted new grant program centering DEI, developed and implemented systematic review process for grant applicants, and stewarded grantee relationships.• Applied research – Supervise graduate student in research design, administration, analysis, and research communications for a community survey project to understand utilization of food resources in East Boston.• Asset mapping and needs assessment – Engaged with local coalitions to map community needs, gaps, & local assets.• Stakeholder engagement – Grew network of statewide partners, including community-based organizations, state agencies, city government, schools and churches. Elevated partner stories through press, webinars, and elected official visits, and promoted advocacy and action on behalf of food access and hunger relief.• Management/leadership – Supervised MSW intern & chaired interdepartmental Constituent Engagement Task Force.

  • Assistant Director of Community Partnerships

    • Jan 2021 - Oct 2021

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  The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

  • Boston, Massachusetts, United States

  • Research Associate, Food Aid Quality Review (FAQR)

    • May 2020 - Jan 2021
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States

    The Food Aid Quality Review project, which began in 2009 and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (formerly Food for Peace) seeks to provide actionable recommendations on ways to improve nutrition among vulnerable populations. The following project was under FAQR's Option Year 2, conducted over the course of 9 months through project closeout.• Data harmonization – Analyzed program designs and outcomes of USAID-funded Development Food Security Activities (DFSA) implemented by INGOS and local partner agencies to reduce moderate and severe acute malnutrition (MAM/SAM) in Guatemala, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Compiled relevant information from program proposals, annual reports and impact evaluations, and cleaned, harmonized and pooled related datasets using R. • Knowledge sharing – Produced manuscript detailing dataset pooling process, sharing preliminary analyses of pooled datasets, and providing recommendations to USAID for further analysis and presented findings to stakeholders at USAID.• Event coordination – Coordinated a panel, plenary and special session on topics in the field of food assistance for nutrition for biannual evidence summit attended virtually by 600 participants in 98 countries. Served as a moderator for a session titled "Tools and Resources Marketplace" and recruited academics, policymakers, industry professionals, and program funders and implementers to serve as panelists on sessions titled "Continuum of Care, Wasting, and Avoiding the MAM/SAM Dichotomy" and "Non-Food Interventions: Optimizing their Impact on Nutrition Outcomes".

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  Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México

  • Mexico City Area, Mexico

  • Graduate Research Intern

    • Jan 2020 - Mar 2020
    • Mexico City Area, Mexico

    EQUIDE is a sustainable development and social equity research institute focusing on applied research, public policy design and evaluation in the area of poverty and health. • Research design – Utilized implementation science perspective to develop a research protocol to map the system dynamics of food insecurity in rural indigenous communities on the Yucatan peninsula. • Grant writing – Wrote/submitted proposals to fund: 1) data collection for research on the impact of intrinsic capacity and environment on healthy aging to inform policy development for older adults (UC MEXUS-CONACYT Grant for Collaborative Projects), and 2) intervention design and implementation readiness studies for the WHO’s Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative in Mexico, a global consortium studying early life exposure to risk factors for developing non-communicable diseases.

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  Latin American Development Corporation

  • Mexico City Area, Mexico

  • Graduate Evaluation Consultant

    • Sep 2019 - Jan 2020
    • Mexico City Area, Mexico

    Collaborated on a live project with an early childhood education NGO located in Mexico City as a part of a Program Evaluation course to conduct a needs assessment for teacher professional development in daycare centers (Estancias Infantiles) in light of national policy changes regarding ECE. LADC aims to enhance the capacity of childcare providers to improve child development and learning outcomes through evidence-based practice.• Policy research – Conducted a literature review of early childhood education policies and teacher preparation. • Research design – Collaborated with local partner agency to design needs assessment for teacher preparation; developed and translated survey instruments. • Data analysis – Collected data from partner agency childcare centers using Google Forms, cleaned data, and conducted analysis using SPSS. • Report writing – Wrote comprehensive report of data with proposed recommendations for teacher professional development opportunities in daycare centers.

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  East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

  • Program Coordinator, Community Initiatives

    • Aug 2015 - Jan 2020

    EBNHC is one of the largest Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in the country, serving primarily a low-income immigrant population from Latin America and North Africa. EBNHC’s Let’s Get Movin’ program is a healthy lifestyle change program for pediatric patients with obesity and their families, promoting physical activity and nutrition. • Program management – Managed three community initiatives aimed at improving access to healthy, affordable food.• Staff supervision – Recruited, trained, and supervised staff, graduate interns, AmeriCorps members and volunteers.• Care navigation – Supported Comm. Resource Center to connect patients to social determinants of health resources.• Program development & implementation – Developed nutrition curriculum for children and Spanish-speaking adults; coordinated with schools and community partners to implement curriculum.• Program evaluation – Designed, administered, and analyzed mixed methods program evaluations including surveys, interviews, and qualitative records/data for use in grant reports and program development.• Fundraising/fiscal oversight – Wrote/managed grants, procured sponsorships/in-kind donations, managed budgets.• Outreach and education – Managed outreach efforts including liaising with community organizations, attending neighborhood meetings and community events, and educating clients on public benefits and incentive programs.• Event planning – Organized and promoted annual health-promoting events in collaboration with community partners.

  • AmeriCorps/Community HealthCorps Member: Program Leader, Let's Get Movin'

    • Nov 2013 - Aug 2015

    Completed two 1700-hour AmeriCorps terms of service.• Program implementation – Ran physical activity and medical monitoring intervention for clinically overweight/obese children ages 8-14.• Data collection – Collected demographic, anthropomorphic, survey & attendance data for program evaluation• Program development – Spearheaded launch of successful family fitness and leadership development program, now in its 6th year; developed nutrition curriculum and facilitated nutrition workshops, cooking classes, and supermarket tours in Spanish.• Case management – Made referrals to external physical activity resources for a caseload of 30 families, providing translation services, application support, and negotiating program discounts.

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  Suffolk University Law School

  • Boston, MA

  • Housing Discrimination Tester

    • Apr 2014 - Dec 2019
    • Boston, MA

    • Data collection - Conducted housing discrimination tests to collect evidence of housing practices regarding members of protected classes. • Report writing – Completed detailed debrief report in an objective and impartial manner and served as a witness if legal action was pursued.

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  Prospectiv

  • Wakefield, Ma

  • Marketing Associate

    • Jul 2013 - Nov 2013
    • Wakefield, Ma

    Copywriting – Researched featured products/merchants and wrote marketing copy for daily deals/newsletters; managed company blog. Business development – Managed affiliate program and furthered business relationships with affiliates.

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  Koko FitClub, LLC

  • Marlborough, MA

  • Manager, FitCoach

    • Mar 2013 - Jul 2013
    • Marlborough, MA

    • Identified fitness and nutrition goals with members, developed fitness/nutrition plans• Educated members on proper use of fitness equipment, provided ongoing support and coaching to clients- Managed club administration including billing, scheduling, marketing, and facility maintenance

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  Aguila de Osa Inn

  • Drake Bay, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

  • Evening Manager, Marketing Associate

    • Jun 2011 - Mar 2013
    • Drake Bay, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

    • Coordinated air, marine, and land transportation, sold tours, conducted hotel orientations, addressed guest needs• Liaised with tour providers and area hotels in Spanish and oversaw evening staff• Increased traffic to website by rewriting SEO-optimized copy and advising in site redesign• Developed marketing campaigns and collateral to grow sales• Provided food and beverage service and maintained inventories

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  The Tartan, Gordon College's Independent Student Newspaper

  • Wenham, MA

  • Design & Photo Editor, Senior Staff Writer, Web Operations Manager

    • Aug 2011 - Dec 2011
    • Wenham, MA

    • Took point in complete redesign of the paper, including rebranding across platforms• Published seven print issues over the course of the semester with complete responsibility for layout/design, submission the printer, and updating website• Managed a team of photographers and assigned photo coverage, edited peers’ articles• Wrote several front-page stories, as well as editorials and other weekly news content • Developed creative ways to encourage cross-readership between print and online editions and gave a presentation to students and faculty about the importance of engaging in community journalism

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  Gordon College Chapel Office

  • Wenham, MA

  • Communications Intern

    • Jan 2011 - Dec 2011
    • Wenham, MA

    • Published articles in College blog, faculty newsletter, and student newspaper• Increased awareness of chapel events by sending email blasts to faculty and staff, posting notices on electronic bulletin boards and campus intranet, designing posters and sending press releases to local news outlets• Established Facebook presence and sought creative ways to present information

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  Prospectiv

  • Wakefield, Ma

  • Marketing Intern

    • Dec 2010 - Dec 2011
    • Wakefield, Ma

    • Increased productivity of the Operations and Marketing teams of Prospectiv's daily deals website Eversave by building 20+ “Saves” daily, editing copy with basic HTML, and ensuring completeness of sales contracts and deal descriptions before live launch • Grew list of local bloggers in each market for 100+ new potential affiliate relationships

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  Grotonwood-Oceanwood Camp and Conference Centers

  • Groton, MA & Ocean Park, ME

  • Communications Intern

    • Jan 2010 - Oct 2011
    • Groton, MA & Ocean Park, ME

    • Designed graphics and wrote copy for flyers, brochures, viewbook, advertisements, website, press releases, newsletters, email blasts and other marketing collateral for summer camps, retreat facilities, and special events • Promoted programs and improved interactivity on website by producing videos and virtual toursGrew Facebook presence