Experience

LINK Houston

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Aug 2022 - Present



U.S. AbilityOne Commission

• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Commissioner (Presidential Appointee)

  • Aug 2021 - Present

  The fifteen-member commission:● Oversees the AbilityOne program that provides employment opportunities to over 42,000 people with significant disabilities nationwide and manages the agency’s 34 permanent staff● Determines which products and services purchased by the federal government must be procured from AbilityOne-participating nonprofit agencies. In FY20, this amounted to $4 billion in products and services.● Establishes the fair market prices for these products and services and revises the prices when appropriate● Ensures that approximately 500 nonprofit agencies comply with Commission rules and regulations through on-site reviews of agency operations, annual certifications, and other means● Designates one or more distributors for AbilityOne products and services



City of Houston Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities

• United States
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director

  • Sep 2019 - Jun 2022

  ● Supervised five staff members and coordinated their projects, policy portfolios, and caseloads● Administered the $700,000 annual operating budget. An appropriation increase of $500,000 over fiscal years 2022 - 2023.● Served as a subject matter expert to Mayor Sylvester Turner and city leadership on issues impacting Houstonians with disabilities● Developed and monitored legislation and policy● Built relationships and partnerships to promote the full inclusion of Houstonians with disabilities● Led disability community emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities. 5 from 2019 - 2022, including Hurricanes Laura and Nicholas, Tropical Storm Beta, Winter Storm Uri, and the COVID-19 pandemic.



National Federation of the Blind

• United States
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Manager of Government Affairs

  • Jan 2019 - Sep 2019

   Supervise 2 Government Affairs Specialists and coordinate their associated policy portfolios  Administer the organization’s education, technology, and minority-owned small business policy portfolio  Advise the President of the National Federation of the Blind, Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy, and other senior level staff regarding legislativestrategy and current and future issue campaigns  Evaluate proposed legislation, notices of proposed rulemaking, and other legislative and regulatory documents to determine their potential impact onblind Americans  Draft regulatory comments, legislative language, factsheets, reports, and memoranda for various audiences – ranging from congressional staff to the organization’sgrassroots membership  Represent the organization at conferences and meetings with governmental and nongovernmental entities  Strengthen the organization’s participation in coalitions and working groups with broad stakeholder communities to advance its interests  Produce oral, written, and recorded presentations in Spanish for the organization’s outreach and member engagement efforts

• Project Director, Nonvisual Election Technology Project

  • Sep 2017 - Sep 2019

  • Supervise project staff• Coordinate with outside organizations for program outreach• Submit quarterly reports to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Government Affairs Specialist

  • May 2015 - Jan 2019

   Negotiated, drafted, and shepherded through the legislative process the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education “AIM HIGH” Act, (S. 2138 and H.R. 1772) in the 115th Congress  Led and executed the legislative strategy for the ratification and adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled and its implementing legislation (S. 2559) passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2018, by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 25, 2018, and signed by the President on October 9, 2018 (Pub. L. 115-261)