Experience

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  Mott Foundation

  • Flint, Michigan, United States

  • Communications Officer - Civil Society

    • Nov 2023 - Present
    • Flint, Michigan, United States
• 

  City of Troy (Michigan)

  • United States
  • Government Administration
  • 300 - 400 Employee

  • City Council Member

    • Nov 2023 - Present

  • Mayor Pro Tem

    • Nov 2022 - Nov 2023

  • City Council Member

    • Feb 2020 - Nov 2022

    Elected to represent residents of the 9th largest city in the state of Michigan, proudly boosting the fourth highest total property value in the state. In this public service role, I’ve had responsibility for reviewing and approving annual budgets of around $200 million and for supervising the work of Troy’s City Manager and City Attorney. Previously, I was an appointed member of the Troy Downtown Development Authority and Global Troy Advisory Committee, where I championed diversity, equity and inclusion in City activities.

• 

  Michigan Municipal League

  • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

  • Trustee, Board of Trustees

    • Sep 2021 - Present
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
• 

  The Kresge Foundation

  • United States
  • Philanthropic Fundraising Services
  • 100 - 200 Employee

  • Communications Officer - Internal and Strategic Initiatives

    • Jul 2015 - Nov 2023

    I managed and systematized operations to foster knowledge exchange and led change management within the foundation. I partnered closely with Kresge’s Strategic Learning, Research and Evaluation Practice and organizational development function and steered research for strategic publications. I have been an appointed member of Kresge’s Leadership and Infrastructure Funding Team (LIFT), whose grantmaking supports capacity building with a racial equity lens within the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. I served on the advisory board of LearnPhilanthropy of the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.

  • Presidential Fellow, Strategy and Evaluation

    • Jul 2014 - Jul 2015

    Situated in the Executive Office, I served as a Special Assistant to the President and CEO, working with Kresge program teams and leadership to develop systems, structures, and processes for the foundation to evaluate and learn from the activities it funds. I planned and organized foundation learning activities, including an interdisciplinary cross-team learning agenda. To support internal knowledge sharing, I worked to enhance organization-wide internal communications through assessing current trends and best practices, collecting internal stakeholder feedback, and developing and implementing recommendations for new procedures and updated systems. Other tasks involved aiding Program Department planning, assisting speech preparation for foundation leaders, and conducting research/analysis and authoring reports on general trends in philanthropy and social impact investing. I also served on the foundation’s Social Investment Channel Committee to contribute feedback towards new strategy development.

• 

  Oakland University

  • Rochester, Michigan

  • Adjunct Professor

    • Jan 2017 - Apr 2019
    • Rochester, Michigan

    I taught the course "Performance Metrics in Nonprofit Management" as a part of Oakland University's Nonprofit Management Certificate Program within the Department of Political Science.The course addressed the fundamentals of performance measurement in nonprofit organizations. It foc...

• 

  The World Bank

  • Washington D.C. Metro Area

  • Social Development & Conflict and Fragility Specialist

    • Oct 2012 - Jun 2014
    • Washington D.C. Metro Area

    Based in the Social Cohesion and Violence Prevention Group in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Social Development, while providing short-term support to the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group. The Social Cohesion cluster is responsible for promoting the overall effectiveness of the World Bank...

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  Council on Foreign Relations

  • Washington D.C. Metro Area

  • International Affairs Fellow

    • Oct 2012 - Oct 2013
    • Washington D.C. Metro Area

    As a recognized expert on the relationship between economic and political change, social cohesion, and conflict in the Balkans and former Soviet Union, I was awarded a Council on Foreign Relations 2012-2013 International Affairs Fellowship to apply my knowledge to the work of the World Bank’s Soc...

• 

  George Washington University

  • 1957 E Street, N.W., Suite 412 · Washington, D....

  • Visiting Research Scholar, Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies

    • Feb 2011 - Dec 2012
    • 1957 E Street, N.W., Suite 412 · Washington, D....

    Position to conduct research on "Manufacturing Separatism: Transnational Economy, Identity, and Politics on a Post-Soviet Frozen War Front (Moldova-Transnistria)," incorporating recent field research on political change and conflict, including transnational dimensions and local-level so...

• 

  Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholar...

  • 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington, DC 20004

  • Research Scholar

    • May 2010 - Feb 2011
    • 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington, DC 20004

    Title VIII US State Department supported think tank position to conduct policy-relevant research on protracted conflict, culture, and politics in Moldova and Eurasia. The work involved applying my academic research to real-world policy issues. I supervised 2 research assistants.I delivered a poli...

• 

  InterMedia Survey Institute

  • 1401 New York Ave NW 1000 · Washington, DC 20005

  • Consultant Analyst

    • Jul 2010 - Oct 2010
    • 1401 New York Ave NW 1000 · Washington, DC 20005

    Analytical job involved socio-political knowledge of the former Soviet Union and an ability to evaluate performance and effectiveness of individual Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) foreign-language services according to content, production and presentation quality. Proficient regional lan...

• 

  Wilton Park

  • Steyning, West Sussex, United Kingdom

  • Rapporteur

    • Oct 2008 - Nov 2008
    • Steyning, West Sussex, United Kingdom

    Selected to serve as official reporter for the high-level conference, Moldova: Moving Ahead (WP949), sponsored by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office at its premier global forum for dialogue and conflict resolution. Authored the report from the conference proceedings available online: ht...

• 

  IREX

  • 103 Mateevici Street · Chisinau 2009, Republic ...

  • Policy Specialist at Embassy of the United States to Moldova

    • Jul 2007 - Sep 2007
    • 103 Mateevici Street · Chisinau 2009, Republic ...

    Selected and funded by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Title VIII to serve as a resident scholar at the Embassy of the United States of America in Chisinau. I analyzed political and economic aspects of secessionist conflict in Moldova’s break-away region of Transnistria. The...

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  London School of Economics

  • Houghton Street · London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom

  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Anthropology

    • Oct 2006 - Jan 2007
    • Houghton Street · London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom

    Seminar teaching position for the intermediate undergraduate course “The Anthropology of Political and Legal Institutions” (AN 226) led by Professor Simon Roberts (Law Department) and Professor Deborah James (Anthropology). Teaching tasks required leading discussion-based 1-hour classes, as well ...

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  Association of Marshall Scholars

  • London, United Kingdom

  • Marshall Scholar alumna

    • Sep 2001 - Sep 2004
    • London, United Kingdom
• 

  Rotary International

  • Osijek, Croatia

  • Rotary Foundation Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholar

    • Aug 2000 - Jun 2001
    • Osijek, Croatia

    Selected Rotary Foundation Academic-year Ambassadorial Scholar by International Rotary District 6290 (from northern Michigan and Canada) to study religion and conflict on the former Slavonian war front in northeastern Croatia. Responsibilities included promoting international understanding and go...

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  Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Office ...

  • 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 11-245 · Cambridg...

  • Senior Staff Assistant, Office of Government and Community Relations

    • Nov 1999 - Jul 2000
    • 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 11-245 · Cambridg...

    Public service-oriented job requiring the administration of MIT’s Community Service Fund, a university philanthropic grantmaking entity, and the organization of community outreach activities. I liaised with MIT staff, faculty, local elected officials, and town constituents. I assisted in managing...