Experience

• 

  Children's Home of York

  • York, PA

  • President & CEO

    • Mar 2020 - Present
    • York, PA

    Children’s Home of York (CHOY) is an accredited non-profit human service organization and is committed to serving Pennsylvanias most vulnerable children and families. CHOY is deeply rooted in the York community where an orphanage was opened in 1865 to care for children who lost their parents during the Civil War. Today, CHOY is a trauma-informed, child welfare agency offering a broad range of essential services including prevention, foster care, adoption, psychiatric residential treatment, independent living group homes, and a partial hospitalization program (PHP). Most of the children served through CHOY have experienced disrupted relationships, profound trauma, and loss. Consequently, Children’s Home seeks to create a loving home and/or a safe therapeutic environment to help children heal and ultimately flourish. A more comprehensive overview of programs and services can be found on their website at: https://www.childrenshomeofyork.org/.

• 

  Springboard Community Services, Inc.

  • Baltimore, Maryland Area

  • Chief Operations Officer

    • Aug 2017 - Jan 2020
    • Baltimore, Maryland Area

    Springboard Community Services, formerly Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland (FCS) is a 501(c)(3), CARF Accredited, licensed Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC). Since 1849, FCS has served Central Maryland including Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties. FCS helps clients address complex behavioral health and case management needs through counseling, psychiatric services and medication management, but are renowned for their work with Child Advocacy Centers. Here, they provide crisis intervention and mental health care for children who have disclosed significant abuse, neglect and/or sexual abuse. FCS is also a leading provider of victim services for those who have experienced violence, including operating a domestic violence shelter. I accepted a two-year commitment to serve as the Chief Operating Officer at FCS to lead an organization-wide change strategy. FCS, experienced a momentous environmental shock with the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA triggered a corresponding philanthropic de-investment as grant revenue was theoretically no longer needed to support individuals who were uninsured. As such, several years of notable year-to-date losses required transformative change. My experience working with Cornell faculty with community based change strategies grounded in participatory action research coupled with decades of experience as an accountant and Executive Director, positioned me well to work with a talented crew to reimagine FCS. The results are well underway for an extraordinary future as past efforts converge with a growth strategy that will ensure FCS’s 170-year history of serving Baltimore and surrounding community results in yet another century of excellence, service and integrity.

• 

  National Association of Social Workers - New York State Chapter

  • Albany, New York Area

  • Executive Director

    • Nov 2015 - Nov 2017
    • Albany, New York Area

    Note* Executive Director 11/2015-08/2017 and Interim Executive Director 8/1/17-11/15/17The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. NASW-NYS Chapter represents close to 7000 social work members and is committed to a repertoire of professional development opportunities and a robust policy and social justice agenda. While representing the profession as the Executive Director of NASW-NYS, I was thrilled to work with staff to rebuild its financial foundation, develop new entrepreneurial revenue streams, re-erect a continuing education program using multiple modalities, protect and advance social worker's NYS Scope of Practice, and advance a broad social justice agenda. Of the many exciting accomplishments achieved with partnering organizations, staff, our governing board and social workers across the state, the passing of Raise the Age was a career defining moment. This herculean feat will forever change the life trajectory of 50,000 children in NY each year, predominantly children of color, and their families. It will forever remind me of the power of policy and the role individuals can play to drive broad systems change. See uploaded press release for details.

• 

  Cornell Cooperative Extension

  • United States
  • Individual and Family Services
  • 400 - 500 Employee

  • Executive Director

    • Oct 2005 - Nov 2015

    Executive DirectorCornell University Cooperative Extension of Oneida County2005 – PresentLead/grew a team of 140 professionals to engage the community, Cornell University, stakeholders, government leaders and others. Develop and maintain effective working relationships among the association, its staff, extension administration, and Cornell faculty. Provide leadership for association relations with legislators, local government leaders, community leaders, funding agencies, and civic and diverse special interest groups in the third-largest US refugee resettlement community in the United States.Exercise executive skills in administering overall association operations including financial operations and planning, marketing and public relations, resource development, program development and leadership, and HR management.♦ Grew budget and associated services ten-fold during tenure with organization, countering national trends during period. ♦ Reestablished funder relationships and diversifying from three main funding sources in 2005 to over 50 sources and contracts in 2014.♦ Led and navigated successful integration of two subsidiaries.♦ Identified needs to fuel establishment and growth of innovative educational programs including renewable energy, childcare, Rust2Green, and agricultural products exporting to address community priorities.

  • Executive Director

    • Jan 2012 - Dec 2014

    Executive DirectorCornell University Cooperative Extension of Madison County2012 – PresentSelected to lead combined two-county extension programs that represent the second-largest operating budget in New York State. In addition to identical administrative responsibilities of Oneida County assignment, lead program operations as follows: sustainable production agriculture; renewable energy; regional and community development (Rust2Green); agriculture economic development; health and nutrition education; disaster preparedness; early childhood education (Head Start); commercial and consumer horticulture; youth development; early childhood education and care; and financial literacy.♦ Stepped in to lead audit and produce urgently-needed 18-months-deliquent financial reports for board; appointed as interim director and ultimately to Executive Director title. ♦ Led operational and financial recovery, moving from near-insolvency and inability to cover payroll, to healthy cash position and debt-to-asset ratio improvement of over 37%.

  • Service Learning Exchange

    • Oct 2013 - Oct 2013

    Watershed stewardship

• 

  Rust to Green Utica

  • City of Utica

  • Rust2Green/Co-Founding Member

    • Jun 2009 - Dec 2014
    • City of Utica

    Rust to Green is a participatory action research project engaging academic and community partners in collectively identifying problems and needs and the specific action steps that can be taken to address them. This project seeks to restore ecological integrity and biodiversity in the heart of the city, adjust and localize metabolic flows of food, energy and waste and provide opportunities to enable cooperative action and ecological stewardship.♦ Engaged and developed partnerships with City of Utica leaders and others to propel R2G initiatives. ♦ Recognized as part of R2G team with Cornell University’s 2014 Community & Economic Vitality Award.

• 

  Resource Center for Independent Living, Inc.

  • Utica, NY

  • Program Director

    • Jan 2005 - Oct 2005
    • Utica, NY

    Learning Disability Association of the Mohawk Valley (Utica/Watertown) 2005 – 2005Provided oversight for two offices and six programs: educational advocacy; youth leadership; adult basic education and general equivalency degree (GED) preparation; summer youth programs; youth academic support; and GED/life skills program at Mid-State Corrections. LDA was assumed by RCIL.

• 

  Fermer Precision Inc

  • Ilion, New York

  • Accountant/Office Manager

    • Jan 1992 - Jan 2005
    • Ilion, New York

    Led the accounting office for this family owned and operated manufacturing company supplying automotive industry. Managed $4.9 million accounts receivable department and all other accounting functions including payroll, quarterly taxes, cash receipts and disbursements, bank reconciliation, inventory control, general ledger, preparation of month-end financial statements and budget formulation and analysis.Led human resources function of this 120-employee organization. Ensured excellence of execution in all payroll and benefits services including health insurance, life insurance, and selection and administration of 401k plan. Recruited, hired, and trained staff, developed office procedures, created and implemented corporate HR policies, represented corporation in legal proceedings, and marketed the corporation by fostering relationships with multi-billion-dollar customers.♦ Elevated value of department by creating critical reports to enhance information available for organization’s decision making and strategy development functions.