Experience

Michigan United

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

• Senior Advisor

  • Jan 2023 - Present

  Executive Team Advising: Aided the senior staff and Executive Director on issues and policies for a growing and changing organization. Creating Culture: Built a process that allowed both staff and managers to have input on an organization-wide planning retreat, which resulted in a retreat that was well received and run.Labor Negotiations: Aided in the preparation for the executive and senior managers to go through the unionization of the organizing staff. Developing Staff: Managing and coaching team members in their development and growth as leaders. Show less

• Movement Politics Director

  • Jul 2022 - Jan 2023

  Developing and Executing Plans: Created a plan and then managed staff and paid consultants to attempt more than 1.5 million contacts having over 200,000 conversations in key districts to help change the makeup of the Michigan House and Senate.Training and Advocacy: Leading a diverse team to help bring the voice of people in Michigan to the halls of power through direct actions, training on lobbying, and organizing people to talk to their elected leaders.Public Adocacy Campaign: Organized leaders and community groups as part of Community Change Action, Defend Black Voter campaign to hold down DTE rate increase and get resolutions passed at multiple local governments.Long-Term Planning Strategy: Developed a project plan for Michigan United to create a 10-year visioning document to help win power over the long term to save our environment, create good jobs, and build a Michigan that allows everyone to grow and thrive. Show less

• Relational Organizing Director

  • Mar 2020 - Jul 2022

  Team Management: Led a team of 20, including a deputy and a lead organizer, to create a network of 15,000 contacts engaging them in more than 36,000 conversations to get them to act on issues and vote in an election, a nationally recognized success.Department Planning: Created a 2-year political plan that lead the department through endorsements and a municipal election cycle.Created Informed Public Citizens: Crafted a questionnaire for the municipal races in 2021, taking input from the different issue campaigns. Distributed and then evaluated the questionnaire answers to determine who should be endorsed through a process with state-wide leaders.Hiring Staff: Drafted job descriptions for multiple jobs and lead the hiring of Program Managers and Organizers.Relationship Management: Built relationships with national partners People’s Action, Organizing Empowerment, Community Change Action, and Everybody Votes. Show less



Jk Consulting

• Staffing and Recruiting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Consultant

  • Sep 2018 - Present

  Consulting and Campaigns: Aided and advised campaigns in the 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 cycles on campaign planning, field, fundraising, GOTV, and volunteer recruitment. Strategic Communications and Sales Strategy: Co-developed investor pitch deck and other key communications materials for a startup business. Designed a sales strategy to secure government contracts. Coaching and Advising: Coached individuals in career changes and pursuing new executive-level positions, helped develop self-reflection papers, and aided in people making career transitions both in the public and private sector. Show less



Cook County

• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Chief Of Staff

  • Jan 2017 - Sep 2018

  Operational Planning: Built a long-term operations plan for the second-largest county in the United States that substantially improved the county’s fiscal position while promoting economic growth and inclusion of diverse communities. Operations Management and Budget Management: Managed a $5.2B budget and oversaw operations for 22,000 employees. Hired all senior management personnel with 25 senior staff as direct reports. Team Leadership: Directed a 17-member communications and legislative team to promote the policy agenda of the Cook County Board President. Relationship Building and Stakeholder Management: Cultivated and maintained key stakeholder relationships on behalf of the Board President. Fostered relationships with members of the business, advocacy, and labor communities to enact and implement policies in the best interest of the county and its people. Project Management: Helped oversee the construction of a $100M health care building. Liaised with community members to build support for the project and worked with development team to control costs. Labor Relations: Empowered the labor management team to complete 80 major labor contracts, supporting 18,000 workers countywide by leveraging long-standing relationships with labor leaders to achieve substantial concessions. Labor Cost Management: Reduced long-term labor costs by ~$90M, with ~$20M of that coming from an agreement with the sheriff department union to change overtime rules. Show less

• Director of External Affairs

  • Jan 2016 - Jan 2017

  Development of Strategy: Created and executed strategy to pass a tax plan that raised $200M in annual revenue to expand health care to the underserved, support programs to combat gun violence, and preserve other vital staff and services. Budget Process: Led team of senior officials to develop and pass a $5.2B balanced budget within a 34-day period. Community Outreach and Partner Relationship Management: Nurtured and retained relationships with key stakeholder groups, including the business community and labor organizations, to support ambitious countywide goals. Negotiation and Ordinance Development: Negotiated an ordinance change to increase ~300,000 undocumented immigrants’ access to health care. Show less

• Legislative Coordinator

  • Jun 2014 - Jan 2016

  Legislative Policy: Conceived and implemented legislative strategies to accomplish bureau initiatives. Government Relations: Led outreach efforts to local government leaders on major construction projects affecting their constituents, including an escrow environmental project that earned revenue for the county. Negotiation and Union Relations: Revised and updated the county building code. Negotiated to gain support of building code unions and led effort to pass measure through the County Board. Show less



JK Consulting

• Staffing and Recruiting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Political Consultant

  • Aug 2013 - Jun 2014

  Campaign Strategy Development: Devised campaign strategy for 3 campaigns, helping candidates earn 800,000+ votes in countywide races. Petitions: Initiated petition gathering and ballot access assistance using NGP VAN voter database. Fundraising and GOTV: Planned and managed fundraising and staffing processes and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) initiatives. Campaign Strategy Development: Devised campaign strategy for 3 campaigns, helping candidates earn 800,000+ votes in countywide races. Petitions: Initiated petition gathering and ballot access assistance using NGP VAN voter database. Fundraising and GOTV: Planned and managed fundraising and staffing processes and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) initiatives.



Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

• United States
• Government Administration
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Director of Local Government Affairs

  • May 2012 - Jul 2013

  Relationship Building and Local Government: Built and maintained relationships with municipalities, townships, and counties. Promoted agency programs to local government. Project Staffing: Staffed and charged the Local Government Consolidation Commission with reviewing 7,000 local governments enacting law in Illinois. The commission identified opportunities for increased efficiency. Relationship Building and Local Government: Built and maintained relationships with municipalities, townships, and counties. Promoted agency programs to local government. Project Staffing: Staffed and charged the Local Government Consolidation Commission with reviewing 7,000 local governments enacting law in Illinois. The commission identified opportunities for increased efficiency.



Friends of Christian Mitchell

• Campaign Manager

  • Nov 2011 - May 2012

  Team Leadership and Strategic Communications: Directed a team of polling and media consultants to develop messaging and targeting strategies. Played vital role in candidate’s election victory as the youngest member of the state’s legislative body. Hiring, Supervisory Management, and Volunteer Management: Hired and oversaw 15 staffers and interns. Recruited and managed volunteers in get-out-the-vote efforts. Team Leadership and Strategic Communications: Directed a team of polling and media consultants to develop messaging and targeting strategies. Played vital role in candidate’s election victory as the youngest member of the state’s legislative body. Hiring, Supervisory Management, and Volunteer Management: Hired and oversaw 15 staffers and interns. Recruited and managed volunteers in get-out-the-vote efforts.

• Chief Deputy Director, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

  • May 2011 - Oct 2011

  Financial Process Improvement: Secured ~$9M in reimbursement funds for the county by correcting financial processes.

• Deputy Chief of Staff

  • Nov 2010 - May 2011

  Directed external and community affairs: Met with issue groups from around the county on what they wanted out of the new administration focus on labor and communities groups; built relationships with the board of Cook County Commissioners; aided in the passage of the first budget which had a deficit of over $400 million when the new administration came in.



Preckwinkle for President Campaign

• Campaign Manager

  • Mar 2010 - Nov 2010

  Campaign Management: Led effort that secured 900,000 votes for candidate’s win as the first African American female to be elected County Board President of Cook County.

• Deputy Campaign Manager

  • Nov 2008 - Feb 2010


Friends of Will Burns
• Field Director

  • Aug 2007 - Feb 2008

Alderman Preckwinkle Re-Election
• Campaign Director

  • 2006 - 2007

Amy Klobuchar For Senate
• Field Organizer

  • 2006 - 2006

21st Century Democrats
• Political Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Intern

  • 2005 - 2005