Resume

SUMMARY
Managing and growing the Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health (WNYCOSH) Worker Center. Developed 18 language worker hotline. Developed leadership training for underserved communities. Developed workers Rights curricula focused on familiarizing new Americans and other vulnerable populations with information on their rights in the workplace and strategies to pursue them.

EXPERIENCE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WNYCOSH;  2021-Present
Responsible for oversight of all aspects of the organization including fiscal and programmatic. Responsible for securing organizational funding through grant writing and fundraising. Responsible for managing grants and overseeing finances. Manages a staff of 5.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WNYCOSH; 2016-2021
Responsible for relaunching WNYCOSH Worker Center. Launch included 10 language worker hotline to assist workers. Began in the process of translating training and reference documents in local languages including the WNYCOSH website with on the fly translation. Development of Leadership Training Program focusing on vulnerable communities including immigrants and refugees.

Development Director, International Institute of Buffalo; 2014-2016
Increased annual giving from $85,000 to $167,500/year in less than 2 years. Grew annual fundraising event from $51,000 to $79,000 in 18 months. Developed cultivation programming highlighting IIB’s century of cultural programming for upcoming centennial celebration. Created initiatives to increase donor retention. Supervise staff of three.

Development Director, Journey’s End Refugee Services; Buffalo – 2009-2014
Increased individual giving base from $39,000/year to more than $217,000/year in less than four years. Directed successful implementation of Benevon Fundraising Model. Led eight member team of staff, board, and volunteers for semi-monthly introductory tours for over 400 guests annually. Planned and coordinated agency’s largest fundraising event with more than 360 guests and $85,000 in pledges and gifts. Created unique Journey’s End branded community-engagement events and projects including quarterly Global Feast Dinners, Buffalo’s First Thanksgiving, Buffalo Through Their Eyes Photo Show, The Home Again Project, and School Moms. Events had an annual attendance of more than 1,500 attendees. Managed gift tracking and acknowledgement. Designed quarterly newsletters, annual reports, and annual-appeal mailings and press communications. Installed and managed agency technology, including website, servers, computers, and mobile devices. Led staff of four.

Executive Director, VIVE INC; Buffalo – 2007-2009
Produced first balanced budget in three years, while growing services and addressing core organizational deficiencies. Raised $500,000 annually from private sources for operations, with little access to government funding. Negotiated the largest gift in the history of the organization, valued at more than $275,000. Successfully negotiated release of aging restricted gift that represented 14% of total agency assets. Rebuilt relationships with funders including Erie County. Re-established inclusion in regular County budget for the first time in 13 years. Reduced service wait times from three months to available on-demand. Reconfigured service model to focus on core mission objectives while cutting expenses by 12%. Created new revenue stream by establishing equitable, sustainable service charge accounting for 11% of total revenue. Recruited, hired, and led staff of 16.

General Manager, Niagara Independent Media; Buffalo – 2005-2007
Developed and wrote business plan to bring unique brand of community radio to Buffalo’s airwaves. Raised $600,000 for the project through fund-development efforts. Generated $1,000,000 in total revenue for the first 12 months of the project. Coordinated sales, production, and on-air product. Recruited, hired, and led staff of 17.

Fiscal Administrator, WNYCOSH; Buffalo – 2000-2006
Documented programmatic progress in meeting objectives and completed vouchers for reimbursement for agency’s 11 contracts. Processed accounts payable and accounts receivable and tracked all activity in Quickbooks. Reconciled all accounts, coordinated audit preparations. Developed participant-led WNYSAP youth leadership training program that reached 4,500 high school students from 2002-2005.

Youth & Family Services Coordinator, Hispanics United; Buffalo – 1998-2000
Reestablished institutional relationships, and brought all department contracts into compliance. Recouped 18 months of funding withheld due to improper tracking and reporting of contract goals and objectives. Developed consumer focused employment program to maximize use of grant dollars and outcomes for participants.

Labor Standards Investigator, NYS Department of Labor; Buffalo – 1994-1997
Investigated claims of NYS Labor Law violations involving child labor, minimum
wage, overtime, fringe benefits and farm labor. Processed claims, conducted investigations, issued violations, and prepared cases for prosecution. As department EAP coordinator, made referrals to various community agencies for 17 units within the Western New York region of the Department of Labor.

EDUCATION
Friends’ World College, Huntington, NY – BA Liberal Arts 1991. Political Economy and International Development.

HONORS
• Citizen Action of WNY 2007 “Agent of Change” Award
• ARTVOICE – 2004 Local Hero
• 2004 Peace Education Fund Award – Western New York Peace Center

SERVICE
• United States Peace Corps, Peace Corps Volunteer, Dominican Republic. 1992-1994
• AmeriCorps VISTA, VISTA Volunteer, West Seneca Youth Bureau. 1997-1998
• Child and Family Services, Ways to Work Family Loan Program Committee Member 1999-2005