Alejandra Cerna Rios Email & Phone Number

Boise, Idaho, United States

In this role I led organizational strategy in all aspects and managed a team. Some of my duties and achievements include:Hired, managed, and coached team of 11 across research, communications, outreach and development roles with aim of increasing responsibility based on interests and strengths.Created a collaborative and equity-oriented work culture, ensured work was aligned with annual goals, clarified roles, and supported staff in developing workplans and executing day-to-day work.Built productive relationships across our parent organization - Jannus Inc - and helped improve organizational policies and practices as a member of the program leadership group.Ensured effectiveness of partner and coalition work by nurturing relationships with partners, identifying their goals, and adjusting our workplans to support transformational relationships with partners.Prepared budget proposals for funders and managed organizational budget of up to $500,000 across a diversified set of revenue sources; doubled program budget over three years.Led team to state policy wins in affordable housing, tax, education, and safety net policy.Supported staff in overhauling website, branding, and communications strategies to reach goals of increasing influence and efficiency in shaping debates.Designed year-round research portfolio including new areas of work and authored reports as needed.Represented organization as a policy expert with the media, partner organizations, and policymakers.

Boise, Idaho Area

In this role I led policy research and contributed to advocacy and communications strategy. I also formed part of a senior leadership team that included the director and assistant directors. Key duties and achievements include:Hired, trained, and maanged 3 research and policy staff of varying experience to take on increasing responsibility based on interests and strengths, for example a new criminal justice research initiative. Developed workplans and cultivated close relationships with leadership team to coordinate workplans, collaborate on shared goals, and improve organizational policies and practices.Influenced legislative proposals such as a new state child tax credit and Medicaid Expansion.Conducted research and authored/co-authored reports on: tax and budget, affordable housing, K-12 finance, post-secondary education, Medicaid Expansion, criminal justice, and other topics.Created innovative policy research products such as chartbooks on Medicaid and housing affordabilityRegularly made headlines with new research and data framed in strategic communications.Led team in planning and executing new policy forums and events.Delivered dozens of policy presentations on tax and budget, housing, education, and economic policy.

Boise, Idaho, United States

This role covered both policy research/advocacy and fundraising. I served as the manager of all fundraising activities, working with one development associate and several contractors. Some of my duties and responsibilities included:Hired, trained and mentored development associate to take on increasing responsibility.Re-launched gala fundraising event, increasing proceeds from about $50,000 to $90,000 year over yearDeveloped core fundraising messaging for several campaigns.Authored a grade-level reading report that helped gain passage of a new state K-3 literacy initiative.Engaged partner organizations, coalitions, state agencies, and legislators on our policy priorities Compiled and analyzed data on child and family policies, Medicaid Expansion, and other topics.

Austin, Texas Area

My duties and achievements included:Co-authored an immigration report used by executive director to launch immigration initiative.Compiled and analyzed data on higher education, immigration, and workforce policies and created graphics and slides for wide audiences.Prepared blogs, briefs, and literature reviews on post-secondary education and workforce policy topics.

Austin, Texas Area

For nearly two years I held appointments in teaching and research at UT-Austin. I held a research appointment with the Texas Institute for Child and Family Well-Being, a group committed to uniting academia and research with practitioners and advocates who work directly with children and families. I conducted with qualitative coding, literature reviews, and phone interviewing. I also team-taught the course U.S. Poverty in Nonfiction and Film, an undergraduate signature offering, with a professor and four graduate students. For that, I led two weekly discussion sections and lectured on public safety net programs.

Greater Chicago Area

The La Posada housing program at Casa Central serves Chicago families with shelter and wraparound social services. My work included the following: • Connected approximately 55 homeless families to permanent housing during their interim residence at our program, and new employment or training and additional support services. • Assessed program applicants for basic needs, identified immediate support services from our program and partner organizations, connected applicants to services. • Outreached proactively to local employers and managed relationships; researched local labor markets • Collaborated with WERC, a group for nonprofit job developers, to leverage and promote shared talent pools and outreach to regional and national employers. • Planned and managed Put Illinois to Work, an ARRA-funded jobs program, at Casa Central; successfully placed residents into living wage jobs. • Organized workshop series for clients on workplace rights with partner organizations.• Evaluated program outcomes and adapted program strategies.

Greater Chicago Area

• Managed staff of 30-40 telephone and face-to-face survey interviewers • Planned daily workflow and schedules for multiple projects at the phone center and in the field• Wrote daily production reports for upper management, project managers, and principal investigators• Coached new interviewers on phone technique, survey software, and computer hardware and delivered feedback. • Developed sampling and recruitment strategy with principal investigators and managers. • Piloted instruments in English and Spanish to ensure quality data.• Developed field procedures for intensive human subject survey research including projects such as race in housing preferences, homeless youth service access; navigation of breast cancer treatment.• Coordinated technical assistance for computer and software issues.

Master Of Public Affairs, Social And Economic Policy

Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs

Master Of Science In Social Work (Msw), Community And Administrative Leadership

Activities and Societies: Phi Alpha Honor Society, Social Worker Enriching Latino Leadership, Dean's Ambassador

Certificate, Nonprofit Management

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Education Studies