- Own and operate a full-service economic and community development consulting firm- Annually manage a portfolio of 20-25 public, private, and nonprofit clients throughout the U.S. providing a broad range of services including strategic planning, project development and implementation, funding identification and grant writing, and government relations- Collaborate with clients to apply for federal, state, and philanthropic grants, maintaining an 86% success rate- Current and past… Show more - Own and operate a full-service economic and community development consulting firm- Annually manage a portfolio of 20-25 public, private, and nonprofit clients throughout the U.S. providing a broad range of services including strategic planning, project development and implementation, funding identification and grant writing, and government relations- Collaborate with clients to apply for federal, state, and philanthropic grants, maintaining an 86% success rate- Current and past clients include, but are not limited to, the following: USDA Rural Development, Kansas State University, International City/County Management Association, Rural LISC, Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation, North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission, Jackson State University, Ouachita Parish Police Jury, NextOp Inc., and City of West Monroe Show less

- Provided professional services for public, private, and non-profit organizations seeking expertise in government affairs, federal grant programs, public policy, public-private partnerships, rural economic development, and strategic planning.- Clients included the Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation (LITACorp), Delta Regional Authority (DRA), Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC), Jackson State University (JSU), University of Southern Mississippi (USM), and… Show more - Provided professional services for public, private, and non-profit organizations seeking expertise in government affairs, federal grant programs, public policy, public-private partnerships, rural economic development, and strategic planning.- Clients included the Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation (LITACorp), Delta Regional Authority (DRA), Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC), Jackson State University (JSU), University of Southern Mississippi (USM), and SkyRider Communications.- Built relationships with White House officials and various Congressional committees including, but not limited to, House and Senate Appropriations, Senate Environment and Public Works, House Transportation and Infrastructure, and House and Senate Agriculture. Built bipartisan relationships with Congressional offices and Governors’ offices.- Successfully advocated for $170 million to be directed to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) grant program, which supports workforce training and career services in rural and economically distressed communities throughout the 25 states comprising the Mississippi River Delta, Appalachia, and Northern Border regions.- Successfully advocated for $150 million to be directed to the Delta Regional Authority through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to support grant-making activities related to public infrastructure, workforce training, small business development and entrepreneurship, and capacity-building. Show less

- Instructed online courses for ULM's Department of Political Science under the College of Business & Social Sciences- Utilized a variety of instructional methodologies to ensure courses were interactive and engaging- Developed course materials, proctored examinations, and worked directly with students to improve subject matter understanding- Assisted students with placements into internship and fellowship positions

- Provided government relations services to municipal and county government clients- Assisted the City of Clinton, Iowa secure a $15 million RAISE Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation in FY 2021 (the only award in the state) - Managed more than a dozen strategic planning processes for local governments and multi-jurisdictional regions, with an emphasis on asset-based economic development, workforce training and talent attraction, small businesses and entrepreneurship… Show more - Provided government relations services to municipal and county government clients- Assisted the City of Clinton, Iowa secure a $15 million RAISE Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation in FY 2021 (the only award in the state) - Managed more than a dozen strategic planning processes for local governments and multi-jurisdictional regions, with an emphasis on asset-based economic development, workforce training and talent attraction, small businesses and entrepreneurship, housing, public infrastructure, brownfields redevelopment, and funding strategies Show less

- Developed and implemented federal programs and interagency initiatives designed to advance economic opportunities in underserved areas of the eight-state Mississippi River Delta region and collaborated with senior program staff and leadership at other federal agencies to identify partnership opportunities- Worked directly with the White House and the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, and other federal agencies to develop and implement joint programming benefitting rural… Show more - Developed and implemented federal programs and interagency initiatives designed to advance economic opportunities in underserved areas of the eight-state Mississippi River Delta region and collaborated with senior program staff and leadership at other federal agencies to identify partnership opportunities- Worked directly with the White House and the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, and other federal agencies to develop and implement joint programming benefitting rural and underserved communities- Leveraged millions of dollars in outside public, private, and philanthropic investment toward targeted programs for the DRA service area- Operated as a member of the agency’s core leadership team, assisting the Federal Co-Chair with management of day-to-day operations, implementation of policies and procedures, and monitoring employee performance- Advised the Federal Co-Chair on public policy decisions, legislative affairs, agency programs and regional initiatives- Collaborated with the Board of Governors on coordinating federal programs with regional initiatives Show less