The Government Relations Regional Team Lead is responsible for the development and maintenance of resources (staff and volunteers) vital to establish and achieve state and local American Heart Association Field Advocacy priorities. Responsible for providing and advising strategic vision and implementation for overall regional statewide and local advocacy activities. Responsible for leading and advising staff to plan and execute issue advocacy campaigns to advance the American Heart Association’s mission through policy, systems and environmental change. Responsible for engaging and influencing state and local volunteers and staff to develop grassroots support for American Heart Association’s federal, state and local public policy changes and issues.Core Supportive Accomplishments* South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative - Founding Executive Leader* Expanded Self-Measured Blood Pressure Coverage - North Dakota* National Advocacy Awardee - Equity Champion

Responsible for serving as the primary representative of the American Heart Association to the assigned state legislature, state executive branch and associated state agencies to generate awareness and support for the AHA’s public policy agenda. Strategically coordinate and lead efforts to advance the state public policy priorities. Additionally, responsible for annually planning, managing, and carrying out an active public policy agenda at the local level for Sioux Falls and Bismarck as well as identifying and encouraging local public policy work for success related to AHA’s mission throughout North and South Dakota. Also, responsible for working with staff, volunteers, coalitions, and partner organizations to build support for our policy issues and to integrate advocacy messaging into AHA programs and events.Core Supportive Accomplishments* Passed Medicaid Expansion & secured appropriation - South Dakota* Increased Medicaid Post Partum Extension to 12 months & secured appropriation - North Dakota* Increased Medicaid Post Partum Eligibility & secured appropriation - North Dakota* Increased Medicaid Post Partum Extension to 12 months & secured appropriation - South Dakota* Defended against Medicaid Eligibility Work Requirements - South Dakota* Increased Access to Quality Childcare Program with appropriation - North Dakota* Expanded Self-Measured Blood Pressure Coverage - South Dakota* Defended Stroke Registry Funding - North Dakota* Defended Flavored Product Restrictions - Valley City, North Dakota* National Advocacy Award Nominee - Transformational Relationship* North Dakota Multi-Partner Health Collaborative - Founding Executive Leadership Member

Responsible for developing volunteer and coalition engagement plans for the assigned Advocacy Campaign. Additional responsibilities include managing volunteer and stakeholder communications, collaborating with the backbone leadership of the campaign, conducting outreach and public education activities, and overseeing marketing and social media efforts.

CypherWorx provides Learning Content Management Systems, instructional design services, and credential and certificate programs for organizations in fields including K12, universities, childcare, fire and emergency medical, cultural, social service, and small business.

Assisted in managing a $1.35M grant, achieved deliverables with the regional network, and coordinated training and capacity building services in the Midwest Region. The Midwest Region is a collaboration between Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, North Dakota, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Central States Synod (KS, MO) and Lutheran Disaster Response who work to enhance community response and recovery to disasters. Accountable to track and achieve grant deliverables, create reports, manage budget, ensure quality training, and participant satisfaction with the assistance of the regional partners; develop and design training (both in-person and web-based) in topics related to disaster services; secure and maintain an online learning management system for virtual training delivery and tracking; responsible to market the training to agencies and communities; and deploy to deliver training to entities throughout the Midwest region based on need.Core Accomplishments* Centralized documentation, data collection and reporting tools into the cloud* Pivoted during pandemic to pilot and execute training remotely* Researched and created a learning management system requirements document* Secured a leaning managements system through a request for proposal process

Responsible to coordinate internal subject matter experts providing support to disaster recovering public entities. In the field liaison for multiple public entities, gathering information to create a successful application for Federal reimbursement of disaster recovery sites. Oversee claim process by reviewing & validating damage details, scopes of work, & costs.

Accountable for the leadership and direction of all operations, supervision of thirty operational staff in multiple locations, logistics management of all aspects of programs and services, and development and implementation of all policies, operations, and practices.Core Accomplishments:• Increased distribution by 19% in one fiscal year through efficiencies (12.186M lbs. – 14.5M lbs.)• Decreased number of food insecure counties from 15 – two (68% reduction), in one fiscal year• Created/rolled out new Mobile Food Pantry ($200K) in 13 neighborhoods in second largest city• Expanded mobile distributions into 26, hard to reach, food insecure communities• Hired first Statewide Volunteer Coordinator; increased volunteer engagement by more than 35%• Decreased costs by increasing distributions through efficiencies by 15%• Guided Robust Agency Review; decreased number of partners 20% and increased distribution by 19%

As Regional Growth Officer lead and actively engaged in business development and sales efforts associated with the assigned market segment targets. As Program Manager ensured Senscio Systems; IbisCare services were set up effectively and efficiently with each new client and their partner organizations, and subsequently all aspects of day-to-day operations were on track to meet client goals.

As Executive Director, ensured mission delivery of lines of service: disaster cycle services – prepare, respond & recover, biomedical services, health and safety services, international services, and service to armed forces; provided strategic leadership to both paid and volunteer staff; acted as the “Face” of Red Cross and developed collaborative relationships with donors, volunteers, government agencies, businesses, charitable and social service agencies, and media and chief fundraiser in Eastern South Dakota.Core Accomplishments:* Transitioned and consolidated 8 chapters into one regional chapter* Created, as a founding Charter Team member, the American Red Cross National Home Fire Campaign to Build Resilient Communities* Assisted in securing a $1.425M FEMA Fire Prevention & Safety grant to kick off campaign in 2014* Assisted in securing a second FEMA Fire Prevention & Safety grant of $1.5M in 2015* Rebuilt board and volunteer workforce to be representative of Eastern South Dakota from approximately 20 to over 280 strong* Reintroduced Blood Services in Sioux Falls after 13 years of no activity

As Chapter Support Officer strengthened, organized, and managed three Community Chapter Boards of Directors; built public awareness as the “face” for the Red Cross in the sixteen counties served; developed community partnerships; organized and implemented strategies to increase gifts and manage development events; oversaw disaster operations.Core Accomplishments:* Created and executed two communitywide pilot projects with a focus on fire prevention and emergency preparedness - first community - one day canvassing event reaching 1,400 households; second community - reached five hundred households* Rebuilt and expanded three local community boards from 13 to 24 members in 10 months* Managed and led Statewide Red Cross AmeriCorps Program - 5 Site Supervisors/8 Members who coordinated regional Community Resiliency Initiatives* Deployed to Superstorm Sandy to Joint Field Office in New York

As the International Burn Coordinator coordinated initiatives on behalf of 300,000 members in North America, focusing on fire prevention and burn awareness education, advocacy, burn research and improving the quality of life for burn survivors; oversaw review and strategic planning of all activities; managed annual budget of $1.35 million; established partnerships and capacity for fundraising and awareness of the organization internally and externally. Core Accomplishments:* Implemented organizational structure of 16 Foundation Coordinators around North America* Provided guidance to consolidate seven 501(c)3’s to create the IAFF Charitable Foundation* Restructured and directed the annual IAFF Burn Foundation’s International Burn Camp for four years* Rolled out a National Scald Prevention Campaign Initiative* Coordinated development of a National Fire Fighter Peer Support program in partnership with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors* Secured and coordinated FY14 - $942,000 FEMA grant with a focus on Fire Prevention through Code Development, a Juvenile Fire Setter Summit Meeting, and Pilot Groups for the National Scald Prevention Program* Secured and coordinated FY13 - $750,000 FEMA grant with a major focus on building a National Scald Prevention Program as a model best practice with four National partners* Closed out awarded FY12 - $730,000 FEMA sponsored grant from previous coordinator* Cast the vision for a National Juvenile Fire Setters Database

As a fire fighter/first responder provided emergency response for fires, medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, forestry interface incidents, natural gas leaks, hazardous material incidents and other highly specialized response needs; provided fire prevention and education programs and carried out inspections of multi-family residences and commercial buildings. Core Accomplishments:* Creating the Coquitlam Fire Fighters' Charitable Society* Founding member of the Coquitlam Fire Fighters' Honor GuardCommittee & Special Teamwork:• High Angle Rescue Team (November 2000 – December 2005)• Safety Committee Member (July 1999 – September 2005)• First Responder Instructor (December 2001 – February 2005)• CPR & AED Instructor (December 2001 – February 2005)• Turn-out Gear Committee (April 2000 – October 2003)• Key Project (September 2000 – September 2002)• Equipment Apparatus Information Committee (May 1998 – June 2001)

As the Executive Director, oversaw day-to-day operations of a $1.6 million registered charity; lead a board of 18 volunteer directors; managed 2 staff positions; serviced 49 Burn Fund Representatives around British Columbia who represent 3,700 career fire fighters; collaborated with the 3 Burn Units in the Province; primary spokesperson; hundreds of interviews to local, city, provincial and international media; and presented to hundreds of government officials, community groups, foundations, and corporations on prevention, education and workings of the Burn Fund.Core Accomplishments:* Increased operational revenues from $300K to $1.6M in 7 years* Opened Burn & Wound Healing Research Laboratory and secured $400,000 to support lab* Partnered to create a $3M endowment for a chair in burn and wound healing. ($2.8M pledged by 09)* Cast the vision and led the Capital Campaign for the Burn Fund Centre $13.1M Building Project (over $8M pledged by 09) – opened 3/16* Hometown Heroes Lottery Program (03) Rolled out fundraising program with the Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation - $6 Million program* Bursary Program (03) Established 2 endowments to fund 3 bursaries for advancing the education of Burn Survivors* Chaired Bright Nights in Stanley Park Committee (01-05) Annual holiday lighting festival – 500 volunteers; $200,000 gross revenues* American Burn Association (04) Hosted conference attended by 1,300 delegates* Burn Camp Director (02-06) – Directed camp for 80 burn injured children aged 6 – 18* Adult Burn Survivor Program – The Future is Mine (07) Created to provide information, resources, inspiration, education, current research, and shared experiences for survivors and their families. * Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress (07) Hosted over 650 delegates* International Association of Burn Camps Workshop (08) Hosted biennial workshop for over 60 burn camp leadership from around the world