The mission of the Department of Youth Development is to support the development of young people in Los Angeles County by coordinating and building capacity for a wide range of youth development services, opportunities, supports, and other care-first efforts with a goal of equitably reducing youth justice system involvement. The Department builds on the work of the County’s Youth Diversion and Development (YDD) program model, which has worked to support and expand community-based pre-arrest youth diversion and restorative practices in Los Angeles County since 2017.My responsibilities included:Providing operational, relationship-building, and project management support to program partners;Developing and leading technical assistance, capacity building, and program-related support to program partners and ensuring successful implementation is in alignment with DYD and program goals;Supporting relationships, building trust, and facilitating meetings with project team members, community partners, and other stakeholders;Identifying and preparing future partners (including law enforcement and service providers) for youth diversion programming;Compiling metrics and data and ensuring that the program is on track for participant engagement and delivery of care coordination activities;Designing and implementing creative and evidence-based program services; andLeading and facilitating public Youth Development Steering Committee meetings.

My responsibilities included:Managing Innovative Employment Solutions (INVEST) program for increasing employment opportunities and earnings for system-impacted adults;Spearheading and leading multi-agency LA Free the Vote initiative and taskforce, with the goal of increasing voting and civic engagement for justice-involved populations in Los Angeles County;Developing, launching, and implementing county-wide youth diversion model with the goal of equitably reducing youth involvement with the justice system;Coordinating youth diversion partnerships between contracted service providers, law enforcement referral partners, researchers, and youth development initiatives; andProviding training, technical assistance, and program-related support to service providers and law enforcement partners.

Led research projects in collaboration with community groups, municipal agencies and other stakeholders to bring health and equity perspectives to the forefront of decision making. Examples of projects included: Assessing how proposed land use projects such as transit stations, redevelopment plans, general plans, bus rapid transit, and pedestrian and bicycle paths impact community health;Examining how school discipline policies impact health and equity of students, families, and communities

Freelance violinist performing diverse styles including tango, rock, Americana, hip-hop, jazz, classical, Brazilian choro, and more

Wrote daily and feature-length health and environmental news stories for radio, conducted interviews on a variety of health issues, and assisted in production of one-hour monthly health program “Health Dialogues”

Performed environmental investigations for municipal and private clients, including groundwater and soil sampling, evaluation of analytical results, and preparing technical reports.

Performed environmental investigations for municipal and private clients, including groundwater and soil sampling, evaluation of analytical results, and preparing technical reports.

Performed environmental investigations for municipal and private clients in the US and abroad, including groundwater and soil sampling, evaluation of analytical results, and preparing technical reports.