Responsible for community and partner outreach for the long standing Global (formerly National) Day of Unplugging campaign. Provide strategic planning for increasing awareness about the value of reducing screen time and finding life-tech balance through fun and engaging activities. Global Day of Unplugging (GDU) is now celebrated all over the globe (always the first weekend in March) and over 135,000 families have participated since 2009. Some people celebrate by unplugging for an hour or two, others do the full 24. Everyone is welcome and all are encouraged to be mindful about their tech use on that day. The other 364 days of the year I help mobilize community leaders to break ground on an Unplugged Village® ~ to provide people with engaging ways to plug into their communities with inspiring connections and experiences. Over 50 Unplugged Villages® have sprouted since 2021.

The Unplugged Village was my passion project to help people find a healthier life-tech balance. Technology is integral with modern day life, but quality time with family and friends can so easily take a back seat. Constant data breaches and news stories tell us about the dangers of technology but we aren't sure what to do as we need technology to function in our daily lives. Tech products are designed to be addictive and the demand for our attention is immense. I offer consultations and workshops to help you better understand this complex process and to navigate a healthier tech interaction. Learn what the tech insiders know, and why even they limit their families time on tech. Discover tips and tools for making the tech you do use be less addicting and find resources and experiences that will help support a less distracted life, allowing you to focus on what matters most.

Coordinate the Community Engagement and Fundraising Committees and development activities for the AAP-CA3 programs. Duties include strategic planning, meeting planning, goal development, sponsorship plan development, program monitoring, fundraising and networking, working closely with corporate and community partners. Also serving as Coordinator for one of the signature AAP-CA3 programs, Reach Out and Read San Diego (www.rorsd.org), whose purpose is to promote children's optimal health and brain development and to make early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care. Through this program, pediatricians "Prescribe Reading", encouraging parents to read aloud to their young children and incorporating reading into their developmental exams. Provide technical support and communications to 350 health care providers at 97 pediatric medical offices implementing the Prescription to Read model throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties. Ordering and distribution of 130,000 books, serving 86,000 families annually. Additional duties include site reviews, volunteer oversight, event planning, materials development, report writing, evaluations, and program promotion via newsletter, social media and TV media channels. In this position I’ve had the opportunity to be innovative in key messaging strategies, partner outreach and engagement.

Worked as a Consultant for the SafetyNet:Smart Cyber Choices program, an Internet safety education program for middle school youth and parents. Performed grant writing, researched existing cyber-safety and bullying prevention programs to determine revenue sources and key partnerships. Provided strategic planning and recommendations for the sponsorship package, expansion of the website and development of the SafetyNet Advisory Council.

Safety Net ProgramAssisted with presentation development for legal issues teachers and administrators face with internet safety. Researched legal issues. Provided content and resource list for the Educators Workshop at UCSD. Provided evaluation feedback for SafetyNet final report.

Coordinated city-wide Coalition. Provided community outreach and fostered Coalition partnerships between agencies including: Children’s Hospital, the Center for Healthier Communities, Sharp Memorial Hospital, WIC agencies and the San Diego "First 5" Commission. Provided coordination of program components including In-Office Education for Health Care Professionals, Working and Breastfeeding Committee, quarterly newsletter, Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace Award, annual membership drive. Implemented marketing, media/ public relations, and advocacy/political action activities. Management duties included coordination of Coalition meetings, hiring and supervision of staff and volunteers, marketing materials development, sponsorship solicitation, survey development and implementation, and record keeping. Developed budget, assisted with grant writing and managed all program monies including Prop 10 funding.

Coordination of the CDLHN (a partnership of the 4 California Schools of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the California Health Department Immunization Branch). Built statewide network infrastructure for immunization satellite tele-courses and other distance learning courses offered by the CDC. Coordinated educational courses for California healthcare providers and health department staff. Developed and implemented strategic plan, program budget, promotional materials, sponsorship program, report and grant writing. Coordinated meetings and conferences, market research and evaluation, and statewide shipping of educational materials. Presented the program at local and national conferences. Management duties included hiring and management of staff, building and coordination of advisory committee, and oversight of subcontracts to UC Los Angeles, UC Berkeley, and Loma Linda University Schools of Public Health.

Conducted market research including development of KPBS research/resource database. Developed and implemented member and advertiser surveys and audience segmentation analysis. Provided analysis of media press kits, advertising and sponsorship/fundraising research. Solicited for fundraising donations and coordinated ascertainment meetings to inform programming staff of current community issues.

Organized and developed an HIV/STD Inmate Peer Education Pilot Program. Responsibilities included qualitative research of existing programs, inventory of HIV/STD resources, and research of potential funding sources. Developed program curriculum, protocol, evaluation tools, and materials for use with low literacy individuals.

Coordinated community events, cancer screenings, health fairs, and cancer presentations. Provided community outreach for county-wide Scripps "SunSmart" campaign. Developed promotional materials, and assisted in strategic planning, staff management, fundraising, intercept interviews and evaluations. Coordinated media interviews, tracked and relayed UV readings (with the County’s first UV meter) to the media on a daily basis. Collaborated with Scripps Cardiovascular Center to conduct a needs assessment of San Diego worksite nutrition and health promotion activities. Evaluated vending machine, food truck, and cafeteria offerings.

Instructed individuals with developmental disabilities on independent living and parenting skills. Responsible for personal assessments, program planning, crisis management and report writing. Developed curriculum, trained new staff, acted as community liaison, instructed on social skills training, and provided home and financial management to clients. Implemented an HIV/STD and pregnancy prevention education program.

Conducted HIV peer education training for juvenile court system youth. Developed materials, recruited subjects, coordinated activities and performed follow up evaluations.

Fielded calls from the CPS hotline, investigated reports of abuse, wrote reports and provided follow up with families. Became familiar with the overall workings of the CPS system.