I am an experienced leader in social work agencies, building capacity to serve, collaborate and influence. My work results in concrete actions that change policy, expand programs, engage stakeholders, and unify collaborators. My core skill is organizing task groups to create a vision that is clear, unifying and hopeful. My projects give agencies more power to provide services--so that youth feel that they belong and are capable, interdependent and caring, and so that parents and other adults feel that they are able to love and support their families. As a result of my work, Public Act 100-0879 became law Aug. 14, 2018. With the ICOY Policy Team, I led a workgroup of agency members to identify legislative solutions to their most pressing issues; I equipped them with information and ideas, clarified their priorities and success criteria, and facilitated ranking of solutions. With the Legislative Team, I drafted Senate Bill 2628. With the Communications Team, I wrote content for campaign fact sheets and legislative testimony. For Lutheran Disaster Response national and regional staff, I created a concise plan of actions, through a strategic planning day, which I designed and facilitated, after engaging participants regarding goals and hopes. At Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois, I led a workgroup of senior managers in program, finance and quality to create a new plan of evidence-based services and adequate financial support for residential treatment with youth. Illinois DCFS approved the plan and rate increase. I facilitated the creation of Northeast Illinois Community Organizations Active in Disaster, at the invitation of American Red Cross and Chicago Office of Emergency Management. I led planning sessions with nonprofit disaster responders, public agency emergency managers, and public health and human services agencies. I equipped members with information, prioritized needs and opportunities, and drafted by-laws.
Listed skills include Community Outreach, Nonprofits, Strategic Planning, Volunteer Management, and 27 others.