My role involved oversight of our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs in three counties, facilitation of poverty simulation activities to inspire awareness and action regarding low-income issues, and exploration of new initiatives to meet the needs of our agency and our community. In this position, I:- Participated in the leadership team that conducted a year-long strategic planning process- Secured federal and local funding to support our free tax preparation programs- Implemented tax-time savings promotions that yielded four national sweepstakes winners- Facilitated opportunities to integrate financial capability activities in our existing programs

This ARRA-supported AmeriCorps program served Portage and Wood Counties for two years. As the founding director, I cultivated and maintained community partnerships to host AmeriCorps positions and advance sustainability initiatives related to food systems, energy, ecosystems, waste and water. I led recruitment activities for the positions and provided ongoing training and development to the 30-member team while also ensuring fiscal and programmatic compliance with federal and state AmeriCorps guidelines.

Now a program of the Portage County Aging & Disability Resource Center, the former Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers program provided assistance to older adults, people with disabilities, and their families to allow them to maintain their independence. Volunteers were matched with Care Receivers to offer socialization, transportation, and/or assistance with household activities. As Director, I managed relationships with church and organizational partners, oversaw communication activities, and conducted intake visits with potential Care Receivers.

My experience with this national student-led hunger relief organization began in Milwaukee, where I worked as the Coordinator of the Campus Kitchen at Marquette University. In this role, I recruited and trained students as volunteers, leadership team members and interns to carry out the activities of food recovery, meal preparation, and meal delivery. I also managed a culinary job training program for unemployed and underemployed individuals, providing safe food handling instruction and recruiting guest chef and life skills instructors.In 2006, I advanced to the role of Regional Program Coordinator. While maintaining my responsibilities as a local Campus Kitchen Coordinator, I also worked on the team that created a Standards of Excellence scorecard to assess the success of Campus Kitchen programs in the areas of core operations, supplemental initiatives, and community impact. I conducted site visits to Campus Kitchen locations to review safety practices, meet local partners, and evaluate the program using the scorecard.In 2007, I transitioned to the role of Program Director. In this position, I recruited, trained and supervised Campus Kitchen Coordinators, managed strategic planning exercises at the local and national levels, oversaw local fundraising and budgeting activities, and maintained the compliance system for the 20-site network. I also coordinated biannual training and leadership development opportunities for student volunteers and staff members.

I served as the first-year AmeriCorps member with Young Adult Services at the YMCA. With a focus on sustainable program development, I created policies and procedures for a start-up volunteer program and developed a mentor training curriculum for community volunteers. I also coordinated opportunities for young adult participants to engage in volunteerism, allowing them to transition from being service recipients to service contributors.