SummaryI am the go-to civic engagement expert for global infrastructure firms who want even stronger relations within the communities they serve. I’ve been featured everywhere from the Omaha World-Herald to Essence for my time spent as the only black women in Nebraska’s legislature and was recently honored as the 2016 Legislator of the Year by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.As a two-term legislator, I represented a diverse constituency that included working family farms, homeless shelters, and every affiliation on the political spectrum. I put my diplomatic powers of interpretation, translation, and representation into action daily. I honed my diplomacy early on, when I got my start as a young, starry-eyed publicist. Before anyone knew what a “selfie” was, I moved from Nebraska to NYC to work in advertising. Who would’ve thought living on a 5th floor walk up and working for subsistence wages would have opened up a world of so many possibilities. As slightly older, but no less starry-eyed politician, I had the chance to learn about and contribute to the improvement of my state and city. A highlight for me was introducing a bill that helped students in poverty across the state. I remain proud of this bill’s impact and the fact that it was unanimously supported — proving that when engaged properly, people are inclined to do what is right regardless of political orientation.

-Acted as chief policy advisor on policy development and interpretation tosupport the completion of community projects-Directed civic engagement objectives to develop and maintain productive relationshipswith all levels of government authorities-Leveraged political experiences and communication skills, to connect and influence elected officials, community partners, other stakeholders, at every level-Provided support on a range of programmatic matters with special emphasis on program policy analysis and coordination of cross-cutting issues

-Provided professional-level research and public policy development services -Researched and analyzed state public policy issues such as Voting Rights, Redistricting, Critical Race Theory, Ethical Policing, Environmental Justice and Pandemic Response -Represented NBCSL with the White House, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, America is All In, National Council of State Legislators and countless other collaborators

-Re-engaged Quad Caucus through collaborative events such as webinars and grant proposals -Led formation of Former Legislator’s Caucus and Environmental Justice Collaborative

-Shepherded historic bills such as equal pay and “cliff effect” federal childcare subsidy through research, drafting, introduction, committee and floor debate processes toward ultimate signing into law and promulgation of rules and regulation for implementation-Built strong rapport and trust with constituents, interest groups and colleagues at all levels to translate changing political dynamics into actionable and tangible plans-Excellent public speaking, writing and analytical skills.

-Governor’s representative, liaison, and spokesperson across the State of Nebraska-Policy Advisor on Health and Human Services, Education and Labor issues-Established and led Office of Minority Health in Congressional District 2-Served as Project Officer for Minority Behavioral Risk Factor Survey