• Consultant providing research, planning, policy, and program development / evaluation• Areas of expertise include affordable housing development and preservation, homelessness prevention, economic empowerment and minority homeownership strategies, small and minority business development, neighborhood revitalization, and community outreach• Strategic and inclusive leader with 14 years of community and affordable housing research and planning experience• Strong understanding of affordable housing and homelessness prevention policy locally and nationally• Extensive background in in both quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis used for policy, land use, and program development• Expertise in building actionable and impactful social change coalitions that align goals and resources• Engaging and effective communication, training, and facilitation skills• Focus on identifying community and data-informed solutions to complex challengesRecent projects include:- Building and leading a 150+ member, multi-year, cross-sector initiative to promote minority homeownership through a series of place-based pilot programs- Design and launch of a centralized intake system providing a single point of entry for residents accessing financial counseling services from multiple local area non-profits- Planning and grant writing generating $7.5 million to support minority homeownership activities- Non-profit training and capacity building for a statewide membership organization of nearly 300 community development organizations

Provided policy research and led the City’s financial empowerment initiatives. Authored the City’s Financial Empowerment Roadmap, a strategic plan for increasing the financial security of women and families, and furthered efforts to lower barriers to participation by local, small and minority businesses in City contracting and procurement opportunities.

Led affordable housing and homelessness prevention policy for the council office . Policy wins included passing a citywide ban on Section 8 housing discrimination and developing fee waivers for the creation of accessory dwelling units to spur the development of rental housing.

Assisted clients with strategic planning, visioning and community and economic development. Worked with jurisdictions throughout California in the creation of Consolidated Plans to assess their affordable housing, community and economic development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions that benefit low- to moderate-income citizens. The consolidated planning process serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

Planning & Food Environment Specialist for the County of San Diego Health and Human Service Agency - Central and North Central Regions. Work focused on increasing access to healthy foods in underserved communities, and identifying ways to improve health outcomes through policy and built environment changes.

Provided staff support for the San Diego County Food System Alliance, a multi-stakeholder collaborative focused on improving outcomes in the regional food system. Supported the co-creation of policies and collective actions that address countywide health, sustainability, hunger and economic development issues. Oversaw recruitment and retention of Alliance members, meeting logistics, external and internal communications, committee facilitation, fund development, and administrative functions leading to successful Alliance outcomes.

USDA grant-funded position for the “Communities of Excellence in Nutrition, Physical Environment, and Obesity Prevention (CX3)”, a state-wide public health program. Recruited residents to engage in an on-the-ground assessment evaluating the availability and accessibility of healthy foods within their neighborhood. Worked directly with community members to set priorities based on the results and to implement strategic, resident-led action plans. Supported residents in presenting findings and making recommendations to elected officials and policy makers.

Supported master planning for the urban agriculture component of the Earthlab, a 4-acre open space parcel and dynamic outdoor learning lab. Fostered relationships with local organizations and resident groups to generate interest in environmental stewardship projects. Provided key land use analysis and mapping enabling organization to competitively pursue funding opportunities. Acted as a liaison with city staff and developed collaborative partnerships.