Leads public-private nonprofit focused on regional economic development, with 48 board members and 150 investor entities; facilitates strong dialogue between public officials, private sector, and community on economic development opportunitiesLeads company placement and site selection opportunities, yielding $1 Billion in capex over the last three yearsDirects and informs programming on land-use policy, workforce capabilities advancement, and business prospecting for domestic investment and FDIDirected the launch of a brain gain initiative aimed at attracting and retaining young skilled talent to the region, and celebrating broadly represented community members with a DEI lensContracted, fundraised, facilitated stakeholder feedback, and delivered on the 2020 publication of an Employment Lands Study, which has enabled CREDC’s support of funding applications for major infrastructure projects across the county—study updated the employment/industrial lands inventory, and the timeline for bringing shovel-ready sites online for prospective investorsStood up previously nonexistent grant portals to administer $3.2 million in COVID-19 support to businesses swiftly, and in compliance with multiple funders’ requirementsInternal-facing contributions: adopting and activating a CRM, building out a business development and investor pipeline, recruiting talented staff and reworking position descriptions for more fluid team culture, negotiated new office lease with TI, restructured board committees and grounded committee work with an adopted policy charter

Supervises district team in developing the small business spectrum of the local supply chain. Manages operations, innovation, and performance, with integrity and attentiveness. Team and partners together yielded 7th consecutive year of record small business lending (>$500MM) up 250% from FY10. Small business procurement facilitated consistently well above the 23% national goal in compliance with the FAR and CFR procurement standards. Cultivates strategic partner relationships to yield opportunities for enhanced outreach, brand awareness, and business development. Manages team capacity planning responsive to internal/external stakeholder demands for joint-outreach activities; identifies efficiencies and areas for outreach diversification. Leads team efforts to expand geographic scope of operations; Provides oversight of efforts to modernize marketing tool and materials, messaging, and operations for broader public appeal.Recruits, mentors, and motivates inspired employees, facilitating smooth team relations and standout performance.Acts as primary media and Congressional liaison, interpreting policy and distilling language for public consumption.Provides executive guidance on strategic small business growth, management, capital access, and government contracting guidelines and regulations.

Created and delivered trainings, lectures, and speeches to further SBA’s economic development mission. Developed partnerships and with high profile stakeholders, including business executives, government officials, and educational institutions to yield broader levels of client engagement. Charged with monitoring assessment of a multi-million dollar portfolio of grants and cooperative agreements; responsible for providing verbal and written feedback or reports documenting performance against the expectations and goalsLiaised with media and Congressional representatives.

Conducted situational analysis and consensus building activities among 12 island country members of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Provided island government officials with practical interpretation of proposed technical policies as part of their preparation for PACER Plus bilateral trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand.

Provided technical assistance to the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ethiopia's Parliament, and respective industry stakeholders on trade and commercial policy matters. Comparative analysis of domestic law as measured against commonly adopted international policy benchmarks, including: *Convention on the International Sale of Goods *New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards *World Trade Organization Agreements

Worked with companies and trade associations to identify, troubleshoot, and overcome trade barriers (Customs, Government Procurement, IPR, Rules of Origin, TBT, SPS)—that would otherwise interrupt supply chain fluidity, competitiveness, and profitability for U.S. exporters. Worked as a Southeast Asia regional expert and the International Trade Administration's negotiation lead for six rounds of U.S.-Malaysia free trade negotiations, managing reporting network, cross-functional issue analysis, and seamless internal/external agency communications.Managed implementation of trade compliance remediation strategies, establishing term goals and “success” measurements, facilitating communication, and team reporting on field activities. Briefed Secretary, Undersecretary, and other Department of Commerce senior-level officials on policy positions and economic/political environments in SE Asia.

Managed the concept development and strategic delivery of trade-related technical assistance programs responsive to developing countries' requests for capacity building. Facilitated interagency development assistance initiatives paralleling the following trade agreements (then under negotiation):*U.S. - Thailand Free Trade Agreement*U.S. - Andean Free Trade Agreement*U.S. - Central American and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement

Supported (in-country) policy advocacy efforts and outreach strategy implementation for Fair Trade events on the margins of the WTO's Fifth Doha Round Ministerial in Cancun, Mexico (9/2003) and the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development XI, in Sao Paulo, Brazil (6/2004).