My Role:Developing, preparing, delivering, and evaluating programming for the CityLAB Semester in Residence....responsible for day-to-day coordination of the Semester in Residence, with a focus on the following:-Coordinating guest visits-Outreach and engagement with various stakeholders engaged with CityLAB Semester in Residence-Supporting and coordinating project management activities with city staff-Supervising student teams and providing feedback on projects-Advising on curriculum development based on student project experience-Day-to-day coordination of the semester in residence-Evaluation of the Semester in Residence programSemester In Residence at CityLAB Hamilton:"Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will have the chance to co-develop sustainability projects with City of Hamilton staff and collaborate with members of the broader community, while learning more about community engagement through lectures, workshops and field trips that take students into a range of urban community spaces."

The majority of my writing for commercial publications stems from my interests. My goal is to learn more about a subject, and to clearly communicate the story to readers in as concise and engaging way as possible. There is generally a pragmatic element in my writing that opens opportunities for readers to use knowledge to take action on a given issue. Accuracy, clarity, brevity (and sometime levity) are characteristics I aim for in my writing.I have published articles in The Hamilton Spectator, VIEW Weekly, Hamilton Magazine, and others, as well as in arts and community publications by The Hamilton Artists Inc, and CFMU McMaster.

I served as the main point of contact with student volunteers at McMaster pursuing creative projects in the public interest. Our work allowed dedicated & productive volunteers to make a real difference in a supportive yet challenging experiential learning environment. My Public Relations role included identifying corporate policy requirements, crisis identification, & communications, producing and publishing material for print and online newsletters, preparing volunteer surveys, evaluation, year-end reports, strategic planning, and media & community relations, including public speaking. I'm an early adopter of technology and software, using Blogs (Wordpress, Blogger), Twitter, Facebook Pages & Groups, Podcasts, Youtube videos, & wikis to engage with our various communities, & productivity apps like Trello, Jira, Slack, and others to manage projects. In 2013 I identified an issue that was heading toward crisis, & prepared a Crisis Communication Plan that was used to guide the organization to a successful outcome, including praise for our work from the Student Representative Assembly, turning opponents into allies. I supervised student grant staff for the Hamilton Street Tree Project, which I developed as a pilot project in 2013, successfully implementing air quality improvements for targeted neighbourhoods in Hamilton's lower city. In the first summer, we increased the tree canopy, getting 20 years' worth of tree requests in two months. This program ran for 5 summers, 2013-2017.I initiated and supervised an online History Archive Project with the goal of digitizing OPIRG's paper files & making them available online. I advocated for upgrades to our resource centre to create more collaboration & workspace for our student project teams, renew and support our mission & strengthen our brand on campus.I worked with the board to revise OPIRG's Constitution and correct articles that were being misinterpreted (terms of office).

The City of Hamilton launched the LRT “Community Connectors” Program, in partnership with Metrolinx, in May 2016.The Community Connector team, made up of a diverse group individuals from across our city, is committed to visiting every affected property (nearly 1,400) along the corridor twice per year for the duration of the project. Their role is to inform, educate and engage property owners and also gather feedback that will help inform the LRT plans.