Sara Arias-Steele, Phd Email & Phone Number

Tampa, Fl, Us

Tampa, Florida, United States

Seasoned executive reporting directly to the CEO, responsible for leading the strategic implementation of impactful Girl Scout Leadership programming across 8 counties, engaging over 18,000+ members, and leading the retention efforts of incoming and older girl members. My role involves collaborative efforts with the Development & Marketing team, contributing to the success of council-wide signature events like Girl Scout Fest (program kickoff), STEMapalooza (STEM initiative in Polk), Gold Award Ceremony (honoring our graduating girl scouts), and Camp CEO (a mentorship program for older girls).I have spearheaded the successful execution of National GSUSA pilot program "Welcome to Cadettes" focusing on the recruitment and retention of middle school girls through innovative experiences and supporting discussions with adult leaders & caregivers. My favorite initiatives include the design, pilot, and implementation of multi-level sponsor patch programs in collaboration with esteemed partners such as the Dairy Council of Florida and Tampa General Hospital, extending these programs across councils nationwide.My commitment to youth development programming aims at retaining Middle School and High School members. Utilizing strategic partnerships, I have connected industry professionals with high school girls through quarterly Teen Career Exploration workshops as part of the innovative 'Tea & Talks' pilot program. Furthermore, I have developed 'Train the Trainer' models to empower High Award coaches and program facilitators, enhancing accessibility to quality programming and expanding our impact in more rural sections of the council.

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

As a dedicated Director reporting directly to the CEO, I played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of the Learn & Play Tampa Bay initiative, a high-quality community early learning program deployed across various locations in the county. Rooted in a play-based approach, this initiative focused on relationship building to enhance family support, caregiver knowledge of age-appropriate development, and the formation of community networks among families and care partners. Targeting children aged birth to 2 years, the program aimed to boost self-directed play and foster essential school readiness skills for children aged 3-5 years.I successfully managed a 4-year Uniting Grant, securing $2 million in total funding for program operations and implementation since 2019. Notably, I renewed the grant, securing an additional $2 million in funding to sustain the initiative until 2026. During the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I spearheaded the development of a robust virtual program, offering live-facilitated play programs and curated online educational resources for families.In response to community needs, I developed a hybrid bilingual educational platform, ensuring kindergarten readiness and laying the foundation for the sustainable expansion of the program. Importantly, through strategic partnerships (county & city) and collaborations with funders, such as the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, I secured over 17 locations in-kind, allowing for the program to be offered at no cost to families and securing funding to provide access to our flagship museum. For more info: www.glazermuseum.org/learnplaytampabay

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

Graduate Assistant and Biological Anthropology Instructor at USF-TampaResearch Focus: My work focuses on Agency and Resilience Strategies displayed by Hispanic adolescents living in low-income communities. Results will be applied to improve Adolescent Health Behavior and develop Empowerment Programs for Youths in Low-Income Neighborhoods

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

As the first employee and Center Program Manager for Enterprising Latinas Inc, a non-profit organization dedicated to networking minority women in low-income communities of Tampa Bay to promote economic security through business development and skills training, I held a pivotal role as a direct report to the CEO. My primary goal was to foster entrepreneurial careers for women within their communities and enhance workforce opportunities for low-income women.I initiated the startup phase of the non-profit, tasked with hiring and managing a staff of 3 and building a network of community volunteers and educational and community partners. Leading by example, I successfully developed and provided training for local women in Wimauma to become childcare providers. Achieving a remarkable 98% graduation rate, 80% of those graduates secured employment. Notably, I played a key role in guiding a member to open her own family childcare home business, contributing to the establishment of one of three childcare facilities in the region, ultimately serving 7,000 children under the age of 5. Through the successes of these initial programs and leading the evaluation and data analysis systems, additional capital campaign funding was secured for the expansion of the non-profit to a larger location and more programming.

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

As the Health Project Coordinator, I applied community-based participatory methodology to train community members in assessing the quality of community resources and the policy changes necessary to address health disparities in Wimauma, Florida. I played a crucial role in the ongoing Puentes Health Project, which focused on addressing health disparities in low-income Hispanic communities in Tampa Bay.The data collected during my tenure significantly contributed to a community-wide council for policy change. This valuable information directly informed my dissertation, where I tackled these efforts from a strength-based approach rooted in my hands-on work within the community. My position, being grant-based and contractual, concluded upon the completion of the research, data collection, and reporting to the public, aligning with my transition into maternity leave.

Duties: IRB protocol review and submissions, Grant Proposal reviews

Duties: Managing Dr. Blandine Laferrère’s research lab, IRB protocols on gut peptide and hormonal changes as a result of bariatric surgery.Assisted in NIH Grant Submissions, recruiting and assisting in IRB-approved clinical studies regarding the metabolic effects of weight-loss surgery on type 2 diabetes. Co-authored publications with research team regarding the metabolic effects of lap band and gastric bypass on gut peptides leading to type 2 diabetes remission.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Physical And Biological Anthropology

Resilience and Agency Strategies amongst Hispanic Adolescents in Low-Income High-Risk Neighborhoods Published in various anthropological.

Ms, Forensic Anthropology

Activities and Societies: Vice President of the BU Forensic Science Society American Academy of Forensic Science- Student Affiliate

Ba, Evolutionary Biology Of The Human Species

Education record

Activities and Societies: Certificate in Non-Profit Management 2020 Certificate in Non-Profit Financial Management 2020 Certificate.