Improve student outcomes by addressing urgent, high-need strategic priorities, partnering with leaders across CUNY to amplify and/or initiate strategic action, and accelerating innovation in focused areasSpearhead the implementation of the University’s strategy to align priorities and performance management processes across the system with CUNY Lifting New York, our 2023-2030 Strategic RoadmapCreate infrastructure for sustained Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies-focused course and curriculum design, mentored student research, student internships, faculty publications, and community college and senior college faculty research grants and support development of Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies PhD at the Graduate CenterMobilize cohort of new faculty (Career Success Fellows) to embed more high-impact practices and career-relevant information into their courses and serve as leaders on their home campuses Drive the redesign of over 25 Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees by introducing enhancements in five high-impact areas including syllabus and curriculum revision, student support, work-based learning, employer engagement, and continuous improvement and utilization of dataExpand the CUNY Anti-Hate Initiative, which enables CUNY colleges to take direct and responsive action against religious, racial, ethnic and identity-based discrimination on their campusesDrive implementation of the CUNY Comprehensive Access to Resources and Essential Services (CARES) Bronx Demonstration Project

Drove cross-cutting strategic initiatives and priorities in an ever-changing landscape, including facilitating the work of the transfer steering committee and the academic policy committee, liaising with the coronavirus task force and organizing the work of the academic & student support task force steering committee, and launching the Black, race, and ethnic studies initiativeReimagined how to structure teams, council meetings, and conversations in order to leverage the time, talent, and energy of the 800-person Office of Academic Affairs more effectively and ultimately cohere strategic action across the University within the first six months of the EVC’s tenureCreated an infrastructure for engaging with college presidents, provosts, student affairs chiefs, enrollment management chiefs, as well as leaders within the Office of Academic Affairs, and other major stakeholdersOversaw the office’s engagement with the CUNY Board of Trustees, establishing work flows and quality standards for the production of BOT deliverables, launching a sought-after digital dashboard for the Committee on Academic Policy, Programs, and Research, and supporting the EVC’s participation in high-stakes Board meetingsLed the development and implementation of a communications strategy for the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, cultivating multiple stakeholder groups and fostering a culture of transparency, community, and accountability (products of the work included Council of Presidents reports, OAA This Week, OAA Talks)

Spearheaded signature initiatives of the Chancellor’s Office related to campus climate; diversity, inclusion, and equity; transfer; student health and well-being; college access for adult learners; and experiential learningLaunched CUNY component of “New York Stands with Puerto Rico Recovery and Rebuilding Initiative,” deploying 250 CUNY students and staff to Puerto Rico during summer 2018; mobilized hundreds of colleagues at 25 CUNY colleges and the central office to meet major program milestones in 60 days; collaborated closely with New York State partners including the Governor’s Office, the State University of New York, and UNICEFCo-created an infrastructure for planning and implementation of University’s 2017 strategic framework; developed systems and processes to track thinking and goal-setting; facilitated norm-setting and community-building with central office colleagues; drove stakeholder engagement and strategic communications

Designed and launched major, innovative flagship programs at CUNY, including the CUNY Service Corps, the CUNY Cultural Corps, TheDream.US scholarship program, and the Program for DREAMers at CUNY, serving thousands of CUNY students and hundreds of community partner organizationsWorked collaboratively with major stakeholders, including important funders, individual CUNY colleges, City agencies, and organizations throughout New York City to identify and address major stakeholder and student needsManaged a $4M budget and was awarded over $2 million in external funding to develop new programs, based on the CUNY Service Corps model, to expand the academic year program, design a spin-off to serve the arts & culture sector in NYC, and to build a network of DREAMers at CUNYServed as a spokesperson for high-profile flagship programs at the University, especially related to experiential learning and undocumented students at CUNY, presenting to national boards and at national conferences, being interviewed by local news media, testifying before City Council, and appearing on University-sponsored Facebook Live eventsBuilt highly-functioning, mission-driven teams, leveraging the skills and expertise of both campus-based and central office staff and creating professional communities of learningSupervised the Director of Organizational Development and oversaw the conceptualization and implementation of a plan to address organizational culture and professional learning needs for a staff of 300 in the Office of the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs

Oversaw creation of a range of innovative, industry-responsive continuing education and workforce development programs, including the high-profile Jefferson Houses Jobs-Plus program in 2009, in collaboration with CUNY colleges and external funders and partners, including the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity, the Human Resources Administration, the Department of Small Business Services, 1199 Training & Employment Fund SEIU, the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare, and the Community Health Center Association of New York StateCreated the interactive, adult-learner focused curriculum framework for the $20M CUNY CareerPATH Program

Reimagined program goals/priorities for the Central Park Scholars program (Saturday youth development program for grades 7-9), Central Park Across the Curriculum (for teachers), and Park-based classes (for K-12 school groups) and implemented comprehensive program evaluationCultivated new Conservancy partners from cultural institutions such as the Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and El Museo del Barrio as well as neighborhood schools in Harlem and East HarlemServed as Education Department spokesperson in a variety of settings, including board meetings, fundraising events, and W-ABC “Be a Part of Your Park” television segments

Coordinated 4-year College Bound and Saturday Writing Programs for 65 NYC public high school studentsDesigned and implemented curriculum; hired and trained instructors; taught/facilitated classes and workshops