SUMMARY Entrepreneurial self-starter, successful in the creation of new ventures and the revival of
struggling efforts, with a passion for public service across nonprofit, for-profit, political, and
volunteer sectors.
EMPLOYMENT Executive Director, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Education Foundation
Washington, DC 2008 to Present
Hired to reinvigorate organization and take it to next level of programmatic, fundraising, and public relations success. Responsible for all elements of organizational operation. Commenced efforts at expansion in areas such as continuing education, sustainability, and jurisdictional expansion. Initiated expanded individual, corporate, foundation, and governmental fundraising.
Executive Director/Founder, Adams Morgan Business Improvement District (BID)
Washington, DC: 2004 to 2006
Served as founding executive director of community revitalization and business services organization, managing a $500,000 budget and leading a team of ten staff and contractors, providing necessary and well-received cleanliness and security services.
Key Accomplishments:
Revived an inherited, near-failing organizational effort
Spearheaded successful outreach campaign, convincing property owners to voluntarily increase their own taxes, resulting in the BID's creation by the Mayor and Council
Worked hand-in-hand with contractor to create and implement a clean-up program resulting in the removal of 210 tons of litter from neighborhood streets in one year
Hired, trained, and supervised staff of security aides, culminating in over 1,500 public safety and hospitality interventions in one year
Developed, in conjunction with Councilmember Jim Graham, a first-of-its-kind partnership and contracting relationship with the Metropolitan Police Department, allowing use of on-duty, overtime police officers to enhance neighborhood safety while responding to the BID's needs; served as a citywide model
Worked to maximize budget through the use of an innovative nonprofit organization for cleaning services, and through careful balance and integration of low-cost in-house staff with high-cost, high impact police contractors in provision of security services
Proved BID model could succeed outside downtown and high-income neighborhoods, providing quality service on a fraction of the size of comparable DC organizations
Wrote successful $100,000 grant application to Metro to study and improve marketing of struggling local bus line, initiated follow-up process which resulted in the expansion of the line and its integration into the high-profile Circulator bus system
Managed initial and subsequent annual meeting and board election processes, conducted ongoing board relations management, with early critics later joining the board
Created organization's administrative framework from the ground up, hiring accountants, acquiring all necessary insurance, creating relationship with contractors and suppliers
Manager of Operations (DC Office), Flexcar
Washington, DC: 2001 to 2004
Provided primary oversight for all elements of daily organizational operations for fledgling, start-up local office of nation's largest and oldest car sharing company
Key Accomplishments:
Promoted after two years, responsibilities expanded beyond original portfolio of community relations, membership outreach, marketing efforts, and government relations to also include member relations and fleet management
Participated in expansion of membership from 20 to 6,000, and of fleet from 10 to 100
Conceived and implemented successful plan to convince local governments to provide free parking to Flexcar vehicles; drafted all written proposals and related documents
Drafted successful partnership renewal and expansion proposal to Metro
Senior Business Program Manager, Latino Economic Development Corporation
Washington, DC: Summers 1997 and 1998, 1999 to 2001
Developed revitalization programs for businesses in mixed-income target neighborhoods.
Key Accomplishments:
Drafted two successful $35,000 applications to the Mayor for Latino Community Grants
Selected to serve as member of Mayor's Retail Task Force and Mayor's Task Force on the Small Business Impact of September 11, 2001
COMMUNITY Commissioner, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1C
SERVICE Washington, DC: 2000 to 2005
Elected three times by community to serve on grassroots Advisory Neighborhood Commission, a nationwide model for neighborhood-level involvement. Created and provided vital link between 2,000 constituents and Mayor, City Council, and other agencies.
Key Accomplishments:
Won 2000, 2002, and 2004 general elections with nearly sixty percent of the vote
Worked to restore structure and credibility to a struggling organization
Led successful effort to work with the city to reopen a shuttered low-income health clinic
Leveraged public and private resources to turn a vacant lot into a successful garden
Sitar Arts Center
Washington, DC: 2001 to 2005
Served on the Board of Directors for a community children's arts nonprofit organization. Elected Secretary by fellow Board members. Responsibilities included governance, fundraising, and community outreach.
EDUCATION/ Researcher, Universite de Paris/Centre Malher
ACADEMIA Paris, France: 2007
During sabbatical year, served as researcher, writer, editor, and French/English translator to France's best-known and most respected authority on immigration policy. Wrote draft of key chapter in cutting-edge book on comparative Twentieth Century denaturalization policies worldwide, a topic with implications for current civil liberty and homeland security policy.
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1996 to 1998
Master in Public Policy degree. Selected as the first recipient of full tuition, merit-based Carnesale Scholarship. Winner of Harvard-wide 1998 Traveling Fellowship to Paris.
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts: 1990 to 1994
Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, double major in political science and French studies.
PERSONAL Winner of the 2005 Public Service Award from the Williams College Regional Association of Washington, DC. Fluent in French. Conversant in Spanish. Former White House Intern.
