Resume
*References available upon request
Summary:
A dedicated, energetic, and detail-oriented public servant with over 9 years of experience in local government. Strong project management and budgeting background with a track record of achieving results in challenging environments. Proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to realize goals and effect change. Excellent analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills with a passion for public service.
Professional Experience:
May 2023 - Present
Chief of Staff & Policy Director
Committee on Environmental
Protection and Energy
Chairwoman Hadden
Chicago, Illinois
In her second term, Alderwoman Hadden was appointed to chair the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy for the City Council of the City of Chicago. With this appointment, I transitioned to serve as her Chief of Staff and Policy Director for the Committee. In this role, I have worked closely with Alderwoman Hadden to facilitate committee meetings, draft legislation, and set our policy agenda. The Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy has increased the number of meetings year over year from the previous chair, advocated for the re-establishment of the Department of Environment, and introduced and passed consequential legislation, such as the establishment of the Chicago Shoreline Advisory Council. The Committee has also worked to strengthen relationships with environmental justice communities and other stakeholders to address a myriad of topics that intersect with environmental issues, such as introducing an ordinance to the Committee on Workforce and Development that would establish common-sense protections from heat for outdoor workers.
May 2019 - May 2023
Chief of Staff
Office of Alderwoman Hadden 49th Ward
Chicago, Illinois
During my time in the 49th Ward government services office, I established the infrastructure and operations to deliver government services and fine-tuned community-driven processes. I supervised aldermanic staff to ensure they were meeting the goals of Alderwoman Hadden while reflecting her and the community's values. I developed and maintained the 49th Ward website to ensure information remained relevant and timely. I also compiled the e-newsletter each week to inform constituents about a variety of topics, from development proposals to community events to legislative updates from City Hall. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked closely with Alderwoman Hadden, staff, and the community to set up a rapid response network in the 49th Ward to help connect residents to a variety of resources. I learned the importance of confronting problems head-on while remaining agile.
March 2016 - May 2019
Director of
Communications & Outreach
Office of Alderman Arena
45th Ward
Chicago, Illinois
I first began working with Alderman Arena in 2013 as an intern while completing my degree at DePaul University. In 2016, Alderman Arena had a full-time position open in the office and asked me to serve as his Director of Communications and Outreach. During my time in his office, I assembled the weekly e-newsletter and distributed it to an audience of more than 11,000 readers, and managed social media accounts that had more than 14,000 followers. I also maintained and updated the website regularly to ensure external information remained timely and relevant.
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I was tasked with overseeing the participatory budgeting process in the 45th Ward as part of my duties as the Director of Communications and Outreach. I launched a multi-pronged participatory budgeting outreach effort, which led to a 259% increase in voter turnout. During my tenure in Alderman Arena's office, I also worked closely with the Office of Budget and Management and other stakeholders to prioritize projects throughout the ward using the ward's TIF budgets, the aldermanic discretionary infrastructure budget, and other funding opportunities. This included a $1.875 million comprehensive update to the Jefferson Park Branch Library, the first since it opened.
April 2015 - March 2016
Digital Account
Manager
Located in southwestern Colorado, Ballantine Communications serves as the Four Corners region's communication hub. Ballantine Communications prints and distributes the daily newspaper, which relies on subscriptions and advertising revenue to remain affordable to readers. Stepping into the Four Corners region can feel like you're entering a time capsule. Ballantine Communications' sales branch sold a variety of advertising spaces and other services to local businesses. This included advertisements in the newspaper and the phone book. During my time at Ballantine Communications, I worked with small, local businesses to develop websites and organically improve their search engine rankings through search engine optimization (SEO). I also managed businesses' social media platforms to grow audiences. During my time at Ballantine Communications, I attended conferences to learn more about digital marketing and gave presentations at a seminar series to educate small business owners on the best online marketing practices.
Ballantine Communications
Durango, Colorado
Education:
2012-2014
Master of
Public Administration
Depaul University
Chicago, Illinois
GPA: 3.957 (Distinction)
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
In 2014, I received a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in public management from DePaul
University. During my time at DePaul, I learned how to make hard decisions and manage projects under strict deadlines. I
further developed my skills in financial analysis, human resource management, public finance, research methods and
statistics, and government administration.
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My capstone project entailed quantitative and qualitative analyses of a country’s legal status of sex work and the role it plays in the black market for human sex trafficking. The quantitative research for this project included a wide selection of variables, including a country’s legal status of sex work, GDP, female literacy rate, the number of human sex trafficking victims, and more. I based my research on two existing yet conflicting economic theories to determine whether there was any statistically significant correlation between these variables and the number of human sex trafficking victims. This issue is complex and inherently biased depending on one’s moral views toward the sex industry, which creates challenges in impartially analyzing data that is already skewed due to the clandestine nature of human trafficking. It is a topic I would be willing to discuss in greater depth.
2006-2010
Bachelor of Arts
in Spanish & French
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
GPA: 3.45 (Cum Laude)
Member of Phi Sigma Iota
(The International Foreign Language Society)
Member of Sigma Delta Pi
(Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica)
In 2010, I received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado: one in Spanish and one in French. I chose to major in foreign languages because I thought it was critical, in a growing global economy, to be able to connect with people in their own language rather than solely rely on English. I took French throughout middle and high school, and later expanded to Spanish in college, given the number of Spanish speakers worldwide. During my time at Fort Lewis College, I had the opportunity to study abroad as a part of my language studies. I spent one semester at L'Université de Savoie in Chambéry, France. I also completed a six-week Spanish immersion course that traveled through parts of Bolivia, Perú, and Argentina. These trips helped me hone my skills in French and Spanish, helping me become more conversational with native speakers.
Skills & Expertise:
Copywriting
Media Literacy and Communications
Social Media
Management
Policy
Analysis
Web Development
Budget and Fiscal Analysis
Mentoring and
Coaching
Project Management
Time Management
Negotiation and
Diplomacy
Collaborative
Operations
Management
Solutions
Driven
Detail
Oriented
Agile