Summary of Experience

Executive level experience in non-profit and higher education sectors

25+ years in women's leadership development and empowerment

Successful development and implementation of leadership programs and courses 

Extensive work in fund development, grant writing, and project management

 

My first professional experience was working at a college for women where I developed leadership experiences and programs to empower high school girls and college women to pursue majors and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Since I majored in biology in college, I understood the challenges of being a woman in STEM, a very competitive field. Therefore, I appreciated the value of offering young women extracurricular opportunities to engage in STEM, as well as to meet role models and mentors to enhance their motivation and success. 

 

In 2005, my husband and I moved to Michigan to assume my dream position as Director of the Women’s Educational Center (WEC) at the University of Michigan-Flint. In this role, I facilitated leadership skills workshops and a peer mentoring program, while also offering programs to educate the campus about various women's issues including: leadership styles, economic empowerment, reproductive rights, healthy relationships, sexual violence, etc. Through each of the components, I introduced women to resources and support networks so that each student could fulfill her dreams and aspirations.  My work resulted in the WEC receiving the 2007 Outstanding Campus Program Award from the Michigan American Council on Education. 

 

Most recently, I served as the CEO for the YWCA Greater Flint, a non-profit organization committed to empowering women and eliminating racism, where I oversaw three programmatic areas including the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, Women's Empowerment Center, and Racial Justice Programs, and managed a staff of 30.  In this role, I successfully led a capacity-building campaign to raise $1 million, developed new staffing positions, oversaw a strategic planning process, and established new programs to promote women's empowerment and leadership, as well as race and gender equity.

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Over the years, I have taught and facilitated several leaderships courses and workshops focusing on leadership styles and team effectiveness, inclusive leadership, effective communication, and strategic planning. I am also trained in utilizing leadership style assessments including CliftonStrengths, True Colors and DiSC.

 

I received my doctorate in Educational Administration, Theory and Policy from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 2007.  I also hold a Bachelor’s degree (1990) in Biological Sciences from Douglass College, the women’s college at Rutgers University.