Greater Philadelphia
I am a senior leader who has over a decade of experience in policy and advocacy. The hallmark of my career has been an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children and families, whether that be through research, philanthropy, or my work in policy and advocacy at Children First. As deputy director of policy, I have deep expertise in several topic areas, especially early childhood education. I am a glass half-full personal viewpoint and believe the best way we can bring about the change we want to see in the world is through and investments in our children.
I lead strategy and implementation of advocacy efforts across multiple subject areas, including K12 education, early childhood, juvenile justice, child welfare, and health, in order to advance the state and local policy agendas of Children First. Supervising a policy team of 20 with 10 direct reports, I provide high-level of oversight and guidance to policy directors who are subject experts in their own fields. I have coached and helped develop the policy directors in their professional growth. I have streamlined the scheduling and engagement efforts with policymakers across departments, reducing duplication of efforts. I work with policy directors on the development and recruitment of constituents, energizing them to engage with their legislators. I provide supervision on policy reports, shepherding reports from initial outlines into completed advocacy documents that can be deployed to advance CF's agenda. I develop department budgets and oversee the management of large, multi-year grants totaling in the millions. I currently assist in the development of CF's strategic plan, working with external consultants to review stakeholder input and scan the existing advocacy ecosystem. I also work with the operations team to develop organization-wide policies that streamline business practices within the context of a nonprofit structure.
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey’s mission is to end poverty and expand opportunity in the region.
Children First PA works to improve the lives of our region’s children by developing initiatives and advocating for quality health care, child care, public education and family stability.