About Beyond the Curve

DOSSIER

Community Partnerships
Program Manager

Manage the community partnership program statewide, with the goal of furthering the agency’s mission by maximizing community involvement.  Gain support of community leaders, identify and foster partnerships, engage stakeholders and leverage grant program to disseminate and imbed programming that supports the agency’s messaging and mission.

• Collaborate with other agencies, organizations and universities to develop joint mission-oriented programming and events for the public. 

• Serve as liaison to community leaders and organizations in forwarding shared mission objectives. 

• Collaborate with other agencies, organizations and universities to develop training and education programs for those looking to enter the fields of informal science education, conservation and natural or cultural resource education, preservation and protection.  

• Develop training curricula and programs in the areas of informal science, STEMS, conservation, natural and cultural resources management, and emergency preparedness and response.  

• Manage statewide training programs. Design, plan, coordinate and facilitate workshops and seminars in preparing partners to effectively advance the agency’s mission. 

• Oversee grant program, identify appropriate grant recipients and assist grant applicants with the submittal process and provide guidance on subsequent programming as successful grant recipients. 

• Respond to inquiries by state representatives regarding constituents’ needs and concerns to bring about understanding and resolution without obligating the agency to overstep boundaries or violate protocol. 

• Present / submit reports to the board of commissioners and senior executive team.  

• Plan, prepare and host informative events and activities for high level officials.   

• Interact with the press regarding sensitive situations and materials in a manner that is consistent with agency security and protocol. 

• Present and speak in a wide array of settings to include industry conferences, collaborative organizations, board meetings, stakeholder meetings, community events and agency meetings and events. 

• Develop and deliver training programs and lesson plans to educational and interpretive professionals, resource management staff, program managers, public safety employees, partners, volunteers and community members. 

• Provide direct training, teacher training and train-the-trainer services for stakeholders and partners statewide.  

• Coordinate distribution of services, resources, equipment and site access for stakeholders and partners in order to incentivize and facilitate program dissemination and advancement. 

Master Planner

In response to an initiative set by the Board of Commissioners, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was tasked with revising its public image while more accurately realigning its tactical approach to better suit the changing demographics of the state.  This called for a comprehensive, strategic plan that would pull in funders, stakeholders, partners, contractors and oversight committees.  It also called for the recruitment of a highly skilled team to plan, develop, implement and gain internal and external support for the intended changes.  This team, affectionately referred to as “The Magnificent Seven” changed the face of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the public eye.  It was composed of hand selected recruits from around the globe, one of which was me. 

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• Serve on a team tasked with developing comprehensive and sustainable plans to revise the public image of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and to deepen public support, understanding and appreciation for the agency’s mission. 

• Work closely with stakeholders and partners to craft mission-related plans with an eye to the future and to identify, develop and implement those plans’ stated goals. 

• Liaison with public officials, board members and the press. 

• Liaison with stakeholders and directly impacted communities and seek to resolve stated concerns without obligating the agency to any unauthorized responses. 

• Identify and engage partners and community members to address concerns and gain support in achieving stated goals. 

• Recruit a wide array of talents, skills and abilities to support the implementation process through the leveraging of community members, partners, schools, special interest and volunteer groups. 

• Work closely with friends’ groups and funding sources to maintain support and sustain efforts through sometimes challenging changes. 

• Table concerns and seek to guide groups with disparate and sometimes competing interests for the same resources, toward resolution through identification of and focus on common grounds, goals and interests. 

• Drive interdepartmental and interagency collaboration and coordination.  

• Plan and facilitate stakeholder and development/project team meetings.  

• Prepare and present reports for senior executive team and board members.  

• Develop and/or curate educational resources, facilities, media and materials.  

• Maintain inventory, coordinate distribution and manage the budget of promotional, educational and interpretive materials.  

• Develop and deliver direct training, teacher training and train-the-trainer services as part of the program implementation process. Develop and manage regional training and educational programs for staff, volunteers and education professionals.  

• In this role, I was invited to serve on the inaugural team for the Houston Wilderness Association, a collaborative, inter-agency effort to develop green spaces and related programming in and around the Greater Houston metro. This team was also responsible for promoting eco-tourism in the greater Houston-Galveston area. 

Training & Education Manager

Tasked with managing the community partnership, training and education program for southeast Texas, encompassing Houston, Galveston and Beaumont. In addition, collaborate with partners throughout the entire state in order to establish and develop partnerships with government agencies and NGO's, non-profit and educational organizations, community, special interest, religious and other groups with an emphasis on underserved, urban and at-risk populations.  

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• Execute and oversee partnership contracts, agreements and understandings, recommend, facilitate and assist with grant applications and compliance.  

• Develop, implement and manage all aspects of program resources, facilities, equipment, staff and volunteers.  

• Collaborate with other agencies, organizations and universities to develop joint mission-oriented programming and events for the public.  

• Serve as liaison to community leaders and organizations in forwarding shared mission objectives.  

• Collaborate with other agencies, organizations and universities to develop training and education programs for those looking to enter the fields of informal science education, conservation and natural or cultural resource education, preservation and protection.  

• Develop training curricula and programs in the areas of informal science, STEMS, conservation, natural and cultural resources management, and emergency preparedness and response.  

• Manage statewide training programs.  

• Design, plan, coordinate and facilitate workshops and seminars in preparing partners to effectively advance the agency’s mission.  

• Present and speak in a wide array of settings to include industry conferences, collaborative organizations, board meetings, stakeholder meetings, community events and agency meetings and events.  

• Develop and deliver training programs and lesson plans to educational and interpretive professionals, resource management staff, program managers, public safety employees, stakeholders, partners, volunteers and community members.