Experience

          My purpose in doing work I love to do is to help you to achieve your purpose in doing what you do.  The services I provide are an adaptable toolkit of designs and processes that I have learned and applied over decades of professional, academic, and community involvement.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • participatory and cultural diversity approaches
  • focus groups, surveys, and assessments
  • qualitative and quantitative methods
  • program theory (logic models)
  • grant writing
  • workshops and trainings

 

AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • non-profit, community-based human services and grass-roots organizations
  • local-regional food systems
  • rural and urban agriculture
  • workforce training programs
  • housing resident needs assessments
  • drug court research
  • school-based youth-at-risk programs
  • youth HIV-AIDS prevention
  • youth and adult peer support and education

 

EDUCATION:

          I am a life-long learner and my formal education began later in my life.  My school experiences have been a marvelous journey into the life of the mind in an attempt to understand better the currents and forces in society that shape the lives of ordinary people.  More specifically, I wanted to understand the barriers to progressive ideas and projects and how to advance the cause of a peaceful, equitable and ecologically sound society.  As with all high quality educational experiences, I now have more questions than answers – but at least they are the kinds of questions that will likely move us forward rather than get us stuck!

Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Social Science Program, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, 2010.

 M.A. Sociology, Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse, NY, 1991.  Mediation and Women’s Studies Graduate Certification.

B.A. Economics, Division of Social Science and Human Services, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ, 1988.  Summa cum laude.

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

  • Volunteer Reviewer of grant proposals submitted to United Way, 2011.
  • Affiliations:  I am a veteran volunteer who has always believed in participatory democracy and the responsibility I have to contribute to causes and organizations that promote a saner and healthier world.  My roots of involvement began in the 1970s with the Ecumenical Institute (later know and the Institute of Cultural Affairs), Movement for a New Society (Philadelphia), and the Community Self-Sufficiency Center (West Milford, NJ).  Currently, I am serving on the Advisory Board of Syracuse Grows (2010 to present); the Steering Committee of the Syracuse Peace Council (Jan. 2012 to present); member of the ACTS (Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse) Food Access Task Force (2012 to present); and member of the Food Systems Sustainability Plan advisory group, City of Syracuse, Department of Planning and Sustainability (2012).  Member of the American Evaluation Association. In Syracuse, I have also been a member of the Board of Directors of Central New York Environment (1994-1996) and the Board of Directors of the New Environment Institute (2005 to 2011).
  • Facilitation:  I have been interested in the process and effectiveness of organizations for most of my adult life. Recent experience includes training and delivery of organizational planning and problem solving workshops for boards and members of community and professional organizations, including Syracuse Community Choir, Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Preservation Association of Central New York, Syracuse University Department of Sociology, Syracuse Peace Council, Central New York Environment, and Common Place Community Land Trust.