RESUME

Education

Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Leadership and Management
(In Progress)
Humphrey School of
Public Affairs -
University of Minnesota: Twin Cities

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Writing Studies
University of Minnesota: Twin Cities

Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Creative Writing
University of Minnesota: Twin Cities

BA, Philosophy, Humanities
University of Northern Iowa

Growth and Professional Development

Equity and Diversity Certificate
Office for Equity and Diversity -
University of MN
2023

Nonprofit Management
Post-baccalaureate Program
Humphrey School of Public Affairs,
University of MN
2022 - 2023

Collective Bargaining Program
Cornell University / AFT
2020 – 2021

Organizing Institute
AFL-CIO, 2018

Union Leadership Program
University of MN, Carlson School of Management, 2015 – 2016

Service & Volunteering

Board Member
PRISM (501c3 Food Shelf / Social Services Organization)
2023 - Present

Election Judge
City of Minneapolis
2017 - Present

Higher Education Program and Policy Council
American Federation of Teachers
2019 - 2022

Council of Local Presidents
Education Minnesota
2019 - 2022

Anti-Racist Union Leader Cohort
Education Minnesota
2019 - 2022

Labor Representative to Governor’s Education Roundtable
State of Minnesota
2020 - 2021

Board Member
Education Minnesota Foundation
2018 - 2020

Board Member
Minnesota State College Faculty
2017-2022

 

Demonstrated Skills

Visionary leadership

Strategic planning

Impact and program evaluation

Budget development & fiscal stewardship

Board governance

Crisis management

Negotiations

Management of individuals and teams

Coalition building

Public advocacy

 

Let’s Change The World

I believe organizations can make every tomorrow better than today. As a leader in the public and social sector, I have a proven track record of taking on the big challenges facing our world today in some of the most demanding contexts.

Experience

PRESIDENT, CEO, and Board of Directors Chair
Minnesota State College Faculty | 2019 – 2022
With more than 3,000 members, MSCF represents all faculty at two-year public colleges in Minnesota. Elected officers are full-time, full-release positions.

  • Fostered collaboration with stakeholders to develop shared visions and strategies in response to organizational challenges, demonstrating effective problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

    • Developed, planned, and successfully implemented change initiatives designed to move the union toward a progressive, inclusive, high engagement / high participation advocacy model rooted in organizing, base building, and cross-racial working class solidarity.

    • Established benchmarks such as a worksite action leader at every campus, a collective action that involved a third of the membership, and increased engagement around contract negotiations.

    • Reconfigured leadership training to emphasize collective goals, building a recruitment infrastructure where none existed before, and creating an open application process to promote inclusiveness throughout the leadership pipeline.

    • Successfully built on these organizational changes and adaptations to facilitate a complete overhaul of the organization’s bargaining process, including new worksite organizing structures; inclusive input opportunities leading to the development of common good proposals; and the first-ever collective actions associated with bargaining in the union’s history.

  • Responsible for day-to-day management of operations, including the fiscal stewardship of a $2.65 million operating budget, and directing all core union functions, including internal organizing, contract negotiations, member rights, communications, government relations, and stakeholder / community engagement.

    • Successfully led and managed a diverse team of four full-time positions, nearly 150 compensated campus and worksite leaders, and nearly 700 active volunteers.

    • Led the union through responding to several crises while maintaining continuity of organizational effectiveness, including the police murder of George Floyd and, later, Daunte Wright in Minnesota; the COVID-19 pandemic; and the continuing disruption of the organization’s resource environment following changes to the legal framework.

  • Demonstrated high level, purpose-driven leadership through community and stakeholder engagement.

    • Fostered durable and productive relationships with system level administrators and other community groups (advocacy groups, other labor unions, nonprofits, etc), even in cases of conflicting interests or positions.

    • Active in numerous internal and external policy and governance committees, workgroups, and task forces at the local community, state, and national levels.

    • Initiated and helped sustain the Equity 2030 Coalition to support DEI initiatives within the MnSCU system, which included all faculty bargaining units, student groups, and the Indigenous Men and Men of Color employee resource group.

VICE PRESIDENT
Minnesota State College Faculty | 2018 – 2019

  • Responsible for member engagement at multiple assigned worksites, including liaising with worksite leaders, consulting on workplace issues, and recruiting members

  • Led state-level communications efforts, including digital, print, and social media and oversaw labor leadership development and training programs, including developing content and leading training sessions

  • Led the engagement and response to the “Reimagining Minnesota State” initiative, which included heavy involvement in the process itself and developing/implementing a stakeholder communications and engagement strategy to influence the direction and outcome of the initiative

  • Spearheaded the design and implementation of a multimillion-dollar arbitration settlement process, involving more than 700 one-on-one conversations between union officers and members, exceeding expectations for successful claims

  • Led the long-term planning team tasked with preparing recommendations for wide-spread organizational changes related to the loss of mandatory fees for non-members in bargaining unit

TENURED FACULTY, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Inver Hills Community College | 2012 – Present

  • Responsible for developing and delivering a wide array of courses in the English Department.

  • Co-developed and successfully implemented innovative program that effectively responded to the challenge of helping underprepared and historically excluded students complete pivotal higher-education coursework in an accelerated manner.

  • Active in a variety of college-level and statewide leadership roles, including committees, councils, and other governance structures.

DOCTORAL RESEARCHER AND GRADUATE INSTRUCTOR
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | 2004 – 2012

  • Completed a dissertation on the political economics of college-preparation writing instruction, conducting an ethnographic classroom study involving participant observation, individual/group interviews, document collection and analysis, and field notes

  • Primary instructor for undergraduate courses in the English and Writing Studies departments