Founder & Executive Director, ACCESS EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, INC. | 15 yrs
Design and lead STEM-focused college and career readiness programs for grades K-12, helping students overcome access, see possibility, and explore pathways to careers.

 Recruit and develop hundreds of students annually, supporting postsecondary planning, career pathways, and education interventions. In addition, develop interpersonal skills like leadership, teamwork, and public speaking skills.
 Build and sustain relationships with school districts, youth-serving organizations, higher education, businesses, and community leaders to align programming with trends in employer and workforce needs.
 Develop and facilitate workshops and hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math that build students’ confidence and readiness for post-secondary education and careers.
 Project manage logistics and technology for learning sessions (in person & virtual) and lead communications for students, parents, and facilitators.
 Implemented a program management and CRM platform to track learner registration, attendance, and participation data.
 Administered pre- and post-surveys and analyzed outcome data to drive continuous quality improvement and create reports for stakeholders and funders.
 Secure and manage funding, including identifying and writing more than 100 successful grant proposals and overseeing an annual budget of approximately $400,000.
 Recruit, train, and supervise volunteer and staff teams of up to 20 people to deliver programming across multiple sites.
 Expanded students’ exposure to advanced technology training by integrating site visits and apprenticeships.
 Collaborated with community colleges in CT & NY to train teachers on science curricula with nanotechnology modules in alignment with NSF Advanced Technological Education’s focus on building technician-level pipelines in emerging tech.
 Introduced industry-relevant tools and experiences, including SolidWorks learning opportunities.
 Bridge gap from secondary to collegiate-level by developing partnerships with colleges & their faculty to host workshops and learning series on campus so students have access to the environment & state-of-the-art technology/learning tools.
 Developed and implemented FIRST Robotics and VEX Robotics programs across multiple schools, building relationships with administrators and teachers to expand high-quality STEM curriculum & career-readiness opportunities for students.
 Led a shift to a sustainable “train-the-trainer” model by equipping school leaders and educators to serve as internal program managers and champions, embedding robotics and STEM into school culture.

Consultant, Founding Director, GREATER BRIDGEPORT STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEM (GBSLE), Bridgeport, CT | 7 years
Launched a citywide STEM learning ecosystem by convening stakeholders to collaborate and share resources supporting a learner/educator community to transform how local students learn STEM, glean best practices, and connect to opportunities.

 Designed strategy to increase STEM exposure to boost enrollment in STEM pathways and postsecondary options for students K–16, creating scalable, systemic change.
 Secured and managed approximately $250,000 in funding from United Way/Bridgeport Prospers, and other grants.
 Advanced long-term goals, advocating for systemic reforms in data collection and curriculum, establishing a permanent relationship with the District’s Science Department and individual schools.
 Developed foundational partnerships with several key community members: the district’s superintendent, Housatonic Comm. College’s STEM/STEAM Coordinator, Director of Development for the Cardinal Shehan Center, the Workplace, etc.
 Promoted tools such as TALLO and increased FAFSA-completion rates for area high schools to increase college exploration.
 Developed a strategic plan that aligned partner collaboration and in-school curriculum with program offerings.
 Started with 10 initial partners and a target of 500 students in the first year. Results: Secured 25 partners and served ~800.
 Supported all Bridgeport youth, many in Alliance schools, by coordinating STEM enrichment, job readiness, and workforce-aligned skills development to prepare students for living-wage employment.
 Curated curriculum for summer enrichment programs on college campuses to build critical academic skills in math, reading, writing, and STEM while connecting students to local employers and labor-market opportunities.
 Finalizing the project management of an online portal to support the next evolution of the STEM ecosystem, enabling statewide collaboration and data-driven coordination among partners to scale impact across Connecticut.

Director of Leadership Programs, BRIDGEPORT REGIONAL BUSINESS COUNCIL, Bridgeport, CT | 1 year
Led and facilitated Leadership Greater Bridgeport, a program connecting local business leaders to community needs.

+++++PRIOR ROLES+++++

Human Resources Manager, HR Admin, Recruiter, Payroll Admin, CONTRACT ROLES, Fairfield Co., CT
Companies: Orthopedic & Neurosurgery Specialists, ADP, RBS Bank (now, Citizens Bank), Wheels of CT
Provided HR support, sourcing, screening and onboarding candidates; provided performance coaching for early-career roles.

Program Coordinator, CONNECTICUT DEPT OF HIGHER EDUCATION – GEAR UP PROGRAM, Bridgeport, CT
Coordinated health careers pathway activities for high school students, including information sessions, campus visits, and connections to health professions programs. Provided administrative and logistical support for education interventions, including scheduling sessions, communicating with participants, and preparing materials for workshops and events.