Experience

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  Texas department of state health services

  Aug 2002 - Dec 2006

  Physical activity program specialist

  Physical activity lead for the Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention Program. Assure that appropriate messages and initiatives are incorporated into relevant state programs. Train eight regional staff on physical activity objectives. Develop collaborative relationships with internal and external partner agencies. Demonstrate leadership on multiple state- and nation-wide committees. Deliver professional presentations at state, national, and international conferences.Key Accomplishments:1) Chaired a national committee to write a standardized set of core competencies for state physical activity coordinators, leading to the creation of the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist (PAPHS) credential from the American College of Sports Medicine. 2) Represented DSHS and served in multiple leadership positions with local, state, and national coalitions. 3) Delivered professional presentations on public health best practice and policy at local, state, national and international conferences. Show less

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  City of austin

  Jan 2007 - Aug 2014

  Nutrition and physical activity lead in the Chronic Disease Prevention Program. Manage sub-recipient and professional services contracts, including monthly progress and budget monitoring. Demonstrate leadership and subject matter expertise for implementation of the HHSD strategic plan and the City’s Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. Develop collaborative relationships with community partners and leaders within the City organization. Respond to information requests from executive management and elected officials with thorough and timely research. Assure the progression and completion of assigned deliverables. Recruit, hire, supervise and direct the work of graduate student interns.Key Accomplisments:1) Designed and directed a community strategic planning project that engaged over 100 professional stakeholders and 500 citizens to develop a set of high-level obesity prevention recommendations.2) Successfully developed Requests for Proposal, negotiated scopes of work and budgets, and managed contracts for professional services between $20,000 and $80,000 and sub-recipient contracts for projects between $50,000 and $550,000. 3) Led an ad hoc subcommittee of internal and external partners to develop recommendations for increasing SNAP enrollment and participation in Travis County. Show less Wellness Consultant for the City’s employee wellness program serving approximately 12,000 employees, plus retirees. Oversee daily operations including health education programs, tobacco cessation, health screenings, exercise programs, and massage therapy at multiple locations. Plan and implement annual flu shot campaign. Advise the Benefits Manager on incorporating preventive health services into the employee benefits package. Train and supervise one full-time Benefits Specialist. Train and direct the activities of over 40 volunteer wellness liaisons.Key Accomplisments: 1) Improved the total program customer experience through weekly communications, redesigning program processes, and initiating comprehensive program evaluation strategies. 2) Doubled participation in the employee tobacco cessation program by eliminating procedural barriers and increasing incentives. 3) Worked with the Benefits Manager and the City’s health insurance vendor to add coverage of nutrition counseling with a Registered Dietitian to the approved employee benefits package. 4) Developed a collaborative relationship with the Austin Fire Department to provide certified vaccinators for 25 employee flu shot clinics, reducing total costs of the program. Show less

  • Chronic Disease Prevention Program Coordinator

    May 2010 - Aug 2014

  • Employee Wellness Consultant

    Jan 2007 - May 2010
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  Texas department of state health services

  Aug 2014 - Feb 2016

  Program coordinator and team lead, community and worksite wellness

  Serve as Team Lead for the Community and Worksite Wellness Program, providing daily operational and strategic direction to four professional staff. Develop and monitor budgets for multiple funding streams, including federal grants. Manage professional services and sub-recipient contracts and assure that deliverables are met within approved budget limits. Lead the program team in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of program initiatives and assigned grant activities. Oversee the Community Clinical Preventive Services Project, including management of three subrecipient contracts, required quarterly reporting into the Program Management and Tracking System and annual reporting into the federal Block Grant Management Information System. Successfully managed closeout requirements of a multi-million dollar federal grant within the first four months of employment. Show less

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  Texas health and human services

  Mar 2016 - now

  Lead special projects for the WIC Program, including WIC Summer Food Pilot Project, the Summer Nutrition Benefits Card demonstration project, the annual State Plan development and submission, USDA Management Evaluation reviews, HHSC Transformation planning, and other priority initiatives as assigned by the WIC Director or Department. Work collaboratively with internal and external partners, stakeholders, and colleagues on a daily basis and communicate effectively with all levels of agency leadership. Facilitate the ongoing WIC policy review and revision process, successfully collaborating with WIC subject matter experts, the Texas Association of Local WIC Directors, USDA, and HHSC Legal Counsel. Serve as the WIC Legislative Liaison and single-point-of-contact for other state agencies and USDA Southwest Regional Office staff. Assist state and local WIC agency staff with policy research and interpretation related to WIC operations. Show less

  • Senior Policy and Special Projects Advisor, Texas WIC

    Oct 2020 - now

  • Policy and Special Projects Coordinator, Texas WIC

    Mar 2016 - Oct 2020