Shani A.

Experience

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  Montana Conservation Corps

  Aug 1994 - Jul 1995

  Crew Member | Americorps

  - Worked on various conservation and service projects throughout Montana.- Interned with the Montana Legislature on legislative initiatives under the guidance of the Environmental Quality Council.- Served as a spokesperson promoting Americorps and community service initiatives to state legislators.- Identified and implemented a local recycling program. - Surveyed, assessed, and reported potential hazardous gold mines in two mining districts for the Montana Department of State Lands.- Reported findings based on the health and safety of the community and waterways.- Worked to restore historic Civilian Conservation Corps Camp buildings.- Constructed a two-mile fence to protect the buildings in the ghost town of the first territorial capital of Montana.- Trail building and maintenance.- Worked on various conservation and service projects throughout Montana; formed partnerships and coalitions; interned with the Montana Legislature on legislative initiatives under the guidance of the Environmental Quality Council, and organized recycling service programs. Show less

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  AmeriCorps

  Aug 1995 - Jul 1996

  Campus Organizer with Neighborhood Green Corps

  - Recruited, trained, and organized student volunteers and interns to improve water quality and stream restoration in Eugene, OR.- Planned and implemented volunteer initiatives.- Facilitated leadership development training.- Conducted outreach to identify and secure service projects with external community organizations.- Formed partnerships with local and national organizations to complete waterway restoration.- Organized and cleaned waterways pulling out over one ton of trash.- Eradicated invasive species and restored Kincaid's lupine critical habitat for the endangered Fender's blue butterfly.- Educated children and young adults on healthy waterway systems in the public school system.- Built community relations, coalitions, and partnerships with diverse companies and external organizations to work together to restore water quality in the local area.- Mentored 100+ young adults through the volunteer and internship program.- Provided recognition and rewards for the performance of outstanding student volunteers. Show less

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  LAWRENCE GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE

  Jul 1997 - Jul 1998

  Project Coordinator | Administrative Assistant

  - Administered city grant funds to successfully create and manage four community gardens.- Organized community forums and special events such as a community parade that featured 400+ participants and attracted the attention of the Boston media.- Recruited and trained and supervised volunteers to manage a community bookstore.- Promoted the mission, programs, and services of the organization to external entities- Served on the Board of Directors for the Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, an annual event that draws thousands of people.-Coordinated community art programs.- Assisted Executive Director with administrative support.- Primary spokesperson for all programs of the organization.- Managed multiple projects simultaneously on a routine basis. Show less

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  Sisters Of The Road

  Jan 2000 - Jul 2002

  Advanced the mission of Sisters of the Road exists to build authentic relationships and alleviate the hunger of isolation in an atmosphere of nonviolence and gentle personalism that nurtures the whole individual while seeking systemic solutions that reach the roots of homelessness and poverty to end them forever.- Interviewed 200+ individuals who had experienced homelessness in the Crossroads project, recording their life histories and experience with social services.- Organized participants to collectively identify solutions and develop strategic plans to achieve them.- Interviews were digitally recorded, posted online, and compiled in a book, Voices of Homelessness: A Qualitative Database from Sisters Of The Road.- Facilitated leadership development sessions with participants to engage the community in identifying action steps to create systemic solutions to end poverty and hunger.- Developed partnerships and coalitions to find inclusive solutions.- Promoted the organization's mission, program, and services to external organizations, stakeholders, legislators, city managers, and the community at large. Show less Sisters of the Road is a nonprofit Cafe in Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood working to create systemic change that will end poverty and homelessness by providing nourishing meals in a safe, dignified space.- Recruited and trained barter workers and volunteers in daily cafe operations.- Provided meals for an average of 300 people per day using a barter system to enable volunteers to dine with dignity.- Provided ongoing guidance to barter workers on daily cafe operations to meet health and safety standards.- Helped volunteer barter workers improve their job performance.- Identified potential problems in barter worker behaviors and took appropriate action based on non-violent interventions.- Facilitated and participated in conflict resolutions with multiple parties to achieve consensus around a particular issue.- Performed crisis intervention when necessary, applying 120 hours of non-violence training. Show less

  • Lead Field Researcher/Community Organizer/Lead Floor Manager

    Aug 2000 - Jul 2002

  • Lead Floor Manager

    Jan 2000 - Jan 2002
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  The Arc Tennessee

  Aug 2006 - Jan 2014

  Responsible for oversight and direction of day-to-day operations related to the implementation of the TennCare CHOICES Long-Term Services and Supports (CHOICES) consumer-directed program that grants Medicaid money to participants to enable them to continue to age in place and live in the community, to become their own employer of record, and to hire staff to provide assistance in their own homes (Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).- Oversaw four self-directed programs with over a $1 million annual budget and directed day-to-day operations and implementation of consumer/self-directed programs. - Increased participant involvement from 99 active members to +1000 within three years as Director (CHOICES). - Expert in recruiting, training, supervising direct staff, member staff, and volunteers to provide high-quality services, understanding the intake processes and program requirements, recruiting and hiring direct care staff, and managing individual budgets. - Directly supervised +25 staff in administering Supports Brokerages services for four self-directed service programs and trained and monitored +2000, direct care staff. - Coordinated closely with Fiscal Intermediary, Tennessee’s Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Greater Nashville Regional Council’s Area Agency on Aging and Disability, legislators, and other community service organizations. - Provided excellent customer support through outbound and inbound calls, emails, and home visits.- Extensively documented any issue, action step, and resolution needed and ensured the team solved support tickets at a high level of quality and promptness.- Guaranteed consumer satisfaction with monthly outbound telephone calls and in-home visits every six months.- Complied with federal and state Medicaid regulations, as well as, maintained confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.- Lead investigator for cases involving possible abuse, neglect, exploitation, and Medicaid fraud. Show less Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Supports Brokerage project including management of staff, program participants and their employees, and participant budgets.- Managed individual budgets of 50 participants in the DIDD self-directed program at $30,000 each and 10 participants in the GNRC pilot program at $5,000 each as well as PASS program budget totaling $200,000 for 10 participants.- Assisted the Project Manager in overseeing all aspects of four self-directed programs.- Trained and supervised 15 Supports Brokers.- Trained 1000+ participants in using services, monitoring budgets, recruiting, hiring, and training personal assistants.- Maintained monthly contact with each participant, and conducted 6-month home visits to ensure the quality of service.- Recruited and trained staff, volunteer representatives, and DIDD participants in hiring, recruiting, scheduling, and evaluating the personal assistants, and monitoring their budgets.- Responsible for training state case managers on Supports Brokerage and Fiscal Administration services.- Facilitated monthly meetings and training for Arc TN staff.- Represented and advocated for individuals in five Administrative Appeals Courts, winning all cases. Show less

  • Project Director, Consumer Directed Services

    Dec 2010 - Jan 2014

  • Lead Supports Broker

    Aug 2006 - Dec 2010

  • Interviewer

    Aug 2006 - Jun 2007
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  Kerrville Folk Festival

  May 2014 - May 2017

  Board of Directors Member for Quiet Valley Ranch

  - Participated in monthly meetings of the Board of Directors.- Engaged in strategic planning and implementation of Board objectives.- Appointed the chairpersons of committees, in consultation with other Board members.- Helped guide and mediate Board actions concerning organizational priorities and governance concerns- Monitored financial planning and financial reports.

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  Freelance

  Jan 2015 - now

  - Ensure maximum SEO effectiveness by utilizing analytics and SEO tools to analyze, optimize, and improve organic visibility on search engines. - Conduct online research on industry hot topics and SEO keyword trends to create and schedule content for social and blog posts. - Authored and edited over 350 blog posts and proofread marketing materials before distribution to platforms.- Schedule across platforms and provide authentic community engagement.- Keyword and hashtag research.- Video production. Show less

  • Social Media Marketing Manager

    Aug 2020 - now

  • English Second Language Instructor

    Jan 2015 - now
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  Greenheart Travel

  Jan 2015 - Apr 2015

  Professional English Tutor

  Professional English Tutor for a Homestay, Cultural Exchange Program through Greenheart Travel.- Strong emphasis on dialogue, role-playing, and language games.- Provided appropriate feedback on oral and written work.- Freelance teaching on a one-to-one basis.- Modified assignments and activities to meet the learning needs of individual students.- Communicated student progress with parents.

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  Self-employed

  Jan 2015 - now

  Professional English Tutor

  Passionate ESL instructor with excellent time management and interpersonal communication skills is accomplished in:- Student-centered practices to create high-level planning to develop curriculum-based lessons to meet student objectives.- Produce and contribute effective lesson plans and craft creative interactive presentations for the diverse classroom and online instruction levels, emphasizing current trends in art, music, social justice, and theatre arts.- Implemented theatre workshops for English language learners using drama as an impetus for language emergence and fluency.- Exam preparation for Cambridge English exams (A1 to B-2).- Material and resource creation using G Suite collaboration and online productivity tools.- Ability to motivate students and build confidence to achieve student learning goals. Show less

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  Tuttolingue

  Sept 2019 - Jun 2020

  English Teacher

  Dedicated professional concentrating on student success through student-centered practices in developing the four language skills.- In-class and online instruction focused on student success in reading, writing, listening, and speaking - Cambridge English Exam preparation (A1 to B2).- Created engaging and interactive lesson plans for in-school instruction and online platforms.- Proficient in G-Suite collaboration and online productivity tools.- Taught diverse classes from pre-A-1 to B-2, ages 5 to 17.- Created multiple cross-curricular projects for students to enhance their learning experience- Responsible for monthly student progress reports.- Participated in weekly teacher meetings and professional development workshops and conferences. Show less