Color guard - 1987, 1988, 1989
Current Role
Director of Marketing & Communications, Children's Council of San Francisco
Skills
I have over 20 years of nonprofit arts marketing, communications and fundraising experience. From tiny community theatres to America’s third largest dance company touring around the world, I’ve gained a deep understanding of how arts organizations work and how to collaborate effectively with artists, administrators, and volunteers.
I’m extremely resourceful. For the last 5 ½ years I’ve worked in marketing and development for Children’s Council, a nonprofit Early Care and Education agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starting with essentially no budget or support staff, I grew the company’s social media visibility by 483%, raised website visits by 260%, and increased e-mail reach by 388%. Even with the cancellation of our biggest fundraising event due to COVID-19 this year, we still met a very aggressive annual $1 million fundraising goal.
I understand how to be an effective nonprofit board member. I’ve worked with countless boards and seen firsthand how board members can make an impact. It’s more than showing up for a meeting or making a donation; it’s listening carefully to key constituents, finding opportunities to contribute your time or expertise, and not being afraid to jump in and do the hard work.
I’m a lifelong marching arts performer and educator. My father was a high school band director, and my earliest memories are watching rehearsals, waiting anxiously for the day I could join the ranks of the marching band. After performing with the Cavaliers, I taught numerous high school bands/guards in the Houston area for 15 years, including playing a strong leadership, administrative and creative role in building The Woodlands High School Band from a small, struggling program to a Grand Nationals finalist for the first time.
I’m committed to nurturing long-lasting relationships. Whether it’s keeping in close contact with a vast network of friends and colleagues in the marching activity, growing performing arts audiences, or building a loyal donor base, I truly believe that strong 1-on-1 relationships are the key to success in business and in life.
Platform
As a highly experienced arts marketing and fundraising professional living on the west coast, I’m uniquely positioned to bring a new, creative perspective to the Alumni Board during these challenging times. No matter where we live or what our financial resources may be, I’m committed to finding ways for every alumni to engage with and support The Cavaliers, ensuring that we continue to be a vital part of a thriving arts and educational organization.
Initiatives
I would like to take a strong leadership role in amping up our LinkedIn platform, growing our membership, consistently creating new and engaging content, and having the platform become a useful tool for sharing job listings, professional development opportunities, and career support. Given the challenges many of us are facing in our work lives as a result of the pandemic, it’s critical we find ways to support each other now. Our LinkedIn group is very underutilized, and could be put to much better use immediately.
I want to find creative ways to intentionally connect marching members and new age-outs working on their degrees or entering the workforce to Alumni who can support them. I recently collaborated with a recent age-out pursuing his degree in Early Care & Education. Given my years of experience in the field, I offered my support and he immediately responded. It was a great fit and the project was a really fulfilling experience. I would love to see this experience replicated for other alumni.
I want to focus on creative ways to engage Alumni who, like myself, live far away from the Chicago area. As much as we’d love to volunteer at camps or work the home show, it’s just not feasible. Last summer I had an incredibly moving experience, interacting with members of the corps in person for the first time in many years. That brief conversation reignited my passion for the Cavaliers, and ultimately led me to this moment of pursuing a spot on the CAA Board. How can we create opportunities for that kind of experience for members and alumni, particularly now, as we continue to live in a socially distanced/digital environment? From intimate Zoom conversations to large-scale interactive virtual programs, arts organizations are coming up with creative ways to keep constituents around the world engaged with their artists during COVID. We should be doing the same, now and in a post-COVID environment.
Vision
My vision is that every member of the Cavalier Alumni Association – regardless of where they live or how much they can afford to donate – feel the same sense of belonging, accomplishment, and purpose that we did as performing members of the corps. CAA should offer a full range of opportunities that allow us to lean on each other as we travel through our life’s journey. Together we will ensure that The Cavaliers Arts, Performance & Education organization continues to thrive and set the standard for the marching arts activity.