For the last 23 years I have flourished in higher education administration by engaging students, alumni, faculty, staff, and benefactors. I manage internal and external communications efforts for a busy academic center, including social media engagement, podcast hosting and production, video production, website maintenance, donor database and engagement, and external media relations. I previously worked in university alumni relations, building a regional alumni chapter strategy from scratch, including strategic program design, leadership recruitment, and volunteer management. I managed the annual alumni reunion, hosting 1200+ guests each summer for a weekend packed with more than 50 individual events. I developed from scratch the university's efforts to engage alumni via social media, including building & maintaining an official alumni page on Facebook, a networking group on LinkedIn, and an active Twitter feed. I taught as an adjunct instructor in the Theology department, mentoring upper-division nursing students regarding issues of suffering and death. I hold an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry and am a newspaper columnist, adult faith formation teacher, podcaster, blogger, social media manager, public speaker, and media-savvy expert on Catholic theology and history. I co-host a syndicated weekly radio program discussing Catholic topics, performing both on-air hosting and working behind the scenes to book guests and manage the show's social media accounts.
University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) |
de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture
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Communications Specialist |
Mar. 2016 to Current
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Oversee all communications and public relations efforts for the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. Produce press releases, social media posts, podcasts, video, and multimedia that highlight programs, events, and people associated with the Center. Perform donor relations tasks including gift acknowledgments and donor database management. Contribute as team member to strategic planning, event planning, and event support.
Today's Catholic Newspaper |
Fort Wayne, IN
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Columnist |
Sept. 2022 to Current
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Write regular column on the relationship of faith and joy for the newspaper of the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend.
Mater Dei Radio (KBVM/KMME) |
Portland, OR
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Radio Broadcast Host |
May 2015 to Current
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Co-host, with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, of "Living Stones", a nationally syndicated weekly 30-minute discussion program produced by KBVM Catholic radio that discusses living the Catholic faith. Regular topics include faith formation, divine worship and sacraments, the service of charity, family life, youth ministry, and cultural diversity. Special shows have covered the Jubilee of Mercy, the documents of Vatican II, the encyclicals of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and the teachings of Pope Francis on family life and holiness. "Living Stones" is syndicated on 48 stations in 11 states, with coverage in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, as well as podcast distribution.
University of Portland (Portland, OR) |
Department of Theology
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Adjunct Instructor |
Aug. 2013 to Dec. 2015
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Professional instructional mentor for Theology 348: The Theological Dimensions of Suffering and Death.
- Guided seminar discussions and graded student reflection papers.
- Required core curriculum class for all upper-division students in the School of Nursing and the Social Work program.
Alumni Relations
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Associate Director |
Jan. 2007 to Mar. 2016
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Managed regional alumni engagement via chapters and clubs. Planned and executed large- and small-scale events, classes, and travel opportunities for alumni, parents, and benefactors, taking ideas from the brainstorming and development phase through execution & post-event analysis.
- Created and implemented a new institutional strategy for regional alumni engagement.
- Recruited volunteers, provided leadership development, and provided ongoing support to regional chapters and clubs.
- Traveled to support remote events in concert with regional alumni chapters and the National Alumni Board.
- Managed the annual all-school alumni reunion, consisting of more than 50 events over one weekend. Between 2008 and 2014, I grew the reunion attendance and reunion donations year-over-year by targeting core alumni, engaging with affinity groups via social media, redesigning tired traditional events, and reinstituting a volunteer class-calling program that included an institutional giving component.
- Launched and managed alumni social media communications efforts on Facebook and LinkedIn, promoting community pages and performing group management responsibilities including maintaining daily engagement with community members.
- Chaired social media subcommittee of the university president's advisory committee on information technology.
Residence Life
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Hall Director |
July 2003 to May 2007
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- Hired and managed 20 new student staff each year, including resident assistants and desk staff.
- Promoted community life by assisting with planning events and adventures for residents.
- Adjudicated disciplinary cases as a student conduct hearing officer.
- Chaired a committee to integrate the academic core curriculum with event planning requirements for resident assistants.
- Coordinated an on-campus carnival for 3000 guests as part of the new university president's inauguration celebration.
Residence Life
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Assistant Hall Director |
Aug. 2001 to July 2003
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- Promoted the social and spiritual well-being of resident undergraduate students and staff.
- Served as staff advisor to student government in the residence hall.
Safeco Insurance (Seattle, WA) |
Personal Lines Systems
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Software Quality Assurance Analyst |
Apr. 1997 to Dec. 1998
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- Performed testing for mainframe, desktop, and web-based software for insurance rating and underwriting.
Administrative Services Division
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Forms Project Analyst |
June 1995 to Apr. 1997
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- Worked with internal customers to identify their business needs for printed materials.
- Managed assigned projects through process of design, printing, and inventory control.
- Pioneered the use of electronic review and revision of proofs utilizing Adobe Acrobat, cutting turnaround time for forms and enabling print-on-demand, reducing need for on-hand inventory and associated costs.
Archdiocese of Seattle (Seattle, WA) |
Archdiocesan Resource Library
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Office Assistant |
Oct. 1989 to Aug. 1993
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Mainframe data entry and shipping support for the video lending library.
Catholic Media Association (formerly Catholic Press Association) · Affiliate Member |
July 2016 to Current
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University of Portland (Portland, OR) |
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Harrison Middleton University (Chicago, IL) |
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Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (Berkeley, CA) |
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Saint Meinrad College (St. Meinrad, IN) |
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Seattle University - Matteo Ricci Honors College (Seattle, WA) |
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Lay Preacher · St. Joseph Catholic Church, South Bend, IN |
Apr. 2023
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Invited to deliver reflections during Paschal Triduum prayer service.
Retreat Speaker · St. John Neumann Parish, Sunbury, OH |
Aug. 2018 to Jan. 2019
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Presented multimedia talks on topics including Pope Francis's apostolic exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate" and the liturgical year.
Theology on Tap Speaker · St. Joseph Catholic Church, South Bend, IN |
Aug. 2018
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Presented talk to young adults from the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend exploring practical aspects of Pope Francis's apostolic exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate" on holiness in the modern world.
Faith Formation Speaker · St. Wenceslaus Parish, Scappoose, OR |
Nov. 2014 to Jan. 2016
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Presented multimedia talks about the Catholic faith during adult faith formation sessions on topics including: sacred scripture and sacred tradition, the Trinity, the liturgical year, the Paschal Mystery, grace, understanding the Mass, and Biblical interpretation.
Catholic Media Association · Book Awards Committee |
Aug. 2022 to Current
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Review categories and judging criteria for CMA Book Awards program; judge books and award prizes
St. Joseph Catholic Church · Eucharistic Adoration Coordinator |
Sept. 2021 to Apr. 2022
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St. Joseph Catholic Church · RCIA Team |
Sept. 2018 to May 2021
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St. Joseph Catholic Church · Liturgy Commission |
Aug. 2018 to May 2021
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