Experience

`EXPERIENCE:`
`August 2007- Present`	First Unitarian Church of Rochester, Rochester, NY Religious Education Assistant Accomplishments: I have successfully utilized database programming and information to facilitate communication with over 50 volunteer religious education teachers. I have cataloged and organized educational materials and archives. I have managed weekly communication with all teachers and RE Director in order to make sure that all teacher and student needs are met. I have simplified creation of the annual mailings and brochure.
`November 2005- April 2007`	Xerox Corporation, Rochester, NY Documentation Specialist Lead writer for sales and service quarterly print magazine, Connect. I wrote intranet content for the communications department, designed and wrote online magazine content, and did graphic design. Assisted with other communications objectives as necessary.
`August 2007- January 2008`	Southeast YMCA, Rochester, NY Recreational Gymnastics Coordinator Coached preschool classes through Level 4 team, supervised 10 staff, and managed all staff training and evaluation, class scheduling and student evaluation. I created new student evaluation criteria using USAG standards, and trained existing and new staff on its use.
`December 2003- July 2006`	Victors Gymnastics & Cheerleading Center, Rochester, NY Recreational Gymnastics Coordinator Coached preschool classes through Level 4 team, supervised 10 staff, and managed all staff training and evaluation, class scheduling and student evaluation. Improved efficiency and management of day-to-day operations through quality assurance, decreasing hours needed for coordinator position by half, in less than a year.
`June, 1997- Present`	Freelance Writer, Rochester, NY Writer I have written numerous family, health and parenting articles and have been published extensively online and in print. I have excellent personal and interviewing skills and can write convincingly and comprehensively on a variety of topics.
`March, 2003- November, 2003`	Centre Daily Times, State College, PA Reporter/Editor Within three months, I was promoted from news assistant to general assignment reporter, copy editor and lead editor of the weekend entertainment guide. Responsibilities included coordination of story assignments with freelance writers, editing, graphic design and layout of pages.
`October, 2001- November, 2003`	Voices of Central PA, State College, PA Writer/Editor/Photographer Reporter and photographer on news stories related to community, politics, science and nature, and entertainment. Served on the Board of Directors for nearly two years, and was assistant managing editor for six months, overseeing section editors and final proofreading and editing of newspaper.
`April, 2000- October, 2001`	Oxygen Media, New York, NY Community Manager/Writer Developed a training program for volunteer chat hosts, in addition to managing chat schedules and personnel issues for more than 75 hosts and four paid staff. Provided customer service, created and maintained over 100 community and content pages both on AOL and the corresponding web pages, using Citrix and Access. Created a promotional schedule for all chats and wrote an award-winning weekly newsletter.
`November, 1996- April, 1998`	Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Stepping Stone Transitional Living Program, State College, PA Program Manager, Case Manager, Youth Care Worker Program Manager. I was able to streamline this position from a full time position into a more cost effective part time position within three months. In my capacity as Program Manager, I assisted the program director in the recruitment and training of youth care workers, AmeriCorps Members, interns and volunteers, as well as coordinating and supervising the assessment, intake and service delivery of each youth seeking services. In addition, I attended case reviews, assisted the program director with staff meetings and staff evaluations (annual). I monitored all files and documentation for clarity and accuracy, as well as preparee demographic information and quarterly reports for our funding sources, and wrote grant proposals at least annually for renewal or for new funds for our program and other programs within the Bureau. I also have prepared professional brochures for three programs within the Bureau. Case Manager. I was promoted to Case Manager within four months of hire. I maintained a caseload of at least 7 residential and 3 non-residential cases, developed psychosocial evaluations and prepared discharge summaries, made appropriate outpatient referrals for members of my caseload, maintain positive relationships within the community with employers, schools, law enforcement officials, and social service agencies and was instrumental in developing a “case team” approach to increase efficiency and decrease stress among all employees. When providing single coverage, I also performed all Youth Care Worker responsibilities, as outlined below. Youth Care Worker. I taught program residents and non-residents daily living skills such as cooking, shopping, grooming, minor repairs, etc. I assigned and supervised chores, monitor house security, developed and implemented community-based activities, maintained client progress notes and staff log notes in a professional manner, participated in recreational activities including caving, hiking, swimming, in-line skating, and other adventure based activities. I facilitated weekly life skills workshops on a variety of topics including budgeting, HIV/AIDS prevention, anger management, time management, peer relationships, and exploring career goals.
`March, 1993- May, 1995`	Centre County Women's Resource Center, State College, PA Shelter Staff I was hired as a part-time shelter counselor where I did crisis counseling for women and children, assisted in life skills planning, goal planning, and group counseling. Also, I provided occasional child care, hotline coverage, and parent/child mediation.