About Me

Associate Director and Director - Agape Resources

1978 – 1985 (San Francisco)

Agape was an inner city “street ministry” which evolved into a de facto drug rehab and homeless assistance project in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. We created five shelter homes in which we both lived and provided housing for those in recovery and transitioning from homelessness. My primary responsibilities were:

· Managing, training, and supporting our staff and volunteers.

· Counseling and intervention on behalf of the homeless addicted.

· Leading our outreach efforts.

· Raising the money we needed to continue our work, primarily through speaking in churches across the state and around the country.

I spoke hundreds of times to audiences across the state and spent thousands of hours on the streets. I absolutely loved this work! We had such great passion but lacked the wisdom necessary to create a sustainable way of life.



Litigation Paralegal - Morgenstein & Jubelirer

1986 – 1992 (San Francisco)



Entry level position and my first “real job” where I got paid regularly. (They even paid me to go on vacation, which I found astonishing at the time.) My primary duties included management of cases up to and including jury trial as well as supervising clerks and case assistants.



Executive Director - Capital Area Counseling Services

October 1992 – August 1997 (South Dakota)

Responsible for leading one of seven community mental health centers in the state of South Dakota, with a staff of 50 and an annual budget of $2.5 million. Responsible for managing all aspects of organizational performance in our quest to provide quality mental health services to over 1,000 clients in a six county area. Responsibilities and accomplishments included:

· Leading organizational restructuring from a dysfunctional command and control model to one of consensus, utilizing management teams at all levels and including all of our nearly 50 professional and paraprofessional staff.

· Serving as the primary marketing strategist and fundraiser as well as the public spokesperson for the organization in hundreds of public settings.

· Collaborating with funders in designing service models and negotiating annual fee-for-service agreements with state agencies.

· Crafting and communicating our value proposition to the broader community and specific funding sources.

· Serving as the chief legislative analyst and lobbyist for the South Dakota Council of Mental Health Centers and testifying on numerous occasions before state legislative committees.



Manager - Morgenstein & Jubelirer LLP

September 1997 – June 1999 (San Francisco)



Responsible for hiring and managing paralegals, case assistants, and other support staff for the entire firm, as well supervising several firm support services departments and managing complex litigation matters.



Executive Director - Zen Hospice Project

July 1999 – February 2003 (San Francisco)



Responsible for leading this pioneering and nationally recognized Buddhist hospice community with 125 volunteers and full-time staff of 10, in developing and executing sustainable strategic, budgetary, and funding plans. Responsibilities and accomplishments included:

· Serving as the primary public spokesperson and chief marketing officer for the community.

· Leading our strategies in crafting and delivering our message to donors and marketing our services to the broader end-of-life care community.

· Directing our annual fundraising cycle, including donor segmentation strategies, creating content for fundraising communications, and donor relationship management.

· Preparing and presenting funding proposals to foundations, corporations, and major donors.

· Managing development staff and event planners in producing three major fundraising events annually.

· Leading efforts to more effectively communicate our vision and values in culturally relevant language, including the creation of a new web site and new marketing materials.

· Successfully guiding the staff, volunteers, and board members through a process of rebranding the organization, resulting in a 200% increase in funding over a three year period.



Director of Firm Development – Morgenstein & Jubelirer LLP

March 2003 to December 2006 (San Francisco)



Responsible for developing and managing both the firm’s external marketing strategies and the firm’s internal competitive resources. Responsibilities and accomplishments included:

· Leading the firm’s successful initiatives in creating a consistent brand, clear differentiation, and value positioning, including the creation of a new firm website and marketing materials.

· Collaborating with partners in developing and executing business and practice development strategies, including identifying and executing on new business and cross-selling opportunities.

· Cooperating with other firm managers in the creation of a culture of total client service for all non-attorney staff, as well as leading the firm’s internal quest of competitive advantage through staff education, reorganization of workflow structures, acquisition, deployment, and training for state of the art litigation support solutions.

National Business Development Manager – Schiff Hardin LLP

January 2007 to Present - Morgenstein & Jubelirer / Schiff Hardin Merger

Responsible for supporting the Practice Group leaders in identifying, developing and executing the Firm’s strategic business development initiatives, while leading the Firm’s national research and analysis with respect to brand, markets, competitors, potential lateral hires, clients, and prospective clients. Major responsibilities include:

· Collaborating with Practice Group leaders and constituents in all offices in developing and executing cohesive, national business and practice development strategies, including the planning and execution of new business and cross-selling opportunities.

· Conducting competitive intelligence and market research and analysis to assist Practice Group Leaders in identifying and evaluating opportunities and developing and executing the Firm’s strategic business development planning at the practice group level.

· Supporting Practice Group leaders, the marketing team, and partners in all offices in identifying and analyzing opportunities, designing pitch specific capabilities content, providing support in preparations for pitches and RFPs, and assessing effectiveness of outcomes.





Current Volunteer Affiliations

Pro Bono Brand Strategist - Taproot Foundation

Board Member – Zen Hospice Project





Education

BA San Francisco State University

MBA Regis University / Marketing Concentration