Education
Brown University • Providence, Rhode Island – Master of Arts in Teaching with Certification (2002 – 2003)
Rhode Island College, Teacher Certification, Summer, 2003 Middle School Endorsement.
Andover Newton at Yale Divinity School • New Haven, Connecticut, Master of Arts in Theology - Focus on ethics and philosophy, thesis on Nietzsche's Philosophy of History (1980 -1982)
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, Bachelor of Arts in Religion (1976 -1980), TCU Scholar, 4.0 GPA for 22 credit hours in a single semester, Fall, 1979, Double major in Religion and Psychology
Teaching Experience
Teacher • (2018 - Present) Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, Providence, RI, USA, 11th Grade Early American History, Middle School Ethnic Studies. Historical Perspectives Lead Teacher. (September 2018 - Present)
Teacher • The Learning Community, Central Falls, Rhode Island, USA, 7th and 8th grade Social Studies; 8th grade Technology Lab. Teach electives on Monologues, Spanish Theater, Rock climbing. Serve on Technology Committee, Social Action Committee and Middle School Hiring Committee. Faculty sponsor for Outdoor Explorers Club. Serve as middle school faculty advisor to student government. Faculty representative with Brown University Partnership in developing new Technology/Coding curriculum for Middle School. Produce all middle school plays and serve as DJ for all middle school dances. Invited speaker to National Council of Teachers of English 2014 Boston Conference. Speaker at Educator’s Institute Annual Conference, Providence, Rhode Island, 2013, 2014, 2015. Serve as mentor teacher for teacher candidates attending Rhode Island College and Brown University.
Teacher • Colegio Maya, Guatemala City, Guatemala, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade Theory of Knowledge, Middle School Write-On; Middle School Social Studies and Language Arts. Assistant Director for seven Middle School and High School Drama Productions. Planned and lead annual seventh grade class expeditions to the top of Ipala volcano and to Iximche Mayan ruins. Assisted with the school climbing wall. Served on both the History and Language Arts Curriculum Committees. Taught rock climbing as an after school activity. First teacher to implement a true paperless classroom utilizing digital classroom and Moodle. (September 2006 – June 2009).
Teacher • St. Michael's School, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Character Development, World History and British Literature (September 2004 - June 2004). Chair of History Department; Teacher, 9th grade; World History and World Literature. Coordinated annual 9th grade overnight student expedition to mangrove forests and cultural tour of coastal areas of Dominican Republic. Served on the History Curriculum Committee, (September 2005 - May 2006).
Teacher/Director of Service Learning • Moses Brown School, Providence, Rhode Island, 9th and 10th grade. Organized and led first and second annual high school expedition to the bateys of the Dominican Republic to work with volunteer medical teams serving Haitian sugar cane workers, (August, 2003 - May, 2004).
Volunteer Work
Appointed Positions
Volunteer Positions
Skills and Interests
Related Experience
Other Work Experience
The Community Builders, Providence, Rhode Island: Director, Housing Portfolio Acquisitions, 1999 – 2001
Designed, created and prepared grant applications, leases, contracts, loan documents and bid proposals. Negotiated portfolio acquisitions, financing and security agreements with sellers from across the nation. Successfully raised over $100 million in grants and equity and over $180 million in debt instruments for acquisition, preservation, education, planning, and capitalization activities.
Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, Providence, Rhode Island: Program Development Specialist, Housing Programs Officer, 1994 – 1999
Senior underwriter and project manager for applications submitted by nonprofit and for-profit developers wanting to develop affordable and special needs housing throughout Rhode Island. Successfully negotiated disbursement of over $90 million in grants and equity.
County of San Diego Department of Housing and Community Development, San Diego, California: Programs Analyst, 1990 – 1994
Served as county spokesperson at congressional hearings on migrant worker public educational programs in the Mexico/California border region. Invited speaker at numerous national and state conferences to discuss national housing and community development related policy issues. Served on regional task force of state and county health officials, planners, nonprofits, and businesses to develop strategies for containing and educating public about outbreak of tuberculosis in labor camps throughout Southern California. Organized numerous public forums on issues ranging from AIDS and tuberculosis in migrant worker camps to developing grant-writing skills. Successfully raised over $70 million in grants and equity for education and housing programs.
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), Washington, D.C.: Housing Programs Officer, 1988 – 1990
Prepared written analyses on specific issues of concern to housing and community development agencies, lenders and nonprofit agencies. Prepared written testimony for and attended congressional hearings on national housing and community development policy and legislation. Monitored and suggested revisions to Federal legislation and regulatory actions pertinent to all aspects of national housing policy and community development.
City of Pittsfield, Massachusetts: Assistant City Planner, Housing Coordinator, 1986 – 1988
Secured numerous federal, state and private sector grants for development, community planning and economic and environmental impact studies. Secured funding for high school vocational program to build special needs housing.
Sonoran Friend's Association, Hermosillo, Mexico: Project Coordinator, 1988
Managed revolving loan program for international development program in Sonora, Mexico. Negotiated economic agreements between Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and rural communities in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Designed and installed sustainable potable water delivery systems (hydraulic ram pumps) and photovoltaic electrical systems for rural communities and residents within the Yecora district of Mexico. Established emergency communications system between rural villages and regional health care facility. Introduced new varieties of apple trees and grafting techniques to small agricultural villages and taught basic first aid practices to local teachers and community leaders.
Personal and Professional Development
Brown University • Providence, Rhode Island – Master of Arts in Teaching with Certification (2002 – 2003)
Rhode Island College, Teacher Certification, Summer, 2003 Middle School Endorsement.
Andover Newton at Yale Divinity School • New Haven, Connecticut, Master of Arts in Theology - Focus on ethics and philosophy, thesis on Nietzsche's Philosophy of History (1980 -1982)
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, Bachelor of Arts in Religion (1976 -1980), TCU Scholar, 4.0 GPA for 22 credit hours in a single semester, Fall, 1979, Double major in Religion and Psychology
Teaching Experience
Teacher • (2018 - Present) Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, Providence, RI, USA, 11th Grade Early American History, Middle School Ethnic Studies. Historical Perspectives Lead Teacher. (September 2018 - Present)
Teacher • The Learning Community, Central Falls, Rhode Island, USA, 7th and 8th grade Social Studies; 8th grade Technology Lab. Teach electives on Monologues, Spanish Theater, Rock climbing. Serve on Technology Committee, Social Action Committee and Middle School Hiring Committee. Faculty sponsor for Outdoor Explorers Club. Serve as middle school faculty advisor to student government. Faculty representative with Brown University Partnership in developing new Technology/Coding curriculum for Middle School. Produce all middle school plays and serve as DJ for all middle school dances. Invited speaker to National Council of Teachers of English 2014 Boston Conference. Speaker at Educator’s Institute Annual Conference, Providence, Rhode Island, 2013, 2014, 2015. Serve as mentor teacher for teacher candidates attending Rhode Island College and Brown University.
Teacher • Colegio Maya, Guatemala City, Guatemala, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade Theory of Knowledge, Middle School Write-On; Middle School Social Studies and Language Arts. Assistant Director for seven Middle School and High School Drama Productions. Planned and lead annual seventh grade class expeditions to the top of Ipala volcano and to Iximche Mayan ruins. Assisted with the school climbing wall. Served on both the History and Language Arts Curriculum Committees. Taught rock climbing as an after school activity. First teacher to implement a true paperless classroom utilizing digital classroom and Moodle. (September 2006 – June 2009).
Teacher • St. Michael's School, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Character Development, World History and British Literature (September 2004 - June 2004). Chair of History Department; Teacher, 9th grade; World History and World Literature. Coordinated annual 9th grade overnight student expedition to mangrove forests and cultural tour of coastal areas of Dominican Republic. Served on the History Curriculum Committee, (September 2005 - May 2006).
Teacher/Director of Service Learning • Moses Brown School, Providence, Rhode Island, 9th and 10th grade. Organized and led first and second annual high school expedition to the bateys of the Dominican Republic to work with volunteer medical teams serving Haitian sugar cane workers, (August, 2003 - May, 2004).
Volunteer Work
Appointed Positions
- Parent Advisory Council, North Kingstown School District (2002)
- Hearing Officer, County of San Diego Housing Authority, Appointed by County Commissioners (1992 – 1993)
- Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Appointment by Governor (1987 – 1989)
- Massachusetts State Challenge Grant Review Committee, Appointed by State Secretary of Economic Opportunities Commission (1988)
- Committee on Special Needs Housing, Appointed by Mayor (1986)
Volunteer Positions
- Board of Directors, Providence shelter, Providence, Rhode Island
- Trustee, Moses Brown School, Providence, Rhode Island
- Treasurer, Friends Guatemalan Scholarship Committee, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
- Advisory Committee, County of San Diego Farmworker Housing Task Force
- Advisory Committee, City of San Diego Immigrant Housing Task Force
- Co-leader, International medical team serving sugar cane fields and bateys in southern Dominican Republic.
- Certification, Equipment Training for Performing and Fine Arts Center, Guatemala City.
- School Advisory Committee, Fishing Cove Elementary School, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
- President, United Nations Association International Gift Shop, San Diego, California
- Executive Committee, United Nations Association of San Diego
- Board of Directors, Ramona Community Housing Foundation
- Capital Campaign Committee, Habitat for Humanity
- Advisory Committee, Taconic High School Vocational Home Building Program, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Skills and Interests
- Travel – I lived in Mexico for two years, visited the Yucatan’s ruins of Cobá, Tulum, and the rainforests of Ecuador, the coral reefs of Belize, and the Mayan ruins of Tikal, Guatemala. I spent a week with a Shaman along the Rio Napo in the Amazon forest exploring its tributaries in a dugout canoe. I have also traveled throughout most of the United States, most of Ireland and parts of South America.
- Visual Arts – The arts have been important to me since high school. Some of my accomplishments include murals in several schools, hospitals, and exterior walls and a pencil sketch on permanent exhibit at the Irish-American Museum of Fine Art in Dublin. I am also very interested in how drama can be used in the classroom to enhance reading comprehension and have served as a puppeteer in the coal mining towns of Missouri.
- Mountaineering - Avid mountain and sport rock climber. Most recent climbs include Huayna Potosi (19,950), Bolivia; Cotopaxi (19,400 ft.), Ecuador; Pico de Orizaba (18,740 ft.), Mexico; Tajamulco (13, 845 ft.), Guatemala; Tacana (13,425 ft.), Acatenango (13,045 ft.), Santa Maria (12, 375 ft.), Fuego (12,346 ft.), Agua (12,336 ft.), Volcan Zunil (11,620 ft.), Cerro Quemado (10,490 ft.), Pacaya (8,375 ft.), Ipala (5,415 ft.). I completed a winter Presidential Traverse (23 miles/9,000' elevation gain) in the White Mountains in 23 hours; am an End to Ender for the Long Trail in Vermont; and have completed winter ascents for most of the taller peaks in New Hampshire. Have also climbed several peaks (14ers) in Colorado including Crestone Needle in the Sangre de Cristo range.
Related Experience
- Teacher, First Day School, Providence Friends Meeting, 2003
- Summer Camp Counselor and Trail Guide, Freyberg, Maine, 1982
- Research Assistant and Professor Assistant for University-level courses in Theology, TCU
- Tutor, Big Brother Program, Fort Worth, Texas, 1980
Other Work Experience
The Community Builders, Providence, Rhode Island: Director, Housing Portfolio Acquisitions, 1999 – 2001
Designed, created and prepared grant applications, leases, contracts, loan documents and bid proposals. Negotiated portfolio acquisitions, financing and security agreements with sellers from across the nation. Successfully raised over $100 million in grants and equity and over $180 million in debt instruments for acquisition, preservation, education, planning, and capitalization activities.
Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, Providence, Rhode Island: Program Development Specialist, Housing Programs Officer, 1994 – 1999
Senior underwriter and project manager for applications submitted by nonprofit and for-profit developers wanting to develop affordable and special needs housing throughout Rhode Island. Successfully negotiated disbursement of over $90 million in grants and equity.
County of San Diego Department of Housing and Community Development, San Diego, California: Programs Analyst, 1990 – 1994
Served as county spokesperson at congressional hearings on migrant worker public educational programs in the Mexico/California border region. Invited speaker at numerous national and state conferences to discuss national housing and community development related policy issues. Served on regional task force of state and county health officials, planners, nonprofits, and businesses to develop strategies for containing and educating public about outbreak of tuberculosis in labor camps throughout Southern California. Organized numerous public forums on issues ranging from AIDS and tuberculosis in migrant worker camps to developing grant-writing skills. Successfully raised over $70 million in grants and equity for education and housing programs.
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), Washington, D.C.: Housing Programs Officer, 1988 – 1990
Prepared written analyses on specific issues of concern to housing and community development agencies, lenders and nonprofit agencies. Prepared written testimony for and attended congressional hearings on national housing and community development policy and legislation. Monitored and suggested revisions to Federal legislation and regulatory actions pertinent to all aspects of national housing policy and community development.
City of Pittsfield, Massachusetts: Assistant City Planner, Housing Coordinator, 1986 – 1988
Secured numerous federal, state and private sector grants for development, community planning and economic and environmental impact studies. Secured funding for high school vocational program to build special needs housing.
Sonoran Friend's Association, Hermosillo, Mexico: Project Coordinator, 1988
Managed revolving loan program for international development program in Sonora, Mexico. Negotiated economic agreements between Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and rural communities in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Designed and installed sustainable potable water delivery systems (hydraulic ram pumps) and photovoltaic electrical systems for rural communities and residents within the Yecora district of Mexico. Established emergency communications system between rural villages and regional health care facility. Introduced new varieties of apple trees and grafting techniques to small agricultural villages and taught basic first aid practices to local teachers and community leaders.
Personal and Professional Development
- Certified in Advanced Wilderness First Aid, SOLO, 2014
- Certified in CPR AED, American Heart Association, 2014
- Winter Hikes Leader, Appalachian Mountain Club, 2013, 2014
- Framingham College, “Supervision, Staff Development and Collaborative Leadership,” Spring, 2009
- State University of New York - Buffalo, "ESL in the Mainstream," Fall, 2006
- University of Massachusetts - Amherst, "The Inclusive Classroom," Summer, 2005
- University of Massachusetts - Amherst, "The Inclusive Classroom and Differentiated Instruction," 2004
- ArtsLiteracy Project, “Literacy, Community and the Arts,” Spring, 2003
- Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA) Conference "Harvesting Environmental Education," on October 26th at Rhode Island Audubon's Environment Education Center in Bristol
- ArtsLiteracy Project, "From the Page to the Stage," November 15-17, 2002
- Rhode Island School for the Deaf • Studied American Sign Language for two years, 1999-2000
- Bunker Hill Community College • Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), expired
- Certified Appalachian Trail Guide and Outdoor Emergency First Aid Technician
- Attended Training Program in Arbitration, American Association of Arbitration