My Résumé

Comprehensive understanding of municipal administration principles and practices with more than 18 years of experience in fast growing cities. Proficient in organizational management, budgeting, planning, project management, economic development, communications, and intergovernmental affairs. Broad spectrum of knowledge in interdepartmental government operations. Military veteran with proven leadership experience.

• Master's
• Bachelor's
• Other

• Master of Public Service and Administration, 2013

  Bush School of Government and Public Service – College Station, Texas

  Concentration in state and local government policy and management.
  *  Dean’s Leadership Certificate for public service.
  *  Texas City Management Association Ridley Scholarship for academic excellence.
  

• Bachelor of Science in Journalism, 2004

  Texas A&M University – College Station, Texas

  Minor in English.
  *  Kyle David Tilton Scholarship for “Can Do” Aggie spirit.
  *  Edmonds Educational Scholarship for academic excellence.
  




• Basic Economic Development Course

  Texas Economic Development Council
  2014

  Basic PIO Combined Course

  Texas Department of Public Safety
  2013

  Social Media In Emergency Mgmt

  Federal Emergency Management Agency
  2012

  
  

Chief of Staff, 2021-2024

City of Leander, Texas

Leander (pop. 90,000) has 436 employees and an annual budget of $317 million. This executive-level position oversees the Public Information, Information Technology, and Parks & Recreation departments (including public library and golf course) consisting of more than 30 full-time employees and $6 million in combined operating funds. Communicates with elected officials and facilitates City Manager development of policies, resolutions, ordinances, presentations, interlocal agreements, and media response. Engages City partners and stakeholders to include local boards and commissions, chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus, school districts, transportation authorities, partner cities, and regional government entities. Notable:

Executive Leader – Facilitate decision-making among executive team and directors on the City’s $164 million capital improvement program and $317 million annual budget. Recently started construction on a $9 million voter-approved senior activity center and $220 million regional raw water intake system.
Agenda Setting – Prepare and review City Council meeting agendas and presentations on behalf of the City Manager, as well as Board and Commission agendas to include Leander Public Arts Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and Historical Preservation Commission.
Regional Facilitator – Negotiate contracts with regional partners. Agreements with Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Williamson County currently provide $30 million in additional capital project funding. Also coordinated regional transportation discussions on critical infrastructure projects and joint funding opportunities among partners such as the Texas Department of Transportation, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Williamson County, Leander ISD, and peer cities.
Negotiator – Negotiate contracts with a federal funding nexus. Recently awarded $500,000 in federal reimbursement for emergency brush removal following Winter Storm Mara. Also facilitated pass-through funding for community stakeholders to include $500,000 in Congressional appropriation grants to support local children and families impacted by abuse.
Results Driven – Organized emergency public education campaigns to reduce citywide water consumption by as much as 8 million gallons per day during multiple drought periods and critical regional system repairs.
Master Planning – Participated in the development of citywide master planning efforts and community engagement focused on transportation, water and wastewater rates, water supply, future land uses, parks and recreation, and capital improvements. Recently adopted the Old Town Master Plan to foster commercial development, multimodal improvements, and pursue funding opportunities in Leander’s urban core.
Educator – Established the City’s first Citizen University annual program to educate citizens about municipal government operations and encourage local government advocacy among residents.
Coordinator – Facilitated crisis communication planning to improve emergency preparedness among water, electric, gas, and other utility providers on behalf of Leander citizens.
Contributor – Participated in the development and implementation of an employee compensation study to increase the City’s ability to recruit, retain, and promote employees.

Public Information Officer, 2017-21

City of Leander, Texas

Director of the Public Information Office with $1.5 million in combined operating and special revenue funds. Organized strategic citywide communication efforts and forged community relations through positive media coverage, business promotion, and stakeholder engagement. Leveraged media in support of myriad initiatives and emergency response activities on behalf of the City. Notable:

Public engagement – Facilitated public engagement opportunities in support of City topics of interest to include the Comprehensive Plan, transit demand analysis, public safety policies following the Uvalde school shooting, COVID-19 relief grants for local businesses, Council town halls, and others.
Mass notifications – Organized citywide messaging on behalf of the City during emergency events to include winter storms, water system outages, boil water events, active shooter incidents, and related disasters.
Agenda setting – Participated in agenda setting, presentation, and broadcasting of public meetings on behalf of City Council, Boards and Commissions, Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, and others. Created the City’s first audio/video broadcast system to improve archiving and transparency of public meetings.
City spokesperson – Served as City spokesperson among local/regional media and community stakeholders including chamber of commerce and visitors’ bureau, homeowner associations, small business owners, school district, and nonprofit organizations.
City marketing – Managed City marketing, branding, website, and social media content including the development of new policies, brand standards, publishing platforms, and special event campaigns.
Budgets – Managed budgets for the Public Information Office, the Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access channel special revenue fund, and the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) special revenue fund.

External Relations Manager, 2014-17

City of College Station, Texas

College Station (pop. 106,000) operates under a council-manager form of government with more than 900 employees and an annual budget of $309M. I oversee official City brand and marketing initiatives among community partners to promote tourism and economic development. Notable:

Budgets – Administer $400K in annual hotel occupancy tax revenue grants to promote tourism and attract visitors. Serve with elected officials and community stakeholders on a regional funding committee.
Community Relations – Assist with the promotion of monthly homeowner association seminars, an 11-week Citizens University course, and bi-weekly newsletters shared among more than 90 College Station neighborhoods.
Marketing – Managed statewide marketing and media promotion for Games of Texas, a statewide amateur sports event, generating more than $13M in economic impact from 2014 to 2015.
Policy Analysis – Helped craft State tax code amendments to allow funding for sports facility construction in Brazos County and established new formulas for economic impact reporting.
Project Management – Helped city managers develop, implement and update Council’s strategic planning document, a comprehensive framework for the city’s annual budget process.
Public Relations – Raised the city’s profile among 60 new retail and manufacturing businesses through networking, website development and digital marketing initiatives.

* 2013 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Chief Information Officer, 2013-17

Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board of Directors – College Station, Texas

This 501(c)3 nonprofit organization oversees the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, a 12-acre memorial grounds in College Station which honors the military service of local veterans and family members from every military conflict in U.S. history. Notable:

Media Manager – Increased media participation and attendance at statue dedications and annual 9/11 and Veterans Day events by 100% through oversight of website content and news distribution.
Fundraiser – Helped acquire more than $150K in capital donations and public funding for three war memorial sites and landscape improvements.
Project Manager – Helped board members develop and update the organization’s strategic planning document used to establish fundraising benchmarks and construction goals.
Coalition Builder – Serve on a community-wide veterans committee to coordinate veteran activities among all nonprofit and public agencies in the Brazos Valley region.

Multimedia Coordinator, 2007-2014

City of College Station, Texas

Managed the city’s brand image through website development, marketing direction and citywide media. Served as photographer, publisher, designer, writer, and developer. Notable:

75th Anniversary Exhibit – Curator and chief spokesperson for the city’s heritage exhibit at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Visited by 15,000 guests in a four-month span.
Active Shooter Debrief – Created a multimedia walk-through for police officers following a tragic active shooter event. Included national media reactions and animated video/photo highlights. Used to train 25,000 police officers nationwide.
Website Management – Created concept, design and internal policies for new city website in 2009. Generated proposals, reviewed bids and trained city staff on content management.
City Liaison – Represented the city on various citizen committees overseeing energy, tourism, heritage and educational initiatives proposed by citizen committee members and volunteers.
Purchase Management – Procured citywide marketing and business resources. Accounts included department operations, PEG (public, educational, and government) television funds, and hotel occupancy tax funds.
Event Photography – Documented hundreds of city events, meetings and activities. Created digital albums for public viewing and archived images into the city’s historical online library database.

* BEST RECURRING SPECIAL EVENT (2015, TAMIO)
* BEST INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS (2015, TAMIO)
* BEST PRINTED PUBLICATION (2015, 3CMA)
* BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA (2013, TAMIO)
* BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN (2013, 3CMA)

Paralegal Noncommissioned Officer, 2006-2014

Texas Army National Guard – Temple, Texas

Supervised 30 personnel in a company of 300 U.S. Army soldiers, assisted commanders with military justice administration, and guided leaders on adherence to U.S. Army regulations. Notable:

Supervisor – Chosen by peers to serve as Platoon Sergeant, responsible for supervising more than 30 soldiers in monthly and annual training regimens.
Consultant – Served as the battalion subject matter expert on U.S. Army regulation. Administered legal services and military justice actions for more than 1,500 soldiers across diverse disciplines of military and civilian law.
Leader – Coordinated monthly urinalysis drug tests, collections and reports to state agencies. Supervised four to six team members in the collection of more than 100 samples per session.
Instructor – Coordinated weapons training, physical fitness courses, field exercises, driver training, and leadership development for company soldiers.
Combat Veteran – Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2009-10) at Tallil Air Base in central Iraq. Managed the administration of a legal support office serving than 3,000 base soldiers. Conducted improvised explosive device training for incoming and outgoing convoy teams.

* BATTALION WARRIOR OF THE YEAR (2012)
* COMBAT ACTION BADGE (2010)

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Videographer/Designer, 2004-2007

City of Bryan, Texas

Bryan (pop. 81,000) operates under a council-manager form of government with more than 600 employees and an annual budget of $373M. I produced video for the City government-access television channel, including Council meetings, recurring shows, and special video projects. Notable:

Bryan: An Inside Look – Produced an award-winning video series about city services and programs. Episodes highlighted the everyday work of front-line city employees.
Water Quality Report Calendar – Redesigned the State-required document into an informative, humorous calendar. Recognized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Parks & Recreation Guide – Designed the city’s biannual guide for recreational activities and seasonal events. More than 20,000 copies of each publication were distributed to city residents.
Texas Reds Steak & Grape Festival – Established the annual event’s original brand and marketing campaign. This festival is Bryan’s signature downtown event and attracts 10,000 patrons each year.