Professional Experience

Leveraging my expertise in government contracting, public affairs, and business development, I helped clients secure millions in contracts and achieve significant growth within three years. I provided key insights on business intelligence, customer engagement, and supply chain management, while also advising on challenges like skilled worker shortages and aging infrastructure. My ability to build strong relationships resulted in lucrative partnerships with several national and state associations, generating substantial revenue. During my tenure, I held leadership roles, including Regional Sales Manager and Customer Relations Manager.

Led the establishment of the Legislative Affairs and Policy Department for IHCDA, shaping and executing impactful policy changes. I tracked 450+ bills and lobbied on 121 key pieces of legislation, securing victories crucial to Indiana's housing community. Leveraging effective communication and collaboration, I coordinated stakeholder input, crafted persuasive messaging, and delivered impactful testimonies before legislative committees, garnering several national and state advocacy awards. I also spearheaded the management of major annual statewide and regional events, fostering dialogue with thousands of stakeholders. 

At the Export and Investment Center of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), I served as an advisor and US field expert, advising investors, exporters, and buyers on business development, operations, and compliance for Invest in the DR. Our comprehensive services spanned outsourcing of services, logistics and connectivity, manufacturing, and tourism. CEI-RD achieved remarkable success, becoming the most effective investment and export promotion agency in the Caribbean. We were instrumental in positioning the Dominican Republic as the leading nearshore destination for contact center and business process outsourcing services.

Dominican Republic's "Silicon Valley," the Cyber Park of Santo Domingo (PCSD), fosters innovation alongside the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA). PCSD pioneered the Caribbean's knowledge ecosystem, uniting education, business, and government in a public-private hub. This unique setup birthed creative ideas and projects led by CEI-RD, spanning trade association creation, business development, leadership training, and talent recruitment. Through collaborative efforts, PCSD and CEI-RD attracted $3 billion in foreign direct investment, generated 30,000 new jobs, and provided emergency disaster relief for Haitians. 

Spearheaded the revitalization of the Dr. Joaquin Balaguer Institute of Political Formation (IFP) as Senior Political Strategist. President Jimmy Carter complimented President Balaguer’s leadership by changing a nation from a totalitarian government to one of increasingly pure democracy. President Ronald Reagan said that President Balaguer was the driving force throughout his country's democratic development. Dr. Balaguer was viewed as the “Father of Dominican Democracy” and the IFP plays a pivotal role in promoting democracy through civic responsibility and youth participation in formal political processes.

Led government and public affairs initiatives for the largest contact center industry trade association (formerly American Teleservices Association), securing wins for members as Manager and Director of Government Affairs and Regulatory Compliance. Orchestrated successful national events, managed partnerships with legal counsel and lobbyists, led a self-regulatory organization, and oversaw compliance seminars, committee chairs, state coordinators, and a team of 150 volunteers. Notably, drove a 300% revenue increase from $100,000 to $400,000 within three years, demonstrating strong leadership, innovation, and result-oriented skills.

Streamlined legislative tracking by developing and implementing company-wide policies and procedures, enabling standardized client reporting. Simultaneously, I fostered strong relationships with multiple corporate clients, providing them with customized legislative analyses. To further empower clients, I spearheaded engaging on-site "day trips" focused on impacting legislative outcomes, driving active participation.

As the backbone of two state senators heavily involved in Indiana's property tax reform initiatives, I managed four committees, prepared impactful legislative briefings, and addressed daily constituent inquiries. My duties included planning, budgeting, and supervising all legislative engagements and activities, ensuring our senators had the information and support they needed to champion property tax reform effectively.

I investigated pending legislation, providing the incumbent congressman with insightful briefings and expert evaluation while serving as the office liaison for key committees like Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, and International Relations, ensuring seamless communication and responsiveness. Additionally, I developed online communication channels for constituents, delivering voting history, position papers, and legislative briefs. 

Bridged the gap between six legislative committees at the Indiana General Assembly and our team, expertly managing bill tracking, briefings, and reports on critical legislation. I also boosted internal communication by founding a weekly e-newsletter, compiling content, and refining it for employee engagement.

Led an intern team conducting vital research for the Executive Office, Business Services, and Election Division. Notably, in the Election Division, I developed and implemented a streamlined client services program for poll workers, saving hours of work time, boosting efficiency, and allowing our team to process requests faster.

As a campaign intern, I connected with 500+ voters across diverse Indiana communities, conducting door-to-door canvassing and phone calls. I also represented the campaign at key community events, securing 15 new volunteers and generating positive media coverage which contributed to the campaign's success.  

The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) is the world’s first and foremost school of applied politics, communications, and advocacy. The program was under the GSPM's Global Politics program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR) through the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD). The GFDD was created in 2002 by Dr. Leonel Fernandez, at the end of his first term as Head of State.

The Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs is ranked second for its master's program in public affairs according to the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate School rankings. The school has consistently ranked near the top of these rankings and further cements its reputation as a national and world leader in the study of public affairs and public policy. I was very lucky to have a faculty full of senior officials and policymakers.

The combined major in political science and philosophy enabled me to develop an integrated understanding of politics, political theory, ethical theory, and theories of justice while critically evaluating and assessing public policies and social issues on both political and ethical grounds. I was a member of Phi Alpha Delta, Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Student Association, the House of Organizations, and the Midwest Model European Union.