Nonprofit

Like soccer, I decided to dedicate a page to my work in the nonprofit arena because I hope to work for a nonprofit again someday. And there’s a good chance I will because nonprofits are among the fastest growing sectors of the global economy, accounting for nearly 10 percent of all wages and salaries in America.

I took tremendous pleasure in putting my years of experience to work on behalf of a worthy cause, serving as the Marketing Director of a nonprofit, Asphalt Green. And I am very proud of the results my team and I achieved for this 300-employee organization, which employs a fee-for-service model as part of a public/private partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

I jumped at the chance to work for this a local sports and fitness destination because I saw it as an opportunity to explore the nonprofit sector while giving back to my community. And that focus on the community was one of the aspects that made this such an attractive opportunity for me. Throughout my career, all of my clients were targeting national and international audiences. And here was a chance to narrow the focus and target a specific community, and one that I had lived in for many years.

I began by revitalizing both the brand and the communications function for the organization. And working with the department heads and program leaders, I developed a data-driven, holistic marketing plan that increased the visibility and understanding of its mission and 36 programs while helping draw an average of more than 700,000 annual visitors to its 5.5-acre urban campus. As a result, I helped set numerous records for membership and program sales, with around half the growth coming from new customers. I also supported the development department, helping set records for many of its fundraising activities.

Despite all that success, a number of factors contributed to the erosion of my enthusiasm for the position. And the opportunity to spend a month in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the excuse I needed to finally tenure my resignation and eventually return to my freelance business.

Beyond my work at Asphalt Green, I have additional experience in advocacy and issues management. I helped raise awareness and understanding of healthcare disparities in underserved communities. I have also done some environmental work, including promoting wastepaper recycling and smokestack scrubbers. And I have worked both sides of the “buy American” issue in the automotive industry.

Currently I am working for a grassroots environmental justice nonprofit, WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Despite having limited resources, the organization has a long history of successfully championing environmental health and climate justice on behalf of low-income communities and communities of color through research, organizing, advocacy, and policy initiatives at the city, state, and federal levels. In addition to supporting multiple events each month, I have excelled in the digital communications and media relations, including delivering the organization’s most successful press event in its 30-year history.