Program Coordinator

– Manage the Center’s $415,300.00 annual operating budget and over $200,000 in sponsored projects
– Serve as key administrative, technical, and support role for the Utton Center team, external stakeholders, and partners
– Write and assist in the preparation of grant proposals, applications, and contracts for submission to funding agencies
– Administer all active grants, projects, and awards and manage timelines, budgets, subcontractors, and deliverables
– Monitor program implementation, keep team and principal investigators on timeline and within budget
– Conduct and expedite research; edit and finalize technical and non-technical documents including but not limited to grant proposals, cooperative agreements, contracts, manuscripts, reports, and presentations
– Plan, develop, and coordinate all Center events, including conferences, workshops, lectures, and meetings
– Supervise and delegate daily administrative responsibilities to Administrative Assistant
– Facilitate all human resource procedures such as hiring and terminations, job onboarding, training junior employees, processing payroll, and labor redistributions

Key Accomplishments:

Designed, organized, and facilitated in-person and virtual legal education and diplomacy events and speaker series on the topics of water law and natural resource policy. An example of an event:

The Water Shortage Sharing Pilot Listening Session (https://uttoncenter.unm.edu/events/shortage-sharing-pilot-listening-session/index.html), a $60,000.00 grant from the Thornburg Foundation which convened state representatives, engineers, farmers, and legal professionals to discuss challenges and explore solutions of water sharing during drought. Over 70 invitees attended the conference, and the results of the panels and participant breakout session will be converted into a policy recommendation report and public legal guide and glossary December 2022. I managed the budget, materials, and logistics of the event, helped design and implement the agenda, and assisted in the final research and writing of the published report.

Wrote a proposal for a dynamic digital update of an Utton Center publication called “Water Matters!” (2015), conducted an analysis of web analytics and best practices literature of strategic communication for greater stakeholder interaction on website. The draft proposal was a guide for contractors to update and redesign for publication and distribution in December 2022.

Designed the budget and co-designed the initial curriculum of a university-based summer school pipeline program for underserved and minority high school students interested in water resources and policy. The curriculum, budget, and administrative structure of the program to be used for the pilot session in the summer of 2023.

– Serve as executive key point person for Utton Center staff, stakeholders, university departments, and partners
– Assist all financial management and budgetary development of the Center
– Perform research and database management for Center projects, programs, and publications
– Coordinate all organizational functions, virtual events, committee meetings, and activities
– Manage digital content, perform Center website maintenance and analysis
– Follow attainable project timelines and keeps team on task to complete milestones according to schedule
– Copyedit and proofread organizational materials for publication

Key Accomplishments:

Assisted with the design, facilitation, and execution of over 30 conferences, workshops, and lecture series within the theme of natural resource management, policy, and law: in-person and virtual events.

Created and managed a database of all water professionals in the Southwest utilized for organizational collaboration, networking, and project personnel search purposes.

– Design curriculum, student intern projects, and field work activities
– Facilitate meetings and public conservation events and activities
– Supervise and act as primary mentor to high school-aged student summer interns
– Collect and analyze data, information, and organizational history for grant application preparation
– Synthesize monitoring results and produce best management practices reports
– Perform all administrative, office, and data management work for each project

Key Accomplishments:

Developed curriculum and coordinated a youth career development internship called the Querencia Institute, a partnership between the USFWS, the University of New Mexico, and Albuquerque Public Schools. This program focused on ecological rehabilitation, water conservation, and regenerative agriculture within a context of youth engagement in the South Valley, New Mexico.

Designed, coordinated, and launched the first annual Rio Grande Bosque Cultural Restoration Project in the spring of 2018. Collaborated with the City of Albuquerque Open Space, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, and other community, municipal, and federal partners to plant over 300 cottonwood and willow tree saplings in the Rio Grande Bosque with the aid of more than 150 volunteers.

Earned the Sense of Wonder Award in September 2018 for “outstanding contributions in interpretation and environmental education efforts [for] furthering conservation goals and creating the next generation of conservationists” for my contributions to the Querencia Institute.