Marketing, Outreach & Educational Programs

This collaboration between SUNY Sullivan and  Cornell Cooperative Extension was so worth the time and effort. We discovered in the process of planning this class that open conversation among all the agricultural interests in the county needed to be cultivated as much as livestock, vegetables and fruits. Luckily, the Sullivan County Agriculture Summit held in November of 2011, grew this little seed along with many others into what looks like will be, quite a future crop.

 Time to teach is always welcome.

I was hired to do community relations, but we all quickly realized that start-ups mean stretching..... I learned so much about traditional and social marketing ......by doing.... in collaboration with seasoned professionals contracted to bring their field of expertise to achieving our, grant driven, program outcomes.

Being  project lead for the two-county debut of a documentary film called Song of Songs about romantic commitment was one of the most interesting and rewarding projects of my career.  Much of the planning for this two day event happened by conference call.....the film director and producer from California and the relationship education program in Pinellas Park, Florida. This project debuted the film, but in many ways was also a debut for the newly assembled program staff.

 While working as community educator I had the chance to take my understanding of employment transition to the next level and present for professionals receiving services from Drake Beam Morin a nationally recognized career outplacement service. I created and presented OPPORTUNITIES IN TRANSITION, which I also delivered to the Professional Placement Network of Worknet as an employee of Family Service Centers. The Note below is thanks from Gina Petito, currently DBM's Souteastern Regional Manger.

While working for WORKNET PINELLAS,  I had an opportunity to impact many lives for the better. (I also repeated the employability skill training sessions so many times that I was able to perfect the timing in my jokes)

Embracing diversity is one of the career themes that has served me well. I participated for two summers as a teacher/counselor in a Residential Cultural Exchange and English Education program for teenage girls from Kinjo Japan.  Japanese teenage girls at that time, were known for their reticence. As part of their English language learning, I structured a fashion show so that each student acted as an  M.C. for another student.  This fun approach helped the girls deal with their " pronunciation and social shyness" in a safe way, while expanding meaningful vocabulary because most of them loved clothes and shopping. (top right photo: fashions on the wall and role play, to be ready for the show....)