Expert in communication practices that catalyze stakeholder engagement 

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 

 

Gillgren Communication Services, Shoreline, WA 2005 to present
Owner 

Privately held company offering integrated solutions for transforming corporate wisdom into strategic action 

  • COALITION COMMUNICATION PLATFORM. Sustainable, integrated, social media presence  
    • Engaged youth in launching SE Seattle FreedomNet as Rainier Beach Action Coalition citizen journalism program to reshape public narrative of community thru social media, web sites, live-streams and podcasts
    • Initiated “wisdom commons platform” to facilitate collective creation and management of coalition knowledge assets, integrating Google Workspace, Web, social media outposts, and media libraries  
  • STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS. Clear, concise, cohesive content for investors, customers, employees  
    • Edited or provided original copy as well as editing services for corporate and marketing communications, investor relations, corporate newsletters, and PowerPoint strategy presentations for over 60 companies  
  • CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. Facilitated broad-based collaboration for complex projects 
    • Wrote/edited articles, assisted coordinating participation of nearly 90 academics and practitioners in proven and emerging communications practices for Liberating Voices: A Pattern Language for Communication Revolution 
    • Designed and implemented online communications support  for collaborative efforts of 50 community partners for a regional environmental conference 
Casey Family Programs, Headquarters Seattle, WA 1993 to 2005
Operations Specialist, Child and Family Services 

Designed and coordinated agency-wide initiatives focused on project monitoring and coordination, performance management and internal capacity building in support of foster care services through 23 offices in 13 states 

  • STRATEGIC CAPACITY BUILDING.  Maintained open channels for creative team problem-solving 
    • Functioned as internal consultant to the Executive Vice President of Child and Family Services in developing communications mechanisms and providing counsel on the best ways to inform and involve staff 
    • Established high-level data and online systems for ensuring a timely flow of mission-critical information throughout child and family services, the core operations of the agency  
    • Tightened coordination and technical cross-functioning capabilities of five-member executive support team, positioning staff to take on expanded responsibilities during series of major organizational restructuring efforts 
    • Developed information management and presentation concepts, databases and tools for direct service operations and strategic planning teams 
    • Developed executive messaging and presentations to staff and Board of Trustees to set context and gain support for new strategic directions 
  • PERFORMANCE MONITORING. Established common framework for cooperative, peer-driven improvement 
    • Designed and implemented data-driven review of key performance measures across direct service offices, from data gathering and dashboard development to executive and staff orientations  
    • Facilitated rational review and consolidation of more than 250 projects across the agency by developing, deploying and providing technical assistance for a distributed project inventory and monitoring system 
TOLA Inc., Tokyo, Japan 1987 to 1992
General Manager, International Marketing Communications 

Cross-cultural communications company providing consultation, design and production services for Japanese enterprises advancing into or intensifying international marketing efforts 

  • DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT. Supervised multi-cultural staff in product development and improvement 
    • Managed staff of 20 including full-time and freelance translators, writers, proofreaders and designers as company doubled in size to handle expanding product and service lines 
    • Supervised production and quality control for all English-language products and services, from corporate communications and marketing collateral to narration scripts, advertising, product brochures and catalogues 
  • PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL. Established policies and procedures to ensure quality 
    • Standardized editorial processes and procedures including desktop publishing protocols and style sheets to streamline operations and ensure continual quality improvement 
    • Designed workflow, staffed, and supervised high-margin project for near-real-time translation of daily Japanese evening news broadcast for worldwide distribution 
Institute of Cultural Affairs (U.S., Indonesia, Korea) 1974 to 1986
Regional Director, Project/Program Coordinator 

Coordinated grassroot revitalization efforts and collaboration efforts for international, non-profit that supported bottom-up organizational and community transformation under the slogan, “Concern for the Human Factor in World Development” 

  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. Broadened participation in community-driven planning and action 
    • Set up and facilitated 20 community forums in Texas and Oklahoma as part of nationwide effort involving 5,000 communities across the United States.   
    • Designed and facilitated activities for broadening community participation and support for innovative agricultural project in Arctic Eskimo village, site visits, community meetings and a youth employment program. 
    • Provided community engagement and public-private support for project in rural southwest Oklahoma, including neighborhood meetings, in-kind donations, community clean-ups, health outpost and community newsletter 
  • STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING. Developed and implemented training for culturally diverse teams 
    • Directly responsible for evaluation, staff training, and documentation activities for completion of district-wide village development project in North Sumatra, Indonesia.    
    • Organized local steering committees and trained local workshop leaders to conduct community forums focused on awakening voluntary efforts to improve community quality of life.    
  • REGIONAL COLLABORATION. Engaged private and public sector support for community-driven initiatives 
    • Participated in set-up and facilitation team for a series of rural development symposia on Sumatra and Java, focusing on successful approaches in rural development in preparation for a UN-sponsored conference. 
    • Conducted regular briefings with the central government office of the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement) in the Republic of Korea 

EDUCATION 

  • BA, Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 

PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS 

  • Pattern Workshops and Pattern Games: Generating Civic Intelligence with the Liberating Voices Pattern Language, co-author of paper submitted to 2011 PUARL International Conference 
  • Demystification and Re-enchantment, contribution to Liberating Voices: A Pattern Language for Communication Revolution 

COMMUNITY PROJECTS 

  • Seattle Community Network (SCN)
  • Civic Intelligence Project—Liberating Voices: A Pattern Language for Communication Revolution
  • NW Intentional Communities Association (NICA) 
  • Wedgwood Community Council Newsletter