Since entering the professional world in 2002, I have had the opportunity to work with some great people on a variety of projects. I started my journey at the Northern Area Health Education Center, Inc. (NAHEC), weeks after I graduated with my B.S. in Business Administration.

NAHEC is part of the nationwide Area Health Education Network (AHEC) that was developed in the 1970's to tackle health professional shortages in areas across the United States. Incorporating in 2001, NAHEC was in its early development stages when I joined the team. This gave me the unique opportunity to get involved with its development in many different ways. When I joined the organization we had four staff members and we were subsidized by dwindling state and federal dollars. Due to this, we had to be very creative in developing our business and products to allow us to be self-sustaining.

My first project at NAHEC was working on identifying our needs to develop the My Health Career web site concept. Within the first year, we developed a brand and hired a web developer, Iradix Consulting out of Manhattan. As we progressed, we worked with Iradix to customize a web platform that would provide communities with information on health care careers and how to access the resources necessary to obtain a health care career. While users where using our system to investigate their options, the system was collecting data on the user in order to assist us in the identifying users interested not only in certain professionals, but also who was interested in staying in the area. This data provided us with valuable information to supply our local training programs and health care profession employers with need information on who might possibly "fill the gap" that existed in health care profession shortages in the area. Using this system (accompanied with intensive case management for the users) we were able to provide measurable outcomes and the system became a success.

We were able to sell it to all of the AHEC centers in New York State, as well as the entire state of Maine. We had revolutionized healthcare workforce development. Due to the success of the project, we decided to expand our web platform to all industries, developing NorthStar Community Career web. After six years, the NAHEC staff grew to eight staff. During this time I had moved from an entry level position into a middle management position responsible for a variety of projects and staff. My work at NAHEC was very rewarding and exciting, but I needed to find a new challenge that had more opportunity for growth.

In June of 2008, I had an opportunity to join the College Advancement team at my alma mater, SUNY Potsdam. This was an extraordinary opportunity for me since SUNY Potsdam was a "home" for me. I was very excited to learn about the world of fund raising and start giving back to my alma mater. My new position as the Assistant Director for The Fund for Potsdam gave me an opportunity to work with students, alumni, families, and friends of the college. This new opportunity has been amazing and I feel very fortunate to work with such wonderful people for such a wonderful cause.

In my very short time in the professional world, I feel that I have made some wonderful contributions to our local area. It feels so go to have a student approach me and let me know that I have changed their life.

I strive in an atmosphere that allows me to be a creative problem solver. My experiences to date have required me to provide effective solutions with minimal resources. This has truly tested my creativity, proving to myself and others that I am up for the challenge. I thrive in a fast-paced environment that allows me to use my creative problem solving skills. It is my personal mission to make improvements on my personal and professional growth on a daily basis. It is also my desire to make a difference in today's world whenever I can, no matter how small of a difference it is.

Outside of the work place, I enjoy photography, painting, music and spending time with my family. I strive to maintain a healthy balance in my life and I strongly believe in a "work hard, play hard" philosophy.

It is my absolute pleasure to answer any questions anyone may have regarding my story, experiences, or portfolio.