Introduction
My path as a creative and collaborative problem solver
As the subsequent pages illustrate, I have a diverse background, and I have worn many professional hats. The underlying constant in my life, aside from my values, has been my work as a professional musician. Music has taught me (almost) everything: From disciplined and methodical hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit, to collaborative, presentation, problem-solving, and leadership skills, being a classical flutist has provided me with many tools demanded in today's workplace.
Acquiring solid musical skills requires dedication and perseverance. Musicians are natural conceptual thinkers: We recognize patterns, distill complex ideas, and make decisions, be it in the practice room, while teaching, or on stage.
Music is our tool for communication, and our effectiveness depends on how well we listen, react to, and collaborate with others, and how well we present ourselves on stage.
Musicians work well alone as well as in teams: Ideally, we practice on our own, and come together in rehearsals and performances. In the latter two settings, we collaborate, lead, and follow one another, depending on what the musical moment demands.
Music keeps me humble: As a musician, I am but a conduit in a long tradition, passing on the art form to the next generation to the best of my abilities. Music has been the constant companion in my life, even if it is sometimes not as visible as my other activities. What remains visible are the skills honed in music that I use every day in my other professional endeavors:
As a leader, manager, and designer, I collaborate with others and analyze situations, look for patterns, identify problems, strategize, make decisions, and develop and implement human-centered solutions. When appropriate, I employ management concepts and tools such as Lean Six Sigma and Project Management to find solutions in the field of higher education.
As an educator, I work with college students and faculty and staff. I lead meetings and classes, and design and deploy new projects. In the classroom and flute studio, I analyze, distill, and share complex ideas. I accompany students on their intellectual and personal journeys, empowering them along the way, ensuring they are served equitably and with a social justice orientation.
Strategy, leadership, management, human-centered design
Skills used: Collaborative, management, conceptual, leadership, organizational, research
Structural transformation of community colleges: Strategic support for eight community colleges to improve student outcomes. Outcomes have included the creation and implementation of a Sustainable, Equitable Student Engagement model at scale that gathers robust student input to inform strategic decisions.
Shared leadership/middle management: Lead an academic division of 100+ professionals, co-create strategic direction of organizational unit with other members of the management team.
Community-engaged learning: program vision and strategic plan development, budget forecasting, program expansion, faculty training
Professional development for faculty
California community college civic stewardship initiative
College curriculum management: oversight of all transferable courses at a college, data system redesign, campus-wide curriculum-related professional development design and deployment, redesign of public communication channels; co-development of programs such as music entrepreneurship; development and deployment of course curricula
Management consulting: nonprofit arts, tech, and healthcare
Lean Six Sigma and project management (PMI) applications in higher education
Research, publications, teaching
Skills used: Research, collaborative, conceptual
Scalable Equitable Student Engagement (NCORE pres.)
Internationally published article (music education)
Poster presentation (music education)
Doctoral dissertation (music education)
Program notes (chamber music concerts)
College course readers (music)
Ventura College
Leadership and management of an academic division
Lead the Division of English, ESL, Communication, Math, Computer Science, Learning Resources. Share values-based vision, co-develop and deploy student-centered strategy with division professionals, control budget, ensure efficient operations.
Foundation for California Community Colleges
Shared leadership, change management, strategy--in the service of student equity and success
Lead a team of five, manage budget, work as part of the management team. Collaborate with a teammate to serve eight colleges in their transformational efforts to serve students equitable and to realize the goals of the Vision for Success.
Chancellor's Office, California Community Colleges
Strategic leadership and collaboration, centered on student equity and success
Guide colleges to achieve fundamental transformation of mindset and operations to reach the Vision for Success using the Guided Pathways framework.
Stanford University
Projects with Stanford Live, the Haas Center for Public Service, Civic Stewardship Initiative for Community Colleges, Stanford CARTA
Strategic plan development, budget control/projection and grant awards, human-centered design, curriculum redesign, relationship building, research projects: qualitative and mixed methods, action research, focus groups
McKinsey & Company
Management consulting
Business analytics and strategy development in nonprofit arts, healthcare, digital technology
Pasadena City College
Teaching, leadership, curriculum oversight
Oversight and leadership of all transferable courses, curriculum development and review, learning resources and assessment, design and deployment of professional development programs for faculty, college governance, classroom and flute instruction, mentor students and junior faculty
Stanford University
M.A. Education--Policy, Organization, Leadership Studies
Higher education policy, administration, and leadership, community colleges, nonprofit leadership and management
Boston University
M.B.A.
General Business
University of California, Irvine
M.F.A. Music Performance
Flute performance--studies with James Newton
Whittier College
B.A. Economics
Labor and international economics, industrial organization, strategic management
Lean Six Sigma (IASSC, CSSC)
Certified Green Belt Professional
Data-driven performance improvement, problem solving
Project Management Institute
Certified Associate in Project Management
Principles, practices, and ethics of project management
Wharton Executive Education
Business Analytics Certificate
Descriptive, predictive, prescriptive analytics:
Data collection methods, A/B testing, correlation and causation, forecasting, regression analysis, simulations, data visualization and interpretation, optimization, decision trees
Acuity Institute
Change Management Certificate
Assess the issue, initiate action, plan the change, execute the plan, make lasting change.
Memberships
Professional organizations
Board member, Channel Islands Rowing Club
Association of California Community College Administrators
American Federation of Musicians, local 47
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
College Music Society
National Association for Music Education
International Society for Music Education
Omicron Delta Kappa--honor society in leadership and service
Omicron Delta Epsilon--honor society in economics
Mu Phi Epsilon--honor society in music
