Work Preference
Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Computer Skills
Certification
Languages
Affiliations
Timeline
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Open To Work

Benita Mahanta

Sugar Land, ,TX

Work Preference

Job Search Status

Open to work
Desired start date: Immediately

Desired Job Title

Events ManagerSenior Project Monitor & Project MonitorPlanner II

Work Type

Full TimePart TimeContract WorkConsultingSeasonal Work

Location Preference

On-SiteRemoteHybrid
Open to relocation: Yes

Salary Range

$80000/yr - $200000/yr

Important To Me

401k matchCompany CultureWork-life balanceCareer advancementHealthcare benefitsPersonal development programs

Summary

Mission-driven Project Director with 17+ years' experience in project management, partnerships, collaboration, and communication and 5+ years' experience in federal/local government, urban planning, community development, performance tracking, budget management, and project funder engagement. Adept at moving projects forward on time and within budget, including the construction of a $220M grant portfolio of affordable rental housing projects for Harris County, TX.

Overview

9
9
years of professional experience
2
2
Certifications

Work History

Events Manager

Greentown Labs
Houston, TX
04.2023 - 09.2025
  • Led a partnership with coalition members to launch Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, which strengthened Houston's innovation ecosystem and promoted Greentown Labs' 75+ climate/energy startups
  • Managed communications, proposals, goals, success metrics, scopes, work plans, budgets, and timelines to deliver 70+ events for 2K+ guests
  • Oversaw planning and execution of 76+ site visits and convenings, promoting Greentown Labs and helping its startups gain funder visibility
  • Identified event sponsors and served as their liaison, developing, writing, and submitted their contracts to secure ~$20K in sponsorship

Senior Project Monitor & Project Monitor

Harris County Community Services Department (CSD)
Houston, TX
09.2019 - 05.2022
  • Helped CSD and its community partners deliver affordable rental housing reflecting local priorities by developing, writing, and submitting community-centered proposals to build a $220 grant portfolio of 16 affordable rental housing projects; all proposals received approval
  • Directed planning for 16 affordable rental housing projects by working with funders, partners and contractors to define goals, success metrics, scopes, budgets, and timelines; delivering on 2.5K+ housing units
  • Maintained performance and accountability in the construction of 16 affordable rental housing projects by guiding contractors and technical experts in developing and tracking milestones, budgets, KPIs, and deliverables; and preparing progress updates/reports for management

Planner II

Harris County Community Services Department (CSD)
Houston, TX
11.2016 - 08.2019
  • Oversaw 20-member team in a 3-week ground operation to assess Hurricane Harvey's impact on 2.9K+ homes in 21 low-income communities and prepared a briefing on the extent of the damage incurred, driving leadership's development of disaster recovery priorities
  • Wrote narratives tailored to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) on the community needs resulting from Hurricane Harvey's impact; helping CSD win $1.1B in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding from the GLO to meet these needs
  • Advanced solutions to housing needs of low-income communities by conducting spatial and socio-economic analysis of 52 proposed affordable rental housing projects, securing their approval for tax credits

Education

Master of Public Policy - Public Policy Analysis

The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL

BBA - Management Information Systems

The University of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX

Skills

  • Team leadership
  • Communications
  • Collaboration
  • Strategic partnerships
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Project management
  • Urban planning
  • Community development
  • Community engagement
  • Budget management
  • Proposal writing
  • Performance tracking

Computer Skills

Asana, ArcGIS, Microsoft (MS) Office Suite, MS SharePoint, Google Workspace, Canva, Luma, Salesforce, Slack, WordPress

Certification

Tropical Forest Landscapes: Conservation, Restoration & Sustainable Use Certificate, Issued by Yale University in April 2023

Languages

English
Native/ Bilingual
Spanish
Limited

Affiliations

Ex-Board Member & Community Relations Officer - American India Foundation

Timeline

Events Manager

Greentown Labs
04.2023 - 09.2025

Senior Project Monitor & Project Monitor

Harris County Community Services Department (CSD)
09.2019 - 05.2022

Planner II

Harris County Community Services Department (CSD)
11.2016 - 08.2019

Master of Public Policy - Public Policy Analysis

The University of Chicago

BBA - Management Information Systems

The University of Texas At Austin

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Benita Mahanta