Writing
Damión Perkins
Program Manager
Laurel,MD
Summary
Performance-driven professional with over 20 years of experience in Health and Education Industry. Demonstrated to deal effectively with people in the supervision of staff and team members. Talented in personnel and deployment management, program oversight, training, technical competence and customer or client support objectives. Areas of specialty include Program Management, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Implementation of Arts Based Training, Community Engagement and Curriculum Development. Strong ability to design and deliver appropriate curriculum maps and lesson plans. Proven ability to work actively and collaboratively with teachers, program staff, students, parents, external community partners to support social and emotional learning, health and wellbeing and educational community initiatives.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Program Manager
Kaiser Permanente
Rockville, MD
01.2021 - Current
- Manages community programs including planning, design and implementation of initiatives that address schools and community health and wellbeing.
- Develops new programming strategies and one-off feature shows to boost audience interests and diversify offerings.
- Manages strategic partnerships with community, government and other stakeholders to address social determinants of health.
- Monitors progress of programs, using and applying programming documents, program directives, funding documents and other program material.
- Directs Artist Educators and maintains tight production timetables and quality standards to give audiences exceptional offerings.
- Analyzes performance and scheduled cost control while maintaining contractual and internal performance requirements.
- Supports current website maintenance content and communications in development of related stories, press releases and news articles
- Participates in collaboratives, working groups, panels committees and planning groups.
- Streamlined communication channels to facilitate efficient collaboration among team members and stakeholders.
- Championed best practices in project management, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring support for program initiatives.
- Enhanced project visibility with regular status updates, leading to increased stakeholder engagement.
- Met with project stakeholders on regular basis to assess progress and make adjustments.
- Facilitated workshops and conducted one-on-one training to educate team members.
- Participated in pilot tests and revised programs based on feedback and results.
- Manages grants and sponsorship applications, budgeting and reporting process for grantee and community based organizations applying for funding
Arts Based Learning Health Educator
Kaiser Permanente
New Carrollton, MD
02.2017 - 12.2021
- Presented importance of health education and specific disease prevention and treatment strategies to audiences and stakeholders.
- Assisted local and state governments and community agencies with developing health education programs.
- Partnered with agencies and organizations driving improvements in community health.
- Managed applications, demographics and participant information of health education programs.
- Supervised staff to coordinate needs assessments.
- Led planning and achievement of goals and objectives consistent with agency mission and philosophy.
- Promoted available resources and connected individuals with resources, technical assistance, and services.
- Initiated grant invitations and funding for schools and organizations
- Raised awareness of public health issues through organizing workshops, seminars, and presentations.
- Designed culturally competent curriculum tailored to diverse populations, addressing specific barriers to healthcare access and utilization.
- Organized conferences or training sessions that brought together stakeholders from various sectors involved in promoting community wellbeing.
- Built partnerships with community organizations to expand reach and impact.
- Developed and distributed health education materials to increase awareness and understanding.
- Assessed success of health education programs through surveys and data collection.
Health Education Specialist
Kaiser Permanente
Beltsville, MD
07.2014 - 12.2017
- Developed curriculum with health based messages for K-12 population for Educational Theatre
- Effectively used arts based learning techniques to deliver educational messages through workshop presentation.
- Coordinated logistics for ETP based special events with public.
- Collaborated efficiently with team members on curriculum design, special events, and workshop programming.
- Facilitated workshops, focus groups and discussions with students.
- Trained and managed Actors on Workshop design.
- Maintained relationships with school administrators and program partners.
- Maintained hand puppets and props for programming and rehearsals
- Managed team of 12 teaching artists, overseeing hiring, training, and professional growth of employees
- Acted as a team leader in group projects, delegating tasks and providing feedback.
- Adaptable and proficient in learning new concepts quickly and efficiently.
- Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects.
- Demonstrated creativity and resourcefulness through the development of innovative solutions.
Drama Teacher
Washington Latin Public Charter School
Washington, DC
08.2010 - 06.2014
- Integrated content curriculum such as English and Science into drama and theatre techniques.
- Adapted course of study and training methods to meet student’s need and ability..
- Maintained relationships with parents, school administration and other program partners.
- Implemented effective classroom management techniques to provide safe, calm learning environment
- Adapted teaching strategies to remain inclusive to diverse learning styles
- Produced 2 theatrical performances each year streamlining technical elements
- Exposed students to diverse content to build perspective in drama pedagogy
- Scheduled shows and performances in accordance with school calendar
- Planned lessons to reflect group and individual student needs utilizing creative instruction
- Evaluated student assignments and projects with corrective comments to guide future growth
- Enhanced academic programs with innovative methodologies and collaboration
- Enhanced student creativity by incorporating improvisation techniques and role-playing activities in lessons.
- Expanded program offerings through securing funding grants and developing partnerships with local theaters and arts organizations.
- Provided individualized instruction for struggling students with personalized lesson plans and additional resources tailored to their needs.
- Assessed student progress through regular quizzes, written assignments, and performance evaluations to ensure continuous improvement.
- Implemented diverse teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles and abilities among students.
- Collaborated with colleagues to create interdisciplinary lessons that connected drama concepts to other subjects.
Program Analyst
Workforce Development
Washington, DC
03.2008 - 11.2010
- Developed programming for Capital City Fellows and Summer Youth.
- Tracked progress of students and Fellows through data reports and evaluations.
- Lead discussions, focus groups, lectures and field trips.
- Prepared progress evaluations for Fellows and Summer Youth.
- Developed and led HR training courses.
- Coordinated monthly new employee orientation intake.
- Leveraged on-site observation and personal interviews to identify team and individual strengths
- Helped solve diverse program problems with in-depth analysis
- Analyzed program data to provide input for key decision making and strategic planning
- Established strong relationships with vendors and suppliers, negotiating favorable contracts that supported program needs while minimizing costs.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to define clear program goals and establish performance metrics.
- Developed and maintained project schedules, ensuring key milestones were met on time and within budget.
- Enhanced program efficiency by streamlining processes and implementing data-driven improvements.
- Identified opportunities for process improvement, resulting in increased operational efficiency across the organization.
Education
Master of Arts Theatre Education - Education
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC 08.2008 - 05.2010
BA Psychology - Psychology
St. Augustine’s College
Raleigh, NC 08.1990 - 05.1994
Skills
Project management specialist
Curriculum Development
Group and individual instruction
Curriculum coordination
Teacher training
Student engagement
Experiential learning
Program leadership
Worked with subject matter experts to develop and implement mentoring programs to promote better learner experiences
Partnership development
Facilitated workshops and conducted one-on-one training to educate team members
Social and Emotional Health Facilitator
Training in Drama Therapy
Psychodrama Training
Trauma Informed Care Facilitator
Affiliations
-Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
-American Alliance for Theatre Education
-Theatre In Our Schools
-Teaching Artists Guild
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeLocation Preference
HybridImportant To Me
Company CultureHealthcare benefitsWork-life balanceWork from home optionFlexible work hours4-day work weekPaid time off401k matchCareer advancementPaid sick leavePersonal development programsTeam Building / Company RetreatsStock Options / Equity / Profit SharingWork Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Interests
Directing
Acting
Reading
Social Justice Theater
Youth Development
Teaching
Timeline
Program Manager
Kaiser Permanente
01.2021 - Current
Arts Based Learning Health Educator
Kaiser Permanente
02.2017 - 12.2021
Health Education Specialist
Kaiser Permanente
07.2014 - 12.2017
Drama Teacher
Washington Latin Public Charter School
08.2010 - 06.2014
Master of Arts Theatre Education - Education
The Catholic University of America
08.2008 - 05.2010
Program Analyst
Workforce Development
03.2008 - 11.2010
BA Psychology - Psychology
St. Augustine’s College
08.1990 - 05.1994