Danielle Eason
Fairfax,VA
Summary
Accomplished federal government professional with over 20 years of experience in policy analysis, project management, and compliance. Demonstrated success in developing and implementing effective policies, conducting thorough assessments, and providing strategic recommendations to mitigate risks. Expertise in stakeholder engagement, training delivery, and ensuring strict adherence to federal regulations. Committed to advancing organizational goals through continuous improvement and regulatory excellence.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Credit Policy Specialist
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Washington, DC
01.2023 - Current
- Develop and implement credit policies to support housing programs and initiatives
- Conduct privacy impact assessments and analyze and document privacy implications of IT systems
- Lead and develop short- and long-term projects for housing that align with departmental strategic goals.
- Manage climate initiatives, including decarbonization models, and inter-agency agreements.
- Engaged with colleagues and stakeholders to create greater value and a perspective on policy issues and solutions. The collaboration led to successfully completing half of their strategic goals.
- Developed a climate webpage featuring four additional program pages, a resource section outlining state, federal financial resources, and educational tools. The FHA Energy Efficiency website will increase accessibility, provide easier navigation, and improve program knowledge. My presentation led the communication division to adopt it as a training template.
- I developed an Energy Efficient Mortgage program, lender, consumer, and program factsheets to assist stakeholders with program information and increase production volume.
- Developed a reporting tool to internally help the SF track monthly progress, status, and completion of tasks for three agency climate initiatives, and twenty-three climate tasks.
- Collaborated with colleagues to identify unique data characteristics to improve climate data reporting. Our collaboration led to identifying the top three program areas to assist in policy decisions.
- I joined Toastmasters' executive board and was offered the vice president of marketing. My contributions included process improvement, marketing events and materials, and collaboration with the department's public relations. I developed marketing materials and hosted two formal events with an attendance of 300 guests; due to these events, the membership has doubled.
Director of State Operations (Temporary Detail)
Gooden, USDA Rural Development
Washington, DC
11.2022 - 01.2023
- Led and supported the USDA’s team of 47 Rural Development State Directors, ensuring departmental investments reached all rural communities.
- Contributed to planning and hosting a national event, coordinating efforts across multiple levels of the organization.
- Collaborated with multiple Rural Development programs across divisions to identify challenges and develop solutions to present a comprehensive proposal to restructure the current organizational model.
Special Projects Coordinator
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
Washington , DC
10.2021 - 01.2023
- Led initiatives for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to assist in distributing funding for housing loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Established and led a high-performing national team that provided support to multiple states in closing housing loans with unmatched efficiency and effectiveness. This team achieved the highest loan closure rates across the nation, setting a new standard for operational excellence and collaboration.
- Supervised a team of remote employees, enhancing and streamlining loan origination processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Designed comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and fostered collaboration between states. Developed robust privacy and communication strategies, resulting in a fourfold increase in the volume of ARPA loans processed, both internally and externally.
Deputy Director, Policy Analysis and Communication Branch
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
Washington, DC
07.2020 - 10.2021
- Provide leadership and guidance to 6 geographically dispersed employees and execute a $24 billion-dollar loan guarantee program budget with over 3000 participating lenders and servicers.
- Provided expert policy initiatives that expanded our portfolio by 2% the following year, and increased access to rural applicants, while promoting rural prosperity.
- Developed a comprehensive set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) encompassing applicable laws and regulations, training requirements, desktop procedures, correspondence and privacy protocols, and guidance for addressing complex issues, and implementing policy changes.
• Collaborated with IT to implement a user interface (UI) change to support the new Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) and Uniform Loan Application Dataset (ULAD) by identifying and analyzing affected policies, and for simultaneous publication. - Developed a communication strategy expressing goals and methods for outreach regarding external, internal, and branch-level activities. The plan tailors specifically to our core values of the policy branch, and identifies our interest in creating transparency, soliciting multi-level engagement, and training.
Finance and Loan Analyst – Policy Writer
U.S. Department of Agriculture
12.2016 - 07.2020
- Provide national leadership and technical advice to employees in diverse locations across fifty states and five major territories. Policy advisor activities include developing strategies that will execute a $69 million program budget, creating streamlined solutions to increase partnerships, and collaborating with stakeholders. Creating new or substantially modified regulatory or procedural changes for publication, implementation, and providing nationwide training.
- Lead a cross-functional team consisting of six pilot states, nationwide employees, external stakeholders, and legal counsel to redesign the Section 504 rehabilitation program. The large-scale project aimed to streamline the program by creating efficiency and moving toward the goal of automation. In conclusion, the results created better utilization and balance of program funding, provided uninterrupted grant funding, which in turn eliminated waiting lists across the nation, and improved processing time by eliminating 43,000 staff hours and 43,000 documents.
- Created a pilot (demonstration program) with twenty-two pilot states to collaborate on issues and solutions impeding the 504 program. The pilot initiatives were effective and adopted into regulation in 2022.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
Ferris State University
Flint, MI01.2002
Associate of Science - Art and General Studies
Mott Community College
Flint, MI01.2001
Skills
- Policy analysis
- Process analysis
- Operational efficiency
- Organizational development
- Problem-solving
- Strategic planning
- Effective communication
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)
- Risk analysis
- Regulatory compliance
- Auditing
- Stakeholder engagement
- Training delivery
- Data analysis
Certification
- Coaching six-month individual coaching from the Treasury Executive Institute
- Graduate of Excellence in Government Fellows program, 2023
- Developing Practical Leadership, NYU Stern, 2020
- Executive Writing, 2020
- Regulatory Drafting and Process, 2017
- AGILE Training, 2019
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Graduate
References
Available upon request.
Accomplishments
- Secretary's Honor Award for Excellence (2023) for implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act for Single Family Housing Direct home loan refinancing.
- Three Under Secretary's Honor Awards (2002) in recognition for my contributions and outstanding performance to the American Rescue Plan Act for Single Family Direct Policy, development of the American Rescue Plan Act Integration Team, and the Texas American Rescue Plan Act Loan Processing Team.
Timeline
Credit Policy Specialist
Department of Housing and Urban Development
01.2023 - Current
Director of State Operations (Temporary Detail)
Gooden, USDA Rural Development
11.2022 - 01.2023
Special Projects Coordinator
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
10.2021 - 01.2023
Deputy Director, Policy Analysis and Communication Branch
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
07.2020 - 10.2021
Finance and Loan Analyst – Policy Writer
U.S. Department of Agriculture
12.2016 - 07.2020
- Coaching six-month individual coaching from the Treasury Executive Institute
- Graduate of Excellence in Government Fellows program, 2023
- Developing Practical Leadership, NYU Stern, 2020
- Executive Writing, 2020
- Regulatory Drafting and Process, 2017
- AGILE Training, 2019
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Graduate
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
Ferris State University
Associate of Science - Art and General Studies
Mott Community College
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