James Aprea
Washington,DC
Summary
Program Coordinator with 16 years of project, and program management experience across the public and private sectors. Ever aware of the constantly evolving landscape of work, has spearheaded and redesigned marketing, recruitment, outreach, and coalition building campaigns for numerous projects throughout the years. Results driven, detail-oriented team player and autonomous professional.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Coordinator
U.S. Department of State
04.2019 - Current
- Advise Program Officers and Division Chief on sports figures and institutions applicable to U.S
- Interests and program priorities; Advise Program Officers on potential sports envoys and assist in the recruitment process, conducting outreach to external stakeholders; Represent the division internally on various committees, affinity groups, and working groups including the ECA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) council and subcommittees, the Disability Action Group, the Americans with Disabilities Act 30th Anniversary Working Group, and CERC Database SOP Working Group; As a Grants Officer Representative (GOR), collaborates with Program Officers to oversee Sports Diplomacy federal assistance awards in coordination with the Grants Officer; Assist Program Officers with program management of Sports Diplomacy programs that focus on women’s empowerment, people with disabilities, as well as vulnerable and underserved groups; Track data for the Global Sports Mentoring Program, the International Sports Programming Initiative, Sports Envoys, and Sports Visitors programs; Works with Program Officers to oversee the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) portfolio by drafting the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for FY21; reviewing proposals; drafting program office proposal analyses; and accessing the SAMS Domestic database to ensure we have met all requirements and deadlines for the Grants Office; Draft internal and external documents including Sports Diplomacy one pagers; program information requests from the Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and the Citizen Exchanges Director; Implement project management tools across programs to efficiently enter and track program data; Created the division social media calendar allowing staff and interns to coordinate social media campaigns highlighting program successes and aligning messaging with our priority themes; Communicates with implementing partners to process DS-19s for incoming participants; Ensured Sports Diplomacy transitioned to full telework and maintained access to all files, programs, and platforms for continuity of work and mission for all programs; Assists the division intern coordinator to onboard and guide both our traditional and Virtual Student Federal Service interns; Train Program Officers and Program Specialists covering the International Sports Programming Initiative(ISPI) portfolio providing technical assistance and guidance on all open awards; Serve as acting Citizen Exchanges (CE) Policy and Coordination Officer (PACO) to coordinate substantive higher level taskings across the five CE divisions and branches when the regular PACO is on the Coronavirus Task Force or during other gaps; and Provide coverage for the Citizen Exchange Program Specialist to ensure Solicitation packages process on time and there are no gaps in coverage of this process.
Acting Program Officer
U.S. Department of State
10.2021 - 03.2023
- Oversees the International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI) portfolio; tracking and managing eleven grants across seven organizations, analyzing, and evaluating program requirements; Monitors spending throughout the year to ensure that implementing partners do not exceed funding allocations; Regularly meet with seven implementing partners, conceiving, developing, and directing a range of international sports exchanges and institutional grant programs designed to promote priority U.S
- Interests around the world by facilitating mutual understanding of key issues and promoting long-lasting ties between the U.S
- And other countries; Planning hybrid exchanges that start with virtual exchanges and transitioned to in-person exchanges in 2022; Provide constructive feedback to the grantee organizations on program implementation, communicating product quality, website process challenges, evaluating findings, and other areas for improvement; As GOR for the ISPI portfolio drafted the ISPI FY22 and FY23 renewal solicitation package circulating it within ECA ensuring the grantee will have the opportunity to renew the FY21 grant; Welcome virtual participants to programs briefing exchange participants and participating partner organizations on ISPI, the Sports Diplomacy Division, and alumni services; Manages ISPI country selection for programs, working with regional bureaus and U.S
- Missions abroad, making changes to prior fiscal year country selections when covid-19 conditions do not allow for implementation of all programs in-person prior to closing out the award; Establishes effective working relations with private and public sector partners in support of all ISPI projects; and Keeps stakeholders across the Department apprised of program status across all partner organizations while monitoring and tracking programs under each award.
Disability Access Advisor
American University
01.2018 - 07.2018
- Reviewed medical documentation to determine reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities; Managed a caseload of 30- 40 students ensuring students received appropriate reasonable accommodations in an academic setting; Met with students regularly throughout the semester to provide ongoing academic support; Developed and presented a workshop on employment rights for students with disabilities; and Collaborated with and advised campus partners including faculty and staff on the needs of students with disabilities.
Program Coordinator
Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD)
10.2007 - 12.2017
- Managed projects and programs under the federally funded Client Assistance Program (CAP), tracking and compiling data for the annual report while maintaining database records; Represented clients of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to obtain and maintain the services at formal hearings and in resolving issues of disability discrimination through mediation; Responded to 10-30 or more inquiries each day received through the MOD Client Services Unit daily hotline and advised callers on their rights, programs, and services available; Developed, designed, and oversaw MOD’s relationship with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) to build on an inclusive sports initiative for high school athletes with disabilities; serving as Technical Advisor to the MIAA Inclusion Committee, participating in regular meetings and discussions on inclusion, developing trainings, and ensuring student-athletes with disabilities were able to access educational athletic programs; Assisted clients to resolve the disability-related denial of services issues and obtain accommodations on the job, in housing, and in places of public accommodations; Counseled thousands of parents and students on their rights in a variety of settings such as education, sports, and employment to ensure equal access; Conducted trainings on the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as it pertains to the reasonable accommodations process for individuals with disabilities; Designed, developed, and led communications and outreach efforts to 25 Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission area offices, 11 Independent Living Centers, and the 30 State Colleges and Universities across Massachusetts to promote the services available through CAP and MOD; Represented MOD on the state Special Education Advisory Committee; Represented MOD as a member of the Northeastern University’s Employer Advisory Committee; Fostered relationships with stakeholders across state and local government to ensure the work of the agency was well received by the communities served; Established and maintained partnerships across the public and private sectors to advance policy priorities within Massachusetts; and Worked to remove barriers and negative stereotypes of individuals with disabilities.
Advocate
Disability Law Center
07.2006 - 07.2007
- Organized, designed, and developed a Fair Housing Audit of Newton, Massachusetts managing the project from initiation to completion; Recruited, trained, and supervised a diverse group of 25-30 volunteers to evaluate fair housing practices at real estate agencies and rental offices; Monitored the progress of the project making changes to the timeline to account for scope changes, subbing testers, test sites, and managed stakeholder engagement to ensure the project remained on schedule and closed out in the timeframe initially promised; Managed a statewide voting rights project, monitoring elections, training community members, fielding calls from the public, and addressing inaccessibility of polling places; Monitored elections to ensure polling stations met accessibility requirements and advocated for accessibility when polling places were not fully accessible; Researched legislative issues, developed a communication strategy to market the housing audit, voting rights trainings, and legislative issues to state legislators as well as various stakeholders and organizations throughout the state; and Built a coalition of supporters across state government, nonprofit, and business sectors in support of the Paid Sick Leave legislation in the Massachusetts State Legislature, representing DLC at meetings, working with various offices and agencies to ensure that all individuals involved provided meaningful input.
Cooperative Education and Disability in Sports Program Intern
Center for the Study of Sport in Society
05.2003 - 08.2003
- Drafted and submitted a successful grant proposal for a six-month cooperative education internship at Northeastern University; Co-drafted Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with the director of the Disability in Sports Program; Drafted a proposal to develop a disability studies course; Conducted research and worked with faculty and staff to design and develop curriculum for the course, “The (in)Visibility of (dis)Ability in Society”; Prepared the Paralympic Media Campaign by tracking news articles and compiling data on the frequency that Paralympic athletes were featured in the media; Worked on the organization’s training programs for youth and adults including those trainings intended to train trainers at various schools and private organizations; and Oversaw additional projects focusing on human rights and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in sports;
Education
Master of Public Administration (MPA) -
The McCormack School, UMass Boston
Boston, MA06.2011
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science -
Northeastern University
Boston, MA05.2006
Skills
- Eligibility Determination
- Marketing materials
- Promotional planning
- Onsite tours
- Project management methodoligies and tools
- social media campaigns
Leadershipandcommunityinvolvement
- MIAA Leadership Institute, Franklin, MA, 01/25/2016-01/29/2016, Participated in an intensive leadership training on MIAA programs and how to foster leadership and programming for students within a school setting.
- Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Advisory Committee, Northeastern University, 01/2005-01/2006, Served as a student representative and collaborated with fellow committee members to address issues pertaining to the student body, representing students with disabilities.
- Disability Resource Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 01/2006-05/2006, Represented student interests and communicated student concerns to improve services for students with disabilities.
- U.S. Paralympic Soccer Program, Boston, MA, 01/2002-01/2007, Member of the U.S. Paralympic National Soccer Team; Competed in a tournament hosted by the Russian Paralympic Soccer team in Moscow, Russia and served as an alternate team member for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece and the 2002 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile; Developed grassroots marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the Paralympic Games, athletes, and their journey to the Games through online, social media, print, and in person marketing and publicity.
Presentations
- Suffolk University, Boston, MA, 03/2014, Discussed disability rights, personal experience, and the Paralympic Games.
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 10/2008, Lectured on and discussed disability rights, MOD, and CAP services.
- World Association on Cooperative Education Conference, Boston, MA, 07/2005, Participated in a panel discussion on the importance of Cooperative Education for students with disabilities.
- 14th Annual Human Rights Forum, Boston, MA, 06/2005, Led breakout sessions with local high school students discussing disability rights in sports and the Paralympic movement.
- Northeastern University Freshman Diversity Workshop, Boston, MA, 07/2004-12/2004, Developed and led sessions for freshman business students addressing disability issues and career goals.
Timeline
Acting Program Officer
U.S. Department of State
10.2021 - 03.2023
Program Coordinator
U.S. Department of State
04.2019 - Current
Disability Access Advisor
American University
01.2018 - 07.2018
Program Coordinator
Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD)
10.2007 - 12.2017
Advocate
Disability Law Center
07.2006 - 07.2007
Cooperative Education and Disability in Sports Program Intern
Center for the Study of Sport in Society
05.2003 - 08.2003
Master of Public Administration (MPA) -
The McCormack School, UMass Boston
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science -
Northeastern University