Jennifer Grinnell
Conroe,TX
Summary
Results-driven professional with proven ability to excel in dynamic environments. Demonstrates strong adaptability and effective communication skills, consistently achieving goals independently. Rapid learner with a track record of mastering new technologies and processes.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
2
2
Certifications
Work History
Program Specialist VI (Section Coordinator)
Maternal and Child Health (DSHS)
Austin, Texas
07.2024 - Current
- Manage and track a high volume of assignments with quick deadlines to progress through the approval process by specific deadlines
- Coordinate communication between program level staff, section level staff, and division level staff regarding division assignments, legislative tasks, open records request, regular program work, and other urgent assignments
- Review legislative assignments, regular program work, and division assignments according to section guidelines, basic grammar, and punctuation
- Manage, facilitate, and review weekly updates with program directors to submit to the section director and division office
- Maintain professional relationships in challenging high stress situations
- Utilize judgement to determine hourly, daily, and weekly task completion by their respective deadlines
- Utilize a variety of computer applications to review Word documents, Excell spreadsheets, PDF documents, and videos/social media posts
- Review and update section guidelines as needed
Training and Development Specialist V
Child Care Regulation (HHSC)
Austin, Texas
08.2022 - 07.2024
- Administer a 14-week Basic Skills Development course to new inspectors regulating daycares for state minimum standards
- Conduct certification courses virtually, and in-person, over topics such as professional regulation, conflict resolution, and specific policy areas of low compliance
- Participate and give feedback with training development projects
- Analyze, interpret, and train staff on policy, procedure, laws, and rules including the application of policy, procedure, laws, and rules to real life, and practice, scenarios
- Discuss the relationship of Child Care Regulation's responsibilities with collaborating departments such as Child Care (CCE) Enforcement and Centralized Background Check Unit (CBCU) while training new staff
- Meet with program directors and supervisors to discuss participant progress and classroom behaviors and provide weekly training feedback on participant progress
- Review and update training materials as policy changes occur and problem solve issues with training implementation and adult learning environment
- Conduct IT trainings to educate staff on state utilized software programs such as CLASS and CLASSmate.
- Maintain organized calendar and home workspace for non-training weeks
- Collaborate with external stakeholders, like CCI workers, to ensure that cross agency education is provided
Program Specialist VI
Child Care Regulation (HHSC)
Austin, Texas
06.2020 - 08.2022
- Collaborate with a team of program specialists and the regional director of Day Care Operations
- Data analysis and reporting and responding to media inquiries regarding child care regulation
- Conduct bill analysis and implementation for legislative session
- Create workgroups and monitor the completion of bill related tasks to ensure compliance.
- Create and manage disaster surveys for day care providers
- Analyze disaster survey data and distribute for internal and stakeholder use in a timely manner.
- Conduct and gather stakeholder feedback for minimum standards review
- Build collaboration and internal relationships via virtual methods due to COVID-19
- Collaborating with Regional Directors to identify problematic systems and developing solutions to resolve issues
- Develop and administer trainings to field staff
- Attend conferences relating to child care and improvement
- Complete annual trainings in a timely manner
- Maintain a work from home environment and work space
- Conduct travel as needed for HHSC
Child Care Regulation Inspector
Child Care Regulation (HHSC)
Austin, Texas
12.2018 - 06.2020
- Conduct inspections and investigations at day care operations and fulfill routine regulatory duties within a timely manner
- Staffing with team and supervisor to assess risk to children and problem solve
- Training new employees on regulatory duties and inspections
- Conduct trainings for providers
- Work with management to determine escalation of operations regulatory inspection frequency, recommendation of voluntary enforcement actions, and determine if an operation needed further enforcement actions to maintain compliance and keep children safe in out of home care
- Intake calls regarding minimum standards violations
- Interviewing staff, parents, and children to obtain information for allegations of minimum standards violations
- Same day or next day documentation of inspections or contact with operations
- Process child care applications and conduct application inspections
- Collaborate with providers, stakeholders, and the community
- Manage a mobile work caseload and creating a schedule to maintain compliance and due dates for tasks
- Maintain a caseload of operations and adjust to changes in caseload
- Respond to emergency situations and last-minute changes to schedule
- Utilize computer programs and software to conduct daily tasks
Lead Pre-K Teacher
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
08.2018 - 12.2018
- Writing lesson plans and implementing curriculum
- Maintaining appropriate paperwork for each child in the classroom
- Supervising an Assistant Teacher
- Supervising student workers in the classroom and provide training for them
- Supervise and instruct a group of 20 children with one other teacher in the classroom, in addition to maintaining communication and relationships with families
- Implement assessments and provide parent-teacher conferences two times per school year
- Meeting with families and administration to problem solve any issues in the classroom
Assistant Pre-K Teacher
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
07.2016 - 08.2018
- Assist with lesson planning and maintaining appropriate paperwork for each child in the classroom
- Supervise student workers in the classroom and provide training for them
- Co-lead trainings and presentations in digital portfolio programs to the other UT Child Development Centers
- Supervise and instruct a group of 21 children with one other teacher in the classroom, in addition to maintaining communication and relationships with families
- Led an improvement committee for the playground design
Education
Masters of Science - Humans Resource Development
The University of Texas at Tyler
Tyler, Texas01.2023
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Education
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, Maine01.2012
Skills
- Understanding of adult learning theories
- Knowledge of group dynamics in learning environments
- Familiarity with employment laws
- Principles of effective training design mastery
- Experience in the ADDIE instructional design model
- Interpreting state policies and regulations
- Researching legislative bills and proposals
- Creation of detailed analysis reports
- Development of comprehensive training materials
- Experience with both virtual and face-to-face training sessions
- Strong critical thinking skills
- Analysis of organizational challenges and issues
- Creation of innovative solutions
- Expertise in child development principles
- Focus on child care climate issues in Texas
- Ability to manage high workloads efficiently
- Skillful task management under tight deadlines
- Utilizing data for strategic decision making
- Human resources knowledge and practices
- Strategies for process improvements
Certification
SHRM-CP
Timeline
Program Specialist VI (Section Coordinator)
Maternal and Child Health (DSHS)
07.2024 - Current
Training and Development Specialist V
Child Care Regulation (HHSC)
08.2022 - 07.2024
Program Specialist VI
Child Care Regulation (HHSC)
06.2020 - 08.2022
Child Care Regulation Inspector
Child Care Regulation (HHSC)
12.2018 - 06.2020
Lead Pre-K Teacher
University of Texas at Austin
08.2018 - 12.2018
Assistant Pre-K Teacher
University of Texas at Austin
07.2016 - 08.2018
Masters of Science - Humans Resource Development
The University of Texas at Tyler
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Education
University of Maine at Farmington