Jessica M. Calderon
Denver,CO
Summary
I am a results-driven executive leader with a proven track record of high performance and promotion within the City and County of Denver in various roles which serve historically marginalized populations. I am highly experienced in recruiting, hiring and managing teams while innovating and scaling new city programs successfully. As a lifelong learner, I sought additional education in macro practice social work, public leadership, policy & program design, innovation in government, data driven practice, and leadership in order to grow as a leader in the City of Denver. I utilize my lived experience, professional experience and education to innovate, scale and implement equity practices in the work I am leading.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Operations and Innovation
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
01.2022 - Current
- Results-driven leader with a proven track record of high performance and promotion within the Office of Social Equity and Innovation (OSEI).
- Produced "Equity in Denver", Denver's first Equity Indicator Report with an OSEI project team,
- Produced OSEI's first ever Annual Report in 2021 and oversaw the 2022 Annual Report.
- Innovated solutions to address large scale equity issues like food security. Built the Denver Food Interagency Group in partnership with the Department of Public Health and Environment and other agencies, as an outcome of participating in the Bloomberg "Turn the Curve" initiative.
- Developed Denver's first Digital Equity Program and released the first ever Denver Digital Equity Plan in 2023.
- Oversaw the 2024 City Equity Budget Process in OSEI, participated in budget reviews from 2020-2023.
- Oversaw successful implementation of operational strategies and policies to drive organizational growth and productivity.
- Analyzed business operations and implemented strategies to improve operational cohesiveness.
- Developed systems and procedures to improve operational quality and team efficiency.
- Collaborated with senior management to develop and execute long-term goals and objectives.
- Managed budget and utilized operational resources.
- Defined, implemented, and revised operational policies and guidelines.
- Policy and Program Design for programs in OSEI.
Director of Training and Strategies
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
06.2021 - 12.2021
- Directed a team of Trainers and Strategists who created curriculum, delivered trainings and provided coaching to all agencies citywide.
- Directed the team in coaching agencies to achieve citywide objectives related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives.
- Evaluated success of training programs and oversaw improvements to enhance effectiveness.
- Partnered with OSEI Data team to build evaluation methods for our trainings.
- Developed, directed and managed the implementation plan to migrate the Race and Social Justice Academy from Zoom only onto our Learning Management System (Workday), scaling up from 250- 1000 in one quarter (2021).
Management Analyst Specialist
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
10.2020 - 06.2021
- Created infrastructure for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) teams to have a meeting structure where OSEI Strategic goals, new learning and agency showcases (peer learning) could occur on a quarterly basis (EDI Quarterly Meetings) and OSEI Newsletter.
- Citywide projects including budget analysis, book clubs and discussions, coaching with agency leadership on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts and helping with policy recommendations and initiatives.
- Participated in Equity Budget Analysis during massive budget cuts during the Covid-19 Pandemic to help the city with crisis response.
- Evaluated current processes to develop improvement plans.
- Reviewed internal systems and organized training plans to address areas in need of improvement.
- Recognized for exemplary work on citywide projects, budget analysis, and policy initiatives.
- Provided coaching, analysis, and support to multiple city agencies, including Denver Fire, Housing and Stability, Denver Police, Climate Action and Sustainability Office, Denver Economic Development and Opportunity Office, Denver Animal Protection, and Denver International Airport.
- Adept at redesigning training curricula, coordinating learning opportunities, and piloting innovative solutions to meet the needs of city staff and leadership.
- Serve as a trusted advisor, offering recommendations on best practices and anti-racist approaches, with a focus on creating an equitable and diverse workforce.
- Subject matter expert and analyst on citywide projects, initiatives, HR trainings, and process improvement.
- Skilled facilitator of leadership discussions and coach for implementing anti-racist policies and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Actively contributed to the Racial Equity Council, reviewing and providing recommendations on projects, programs, and initiatives to ensure racial equity. Instrumental in creating the Mayoral Dashboard for monitoring key performance indicators.
Learning and Development Specialist
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
06.2019 - 06.2020
- Co-created the first and original Race and Social Justice (RSJ) Academy for the newly created office.
- Content creation and curriculum development using adult learning theories to ensure learning outcomes for city staff and leadership.
- Partnered with the University of California Berkeley Researchers for curriculum design of RSJ Academy.
- Program Design and Innovation to create infrastructure for Citywide Goals, Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) teams.
- Innovated the Racial Equity Action Plans template for EDI teams to use in planning equity strategies.
- Developed and piloted the original RSJ Academy for Denver City Council, Denver City Attorney's, Denver Human Resources and Denver's Budget Management Office.
- Analyzed and evaluated training effectiveness and program outcomes.
- Conducted needs assessments to identify gaps in performance and develop targeted learning solutions.
- Coordinated training schedules across sites with supervisors and managers to optimize training initiatives and work-flow management
- Facilitated virtual, in-person and blended learning sessions.
- Utilized variety of instructional design methodologies to create effective learning experiences.
Learning & Development/Child Protection Supervisor
Denver Human Services
02.2015 - 06.2019
- Achieved certification as a professional coach to provide coaching to staff and Child Welfare leadership.
- Program Design and Development, including creating infrastructure, processes, procedures and programs to newly formed Learning and Development Team including the Odyssey Training Program, Practice Mentoring Program and the Child Welfare Coaching Program.
- Hiring and training of over 140 caseworkers to fulfill various roles in Child Welfare, as directed by the Mayor’s Child Safety Net Impact Team.
- Coached existing staff, Lead Social Caseworkers and Supervisors to increase engagement and performance with staff and peers with the goal of improved services to families.
- Supervised Lead Workers in mentoring casework staff in field practice with the goal of improving engagement, services and safety for families and children.
- Established and maintained quality control standards.
- Analyzed and evaluated training effectiveness and program outcomes.
Team Decision Making Coordinator
Denver Human Services
02.2011 - 02.2015
- Coordinated and facilitated family engagement meetings in highly charged and stressful situations.
- Meetings included multidisciplinary teams including medical staff, law enforcement, probation, caseworkers, Guardians Ad Litem, therapists, case managers and child welfare leadership, with the goal of consensus and planning in child welfare.
- Ensured all decisions met agency, local, state and federal guidelines.
- Ensured child safety and least intrusive and restrictive planning for families in the child welfare system.
Child Protection Social Case Worker
Denver Human Services
12.2006 - 02.2011
- Worked with families experiencing homelessness, substance misuse, crisis, mental health and trauma.
- Partnered with families for family preservation, services and reunification.
- Developed treatment plans with families, provided direct and indirect resources and services to parents and children with the purpose of mitigating risk factors, increasing safety and addressing treatment issues.
- Attended hearings and depositions in family court.
- Collected information through observation and interviews with children, parents, relatives and neighbors.
- Family and Community Engagement to create wrap around service plans for families.
Case Management Coordinator
Denver Human Services
12.2005 - 12.2006
- Streamlined, standardized and implemented case management processes and techniques.
- Managed and monitored program activities and evaluated quality for improvement recommendations.
- Worked in Long Term Care Unit to connect clients living with long-term disabilities to services/resources.
National Crime Information Center Agent
Denver Sheriff Department
05.2004 - 12.2005
- Organized, maintained and updated information in computer databases.
- Entered highly sensitive information in law enforcement databases.
- Assisted law enforcement with warrants, stolen vehicle reports and law enforcement records requests.
- Operated multi-line telephone system to answer and direct high volume of calls.
- Compiled information from files and research to satisfy information requests.
Education
Public Leadership Credential - Public Policy And Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Boston, MA05.2021
Master of Social Work - Macro Policy And Practice
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO05.2016
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO05.2005
Skills
- Strategic Planning and Execution
- Program Design
- Policy and Operations
- Policy Analysis and Development
- Innovation and Scaling
- Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
- Team Leadership and Mentoring
- Budgeting and Resource Management
- Data-driven Decision Making
- Program Evaluation and Impact Assessment
- Public Speaking and Communications
Accomplishments
Directed/authored Denver's first equity indicator report, Equity in Denver.
Directed and authored OSEI's first Annual Report (2021) and managed the second Annual Report (2022).
Developed Denver's Digital Equity Program in OSEI.
Oversaw Denver's first Digital Equity Plan (2023).
Authored all Policies and Operations in OSEI.
Affiliations
- National Association of Social Workers
- Leadership Denver Class of 2023
Certification
- Associate Certified Coach
- Public Leadership Credential
Other
Other Experience
- Affiliate Faculty Metropolitan State University of Denver- Master's Level educator on Power, Oppression and Privilege
- Affiliate Facilitator and Curriculum Designer for State of Colorado Child Welfare Training System
- Trained Equity Labs Facilitator with University of Denver
Timeline
Director of Operations and Innovation
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
01.2022 - Current
Director of Training and Strategies
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
06.2021 - 12.2021
Management Analyst Specialist
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
10.2020 - 06.2021
Learning and Development Specialist
Mayor's Office Of Social Equity And Innovation
06.2019 - 06.2020
Learning & Development/Child Protection Supervisor
Denver Human Services
02.2015 - 06.2019
Team Decision Making Coordinator
Denver Human Services
02.2011 - 02.2015
Child Protection Social Case Worker
Denver Human Services
12.2006 - 02.2011
Case Management Coordinator
Denver Human Services
12.2005 - 12.2006
National Crime Information Center Agent
Denver Sheriff Department
05.2004 - 12.2005
Public Leadership Credential - Public Policy And Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Master of Social Work - Macro Policy And Practice
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Associate Certified Coach
- Public Leadership Credential
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