Meagan Picard
Fort Worth,TX
Summary
Dynamic professional experienced with managing program operations and delivering impactful results. Track record of effective communication and resource optimization. Skilled in all aspects of business management including clear, consistent, and rigorous attention to detail in record-keeping and prioritizing activities in order to achieve desired results on-time and on-budget. Known for fostering positive and effective teams and adapting to evolving project requirements, ensuring desired achievement of objectives.
Overview
2007
2007
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Director
Sharing Sacred Spaces
2024 - 2026
- Quickly promoted to Program Director after starting as the Local Coordinator for the Dallas Interreligious Communities Project.
- Implemented Executive Director's vision to expand the program into multiple communities, building local partnerships, and training local coordinators to support each project. Built the program from implementation in one community each year to five communities.
- Developed and implemented marketing strategies to promote program awareness and participation. Garnered strong interest for at least 11 new projects in the coming year.
- Developed and hosted monthly online trainings for participants. High satisfaction reported by participants.
- Managed community relations, including mentoring local leaders in fostering strong relationships for effective inter-group problem solving in their local networks.
- Ensured satisfaction of all program participants. Regularly praised for being the heart of the program, modeling powerfully positive ways of being together, and inspiring people to work toward shared dreams.
Public Policy Consultant
Self-employed
2016 - 2024
- Managed independent business, doing everything from business promotions to project leadership to record-keeping and management of financial records in QuickBooks.
- Helped government and non-government entities throughout the central and western United States develop strategies to best address challenging community issues, primarily housing, safety, transportation, and environmental management.
- Managed up to 10 projects at a time.
- Won award for innovative and effective practices in community decision-making.
- Led and collaborated with cross-functional teams to align project goals and strategies and achieve success as defined by each client.
- Developed and delivered public and stakeholder presentations.
- Led community outreach efforts, fostered stakeholder relationships, and facilitated community engagements to understand all perspectives and help clients make decisions that would produce the best results.
- Facilitated stakeholder negotiations.
- Managed resource allocation to ensure project success and on-time and on-budget completion.
- Established and monitored performance metrics for each project.
- Oversaw compliance with regulatory requirements, ensuring adherence as applicable in each project.
- Scheduled and led team meetings and prepared and distributed summaries to ensure shared understanding of decisions.
Senior Associate
Orton Family Foundation
2014 - 2016
- Provided training, technical assistance, and readiness assessments on community development, planning, and engagement strategies for rural communities in Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
- Developed comprehensive training package on the program's community development model.
- Wrote instructional guides on public engagement strategies, community impact indicators, and more.
- Provided technical assistance to philanthropic organizations on grant management.
- Managed Orton's own community development grants.
Senior Consultant
The Athena Group
2007 - 2014
- Helped to develop consulting practice from fledgling two-person shop to highly effective and well-respected team of 10 consultants, returning later as an independent consultant to partner with this extraordinary team on large-scale projects.
- Served clients in rural and urban areas of Alaska, Washington State, Oregon, California, Hawaii, and Minnesota.
- Developed expertise in transportation issues along with continuous development of understanding of housing, public safety, and human services issues.
- Developed project proposals, each with detailed project approach, timeline, and budget.
- Maintained positive relations with each client, clarifying goals at the onset of each project and leading project activities to achieve client-defined success.
- Created a wide variety of materials for community outreach campaigns, such press releases, flyers, and social media content.
- Developed engaging and easy-to-understand educational materials for public information.
- Crafted surveys and analyzed and reported on results.
- Facilitated public and targeted stakeholder workshops to assess needs, develop strategic plans, and foster partnerships for effective, responsible, and efficient plan implementation.
- Crafted performance management approaches to support good stewardship of plan implementation.
Legislative Analyst and Best Practices Lead
Administrative Office of the Courts
01.2005 - 01.2007
- Analyzed fiscal impacts of a wide variety of legislative proposals impacting state and local courts.
- Wrote fiscal impact memos for the Washington State Legislature.
- Provided legislative advocacy support, including serving on various policy committees.
- Developed performance measures for Washington's state and local courts.
- Designed and tested a dozen performance audits for the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Board for Judicial Administration. Created performance audit manual.
Legislative Analyst and Special Projects Lead
Association of Washington Cities
01.2000 - 01.2005
- Provided legislative analysis and advocacy support on fiscal, public safety, housing, and social and human services issues for all 281 cities and towns in Washington State.
- Facilitated stakeholder committees on various policy proposals.
- Developed and led comprehensive research program on the fiscal health of Washington cities and towns, known as the State of the Cities program.
- Provided community engagement support to small and medium-sized cities, facilitating local community-building projects and providing training to city officials.
Domestic Violence Victim Advocate
King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
01.1996 - 01.2000
- Advocated for survivors of domestic violence.
- Promoted through multiple departments, beginning in the Protection Order Office, moving to King County District Court, and continuing successful service to clients in the Special Assault Unit in the King County Superior Court.
- Delivered training to law enforcement in the Washington Criminal Justice Training Center on domestic violence call response and to various other government and community entities on domestic and dating violence prevention.
- Coordinated cross-sector committees to improve public safety.
Education
MPA - Public Policy
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA2002
BA - Social Work & Cultural Studies
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA1996
Skills
- Clear organization
- Strong attention detail in all tasks
- Budget management, including use of QuickBooks
- Positive team member
- Group process design and facilitation
- Strategic planning and management
- Community relations
- Partnership development
- Data management and analysis
- Engaging presentation design
- Public speaking
- Writing for any audience
Timeline
Legislative Analyst and Best Practices Lead
Administrative Office of the Courts
01.2005 - 01.2007
Legislative Analyst and Special Projects Lead
Association of Washington Cities
01.2000 - 01.2005
Domestic Violence Victim Advocate
King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
01.1996 - 01.2000
Program Director
Sharing Sacred Spaces
2024 - 2026
Public Policy Consultant
Self-employed
2016 - 2024
Senior Associate
Orton Family Foundation
2014 - 2016
Senior Consultant
The Athena Group
2007 - 2014
MPA - Public Policy
The Evergreen State College
BA - Social Work & Cultural Studies
The Evergreen State College