Michelle Walker
Director of External Initiatives
Sonora,CA
Summary
Dedicated candidate eager to leverage knowledge in higher education, program development, and strategic planning. Skilled in running initiatives supporting vulnerable populations and developing policies and procedures to provide wrap-around support for at-risk students. Collaborative and committed to addressing social issues to improve quality of education in marginalized communities.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of External Initiatives
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2020 - Current
- Planned and carried out course schedules on external sites for both dual enrollment and incarcerated students.
- Recruited, screened, and trained faculty to teach in complex and nuanced environments.
- Analyzed trends and data to inform decision-making and program development.
- Conducted community workshops to promote programs and educate public on available services.
- Monitored program performance and outcomes for successful delivery of services.
- Promoted open, candid information sharing across organizational and community boundaries.
- Established and maintained relationships with key stakeholders.
- Assessed community needs and identified resources for educational programs.
- Researched best practices and developed strategies to improve program outcomes.
- Planned, produced and evaluated services that reflected attention to detail, customer sensitivity and responsiveness to needs of various constituencies.
- Provided leadership, guidance and support to staff members.
- Participated in community events to promote services and engage with public.
- Developed and implemented training programs for staff.
- Utilized grant writing skills to secure additional program funding.
- Created and managed budgets, efficiently allocating resources for wrap-around student support.
- Conducted outreach activities to engage local stakeholders in programs.
- Advocate for student needs and reduce barriers to higher education.
Part-Time Business Faculty
Yosemite Community College District
08.2017 - Current
- Taught Business courses for incarcerated students.
- Created dynamic learning environment that valued instructor and student interaction.
- Developed diversified course curriculum to meet regulatory standards and support learning objectives.
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills, resulting in clear subject matter discussion with students.
- Showcased commitment to professional development by keeping current in Business discipline.
- Used different learning modes and types of technology to engage students in achieving learning outcomes.
- Modified instructional methods and strategies to meet diverse student needs.
Program Specialist for External Initiatives
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Reduced costs and improved operational performance without sacrificing quality by developing and implementing diverse approaches.
- Coordinated communication among internal and external stakeholders to assist in program development, community buy-in, and student success.
- Planned and executed meetings to connect organizational representatives, community members and students.
- Worked alongside other professionals to outline and implement program plans and objectives.
- Organized and managed program development from conception through successful execution.
- Kept program-related data accurate, up-to-date and easily accessible.
- Provided ongoing direction and leadership for program operations.
- Developed and deepened productive community relationships to assist with defining requirements, executing plans and strengthening leadership.
- Received incoming phone calls and form submissions and provided timely responses to inquiries.
- Determined student needs and developed program initiatives according to preferences.
- Developed, coordinated and administered dual enrollment and incarcerated student programs.
Transition Specialist for Motherlode Educational Opportunity Center
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Assisted students in exploring and selecting educational paths.
- Empowered students through coaching and skill-building exercises.
- Advised students on educational, career and social opportunities.
- Provided resources to support students in achieving educational goals.
- Developed solutions to address complex issues and operational gaps.
- Helped students develop organizational, time management and study skills.
- Taught workshops and presented self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
- Monitored student progress to drive successful academic outcomes.
- Collaborated with parents, school staff and faculty to address problems and grow student success.
- Managed internal and external client-facing relationships through transitional periods.
- Advocated for students to access available resources.
Interim Executive Secretary to the Vice President of Instruction
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Streamlined operations and prioritized tasks, allowing senior staff to increase productivity.
- Managed mail and both incoming and outgoing correspondence, mail, email and faxes.
- Promoted team productivity by keeping supplies organized and well-stocked.
- Responded to emails and other correspondence to facilitate communication and enhance college processes.
- Coordinated travel arrangements and bookings for executive staff.
- Upheld strict timetables by maintaining accurate, balanced calendars.
- Collated and distributed agendas and minutes for all executive meetings.
- Wrote reports, executive summaries and newsletters.
- Created and managed office systems to efficiently deal with documentation.
- Worked with senior management to initiate new projects and assist in various processes.
- Handled scheduling for executive's calendar and prepared meeting agenda and materials.
- Documented and distributed meeting notes to identify, analyze, and improve workflows.
- Developed and implemented office policies and procedures to facilitate smooth workflow.
- Filed paperwork and organized computer-based information.
- Greeted arriving visitors, determined nature and purpose of visit and directed individuals to appropriate destinations.
Program Specialist for Special Programs
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Created and delivered program training and education to keep participants knowledgeable about program and provide necessary skills to participate productively.
- Motivated and directed staff to align operations with organizational mission using appropriate training initiatives and presentations.
- Reduced costs and improved operational performance without sacrificing quality by developing and implementing diverse approaches.
- Maintained regular communication between departments via email and phone calls to coordinate program logistics.
- Planned and executed meetings to connect organizational representatives, community members and students.
- Kept program-related data accurate, up-to-date and easily accessible.
- Received incoming phone calls and form submissions and provided timely responses to inquiries.
- Determined student needs and developed program initiatives according to preferences.
- Evaluated program operations, successes and deficiencies to identify concerns and recommend strategies to enhance processes and elevate results.
- Tracked and reported expenses accurately to manage program budgets.
Office Manager
Gutter Protection Service
08.2011 - 05.2013
- Created, maintained and updated filing systems for paper and electronic documents.
- Oversaw office inventory activities by ordering and requisitions and stocking and shipment receiving.
- Delivered performance reviews, recommending additional training or advancements.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Updated reports, managed accounts, and generated reports for company database.
- Managed office operations while scheduling appointments for installers.
- Managed senior-level personnel working in marketing and sales capacities.
- Managed compliance to keep organization operating within legal and regulatory guidelines.
- Successfully managed budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Maintained positive customer relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions.
- Maintained computer and physical filing systems.
Administrative Secretary for the IRB
Saint Louis University
10.2007 - 07.2011
- Sorted, opened, and routed incoming correspondence and deliveries to help senior leaders respond quickly to business and customer requirements.
- Liaised between research community and IRB staff and maintained effective lines of communication.
- Created and updated records and files to maintain document compliance.
- Offered technical support and troubleshot issues to enhance office productivity.
- Communicated with research staff via phone and email and respond to inquiries.
- Managed filing system, entered data and completed other clerical tasks.
- Managed paper and electronic filing systems by routing various documents, taking messages and managing incoming and outgoing mail.
- Sorted, opened, and routed mail and deliveries to meet business requirements.
- Greeted incoming visitors and customers professionally and provided friendly, knowledgeable assistance.
Education
Ed.D. - Educational Leadership
William Howard Taft University
MBA - Business Administration
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT11.2016
Bachelor of Science - Human Services Management
University of Phoenix
03.2014
Bachelor of Science - Social Work
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MOSkills
- Effective Communicator and Public Speaker
- Grants Management
- Analytical and Critical Thinker
- Operational Analysis
- Social Equity
- Strategic Initiatives
- Innovative and Visionary
- Manage Programs
- Customer Relations
- Community Outreach
- Teaching in Systems Impacted Environment
Accomplishments
Successfully planned and carried out conversion from face-to-face instruction to correspondence education for hundreds of students during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Expanded number of course offerings and students served from four area high schools in 2016 to 11 high schools across our region in 2022-2023.
Expanded face-to-face course offerings for our Incarcerated Student Program (ISP) from a handful in fall 2015 to 20 sections per term in 2022-2023.
Plenary speaker for national conference in New York, NY in September 2018 addressing the importance of serving incarcerated students in higher education.
Timeline
Director of External Initiatives
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2020 - Current
Program Specialist for External Initiatives
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2018 - 01.2020
Part-Time Business Faculty
Yosemite Community College District
08.2017 - Current
Transition Specialist for Motherlode Educational Opportunity Center
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2016 - 01.2018
Interim Executive Secretary to the Vice President of Instruction
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2015 - 01.2016
Program Specialist for Special Programs
Yosemite Community College District, Columbia College Campus
01.2013 - 01.2015
Office Manager
Gutter Protection Service
08.2011 - 05.2013
Administrative Secretary for the IRB
Saint Louis University
10.2007 - 07.2011
Ed.D. - Educational Leadership
William Howard Taft University
MBA - Business Administration
Western Governors University
Bachelor of Science - Human Services Management
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Social Work
Saint Louis University
Custom
Extra Curricular: Part-time Business faculty teaching incarcerated students. Conducted numerous trainings and workshops on topics relating to college matriculation, working effectively with vulnerable populations, organizational development and efficiency, as well as student recruitment events.
Languages
- English
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