Rebekka Zydel

Clients: Higher Education School of Polytechnic University of Viseu, American Psychological Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Advocates for Children of New Jersey, Programs for Parents, Child Care Resources, Community Child Care Solutions, CCCC of Union County

• Delivered administrative and operational support for national grants, including developing webinars, conducting interviews, creating collateral materials, and providing technical assistance on budgeting and business practices for childcare sectors.
• Coordinated training and events, such as presenting at international seminars on child risk policies and implementing Training-of-Trainers for the ACT Raising Safe Kids program, managing logistics and follow-up.
• Authored policy briefs and managed documentation, operationalizing grants like the ARP Child Care Stabilization Access Grant to enhance family support resources in New Jersey.
• Designed data collection and tracking mechanisms to support qualitative research on early childhood education, ensuring accuracy and prioritization of tasks.

• Provided high-leverage administrative support to principal investigators, including scheduling internal meetings, preparing agendas and materials, tracking priorities, and delivering regular updates on completed tasks and upcoming deliverables—ensuring efficient execution of longitudinal research studies focused on child and family well-being.
• Coordinated operations and logistics for multiple research grants, including onboarding/supervising Graduate Research Assistants, monitoring progress, and resolving issues to meet deadlines and maintain regulatory compliance..
• Managed financial processes, such as analyzing metrics, developing recommendations, and implementing data tracking systems to optimize budgets and outcomes in public health prevention strategies.
• Represented leadership in external communications, building partnerships with community partners and funders while handling sensitive information with discretion.
• Supported event and material preparation, including designing research instruments, creating marketing collateral, and conducting interviews for qualitative projects aligned with child maltreatment prevention.

• Provided executive-level administrative support to the Board of Directors, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas/materials, recording minutes, and tracking action items to align with mission-driven goals in child care and family services.
• Oversaw office operations and management, developing organizational protocols, managing budgets, ordering supplies, coordinating with vendors (e.g., for facilities and IT), and ensuring a collaborative, high-performance environment.
• Handled financial and grants management, reconciling expenses, processing checks, securing $250,000+ in funding for innovative programs, and implementing evidence-based initiatives that increased services by 60% for New Jersey families.
• Coordinated events and community convenings, such as the annual S.H.I.N.E. Educator of the Year Awards Gala (generating $25K) and cross-sector partnerships with higher education, public schools, and health systems.
• Led strategic planning and partnerships, chairing councils like the Morris County Department of Human Services Advisory Council, where I developed funding matrices, coordinated needs assessments, and influenced policies supporting children and families.
• Managed teams and performance, evaluating employees, establishing training plans, and fostering continuous improvement in a nonprofit setting focused on child maltreatment prevention and high quality early care and education.