Reianna DaRosa
Milwaukie,OR
Summary
A successful Program Director with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit and development work; more than ten years of experience working within the Habitat for Humanity affordable housing arena. Experienced manager of employees, budgets, and consulting nonprofit management. Demonstrates leadership abilities, significant responsibilities working with teams, committees and boards of directors. Excels at coaching, training, political engagement, compassionate service, engaging stakeholders at all levels and enabling data-driven decision-making. Navigator of differences; passionate advocate of affordable housing, women and youth. Accomplished in research methods, editing, and teaching.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Programs
Habitat for Humanity of Oregon
2017 - Current
- Consults, advises, and counsels 24 Habitat affiliates throughout Oregon to increase nonprofit management effectiveness: defining mission, future planning, regulatory compliance, community building, staff management, etc
- Support strategic planning and creative organizational direction: funding opportunities, permanent affordability, homeowner association management, organizational visioning, disaster preparedness and response, capacity building and Habitat for Humanity best practices
- Facilitate relevant and diverse nonprofit board and staff trainings; provide day-to-day operations support, and monitor and track subsidiary outputs and outcomes; consult on team building, planning, office management, human resources and Habitat International compliance;
- Orchestrate and overall manage biennium regional training conference for 450+ leaders, staff and volunteer attendees; coordinate all details and logistics including curriculum creation, speaker management, venue, AV, volunteers and staff before and during event
- Regularly create and manage budgets, including various programs and events.
Homeownership Program Manager
Habitat for Humanity
01.2011 - 01.2016
- Managed and coordinated all operations of Homeownership Program Office including all aspects of the application and selection process, homeowner education program, homeowner association management, program budgeting and oversight, community outreach and homeowner events
- Managed qualification, processing and managing hundreds of new program partner applicants: reviewed and processed applications, determined financial qualifications, managed selection committee
- Trained and managed 20+ AmeriCorps and HabiCorps volunteers; responsible for success of volunteer program: finance, communications, supervision, evaluation, scheduling and work counseling
- Created a procedures and processing manuals in retail and project management environments; established cohesive training manuals for volunteers and employees
- Regularly presented workshops, trainings and informational meetings to groups ranging from a few to 250 people in English and Spanish Implemented and updated Habitat policy and procedures in order to comply with evolving mortgage laws and regulations; was affiliate Qualified Loan Originator.
Bilingual Financial Program Teacher
Grameen Bank
01.2010 - 01.2020
- Teach Financial Household Resiliency Workshop Series which includes classes on budgeting, household banking and repairing, building and protecting credit
- Administered micro-loans and financial counseling; managed client files
Volunteer
U.S. Peace Corps
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Served for 27 months as a municipal development volunteer forming and training legalized town councils and women’s groups in order to enact decentralization laws and equitable development practices
- Overhauled office administration, organization and scheduling, and trained staff in project development and planning techniques to service and communicate with 42 urban and rural communities within a municipality’s jurisdiction
- Designed and managed a Rural Development Office data base, executing extensive community surveys and polls in order to identify patterns and challenges in the development of infrastructure, roads, parks, utilities, etc
- Initiated, developed and managed a civic leadership training program in more than 40 rural communities involving more than 100 individual families
Latin America Program Intern
Mercy Corps
- Created culturally appropriate workshops for international staff; researched new projects;
- Wrote and updated country program profiles on the Mercy Corps website;
- Translated and edited documents and reports.
Microfinance Internship
Grameen Bank
- Conducted extensive interviews with Grameen corporate officers and staff at office headquarters and rural branches, and analyzed the key components of the program’s success and short-comings.
- Worked closely with executive level management to compile and recapitulate highly sensitive communications for Grameen Trust’s U.S. initiatives.
- Mastered the inner workings of Grameen’s microfinance method and corporate structure through hands-on fieldwork with individual Grameen borrowers and women’s groups.
Program Director and Manager
Hands In Peace
- Coordinated and organized all aspects of a 10 day tour for a team of 18 young German athletes.
- Prepared budgets, itinerary, meals, coordinated home stays, local school visits, and all transportation;
- Led group as counselor, tour guide, and teacher.
Retail Store Manager
Steiner Storehouse
- Optimized sales and increased revenues to achieve a yearly profit after four years of losses under prior direct management;
- Showed initiative in creating a procedures manual and new wholesale ordering system.
- Coordinated product demos; drafted newsletters; maintained store website.
Education
Bachelors of Arts - Anthropology, Communications
Portland State University
Masters - International Relations
Alliant International University
Skills
- Leadership
- Project Management
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Collaboration
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Complex Issue Resolution
- Board Development and Support
- Event Planning
- Public Speaking
- Community Outreach
- Teamwork
Other Skills
- Microsoft Suite
- Apple Applications
- Dropbox
- Google Docs
- Social Media
- Zoom and Teams
- Seasoned International Traveler
- Theater Arts
- Spanish Proficiency
Accomplishments
- American Leadership Forum (Oregon), 2022 Graduate
- Habitat Equity Academy for Leaders, 2022 Graduate
- Master’s thesis: “Microcredit in International Development: Placebo or Cure”
- Training: Donna Beegle's Communication Across Barriers Institute
- Teacher's Assistant Volunteer, Advocates for Live Skills & Opportunity (ALSO)
- Youth and Women’s Groups Leader and Coordinator Volunteer, gender equality and cross-cultural understanding (multiple organizations)
Timeline
Homeownership Program Manager
Habitat for Humanity
01.2011 - 01.2016
Bilingual Financial Program Teacher
Grameen Bank
01.2010 - 01.2020
Volunteer
U.S. Peace Corps
01.2008 - 01.2010
Director of Programs
Habitat for Humanity of Oregon
2017 - Current
Latin America Program Intern
Mercy Corps
Microfinance Internship
Grameen Bank
Program Director and Manager
Hands In Peace
Retail Store Manager
Steiner Storehouse
Bachelors of Arts - Anthropology, Communications
Portland State University
Masters - International Relations
Alliant International University