Teresita Gonzalez

Responsible for service and justice initiatives for middle and high school students and faculty. Developed a new direction for the Christian Service Program, building relationships with community partners and the school community for service, reflection, advocacy. Implementing new immersion experiences, service-learning opportunities and supportive software tools.

• Responsibilities include: developing opportunities for community engaged learning, vetting organizations for partnerships, budgeting, management, drafting and revising policies, tracking student service and creating administrative reports. Collaborating with other departments, alumni and parents. Directing large scale events such as: student volunteer fair, Employee Service Day, grade level and alumni service events and Immersion Trip.

Responsible for development of the Archdiocese of Miami Mission Office, promoting global mission and solidarity. Later expanded to include social advocacy. Created a network of local missions and short term volunteer programs. Managed charitable collections, collaborated with other offices/entities on catechetical and social justice programs, provided formation and reflection days for mission groups in parishes and schools.

• Responsibilities include: Office administration, budgeting, policy making, annual reports, managing volunteers, local and national networking, public speaking, developing promotional material, workshops, and preparing groups for domestic and international service. Responsible for the National Mission Cooperative Program, Pontifical Missions collections, and other local diocesan mission projects.

(Served concurrently as both Executive Director and Mission Office Director for the Archdiocese of Miami, as described above, from 2011-2016)

Responsible for developing a new organizational structure for a Catholic short-term lay missionary organization, that was previously managed as a volunteer lay community.

• Responsibilities and functions: managed office and volunteers, fiscal management, and fundraising. Coordinated formation for lay volunteers, mission education in diocesan schools, and immersion groups. Worked closely with organizational leadership and board of directors on strategic plans as well as recruitment and nurturing community.

• Provided social work services for patients and families in various settings: hospitals, rehabilitation and skilled nursing.
• Gained valuable experience working with interdisciplinary teams, serving clients of diverse cultural contexts, coping with various health issues.