A living portfolio of the core skills, approaches, and values I bring to community-minded work.
For over 15 years, I’ve honed a set of core skills that reflect more than what I’ve done, but also how I work — with care, creativity, and a deep commitment to authentic, social connection.
My approach to project management and facilitation is grounded not only in lived experience but also in formal training, including certification through Google’s Project Management program and the Junior Chamber International (JCI) facilitator program. Nonviolence and de-escalation practices, as taught by the Meta Peace Team, are foundational to how I lead in high-stakes, sensitive environments. I am also in the process of completing my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the Project Management Institute, scheduled for January 2026.
This portfolio is a living reflection of the strengths I bring to projects, partnerships, and communities — and how I intend to grow these skills in service of healing justice work.
Communication & Relational Infrastructure
Whether I am making city policy understandable and accessible to constituents, or leading a community stakeholder meeting with regional leaders, I prioritize clarity, transparency, and relationship-building in every interaction.
Skills I bring:
- Messaging strategies that translate complex issues into accessible language
- Diplomacy as a liaison between government offices, funders, and community residents
- Engaging presentations to city councils, school boards, and professional conferences
- Sensitive, trauma-informed facilitation that keeps people at the center of systems-change work
Where I’m headed:
I’m committed to supporting communities and organizations in communicating across difference, building trust, and designing processes that reflect their values. My current work focuses on the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and systems-level change.
Production Management for Community Impact
I bring order, clarity, and momentum to large initiatives — balancing long-term vision with the practical needs of implementation. My experience spans higher education, state agencies, nonprofits, small businesses, and cross-sector coalitions.
Expertise in Action:
- Oversight and reporting for national classification systems and civic engagement metrics
- Coordination across municipalities, state departments, and 75+ community stakeholders
- Program development for youth, food access, and community revitalization
- Experience managing executive priorities and legislative strategy
Where I’m headed:
I’m focused on supporting mission-driven organizations through change cycles, with a special interest in projects that use the creative and performing arts to address the social determinants of health.
Leadership for Civic Engagement & Social Change
I lead with a community-first mindset that centers accessibility, equity, and action. My leadership journey spans elected office, youth mentoring, and project management through the life cycle of innovative programs — all grounded in being sensitive to the environment of my work, collaborating intentionally, and co-creating data-driven initiatives.
Where I Excel:
- Guiding individuals and teams through personal, organizational, and leadership transitions
- Designing projects with the end-user in mind, focusing on accessibility and inclusion
- Strategic facilitation of town halls and stakeholder conversations across lines of difference and competing priorities
- Using the creative and performing arts to foster community engagement related to sensitive topics like race, class, and generational differences
Where I’m headed:
I am centering well-being in every relationship, while strengthening civic and institutional capacity for inclusive, people-powered change. I support leaders who use the arts and creative approaches to address resource scarcity and social inequities.
In Service to the Public Good
These are a selection of the skills I bring to collaborations, and I remain dedicated to lifelong learning, listening, and evolving.
If you’re leading community-minded work or a public good–oriented organization and want a partner in building momentum, I’d love to connect.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Linda is a dedicated, thoughtful, resilient person who poured her energy and passion into her role as a community development fellow with CEDAM. The role required someone who was a self-starter, problem solver, and an excellent public speaker. Linda rose to the occasion and had some of the best attended meetings, a testament to her ties to the community and organizing skills.”
Sarah Teater, Director of Capacity Building
Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM)
