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Selected Experience

Memberships:

  • Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), Northeast Chapter

Education:

  • Doctorate of Philosophy, London Metropolitan University

    • Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities - International Relationss

    • Thesis: Countering Violent Extremism 'from the Soil Up': Identifying the Pitfalls and Shortcomings of CVE in Zanzibar​

    • Vice Chancellor Scholar

  • Masters of Divinity, Princeton Theological Seminary

  • Bachelor of Arts, Trinity University

    • ​Ancient Mediterranean Studies, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

    • ​Minors: History, Religious Studies

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services - Office of Counterterrorism

  • Conceived and drafted “Best Practices” guidance document for county stakeholders working to prevent domestic terrorism and targeted violence

  • Designed, piloted, and expanded statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) training program, Certified Master Trainer, DHS National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Office

    • Piloted delivery of 3-hour, 1-day, and 3-day trainings

    • Established process to develop, expand, and maintain facilitation team

    • First 6 months: 15 deliveries, reaching 298 stakeholders from more than 30 New York counties

    • Program Evaluation: collection of participant feedback 76% response rate indicating a high level of satisfaction with and applicability of training; facilitation and documentation of internal after action

  • School Safety – representing New York on national call of statewide school safety help/tip lines, drafting policy proposals and funding estimates for the establishment of a New York State safety help/tip line, Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) trained

  • Conducting intelligence analysis in support of weekly and ad hoc executive briefs for agency principles, including targeted violence prevention special briefs

  • Development of briefs series on groups, individuals, and locations subjected to targeted violence, demonstrating the vulnerabilities and highlighting opportunities to prevent, disrupt, and mitigate domestic terrorism and targeted violence

National Response Team, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

  • On call for immediate emergency response to natural and human caused disasters, linking to grant relief and providing emotional and psychological care to individuals and communities in the wake of traumatic experiences

  • Serving on the Church Safety and Security Team, facilitating workshops to raise awareness about targeted violence prevention and facility security for congregations

Security Fellow, Truman National Security Project

  • Conducted intelligence analysis on terrorism/violent extremism in the US and sub-Saharan Africa, writing and delivering high level briefs including to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs and a retired 3-Star Vice Admiral

  • Responding to Domestic Violent Extremism: conceived, collaboratively designed, and implemented a participatory training program for multi-disciplinary stakeholders including elected officials, law enforcement, and community leaders responding to escalating threats of violence within their communities. Participants from Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois; moderated panel with US Rep. Elissa Slotkin on federal responses to white supremacist violence

  • Steering Committee Chair and program designer of mentor program for 150 U.S. national security professionals; recruitment, training, and supervising 30 mentors; development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of 12 month program

  • Co-Director of Colorado Chapter: convening events, building coalitions with community partners, amplifying national security messages through targeted informational campaigns, supervising 5-person leadership team

  • Logistical support for evacuation at HKIA in August 2021, tracking realtime intel and informing movement of people

Conflict and Development Consultant

  • Worked with academic, governmental, and civil society organizations including Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Preace Direct, Center for Security Studies (CSS, ETH Zurich), Culture and Religion in Mediation (CARIM)

  • Conducted intelligence analysis on violent extremism landscape and targeted violence prevention initiatives, presenting to Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs, Center for Security Studies (ETH, Zurich), U.S. State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), and other stakeholders

  • Subject matter expert in violent extremism as well as program and policy responses, published in Washington Post, Just Security, Democracy in Africa, Responsible Statecraft, CSS Mediation Perspectives, International Policy Digest, The Fulcrum

  • Authored guide on localized mechanisms to prevent violence and policy briefs on U.S. approaches to CVE, revised EU External Action Service reports on governmental and non-governmental approaches to early warning mechanisms

  • Facilitated participatory learning sessions for Peace Direct (the importance of broad social inclusion to atrocity prevention, building peace to counter violent extremism, and local ownership in development), World Denver (comparing approaches to CVE in the U.S. and MENA countries), and Center for Security Studies – ETH Zurich (community-led approaches to preventing violence)

CVE Senior Advisor, Zanzibar Center for Youth Dialogue

  • Conducted intelligence analysis and primary research on violent extremist organizations and activities for US Government-funded program in East Africa

  • Created implementable intervention plans and programs with Zanzibar-based team; trained and supported 6 CYD staff to identify and respond to challenges facing target group; conducted 24 key informant and 49 youth interviews to assess and analyze local conflict dynamics to inform project design and implementation

Adjunct Lecturer

  • Developed and taught Leadership Studies - pragmatic approaches to decision making, communication, interpersonal dynamics, and responsibilities of authority

Project Manager, Process Facilitator, Senior Researcher, and Operational Manager, ACTION for Conflict Transformation

  • Project Manager: From Early Warning to Response in Preventing Violence: Transforming Conflict through Citizen Engagement – Primary focal point for project partners: interfaith coalition (Tanzania), civil society project (Uganda), local peace ommittees (South Africa), and academic research partners (Coventry University, UK); wrote narrative, financial, and research reports

  • Process Facilitator - Planned and facilitated training for multi-disciplinary stakeholders including local elected officials, community leaders, youth organizations, and women’s organizations; supervised up to 8 colleagues, equipping them to facilitate participatory learning exercises

  • Senior Researcher – conducted in-depth analysis of targeted violence drivers and escalators in three countries; designed research projects investigating complex conflict dynamics; applied multiple research methods; authored policy briefs, short articles to summarize complex ideas, and practitioner guidance documents

  • Operational Manager - Launched and operated regional office

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