Career & service
From advocacy
to instructional design.
The roles, courses, and community work that have shaped my practice.
Back to the portfolioCareer timeline
A career in context
From residential support and domestic violence advocacy to prevention work, teaching, and instructional design. The through-line: people trying to take a next step, and the systems that decide how hard that step is.
Human services & advocacy
Where the work started: direct support, crisis advocacy, and mediation.
- Herkimer Area Resource Center
Residential support for people with developmental disabilities
Began in direct support, became a residential floater, and in 2007 served as assistant manager of a supportive apartments program for more than 10 residents.
- Catholic Charities of Herkimer County
Domestic Violence Advocate
Individual counseling, Family Court advocacy, education programs, shelter placement, and Social Services liaison for the Herkimer County Domestic Violence Program.
- Award
Sister Karen Klimczak Memorial “Spirit of the Academy” AwardAward
Recognized at the New York State Victim Assistance Academy, five days of training alongside law enforcement and state officials.
- Community Dispute Resolution Center
Mediator and prevention specialist
Coordinated and mediated disputes, including custody matters, while delivering prevention programs in Herkimer County schools.
Prevention & policy
Building prevention programs for a county and a college campus.
- Herkimer County Prevention Council
Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator
Led county-wide problem gambling prevention under a New York State grant, ran a sign-placement survey, and served on the Glens Falls Problem Gambling Coalition until statewide funding ended in 2011.
- Education
A.S., Community & Human Services
SUNY Empire State College.
- Prevention Council at Herkimer College
Substance and alcohol prevention educator
Created the Drugs 101: Prevention Ed. series, ran first-offense education (SAAP), adapted Teen Intervene for second offenses, and advised the SADD student club.
See the prevention decks - Education
B.S., Community & Human Services
SUNY Empire State College, December 2011.
- Herkimer College
Adjunct instructor, First Year Seminar
Began teaching FS100, the seminar required of new full-time students, and still teach it today.
- Credential
CASAC-T
Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Trainee, New York State.
- Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board
Appointed co-chair
A board member since 2010, appointed co-chair of Herkimer College’s AOD Advisory Board, a seat not usually held by someone from outside the college.
- Campus policy
Good Samaritan Policy and Social Host provisionStill in effect
Wrote the policy brief and built medical amnesty into Herkimer College’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy, so students who call for help in an alcohol or drug emergency are not disciplined for it. The policy remains part of the college’s AOD policy today.
- Media studies
Long Tail + Net Neutrality
Collaborative paper and public video about discovery, network access, and niche markets.
Open artifact - Herkimer College
Academic Advisor
Joined the college staff in November 2015, advising more than 100 students and later managing the Starfish student-success platform.
Teaching & advising
Designing courses, mentoring students, and finishing a master’s degree.
- Service
Board of Directors, Catholic Charities of Herkimer County
Joined the board of the agency where my work in advocacy and prevention began.
- FS100 First Year Seminar
Gamified First Year Seminar
Rebuilt a section of the seminar around game mechanics, an early classroom application of game-based learning.
- HE130 Wellness
Taught Wellness at Mohawk Correctional Facility
Adapted the college’s wellness course for incarcerated students in Fall 2017.
- Honors Program
Honors project mentor
Began mentoring students through independent HP303 Honors projects.
- Master’s research
M.S., Information Design & Technology
Completed at SUNY Polytechnic Institute with a thesis on game-based learning in hybrid and online instruction, including the MyQuest prototype.
Read the thesis - HS201 Chemical Dependency
Developed and taught Chemical Dependency
Built the course and its lecture materials on screening, assessment, treatment, and prevention for Fall 2019.
See the class slides
Instructional design & technology
Leading course design, accessibility, and AI strategy across the college.
- Herkimer College
Director of Instructional Design
Appointed in May 2020 to lead course design support and quality review for faculty.
- EN171 Technical Writing
Introduction to Technical Writing
Began teaching EN171, redesigned it around current tools, and later reworked its assessments for generative AI.
- Program development
Wrote the Esports Management program and curriculum
Authored the program and its course curriculum for SUNY approval.
- AI strategy
Campus lead on AI integration
Authored the college’s AI ethics and digital assessment policies, lead AI literacy sessions for students, and am designing an asynchronous Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course.
See the AI decks - Systems change
LMS migration + faculty enablement
Supported more than 100 faculty through the move from Blackboard to D2L Brightspace.
- Service
Elected to the Fort Plain Board of Education
Serving on the Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education.
- Community
AI for Herkimer County
Presented a practical AI lunch-and-learn for local small business owners in November 2025.
See the deck - Accessibility leadership
Governance, remediation, and review
Co-chairing the Accessibility Committee and connecting institutional planning, practical faculty support, and purpose-built tools.
Open deck