Director,
Teen Services

City of Oakland, Oakland Public Library, CA
May 2018 - Present

• Crucial member of Oakland Public Library (OPL) leadership team, responsible for planning and implementing programs, processes, policy, and decisions that have impact across a 400+ employee, 18-location organization. Strategic partner in overseeing the library’s $42 million yearly budget.

• Support the work of the OPL Racial Equity Team to ensure that their strategic plan goals become attainable organizational goals with outcome measurements in place and leadership support for success. 

• Worked with a small team of staff migrating the library’s public website content to a new public website on a new platform. Advised and supported the project lead on planning new site structure, content taxonomy, information architecture, and design while also creating many of the site’s new pages. I also researched, organized, and created an in-depth style guide for the library system, focused on web content, but with broader reach.

• Oversaw the work of the library’s reopening planning team in spring of 2022, deciding how to safely reopen for limited indoor services at all of our locations after over a year of closure. Advised staff at all levels on how to create a safe and realistic plan and how to strategically avoid and respond to potential issues. Produced a manual for OPL Express, our post-pandemic service, ensuring all staff were fully knowledgeable and resourced. 

• Established an OPL Gender Diversity Task Force and serve as the executive sponsor to the 9-member committee as they work to ensure that OPL is equipped to serve the LGBTQIA+ community, including staff, with greater sensitivity. This committee evaluates policy, audits facilities, provides training and staff support, serves as advisory to leadership, and works on projects and programming in support of creating an inclusive and welcoming organization for people of all genders.

• Oversee the department budget, including a $100,000 materials budget, $40,000 grant budget, as well as budgets for staffing, supplies, operations, programs, and services.

• Oversee employees across all levels including managers, librarians, paraprofessionals, and interns and provide direct supervision to staff whose work is in support of teens across the organization. Work directly with teens in leadership roles. Created a new departmental onboarding structure and set up mentorships for all new teen librarians.

• Plan, direct, and coordinate department efforts including, but not limited to; city-wide programs (including the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program), internal policy development, staff onboarding and training, and organizational partnerships with local youth-serving organizations, the Oakland Unified School District, community leaders, and other city departments. 

• Serve as advisor to branch locations, library departments, administration, and staff members, supporting their work with teens and detailing the potential impact of organizational decisions on teen patrons. Support staff across the system in reaching and engaging positively with teens using restorative justice practices.

• Facilitate planning conversations across the organization including a recent update of the department’s mission, vision, values, and goals to help create direction for department staff after pandemic-related library closure shifted our work and focus. Work with department staff to support them in succeeding at meeting organizational, departmental, and individual goals through strategic planning and implementation of projects and programs. 

Lead (Acting) Marketing and Communications

City of Oakland, Oakland Public Library, CA
August 2021 - June 2022

• Used previous department experience, institutional knowledge, and deep understanding of tech and design to step in to provide support and management to the team when the department head left the organization. Continue to support the newly formed department team and oversee some media relations.

• After remaining senior staff members also left the organization, developed and proposed a plan for restructure of the department.

• Upon plan adoption, supported the building of a new team by hiring staff from outside the organization and helping junior staff grow into more impactful senior roles.

• Finalized and implemented development of a strategic in-depth onboarding for all members of the newly structured department with long-term structure in place for continued learning and support as they grow into new roles.

• Held the vital tasks of the department, including website development, structure, and architecture, Intranet maintenance, media relations, and working with internal stakeholders to support all their web, promotional, and communication needs.