Community Involvement

In April 2011, I spoke at TEDxScottsdale on some of my community involvement in Phoenix.  Here is what i had to say:

STAFF WRITER

SPACING VANCOUVER

JUL 11-Present

Spacing Vancouver is the latest addition to Spacing’s online network and provides a west coast take on the issues affecting our shared urban landscape. My activities include:

• Write feature articles, book reviews and event announcements for Spacing Vancouver, a web-based publication
• Manage the Spacing Vancouver Twitter account.

LEAD BLOGGER

SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB VANCOUVER

MAY 11-Present

SMCYVR is the local chapter of the worldwide Social Media Club organization. Their mission is to bring valuable presenters, new participants, and a business focus to build a business-focused social media organization that generates learning, friendships and opportunities for all of its members.

• I create web content for the Social Media Club Vancouver website.
• I also sit on the organization’s local executive board and aid in the organization of learning and social events.

COORDINATOR

JANE’S WALK PHOENIX

MAR 09-MAY 11

Jane’s Walk is an international series of neighborhood tours honoring the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs that combines the act of walking with personal observations, urban history and local lore as a means of community building through bottom-up approaches and neighborhood involvement.

• I brought Jane’s Walk to Phoenix in 20099, by planning, promoting and coordinating the walk through downtown Phoenix. This includes developing a running a website, coordinating guides and speakers and promoting the event in the local media (both traditional and online)
• Approximately 30 people participated in the inaugural 2009 walk.  In 2010, this number increased to 80 people.  Alongside the 2010 walk, I also held a Jane’s Talk to highlight the recently published book, What We See: Advancing the Observations of Jane Jacobs.
• In April 2010, I was asked to join the Jane’s Walk USA team to help coordinate and promote events in Arizona.
• Manage the Jane’s Walk Phoenix Twitter account and Facebook page.
• My LinkedIn recommendations for Jane’s Walk Phoenix can be found here.
  

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEACIALIST

PROJECTING CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL (Vancouver, BC)

MAY 2011

Projecting Change is an innovative organization that focuses on promoting green and sustainable living through the use of entertaining & educational film. Through the strategic use of engaging films and inspiring speakers we aim to increase awareness and promote change within our local community. Through these efforts all profits are invested back into local initiatives.

• I was part of the PR team who promoted the Projecting Change Film Festival by engaging people through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and the Projecting Change blog.
• We also partnered with Social Media Club Vancouver to host a workshop on Projecting Change through Social Media on May 17th.

COORDINATOR

PARK(ing) DAY PHOENIX

AUG 09-APR 11

PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens independently but simultaneously temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

• I staged events in downtown Phoenix in September 2009 and 2010, where we transformed several parking spaces into temporary urban respites.

CO-FOUNDER

PLACES, SPACES & FACES COMMUNITY DINNER

FEB 10-APR 11

There’s something special about sitting down over a meal and how it brings people together and forms a special bond between them. That is why I helped found a monthly community potluck dinner in central Phoenix.

• Each month PSF visits a unique space in the city and share our favorite dishes and stories about each other and the place that we are in.
• The event grew from a small gathers of 20 people into an event with up to 100 people participating each month.

PRESIDENT

GRANDVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

JAN 10-DEC 10

The Grandview Neighborhood is a diverse central Phoenix neighborhood of about 1,200 people in 850 residences. The association is a voluntary body of concerned neighbors who help promote safety, security and quality-of-life issues for all members of our community.

• Duties include chairing monthly board and community meetings, overseeing fundraising and the association budget, meeting with the adjacent neighborhoods and businesses and acting as a contact point to the city for neighbourhood concerns.

ADVISORY BOARD

CANALSCAPE

DEC 08 – JUL10

The Canalscape initiative explores the possibility of an authentic and sustainable desert urbanism for the region, composed of urban cores and corridors distributed along the canal banks.

• I attended regular board meetings to offer direction to the project team.
• also participated in a joint ASU/University of Colorado-Denver workshop developing research and proposals to ‘re-imagine’ Phoenix’s canals between January and May 2009.

MEMBER

RADIATE PHOENIX

FEB 08 – APR 11

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

MOVING AZ ONE REALITY CHECK

 JUL 08 – JAN 10

Click here to download my full resume (pdf).