short bio
I’m a developer who believes that complex problems in technology can be addressed by bringing people together. As a Senior User Experience Developer with The Alley Group and IAAP-Certified Web Accessibility Specialist, I have championed headless WordPress and accessibility on projects for enterprise-level media and nonprofit clients.
Passionate about community and inclusivity, I take time to share what I’ve learned on my technology journey with others. Conferences and meetups at which I’ve spoken include WordCamp NYC, WordCamp Philly, Liberty JS, the Museum Computer Network, and the Philly JS meetup. I have also given webinars for Pantheon and the Online News Association. Prior to joining Alley, I co-founded the Interactive Mechanics Fellowship for Diversity and Inclusion in Tech.
I came to tech later in life, after spending more than a decade in fundraising roles for some of Philadelphia’s most prestigious arts and culture organizations. I wrote my first line of code at age 35. I live in the Philadelphia area and enjoy watching classic films and reading.
skills
Front-end HTML5, CSS3, CSS modules, Styled Components, JavaScript, React, NextJS, JSON, VueJS, jQuery, SASS, Bootstrap, Mapbox/Leaflet, GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP), WordPress, D3, progressive web apps
Back-end PHP/SQL, exposure to Java, Python, node
Tools git/GitHub, command line, Storybook, Grunt, Gulp, Webpack, markdown, Jest, Enzyme, React Testing Library, QUnit
Planning & Research Functional specs, content audits, user testing, competitive, analysis, quality assurance, time management, accessibility audits (WCAG)
Hardware & Electronics Raspberry Pi, Arduino, FadeCandy, soldering, following circuit diagrams, Bluetooth beacons
experience
The Alley Group Senior UX Developer (December 2021 – present), UX Developer (January 2019 – December 2021).
Interactive Mechanics Interactive Developer (February 2015 – November 2018); Apprentice (November 2014 – January 2015). Interactive Mechanics was a digital products agency in Philadelphia, with clients such as the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Thomas Jefferson University. It was shuttered in November 2018.
- Lead developer on a range of projects, including websites, web apps, and in-gallery digital experiences
- Lead the creation of a new functional planning documentation process
- Created and lead the accessibility committee and created documentation around accessibility
- Co-created the Interactive Mechanics Fellowship for Diversity and Inclusion
- Served as a mentor in the Interactive Mechanics Fellowship for Diversity and Inclusion
- Demonstrated expertise and leadership via blog posts, internal team talks, wiki entries, webinars, conference talks
speaking and writing
Speaking
WordCamp US 2022: “Embracing Minds of All Kinds: Making Digital Content Accessible for People with Cognitive Disabilities,” September 2022.
MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2021: “Embracing Minds of All Kinds: Making Digital Content Accessible for People with Cognitive Disabilities,” October 2021.
LibertyJS 2019: “Going Headless without Losing Your Head: Strategies for Making Your First Decoupled Web App a Success,” October 2019
Pantheon: “Accessibility for All: Making the Internet Work for Everyone”
Online News Association: “Accessibility Thinking for Publishers,” webinar, October 2019.
WordCamp NYC 2019: “Going Headless without Losing Your Head: Getting Started with Decoupled WordPress,” September 2019
MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2018: “Accessibility for In-Gallery Digital Experiences,” November 2018, Denver
WordCamp Philly 2017: “Leveling Up Your QA Workflow for Small Teams and Freelancers,” October 2017
Writing
Going Headless without Losing Your Head, October 2019
Using Prototyping Workshops to Build the Thomas Jefferson University Donor Wall, August 2018
The Five Pillars of a Balanced Quality Assurance Workflow for Small Teams, December 2017
Tips for Using Flexbox Safely and Effectively, December 2015
training
International Association of Accessibility Professionals certified Web Accessibility Specialist, 2020
University of the Arts certificate in Web Design and Development, 2017.
Girl Develop It Philly student in more than 10+ classes, TA for Intro to HMTL/CSS, Intro to User Experience, Intro to Sass
Girl Develop It Philly & Code for Philly Open Source Mentorship Program, 2015
Regularly participates in local web/tech conferences as participant and/or volunteer, including O’Reilly’s Fluent Conf, Philly Tech Week, BarCamp Philly, LadyHacks, WordCamp US, WordCamp Philly, Full Stack (Toronto).
b.c. {before code}
I spent the first twelve years of my professional life as an arts manager and fundraiser, working with some of the most well-respected arts and cultural institutions in Philadelphia. Here are some highlights from my B.C. career:
- Drafted complex grant applications to regional and national foundations, incuding the William Penn Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, resulting in six- and seven-figure grants.
- Awarded a certificate of completion for the Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations program, June 2012, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Executive Education.
- Planned and executed countless cultivation and fundraising events, including national and international trips, galas, cocktail parties, meetings, tours, lectures, movie screenings, etc.
- Developed donor stewardship strategies and tactics that led to annual fund increases of between 12-30% and 50% increases in corporate sponsorship revenue.
- Completed the Forum for Executive Women’s Mentorship Program, 2008