FLORIDA HOUSING COALITION

THE TEAM:

ABIGAIL SANDERS

AMBER ZIES

IGNACIO DIAZ

MEAGAN MCLAUGHLIN

ANDREA GANN

STEPHANIE SOLIS

FALL 2019 INTERNS

Abigail Sanders ags14@my.fsu.edu

Masters of Science in Planning/Masters of Public Administration (December 2019) Undergraduate Major: International Affairs w ith a focus on Public Administration, GPA 3.9 Certificate in Global Citizenship and Emergency Management Tell us about yourself: Abigail grew up in St. Augustine Florida along with her parents and her older brother. Her

brother attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine and as a result Abigail learned to sign. Her brother now reads lips and as a result Abigail doesn’t use sign as often. Now grown, he lives and works in St. Augustine which has a large community of deaf folks whilst her parents now live in Ft. Myers. Abigail also has a 12-year old Schnauzer named Toby who is living the good life with her parents. Abigail is an adventurer and her personal interests include exploring new places — cities, restaurants, stores — and connecting with old friends. In fact, Abigail describes her biggest strength as being a loyal and reliable friend! Goals and future plans? Upon graduation, Abigail envisions a career in local government either in planning and community development or public administration. Strengths and interests? Abigail describes herself as having strong leadership, organizational, communication, data analysis, and research skills. In addition, she has the ability to coordinate multiple projects efficiently while working under strict deadlines. Abigail is conversational in Spanish as well as American Sign Language and she has advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office-- Excel, PowerPoint, Word--as well as GIS, SPSS statistical software, and Google Drive. Leadership Experience: LifeWay Fuge Camps, Site Director – May 2016 – Present, Ridgecrest, NC

· Called and coordinated with 30 to 45 local organizations and churches to prepare daily service opportunities.

· Oversaw and planned service opportunities for 3000 volunteers to meet the needs of the Asheville community in 2018 and 2019.

· Trained 15 camp counselors to lead and mentor groups of teenagers in service projects throughout the summer.

· Provided customer service for pastors, chaperones, and campers for 18 hours each day.

iGrow Urban Agriculture Program, Volunteer – 2016 – 2017, Tallahassee, FL

United Way of St Johns County, Intern – May 2015 – May 2016, St. Augustine, FL

· Assisted the Executive Director with research on other United Ways in Florida in order to build the capacity of this organization.

· Increased social media presence by 30% by compiling agency success stories to engage the community with our mission.

· Served on 4 allocations process committees to identify efficient agencies and recommend future funding.

· Explored 20 service agencies in St. Johns County to understand the impact of United Way in the community.

Research: Research Assistant, Florida State University Urban Planning Department – August 2017 – May 2018

· Analyzed statistics and surveys for a correlational study on the impact of climate change on daily life in Trinidad.

· Assisted professors by researching cultural competency and best practice techniques for an academic journal article on pedagogy.

Honors/ Activities:

Florida State University, Honors Graduate – May 2017 President’s List, Spring/Fall 2016, Spring 2017 Dean’s List, Fall 2014, Spring 2015 Garnet and Gold Scholar Society, Member Phi Beta Kappa, Member What made you choose the Florida Housing Coalition? Abigail’s course work has included a course in Affordable Housing in which she conducted research on Tallahassee’s Tiny Home Development as well as a policy development course in which Abigail conducted a policy analysis on Affordable Housing. As an undergraduate she transcribed for a professor conducting research on Community Land Trusts in the Twin Cities. Her coursework, along with her mom and aunt’s work as BBT mortgage processors, has given Abigail a broad perspective on the issues surrounding affordable housing.

Amber Zies alt13c@my.fsu.edu

Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Student (December 2019)

Specializations: Community Health, Environmental Planning, Planning for Developing Areas

B.S., Florida State University (May 2017)

Family and Child Sciences, Concentration of Science

Tell us about yourself: Amber grew up in Orlando, Florida but has made Tallahassee her home for the past 7

years. This past May she married her partner Basil deep in the Georgia woods in an outdoor ceremony to celebrate their love of nature. Together they have a dog, named Hank and a cat named Cash—both named after country western legends Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Amber is an avid backpacker/hiker and to celebrate her 2017 graduation she hiked 1000 miles on the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to West Virginia. Goals and future plans? She is very excited to graduate this December! With her partner and family in town she hopes to put her skills to work for an agency or nonprofit dedicated to improving health, community environment, and equity. Strengths and interests? Amber has strong leadership, organizational, communication, and research skills. She is a dedicated student—as an Urban and Regional Planning graduate student, Amber completed and successfully defended an independent capstone research project, pursuing the topic of shared mobility in depth. Amber is experienced with SPSS, Microsoft Word and Excel, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Canva.

Research: Capstone Team Project, Florida State University - Defended 2019, Tallahassee, FL

· Public Transit and Shared Mobility Design and Policy Guidance · Conduct a literature review on shared mobility for six areas: the role of

government, equity and accessibility, health and safety, environment and sustainability, economic development and technological innovation

· Executed a plan review examining local ordinances, plan policies, and other guiding documents that may either inhibit or promote shared mobility and the researched design standards or retrofits

· Orchestrated a combination of community engagement through stakeholder meetings, preference surveys, and public design charrettes

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Black Bear Management Program, Intern - Spring 2019, Tallahassee, FL

· Initiate and supervise the yearly follow-up survey over a period of 5 months · Conduct a quantitative analysis based on cold-call survey and present results to

agency both in a public presentation and online formats · Engage in community outreach and educational events while representing the

agency Leadership Experience: Sustainable Tallahassee, Intern - Fall 2017, Tallahassee, FL

· Strive for the nonprofit's goal of working together to make a better, cleaner, greener community for today and generations to come

· Look critically at the Tallahassee community in terms of energy usage, transportation, water pollution, waste and local food to make changes towards a sustainable future

· Use online graphic design programs such as Canva to utilize social media initiatives such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

· Create marketing media and educational kits such as brochures, handouts, posters and event programs for a wide demographic

FSU Campus Recreation, Student Director/Training and Development – Group Exercise, Fall 2015 – Spring 2017, Tallahassee, FL

· Participate in responsibility of interview and hiring decision for new employees · Manage skills evaluation process leading to informed promotion or termination · Coordinate outreach strategies within FSU campus and Tallahassee community · Organize continuing education opportunities for staff which involved dozens of

public speaking opportunities · Schedule over 30 different classes and nearly 100 sessions offered each week · Create and implement a long term/short term goal program for all staff

Additional Courses:

Public Health Emergency Management Community Involvement and Engagement Shared Mobility Implementation in Transportation What made you choose the Florida Housing Coalition? Amber has always wanted to contribute to the Florida Housing Coalition mission—We’re happy to have her onboard!

Ignacio Diaz Saez ignaciodiazsaez@gmail.com

Undergraduate Double Major: International Affairs Minors: Public Administration, French Tell us about yourself: Ignacio was born in Venezuela and moved to Broward County Florida when he was six. Most of Ignacio’s immediate family lives in South Florida but he keeps in touch with family in Venezuela—particularly his grandmother. Ignacio has a great love for

Venezuela and it’s culture. Venezuela is a relatively young country having gained independence in the 19th century. In the mid-twentieth century she experienced a great influx of immigrants thus her culture is diverse—Arabic, Polish, Lebanese, German, Spanish. Ignacio reflects that in his heritage—his mom is German and Spanish and his dad is Polish—although it is his mom who is the superb cook when it comes to Polish cuisine! In 2016, Ignacio moved to Tallahassee not only to attend FSU but also to gain career enhancing experience. Nevertheless he goes back to his roots every Sunday as he gathers friends at home and cooks a favorite Venezuelan dish, Arepas – made from baked corn flour and stuffed with all kinds of delicious foods such as shredded beef, black beans, and fresh cheese. Goals and future plans? Ignacio intends to pursue a graduate degree in International Affairs. Strengths and interests? Ignacio’s strengths include writing, research, communications, and video editing with a background grounded in advocacy. As for academics, Ignacio’s software skills include: Microsoft Office (Power Point, Word, Excel) Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere). In addition, Ignacio is fluent in Spanish, English and has an advanced proficiency in French.

Internships: Florida House of Representatives Minority Office, Communications Intern - December 2018 – Present, Tallahassee, FL

· Contribute 10-15 hours per week assisting the office working with representatives for bills, releases, and events

· Responsible for drafting English and Spanish press releases through social media platforms

· Tasked with following and creating visual social media outreach for the office and representatives

Florida New Voters Project PIRG, Coalition Intern - September 2018 – November 2018, Tallahassee, FL

· Built on campus coalitions for non-partisan voter turnout · Actively anticipated in ‘get out the vote’ activities via large public

announcements, registration, and phone-banking

Nuestro Futuro Symposium, Intern - June 2018 – July 2018, Fort Lauderdale, FL

· Conducted research on topics relating to a large community symposium focused on Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community

· Managed social media campaign during community symposium

Leadership Experience: FSU Campus Democrats, Caucus Chair - October 2017 – May 2018, Tallahassee, FL

· Worked with community leaders to organize events and meetings pertaining to political/current events

· Collaborated with other caucus chairs to organize meetings for organization’s members

· Worked with organizations in events such as phone banking, canvasing, fundraisers, and rallies

InternatioNole, President - April 2017 – May 2018, Tallahassee, FL · Worked with other student run organizations in event management · Managed board and general body members to formulate and

execute plans in group environment to enable smooth operations

· Coordinated with parent organization to adjust foreign exchange students to Tallahassee life and facilitate experience

What made you choose the Florida Housing Coalition? Ignacio would like to broaden his knowledge of the affordable housing crisis and contribute his knowledge and skills towards solutions.

Meagan McLaughlin mmm17@my.fsu.edu Undergraduate Majors: International Affairs, Polit ical Science (May 2021) Minors: Urban and Regional P lanning, French

Tell us about yourself: Meagan’s family moved a great deal throughout her youth as a result of her Dad’s military career. Prior to her high school years, Meagan, her older sister Shannon, and Mom lived in five different states—

Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Kansas, Illinois. Eventually, the dust settled when Meagan and her family moved to Florida. Meagan attended high school in the Tampa Bay area for 4 years while her Dad was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. The latest addition to the McLaughlin family is Cooper, a Jack Russell Terrier.

Goals and future plans? Meagan intends to pursue a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and International Affairs. Upon graduation she would like to conduct research overseas through the Fulbright Scholarship Program. Alternatively, Meagan would like to work overseas, through the U.N. Youth program, to develop sustainable and affordable housing.

Strengths and interests? Meagan describes herself as organized, focused, determined, and reliable—She is always on time...or early – excellent traits for a future professional! When she is not in class, Meagan enjoys exploring different parks, restaurants, and museums as well as spending time with friends at the Florida State University Reservation (the “Rez”) located on beautiful Lake Bradford. Meagan’s skills also include: Intermediate French (spoken and written). She is proficient in Microsoft Office Suite - Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Research and Leadership Experience:

Florida State University, Research Assistant - August 2018—Present · Conducting extensive research on integrated urban infrastructure solutions for

environmentally sustainable, healthy, and livable cities Florida State University, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Leader - 2019 through 2020 Student Council for Undergraduate Research and Creativity, Executive Board Travel Grants Chair - Summer 2019—Present

United Nations at Florida State University, Member - Spring 2018—Present Florida State University Catholic Student Union, 2017—Present

· Outreach Board Respect Life Coordinator, 2019—2020

· Women’s Retreat Director, November 2019

· Women’s Spring Break Mission Trip Leader, March 2019

Volunteer Experience: Center for the Advancement of Human Rights at Florida State University, Fall 2019, Tallahassee, FL

YouthWorks, Served inner-city, underprivileged youth and assisted impoverished communities - March 2019, Detroit MI

The Kearney Center, Aided the Tallahassee homeless community by providing and serving meals - Fall 2018—Present, Tallahassee, FL

New Voters Project, Helped register and reregister voters for the upcoming mid-term elections - Fall 2018, Tallahassee, FL

Relief Work, Provided relief work for Hurricane Michael victims - Fall 2018

Eight Days of Hope, Provided relief work for Hurricane Harvey victims - March 2018

Honors/ Awards:

Dean’s List – Present Phi Eta Sigma – Present Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, Spring 2019—Present National Society of Collegiate Scholars – Present Seminole Scholar Award – Fall 2017

What made you choose the Florida Housing Coalition? Meagan arrived at Florida State University with an interest in pursuing a degree in architecture but found that she had a more compelling interest in sustainable communities—As Meagan puts it--She would like to contribute toward ‘building communities not just building houses.”

Andrea Gann ang16t@my.fsu.edu

Undergraduate Double Major: International Affairs, Polit ical Science—RIBC, Research Intensive Bachelor’s Certificate Program in Polit ical Science Tell us about yourself: Andrea grew up in Ocala/Marion County Florida along with her parents and younger brother, Ethan. Andrea’s mom is from Puerto Rico and Andrea has made multiple trips to the island—most recently in June of this year. She says that her mom is very sweet and that

nobody would ever guess that her sweet, five-foot tall mom had been a Marine for 7 years! Andrea’s 15-year old brother Ethan attends a military academy and was recently nominated as the school’s cadet of the month. He intends to become a Navy Seal. In addition to being a fulltime student, Andrea has worked in a variety of positions throughout her high school and college years—she’s been a waitress, retail sales person, as well as working as an administrative assistant to the CEO of a landmark Ocala restaurant. Goals and future plans? Andrea plans to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in Oceanography. Strengths and interests? Andrea has strong leadership, organizational, communication, and research skills. She is also a dedicated student—having graduated from her high school ranked 14 out 354 students. Andrea is proficient with Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Leadership Experience: League of Women Voters, FSU Campus Chapter, Secretary and Co-Founder - Spring 2019—Present, Tallahassee, FL Leadership Ocala Marion Youth (LOMY), Regent – 2016—2017, Ocala, FL

· A program for select youth who have demonstrated leadership qualities administered by the local Chamber and local government agencies

Belleview High School:

Interact Club (Rotary) - 2015—2017, Ocala, FL Interact Member of the Year - 2017 President - 2015—2017 Debate Club, President – 2016, 2017

UNICEF, Secretary - 2015—2017

Student Government - 2015—2017

Volunteer Experience: College Democrats, Member - 2017 - Present, Tallahassee, FL

Best Buddies, Member - 2017 - Present, Tallahassee, FL · Organization dedicated to helping those with intellectual development

disorders (IDD) Silver Springs Film Festival, Volunteer - 2017, Ocala, FL

Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer - 2017 – Present

Munroe Regional Hospital, Weekly Volunteer - 2015—2017, Ocala, FL

Legacy Elementary School, Fourth Grade Mentor - 2015, Belleview, FL

St. John's Lutheran School VBS Program, Youth Counselor - 2015, Ocala, FL

Special Olympics, Coordinator - 2014, Ocala, FL

Honors/ Activities:

Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity, Florida State University Chapter, 2018 – Present Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Fraternity, 2019 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, 2019 Graduate of AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) program curriculum by Cambridge University Weighted GPA: 4.65 Class Rank: 14 out of 354

What made you choose the Florida Housing Coalition? Andrea is excited to work with the Coalition’s Disaster Recovery team as she has seen firsthand the devastating effects that Hurricane Maria inflicted on Puerto Rico.

Stephanie Solis sas15u@my.fsu.edu Undergraduate Major: International Affairs Undergraduate Minor: Psychology Undergraduate Certificate in Emergency Management & Homeland Security

Tell us about yourself: Stephanie grew up in Honduras until her family’s recent move to Panamá in 2015. Stephanie’s mom is from Honduras and she is lucky to have two dads—Her

dad is from Honduras and her stepdad from Ecuador. Both mom and dad work for the United Nations. In the past, Stephanie’s mom has worked with UNICEF, Save the Children, as well as the US Embassy in Panamá. Stephanie has an older sister currently teaching math at a university in Oregon, an older brother, also a graduate of Florida State University, and a younger sister currently enrolled at Penn. State. Her busy family has also found the time to rescue two dogs—Kane, a lab/pit rescued here in Tallahassee, Florida and Max, a collie rescue from Honduras. Max is a prolific shedder but the family loves him nonetheless! Stephanie grew up close to water. As a result, she loves seafood and scuba diving—particularly in the world famous coral reefs of Honduras. She’s recently taken up surfing with her boyfriend, a life guard and long-time surfer from Long Island.

Goals and future plans? Following her Spring 2020 graduation, Stephanie may take a six-month gap before pursuing a graduate degree in Human Services or Public Health. Eventually, she would love to settle down in a lovely locale and work at a nonprofit—putting her skills to work “ in order to create better educational, health, social, and working opportunities for youth.”

Strengths and interests? Stephanie’s participation in university projects “has allowed me to develop strong interpersonal skills which give me the capacity to work alongside groups and individuals. My involvement in community service and teaching has allowed me to work closely with my peers and develop organizational and research skills.” Stephanie is beautifully fluent in English as well as in her native language, Spanish. She attended a bi-lingual middle school and high school and has a love for the “smoothness” of the English language. She is proficient in Microsoft Office Suite - Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Leadership Experience: International Rescue Committee of Refugees, Case Manager - June—August 2019, Atlanta Ga.

· Intern of the Month - initially taught English as a second language · Provided guidance and leadership during client orientations · Promoted to case worker - conducted housing and health assessments of clients in a

fast-paced, professional environment. Provided information and collaborated with staff social workers to achieve results in meeting client needs

International School of Tegucigalpa, Social Work, Sub Coordinator - January 2014 – May 2015, Honduras

· Prepared class schedules for public school elementary courses · Prepared weekly reports of goals accomplished · Taught Mathematics, Spanish, and English classes to children, ages 7 to 12. · Financial management of weekly activities including budgeting, treasury

and accounting Volunteer Experience:

Water Brigades, Florida State University Chapter, Secretary - 2019—2020 Student Disaster Corps (SDC) and Virtual Operations Support System (VOS), Hurricane Michael Volunteer - October 2018 Habitat for Humanity, Florida State University Chapter, Volunteer - January 2018 PanaKids, English Tutor - 2016—2018, Panama City, Panama

· Prepared children for final exams, assisted with homework Florida State University Volunteer Certification, Volunteer - 2016

· Served as volunteer for the Institution Hogar Divino del Niño as a part of the Child Psychology Course

School Open Houses and Inductions, Aide de Camp - January 2014, 2015 Kindergarten Parent/Teacher conferences, Translator - January 2014, 2015

Honors/ Activities:

International Baccalaureate Diploma, International School of Tegucigalpa, Honduras - June 2015

Recognition for outstanding participation in Social Work - January 2014,2015 Athletics Awareness - 2011–2015

What made you choose the Florida Housing Coalition? Stephanie would like to develop the necessary skills for her professional career through collaboration and participation in initiatives in the areas of education, human resources, emergency management and public administration.