Shantha Ready Alonso
9901 Woodland Dr. | Silver Spring, MD 20902 | 760.408.0688 |
Skills:Strategic planning and evaluation, advocacy, digital organizing, coalition-building, managing staff, working with boards and volunteers,writing and editing, curriculum development, group facilitation, diversity education, leadership development. Proficient in written and oral Spanish. Certified mediator.
Employment:
Creation Justice Ministries, Executive Director (2015-present)
Educate, equip, and mobilize members of 38 Christian communions to protect, restore, and rightly share God’s creation.
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Community Mobilization Manager (2013-2015)
Led NETWORK’s online and offline organizing strategies, conducted product and demographic studies, participated in Theory of Change and re-branding processes, maintained department workplan and budget, supervised staff team of five.
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Director, Poverty Initiative (2012-2013)
Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, eco-justice and poverty programs (2011-2012)
Coordinator, Presbyterians for Earth Care grassroots membership organization (2011-2012)
Eco-Justice Fellow (2010)
Interim Coordinator, New Fire Network for Young Adult Ecumenists (2009-2010)
Evaluator, conducted quantitative & qualitative evaluation of progress on NCC Strategic Plan (2009)
Intern to the General Secretary (Summer 2008)
Gamaliel Foundation, Policy Intern (2007)
Worked with National Policy Director to coordinate “The Road to Jobs: Patterns of Employment in the Construction Industry” study;Facilitated press conferences in Detroit & East St. Louis upon study’s release
Assisted with lobby days in Washington DC for the Transportation Equity Network
Assisted with individual donor campaign, database management & grant reports
Thomas Jefferson Boarding School in St. Louis Resident Advisor (2006-2009)
Washington University in St. Louis Residential Life & Housing Graduate Fellow (2006- 2008)
Supervised and mentored seven student staff who ran academic and health-related dorm programming
Aguas del Desierto Counseling Center, Inc., Family Communication Program Coordinator (2005-2006)
Created & co-facilitated bilingual “Youth-Parent Outreach Project” for Coachella Valley Unified School District
Inland Congregations United for Change Community Organizer (2005-2006)
Co-organized a 400-person public meeting with city council members on park improvement, which won 4 million dollars in City of Coachella funds to build a skate park and renovate dilapidated park structures.
Signature gathering on California “Healthy Kids” Campaign, which put Children’s Health Insurance funding on the November 2006 California ballot
AIDS Ministries in South Bend, Indiana Extern (2005)
Children’s Defense Fund, Intern (2003)
Leadership:
Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, Steering Committee Member (2013-present)
The Management Center, Completed “Managing to Change the World” training (2014)
University of Notre Dame Cross-Cultural Leadership Intern Program, Alumni Liaison (2014-present)
World Student Christian Federation, Vice Chair of global executive committee(2008-2014)
Initiated work of international Solidarity and Advocacy Committee
Chaired North American Visioning/Strategic Planning Committee
Helped launch Student Christian Movement USA
Gamaliel Foundation, Completed “Weeklong Leadership Training” (March 2007)
Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU), Immigrant Task Force Leader (2007-2009)
Committee on Immigrant Rights and Issues Co-Chair and Co-Founder (2007-2008)
Holy Cross Associates(2005-2006) Lived in Christian community with the Congregation of Holy Cross priests and fellow
associates. Our four pillars of life were community, spirituality, service, and simple living.
Residence Life and Housing at Notre Dame, Lyons Hall Resident Assistant (Fall 2004-Spring 2005)
Notre Dame Experiential Learning Council, Coordinator (2003-2005)
Residence Life and Housing at Notre Dame, Social Concerns and Campus Ministry Liaison (2002-2004)
Campus MinistryLeader on Sophomore Road Trip, Encounter, Women’s, and Grad Retreats (2003-2008)
La Casa de Amistad in South Bend, IN, Literacy Class Founder & Volunteer Coordinator (2002-2003)
International:
Member of the Global Peace Initiative of Women’s Youth Peace Leaders Council (Spring 2008)
Church and Social Issues in Central America Seminar with Eden Seminary (January 2008)
Student Coordinator, Chilean Poverty and Development Seminar (2003-2005)
Maryknoll Rural Life Seminar: Participated in a farming cooperative in Southern Chile (Spring 2003)
Mexico Seminar: immersion at a holistic medicine clinic (Oaxaca, Mexico; Summer 2002)
Cultural Diversity:
Trained in Inter-group Dialogue Facilitation (Summer 07)
Diversity Educator – Led over 200 freshmen in campus “intro to diversity on campus” discussions (02-05)
Sustained Dialogue Participant – discussion group on racism at Notre Dame (Spring 04)
Holy Cross Missions Seminar on Hispanic Ministry in Coachella Valley, CA (Spring Break, 04)
Youth Outreach:
Church Youth Group“Change the World Club” facilitator and Choir Director, Coachella, CA (05-06)
Led 20 inner-city youth in summer enrichment program, National Youth Sports Program, ND (04)
Co-led 14 adolescent mothers in support & education group (Santiago, Chile; Spring 03)
Worked in Street Kids Intervention Program (Santiago, Chile; Spring 03)
Publications:
Contributing Author, For Such a Time as This: Young Adults on the Future of the Church, edited by Kathryn M. Lohre
Editor, Toward a Global Christian Movement for Eco-Justice: Voices from North America
Education:Master of Social Work, 2009, Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, 2009, Eden Theological Seminary
Capstone Project: Study of National Council of Churches’ Church-to-Church Visits
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English, 2005, University of Notre Dame
Study Abroad, 2003, Pontifica Universidad CatólicadeChile