Ms. Penny M. Crawley
Arlington, VA
Email: crawleyp @ earthlink.net

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in grassroots organizing and public education/awareness campaigns, with a specialty in online communications and outreach.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including an in-depth understanding of the Internet as a communications and relationship management tool.
• Independent and flexible; able to prioritize and manage multiple projects, set and achieve goals, work well under pressure and adapt to a constantly changing environment.
• Ability to develop and maintain coalitions with diverse constituencies, with extensive experience in developing and mobilizing grassroots networks.
• Comprehensive computer and Internet skills, including web site design and management.
• Extensive understanding of federal, state and local social justice issues, with special emphasis on civil rights and liberties, health care and disability rights.
• Experienced project and financial manager.

Accomplishments

• Created and implemented on-line organizing strategies which utilized extensive outreach to supporters, newsgroups, message boards and public listservs and resulted in generating more than 300,000 constituent faxes and e-mails during the 106th and 107th Congresses on death penalty reform, landmines and reducing the threat from weapons of mass destruction.
• Increased the number of subscribers on the ACLU Action Network listserv from 6,000 to 32,000 members in just over one year by developing web site content, outreach messages and strategy and interactive campaigns. During that same period, the number of paid organizational members recruited through the web site more than doubled and the average on-line financial contribution increased by $8.
• Provided programmatic leadership to five statewide heath care coalitions on advancing state health care policy, including developing and strengthening coalitions, preparing on- and off-line educational and program materials, and increasing the participation of traditionally under-represented and under-served constituencies in grassroots advocacy.
• Facilitated an unprecedented unified response to a "Call for Ideas" regarding managed long term care in the Michigan Medicaid system by analyzing proposed policy changes, creating educational materials for advocates on issues such as accessibility, eligibility, and quality assurance and distributing it to over 300 disability and senior organizations in the state.
• Developed the MDRC's Grassroots Advocacy Training and Empowerment Program (based on the Midwest Academy model of organizing), including all program materials used by 300 people with disabilities, rehabilitation professionals, family members and seniors to organize and win expanded paratransit service, greater accessibility to state agency policy processes, and removal of architectural barriers.
• As a member of the Michigan Commission on Death and Dying, organized a coalition of disability, senior, legal and medical organizations that prevented the Commission from recommending that virtually unrestricted assisted suicide be made legal in Michigan by drafting and introducing a "Procedural Safeguards Proposal" that reconciled the positions of two opposing proposals and offered protections for vulnerable citizens while protecting individual choice.
• Guaranteed consumer protections for Michigan citizens who use wheelchairs or motorized scooters by organizing the coalition of disability, durable medical equipment retailers and senior organizations that won the passage of a "Wheelchair Lemon Law" less than six months from the date the bill was introduced.

Awards and Presentations
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• Awarded the 2002 "Pollie" award from the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) for the "Best Use of Flash" for a recruitment and advocacy campaign designed for the Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform.
• Recognized as an Innovator in "Door to Door Organizing in Cyberspace" by the Public Affairs Council in its report, "Cyber Activism: Advocacy Groups and the Internet", published in December 2000.
• Awarded the 1999 "Golden Dot" award for Innovation from the George Washington University and the 2000 "Pollie" award for National Grassroots Website from the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) for the design of the National Environmental Trust web site.
• Guest lecturer on "Grassroots Organizing and the Internet" for the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute at American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. From 2001-present.
• Recurring presenter for the annual Politics Online Conference, sponsored by the Graduate School of Political Management of The George Washington University. Topics addressed include "Relationship Management for Political Communicators: CRM and Database Integration" (March 2003) and "The Virutal Personal Touch" (May 2002).
• Featured presenter on "Public Affairs and the Internet" for the Public Affairs Council National Grassroots Conference for Corporations and Associations. February 2001.

Employment History

Director of Online Communications Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) and The Justice Project - Washington D.C.

Dates Employed: January 2002-Present

VVAF is dedicated to achieving global security through programs that promote justice and freedom and reduce the worldwide threat posed by war and conflict. The Justice Project is a nonpartisan lobbying organization that was founded by veterans to fight injustice and to create a more humane and just world. As the Director of Online Communications, oversaw all online communications for both organizations, including redesign and management of five interrelated web sites, member and supporter communications, online organizing strategies to generate communications with policy makers and grow the supporter database, and internal employee communications.

Senior Account Manager Issue Dynamics, Inc. - Washington, DC

Dates Employed: June 1999-January 2002

Issue Dynamics Inc. (IDI), founded in 1986, is a leading Washington, D.C. based consulting firm specializing in public affairs and relationship-management services. As the Senior Account Manager, developed strategic Internet communication campaigns built around dynamic web sites for more than a dozen clients including Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, The Justice Project, National Environmental Trust, and Clear the Air. Specialized in site promotion and list building.

National CyberOrganizer American Civil Liberties Union - Washington, DC

Dates Employed: April 1998-June 1999

The ACLU is the nation's foremost advocate of individual rights and freedom in the United States. The CyberOrganizer position combines the strategies and tactics of grassroots organizing with the tools and resources of the Internet to recruit activists and motivate them to action around civil liberties issues.

Field Organizer Families USA - Washington, DC

Dates Employed: April 1997-April 1998

Families USA acts as the consumer's voice in the fight for high-quality, affordable health and long-term care for all Americans. As the Field Organizer, supported the legislative organizing efforts of health advocacy coalitions in five states and served as a resource on managed care consumer protections for a national network of grassroots activists.

Executive Director Michigan Disability Rights Coalition - East Lansing, MI

Dates Employed: August 1992-April 1997

MDRC is a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations that advances the issues of the disability community through grassroots activism, public education and advocacy. As the first Executive Director, developed MDRC into a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations by recommending, planning, implementing and evaluating the organization's advocacy, public education/skill building and development programs.

State Program Director Citizen Action of Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh, PA

Dates Employed: July 1990-August 1992

As the state Program Director, coordinated a two year campaign to promote and secure cosponsors for a national single-payer health care bill, directed the organization's environmental program, supervised the program and canvass staff, served as a lobbyist, performed policy analysis, wrote grants and performed fundraising activities.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, summa cum laude, Saginaw Valley State University - 1990.

Graduate of the Midwest Academy, which has been training community organizers for more than 20 years - April 1991.

Completed the Strategic Fundraising (1996) and Grantsmanship (1993) trainings of the Grantsmanship Center.

Advanced training from the Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund (DREDF) on the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1993.