EDUCATION

PH.D. • CULTURE & THEORY JUNE 2012 • UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE

M.A. • AFRICAN AMERICAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES • JUNE 2008 THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

B.S. & B.A. • ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE/ AFRICANA STUDIES • MAY 2006 • UMBC

EXPERIENCE

CHIEF ENTERPRISE OFFICER

MARYLAND CANNABIS ADMINISTRATION

April 2023-Present

Duties and Responsibilities:

Primarily responsible for overseeing the agency’s ancillary business enterprise initiatives, diversity in Maryland’s cannabis business sector, workforce development pertaining to diversity and equity initiatives, and mandated diversity plans.

Establishing public education programming dedicated to providing small, minority, and women-owned businesses with information detailing the cannabis licensing process and resources available to assist individuals and businesses interested in participating in the cannabis industry.

Advises the agency on the development of regulations, policies, and educational materials that promote and encourage full participation in the regulated cannabis industry by individuals from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by the criminalization of cannabis.

Serves as a liaison to other state agencies; represents the agency on social equity-related matters at meetings/events with federal, state, and local governments and agencies, and non-government organizations; and provides reports, presentations as needed.  

Education, Outreach and Training

• Develop and conduct extensive outreach to small, minority, and women business owners and entrepreneurs who may have an interest in applying for a cannabis license.

• Develop and conduct extensive outreach to existing registrants and ancillary business owners

• Develop and disseminate educational materials on licensing and other opportunities within the legal cannabis industry to communities, businesses, and individuals in disproportionately impacted areas.  

• Develop and administer technical legal diversity and business assistance training for social equity applicants registrants and licensees.  

• Plan and host in-person and virtual events to educate prospective social equity applicants, cannabis industry registrants and ancillary business owners on the legal cannabis industry, diversity plans and measures, and application process.  

• Plan and host in-person and virtual events to educate prospective and current ancillary business owners on the legal cannabis industry and partnership opportunities

• Advise the Director and Office of Policy and Government Affairs on regulations to promote and facilitate a diverse and equitable cannabis industry.  

• Fosters partnerships with advocacy groups, community and nonprofits associations, and other federal, state and local agencies to build a network of educational resources for businesses, registrants and  applicants.

• Develops and delivers complex presentations on systemic and structural discrimination related to the War on Drugs and disproportionately impacted communities across the State of Maryland.

• Plan, host and govern statewide cannabis industry conferences and symposiums

Virtual Academy

• Acquires and maintains and manages learning management systems and associated content for the Maryland Cannabis Administration’s Virtual Academy

• Drafts and reviews partnership agreements and memoranda outlining the relationship between the Agency and statewide organizations with whom the Agency collaborates to create and deliver educational programs

• Designs and develops scholastic courses, syllabi, curricula, course texts and workbooks independently or in collaboration with partner organizations

• Fosters partnerships with institutions of higher education to build a network of educational resources (speakers, experts, partners, etc.) that can assist in providing the highest quality training and education.

Management and Supervision

• Manage department budget and make budgetary recommendations to the Director

• Supervise department personnel, including assigning and reviewing work and conducting performance reviews.

• Represent the Administration before federal, state, and local officials, legislative committees, and other agencies.

• Represent the Administration with stakeholders, including patients, consumers, applicants, and licensees.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, MARYLAND COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

January 2020-April 2023

·       Supervises the Education & Outreach Unit and works to fulfill a crucial part of the agency's mission "to ensure opportunity for all through the enforcement of Maryland's laws against discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state contracts; to provide educational outreach services related to provisions of this law; and to promote and improve civil rights in Maryland."

·       Manages all aspects of the Agency's outreach and community relations efforts in order to promote the agency's mission. 

·       Serves as the Agency representative on various boards, coalitions and collaborative initiatives that further promote and improve civil rights in the state.

·       Manages all aspects of the Agency’s outreach and community relations efforts in order to promote the agency’s mission, educate the public, make inroads to under-served and under-represented populations and build effective partnerships with community, government, business and advocacy groups statewide.

·       Stays alert to current civil rights issues, trends and local incidents that may require Commission involvement or response. 

·       Fosters and maintains collaborative relationships and networks by sustaining membership with local human rights commissions/coalitions. 

·       Attends public and community events/meetings involving civil rights issues and conducts research and follow-up when necessary to make recommendations to the executive staff and Commissioners.

·       Identifies on-going outreach needs and conducts strategic planning with executive and agency staff including planning for special events, creating targeted programming, and partnering with other organizations when appropriate. 

·       Manages the creation and production all printed and online outreach materials such as brochures, event announcements, social media postings, fact sheets and other programming materials. 

·       Evaluates and updates existing outreach programming to ensure quality and effectiveness and makes recommendations for management review, as needed. 

·       Conducts public surveys and assessments to determine outreach needs and target under-served populations; and analyzes data to determine future outreach programming.

·       Primarily manages all event planning for the Agency including determining appropriate audiences and event topics, securing venues and partner/sponsor organizations, seeking funding sources, locating speakers/trainers, scheduling, organizing logistics, overseeing event budgets and serving as the Agency liaison.

·       Envisions and implements new outreach programming to address current civil rights issues by connecting the Agency to other organizations statewide and collaborating to plan events such as public forums, community discussions, facilitated dialogues, learning sessions, conferences, workshops, and symposiums.

·       Reviews and makes recommendations on legislative materials concerning the Agency including bills, reports and resolutions.

·       Manages the Agency’s regional advisory councils including but not limited to supporting and guiding advisory council leadership on planning, methods, goals, objectives, and the identification of necessary resources required to carry out their duties.

·       Designs, develops and manages all educational and outreach services and programming related to the Agency including operating procedures, training design and delivery, outreach design and delivery, agency event planning, supervision of E & O Unit staff and conducting quality assurance.

·       Conducts regular educational needs assessments and research on relevant civil rights issues to provide training for the public throughout the state of Maryland. 

·       Guides and assists E&O staff to design, develop and deliver training, workshops and other educational programs and materials to further the mission of the Agency and to educate the public on relevant laws, Maryland’s protected classes and current civil/human rights related issues.

·       Evaluates existing policies and procedures to ensure the effectiveness of educational programming and services and makes any necessary recommendations for management review.

·       Evaluates the effectiveness of educational services by overseeing data collection of all demographic information, training evaluations, etc. to make any necessary program revisions and updates. 

·       Keeps abreast of current laws/regulations, changes in the relevant legal scope, and current issues to create proactive new trainings and to assist staff in updating any educational materials/programs when necessary. 

·       Identifies external experts and stakeholders for referrals and educational resources. 

·       Fosters partnerships with existing advocacy groups, other civil/human rights organizations, community and non-profits associations, higher education institutions, and other federal, state and local agencies to build a network of educational resources (speakers, experts, partners, etc.) that can assist in providing the highest quality training and education.

·       Ensures that all educational programs and services are current, accessible, engaging and readily applicable for all audiences. 

·       Designs and delivers educational programs/services to inform and educate the public about the agency and on a variety of issues related to diversity, culture, and the broader context of civil and human rights issues.

·       Researches, creates and assists in producing and updating all printed and online educational materials such as brochures, training manuals, training activities, educational programs/workshops/trainings, etc. 

·       Identifies on-going education needs to create and update educational materials for the public.

·       Works with the Case Processing Department and Office of the General Counsel to create additional specialized training for agency staff and coordinates with other education experts to bring appropriate workshops/speakers/training in-house for agency staff.  The DEO also regularly updates Agency staff on civil rights events/issues and external education opportunities.

·       Develops and delivers complex presentations on systemic and structural discrimination impacting marginalized communities

·       Conducts multivariate research in order to develop training for targeted audiences including but not limited to professional students and human resources practitioners.

·       Drafts and reviews partnership agreements and memoranda outlining the relationship between the Agency and statewide organizations with whom the Agency collaborates to create and deliver educational programs

·       Designs and develops scholastic courses, syllabi, curricula, course texts and workbooks independently or in collaboration with partner organizations 

CO-DIRECTOR—MARYLAND EQUITY AND INCLUSION LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

A joint Partnership between the University of Baltimore and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights

January 2020-Present

·       Developing novel course programming, textbooks and assignments centered on public policy impacting marginalized and underserved populations with a specific emphasis on anti-discrimination law

·       Creating and delivering both synchronous and asynchronous modules on public policy and anti-discrimination law, specifically the enforcement of Titles 20 of the State Government Article, and 19 of the State Procurement & Finance Article, Annotated Code of Maryland

·       Developing program learning objectives and course curricula

·       Developing detailed program schedules including weekly topics, planned speakers, reading assignments, and course assignments

·       Teaching weekly sessions as the subject matter expert

·       Facilitating weekly discussion sessions providing connections between weeks and topics and generating discussion among program participants

·       Coordinating with guest speakers and subject matter experts regarding program presentations

·       Briefing speakers/SMEs on class composition and overall program design

·       Coaching participants through the completion of a final policy project for the program including providing project guidelines, assisting with idea generation, linking participants to resources, and providing feedback during the course of the program

·       Coordinating program content and delivery with external partners as needed

·       Providing feedback on and grading participant assignments

LEAD CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICER, MARYLAND COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

May 2016-January 2020

·       Investigated alleged discrimination complaints and negotiated agreements to settle discrimination complaints in housing, employment and public accommodations based on race, color, ancestry or national origin, religion/creed, sex, marital status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and familial status

·       Interpreted and explained applicable laws and regulations to advise complainants and respondents of their rights, legal requirements and responsibilities

·       Referred complainants to other government agencies, private organizations or groups which have the jurisdiction or the resources to better handle inquiries or complaints

·       Reviewed case folders to determine complaint issues; nature, scope and direction of investigations; and need for additional information

·       Interviewed complainants, respondents and witnesses to obtain, verify and review information, determine needed evidence, resolve issues and negotiate settlements

·       Negotiated pre-determination and conciliation agreements between complainants and respondents in an attempt to settle discrimination complaints

·       Examined personnel and business records to establish facts concerning alleged discrimination

·       Conducted exit meetings with complainants and respondents to discuss findings of the investigation

·       Determined probable cause in alleged discrimination complaints and refers unresolved cases for public hearings; Investigates complaints of discrimination in State government agencies

·       Maintained and analyzed data on racial, religious, ethnic and sexual orientation violence to determine trends

·       Prepared and maintained case files, conciliation agreements, pre-determination settlements, statement of findings, investigation background information and subpoena or default information to document evidence and secure support data

·       Established and maintained networks with representatives of federal, State, local and other public or private agencies and organizations to conduct conciliation efforts, foster better human relations and resolve problems involving alleged discriminatory practices

·       Planned and conducted seminars and speaking engagements for employers, union representatives and public and private organizations to educate and promote better human relations

·       Provided technical assistance to representatives of federal, State, local and other public or private agencies and organizations that are formulating new human relations programs

·       Prepared correspondence, reports, documents and electronic mail

·       Assisted attorneys in the preparation of cases for trial at public hearings and before appeal boards

·       Assisted in the preparation of legislative proposals

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, UMBC University of Maryland Baltimore County

July 2013-June 2015

·       Collected and analyzed data, including periodical/literature search and utilizing specialized skills in related field to analyze the collected data.

·       Completed manuscript development for publication in academic journals and/or presentations

·       Taught one course per academic year for the Media and Communication Studies Program

·       Assisted in literature search and review

·       Performed quantitative and/or qualitative analysis of collected data

·       Converted data into reportable formats for presentations

PROFESSORIAL LECTURER, AVILA UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY  

January 2012-May 2013

·       Taught lectures, seminars, and courses

·       Developed learning materials

·       Met students individually to discuss progress

·       Checked and assessed students' work

·       Carried out administration, such as attending faculty meetings and writing reports

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE

June 2008-May 2012

·       Assisted the supervising faculty member by conducting discussion, laboratory, or quiz sections that supplement faculty lectures

·       Graded assignments and examinations

·       Provided input into the development of assignments or exams

·       Held office hours

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSOCIATE, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

June 2006-MAY 2008

·       Performed collection, management, and analysis of research project data

·       Provided support for the writing of grants and research projects

·       Performed general project management tasks

·       Provided clerical duties such as scheduling interviews and drafting letters for research projects

·       Served as General Instructor supporting collegiate course series

SAMPLE COURSES TAUGHT

MCS 333: History and Theory of Media and Mass Communication

MCS 370/ AFST 440/ GWST 390: Race, Humor, and 90’s Television

PL 115: Ethics

PL 238: Special Topics: Gender/Race/Media and Philosophy

PL380: Africana Philosophy

AFAM 40 A, B, C: Introductory series in African American Studies

AFAMAST 4582: Special Topics in African American Literature

SELECTED TRAINING

2016: EEOC New Investigator Training

2016-17: NFHTA Fair Housing Training Courses 1-3

2017: HUD Intermediate Investigator Training

2018: EEOC Intermediate Investigator Training

2018: Maryland Equity and Inclusion Program Graduate

PUBLICATIONS

·       The Critical Theory of Employment and Labor Practice (Hunt, Kara N., August 2021, Cognella Academic Publishing) is an edited volume and workbook covering fundamental legal and theoretical concepts underscoring established and developing employment discrimination praxis.

·       Black Jokes: A Humor Rubric (Forthcoming, 2022, Black Gold Publishing, 187 pp.)

Black Jokes interrogates the canonical formulation of humor studies internationally, concentrating specifically on its aspiration to define a “sense” of humor via qualifiers unavailable to black subjects, effectively rendering “black humor” paradoxical—laughter without reason. As an emergent discipline, Humor Studies seeks to instantiate three “universal theories of humor” by naturalizing the production and affect of humor and laughter as ubiquitous signifiers of subjectivity and cultural production. Drawing from recent scholarship that has sought to investigate the metaphysical dislocation of blackness and body utilizing slavery as a focal point, this text does not seek to widen the scope of humor theory by including “black humor” as one such liminal progeny but instead to intervene in the concretization of humor theory as universal by posing questions pertaining to the relationship between humor, race, and personification— what is the relationship between a sense of humor and the modern human? Can black laughter produce subjectivity? How do philosophies of value and productivity affect the reception and valuation of black comedic dialogue? With that end in view, the critical mass of my inquiry is not exclusive to humor studies’ pretermission, it also engages the structures of power inherent to the capacity for an established sense of humor as well as the kinds of rationale developed by means of the aphoristic adoption of humor theory within black studies as an established discipline.

·       Off the Record: A Critical Perspective on Def Comedy Jam, Journal of Popular Culture: Volume 48, Issue 5, October 2015

·       Hard Knocks and Hilarity: An Interview with Luenell, PopMatters, October 2015

·       “Not a Funny Place to Live:” An Interview with Chris Rock (August 23, 2014-New York, NY) Journal of Comedy Studies Fall 2014 Issue

SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND LECTURES

She-Speak: Navigating Women’s Rights Discourse, Maryland Commission for Women, November 2022

Social Justice and Africana Theory, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, October 2022

On Race and Cultural Labor, Baltimore County Public Library System (Keynote Speaker, October 2021)

Race in America: Systemic and Structural Discrimination (2020-Present—Invited Speaker—multiple agencies)

The Shadow Pandemic: Gender Inequality in the Wake of Covid-19 (2020-Present—Invited Speaker—multiple agencies)

MEMBERSHIPS

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.