Recent Employment

Interim Director, Office of Community & Civic Life, City of Portland, OR. 2021 - 2023

Bureau-wide strategic direction, operational performance and oversight, realignment, strategic planning, fiscal oversight and change management for all divisions and program areas, including regulatory, licensing, livability, neighborhood services, business operations, City-wide boards and commissions, grants programs, administration, communications, disability, immigrant & refugee and mental health programs. A total of 44 FTE and $21.5M budget includes approx. $4M in grants to organizations. Direct management of 9 supervisors and 15 direct reports.

 

Strategy, Innovation & Performance Manager, Office of Community & Civic Life, 2019 – 2021

Bureau-wide equity driven performance, strategy and business operations (HR, budget, grants and contracts, facilities, & technology for total of 55 staff with annual budget approx. $14M). Direct management of business operations and communications divisions, cannabis, noise, liquor and graffiti programs. Supervise staff of 24 including 4 supervisors and 6 direct reports.

 

Consultant, Montoya Consulting, 2003 – Present

Collaborative & Organizational Development, Community Outreach & Engagement, Research, Health Equity, Social Determinants of Health, Facilitation, Environmental Justice, Impact Evaluation, Innovation and Planning, Equity and Inclusion, Medical Education, Management & Systems Change.

Clients Included:

• Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR
• Todos Juntos, Clackamas County, OR
• Health Leads, Boston, MA
• Primero Tu Medical Foundation, Orange County, CA
• California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
• Building Healthy Communities, The California Endowment, Oakland, CA
• Orange County Environmental Justice, a c3/c4 organization, Santa Ana, CA
• Latino Health Access, Orange County, CA
• Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland, FL
• Filosofía de la Ciencia de la Universidad Nacional Autonomia de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
• University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
• S. Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
• Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

 

Director, Learning and Evaluation, Building Healthy Communities, Santa Ana, 2012 – 2016.

A cross-sector neighborhood revitalization collaborative funded by The California Endowment.

Directed a tri-lingual (Spanish, Cambodian, English) learning and evaluation efforts for a diverse 90,000 person neighborhood renewal collaborative. Developed and managed systems and rubrics for performance measurement, impact assessment, decision-making, and equity for a neighborhood initiative that included government departments, non-profits, resident groups, research teams, outside consultants and advocacy groups. Served as key foundation partner for statewide Building Healthy Communities Learning and Evaluation initiative.  Annual budget for the local collaborative greater than $4M. Supervised staff of 5, including 1 supervisor and 3 direct reports.

 

HIGHER EDUCATION POSITIONS

University of California – Irvine

Associate Professor (2017 Emeritus), 2010 – 2017

Assistant Professor, 2004 - 2010

Departments of Anthropology & Chicanx/Latinx Studies, School of Social Sciences  

Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community, School of Medicine

Department of Population Health and Prevention, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences.

Provided campus and community intellectual leadership, service, teaching and scholarly productivity (publications and presentations) in the areas of community engagement, participatory and collaborative research, strategic policy development, equity, health, science and technology innovation.

 

Director, Community Knowledge Project, University of California - Irvine, 2004 - 2017

A collaborative technical assistance team composed of community engaged MD, PhD, MPH students and faculty. Provided technical assistance to non-profits, foundations, hospitals, city government departments and community coalitions. Supervised staff of 20 including 2 supervisors and 4 direct reports. Directed work, research, regulatory compliance, budgeting, grant writing, administration and civic engagement activity. Annual budget $450K.

Director of Research & Co-Chair, Community Equity Advisory Group, Community Engagement Unit, Institute for Clinical Translational Science, School of Medicine, 2010 – 2015

Directed community-based research and technical assistance. Included grant evaluation, grants selection and management, community engagement and governance, community benefits agreements negotiations, as well as administrative, reporting and budget administration.  Annual budget varied.  Supervised 2 direct reports.

Vice Chair, IRB-C, Ethics Review Board for Medical School and Main Campus, 2009 – 2014

Provided leadership ethical oversight and technical assistance for campus-wide human subjects protections research office. Included regulatory review and compliance, budget compliance, corrective measures planning and oversight. Research budgets varied from $200K - $5M.

Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Anthropology, UC-Irvine, 2009 – 2013

Directed the programmatic advancement and oversight of 60 PhD students each with over $250,000 in financial commitments from public and private sources. Directed admissions, advising, reports and administration, budget oversight and programmatic innovation to meet the needs of future faculty, administrators and executives. Supervised 2 direct reports.

Postdoctoral Fellow-Consulting Researcher, The Molecular Sciences Institute, Berkeley, CA, 2004

Conducted research and technical assistance in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion in the basic sciences.

Associate Director-Research Associate, Institute on Race and Ethnicity, University of Wisconsin, 2001 - 2004

Provided complete administrative, supervisory, programmatic and budget management for a statewide institute. Included managing grants programs, fellowships and research. Supervised a staff of 5 direct reports. Annual budget $320K.

Program Analyst and Planner, University of Wisconsin System, Office of Academic Affairs, 2000 - 2001

System Administration, PK-16 Technology in Education Program, Madison, WI. Developed state-wide in education best practices, provided technical assistance to 15 campuses.

 

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Board Member, Write Around Portland, Portland, OR, 2023 - Present

Facilitator, Chemawa Indian School, Write Around Portland, Portland, OR, 2008

Program Manager, Partners in Education English Literacy Program, San Jose, CA, 1994-1996

Provided complete administrative supervisory, programmatic and budget management for a school based program. Supervised a staff of 11 incl. 3 supervisors and 2 direct reports. Annual budget $250K.

Associate Trainer, Santa Cruz Community Housing Corporation, Santa Cruz, CA, 1992-1994

President, Board Member, Santa Cruz Community Health Center, Santa Cruz, CA, 1991-1996

Provided fiscal and organizational oversight for a Federally Qualified Health Center with 20 staff. Lead a capital campaign for new building raising over $400K. Annual operating budget $450K.

Community Outreach Manager, Regional Food Bank; Coordinator, Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, USDA Summer Food Service; Food and Nutrition Services, Inc., Aptos, CA 1989-1992

LANGUAGES

Spanish: Bilingual & Biliterate