Communications
Talking about things that matter deeply is a powerful way to communicate their meaning and extract lessons to help others learn from it.
From July 2019 through March 2020, I hosted a weekly live interview TV show and podcast called Meet The Problem Solvers. We taped these interviews live at Cambridge Community TV. I talked with experts from a variety of fields about a pressing social problem and its solutions. Guests shared knowledge and passion on a wide range of issues ranging from social services through climate change, ways to gracefully sidestep political discussions, an episode entitled, "Should you still be driving?" and much more.
It was a wonderful privilege to host this show. Our production team – Krista White as Social Media/Research Manager and Rock Louis, Technical Production – helped make the pivot to a remote format when the pandemic hit. We hosted several COVID-oriented episodes, but then stopped when I lost my mother in April 2020.
I am deeply proud that Meet The Problem Solvers was chosen as one of Cambridge Community TV's
Producers of the Year at their April 2020 Annual Meeting.
More than thirty Meet The Problem Solver episodes can be watched or heard as podcasts on our website:
Video
In collaboration with Detroit videographer Quenton Thomas, I have produced two documentary projects, and look forward to creating new, powerful tools for you to tell your story and call your viewers to action.
I am ready to partner with you to develop video and web-based communication tools and reports that tell your story and advance your work.
Flint, Michigan
I first collaborated with Quenton and cinematographer Aaron Stowers on a video project entitled, "Partnering to Redesign Community Services in Flint, Michigan."
The film documents the government’s shifting role in delivering important services including emergency home repair, youth recreation, and homeless contracts out to City residents. Our video team interviewed city residents of all ages, as well as city and community agency officials, about the purpose and results of the initiative. This experience led us to seek out new projects where we could bring our complementary skills and knowledge to bear. Our purpose is to give voice to many people, with varied perspectives, to flesh out the picture of a project or initiative.
Judy and Quenton had a unique vision: grounding our story in the experiences of patients and practitioners.
As we have worked to integrate Physical Therapy into Trans/gender-diverse health care, Judy and Quenton were there to capture the voices of patients, instructors, students, and providers. The video team's talent and vision have been essential to our effort to share our insights widely and professionally. "
– Holly Herman, DPT
Physical Therapy for Trans-identified People
In 2018, Quenton and I collaborated on a film that highlighted a specialized course for Physical Therapists, providing them with skills and insight to improve health and wellness outcomes for transgender patients. Here again, the team drew on many voices – participants, instructors, and course originators – to bring to life this complex and meaningful work.
Documenting Impact through Research and Reporting
New Orleans, Louisiana
In 2015, I prepared a report in a Cloudburst collaboration with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development entitled Ending Veteran Homelessness in New Orleans: Lessons from a City that Reached the National Goal a Year Early. The report describes how the City of New Orleans and its community partners reached "functional zero" for veteran homelessness a year before the national goal.
Guidance and Best Practices for Program Administrators
I contributed to research and analysis for a HUD guidance document, Effective Strategies for Implementing State
Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Programs. Based on interviews with 20 state-level leaders, we organized and presented best practices for program design, oversight, and streamlined operations.
Restructuring Service Delivery in Flint, Michigan
As described under Consultation & Facilitation, I led a HUD team in Flint that restructured part of the service system. Upon the conclusion of the engagement in 2015, we made the video highlighted above and also wrote up a Case Study describing our approach to service delivery system redesign.