Fayla Sutton
Columbia,MD
Summary
Experienced in offering holistic support to diverse, immigrant communities through a humanistic lens. My strong background in relationship building and community organizing has supported my work. With a focus on amplifying community voices and redistributing power I strive to leverage relationships with organizations and community members to redefine community engagement and center the voices of those most affected by change.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Programs
Our Place Portland
02.2024 - Current
- Fostered and built partnerships with organizations to help meet youth and families' basic needs.
- Administered The Child Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-R) and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) surveys to youth and caregivers every six months and one year, respectively.
- Supported the professional growth and development of middle and high school youth through supervision in Mentor in Training first job experience.
- Advocated for families for 340 hours a year in areas of education, housing, citizenship, and basic needs.
- Provided and developed inclusive research-based programming for 55 youth ages 6 to 14 after school and in the summer.
- Supported agency development through grant writing, partnership building, and fundraising event planning.
Property Manager
Preservation Management
06.2023 - 02.2024
- Managed two Low Income Tax Credit Housing apartment buildings with 63 units owned by Community Housing of Maine and conducted annual recertification for all residents on time and facilitated the leasing of apartments to ensure occupancy requirements were met.
- Worked with the McAuley Residence and City of Portland Homeless services to ensure that property preferences were met
- Managed a team of 2 Maintenance Staff and contractors to ensure the buildings were maintained, safe, and up to state and federal codes.
- Addressed lease violations, ensuring residents understood compliance requirements effectively.
- Mediated resident disputes, fostering a harmonious living environment.
- Achieved Certified Credit Compliance Professional (CP3) credential for tax credit program.
Bridge to Success Coach
Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine
11.2022 - 06.2023
- Developed and executed pilot programming aimed at supporting teen job readiness and post-high school planning.
- Coordinated and planned programming events to promote career exploration and help members grow their social network and professional skills in connection with Greater Portland Board of Realtors, Luke's Lobsters, and other local entrepreneurs.
- Mentored 27 middle, high school and college aged members to support them in finding jobs, applying to college, scholarships, FASFA, and completing schoolwork.
- Hosted a weekly dinner for 15 high school members to initiate conversation about their economic and professional interests.
HUD ROSS Service Coordinator
Portland Housing Authority
09.2021 - 10.2022
- Delivered food for about 50 families a week.
- Offered case management services to 36 families on a regular basis.
- Connected residents with resources in the area.
- Developed and maintained, professional, community partnerships to bring programming and basic needs to our sites for about 405 family units.
- Coordinated and planned on and off-site programming for residents.
- Developed relationships with families through volunteering in on site study centers.
Intern
Seeds of Hope
09.2019 - 04.2020
- Internship position aided staff members of a non-profit agency that delivered services for local low income and homeless individuals. Responsibilities and duties included:
- Coached clients via the “Career Center” in searching for jobs, updating resumes, locating other social services and searching for apartments.
- Facilitated assessment through surveys and interviews to address local gaps in services.
- Developed and presented public health presentations to community stakeholders on various topics including flu and hepatitis vaccinations, secondhand smoking and lung cancer.
- Revised and produced local resource list for clients and volunteers.
- Assisted with the collection and organization of donations; manage food storage and service.
Intern
A Child's Place
06.2018 - 08.2018
- Supported non-profit child advocacy center that collects interviews with children for court cases:
- Observed interviews between forensic interviewers and children ages 3-14 and learned different forensic interviewing techniques.
- Developed experience understanding how social services collaborate to support families by attending trainings at Dept. of Health and Human Services; observed interactions with caseworkers, police and advocates.
- Interacted with youth and their families.
- Completed clerical and administrative work, such as filing interviews and related paperwork, communication between offices.
Education
Master of Arts - Community Planning
University of Maryland, College Park
College Park, MD05-2027
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, Health, Law, and Policy
University of New England
Biddeford, ME05.2020
Psychology and Hispanic Studies
Pablo De Olavide University
Sevilla, Spain05.2019
Skills
- Relationship building
- Working with diverse communities
- Effective leading
- Community engagement
- Active listening
- Interpersonal skills
- Self motivator
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills
- Multidisciplinary team collaboration
- Cultural humility
Certification
- CP3 Certification January 2024
- Mental Health, First Aid May 2022
- Violence Against Women Act Training May 2022
Relevant Coursework
- Community Psychology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Medical Anthropology
- Recent Developments in Urban Studies; Planning for the Multi-Cultural Metropolis
- International Relations
Timeline
Director of Programs
Our Place Portland
02.2024 - Current
Property Manager
Preservation Management
06.2023 - 02.2024
Bridge to Success Coach
Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine
11.2022 - 06.2023
HUD ROSS Service Coordinator
Portland Housing Authority
09.2021 - 10.2022
Intern
Seeds of Hope
09.2019 - 04.2020
Intern
A Child's Place
06.2018 - 08.2018
Master of Arts - Community Planning
University of Maryland, College Park
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, Health, Law, and Policy
University of New England
Psychology and Hispanic Studies
Pablo De Olavide University