Brian Gross
LEADERSHIP: Board Consultant, Executive Director, Program Director and Coordinator of strength and evidence-based vocational, educational, creative, and prevention/intervention residential and community-based organizations serving youth and young adults (particularly artistic, marginalized and substance using). Collaboratively managing staff, providing board facilitation.- PROGRAMS & OPERATIONS: Interactive, real-world vocational, educational, and creative curriculum development, delivery and evaluation. Workflow streamlining, community organizing and volunteer management – including strong relationships with directors, managers and staff in community service organizations, health authorities, school districts, service clubs.
- FUNDRAISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS: Successful grant writing, corporate and individual fundraising, membership development, fundraising event production, public and press relations. Better than 40% funding request/application success rate (nearly half-million in corporate grants, scholarships, and government contracts). Better than 60% successful press coverage from press releases/press conferences.
- FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY: Meeting 100% of established budgets; successfully managing consistent growth – even in economic downturns; managing and negotiating contracts – documenting deliverables for contract review and renewal; succinct, accurate and transparent financial communication with boards of directors, providing relevant budget scenarios and well-supported recommendations.
CURRENT PROJECTS:
- Acting Executive Director, Impact Youth Substance Use Services
- Development Consultant, Abbotsford Youth Health Centre (Abbotsford Community Services)
- Committee Chair, ASDAC Shelter Working Group (City of Abbotsford)
- Treasurer/Secretary, Abbotsford Mental Health and Substance Use Advisory Committee
- Community Liaison, BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors, Abbotsford Chapter
- Coordinator, Youth Addiction Knowledge Exchange, Fraser Health Authority
- Facilitator, SMART Recovery
- Board Member, Fraser Valley Youth Society
WORK HISTORY:
- Executive Director (Goh Ballet Vancouver Society, IMPACT Youth Substance Use Services– Fraser Health-funded outpatient centre, Abbotsford) – 7 years.
- Raised profile through creation and distribution of branded multi-lingual brochures, posters, and seasonal newsletters; creation of search engine optimized websites; public forum coordination; regular press releases; providing leadership on numerous municipal and regional child and youth/mental health & addictions advisory committees.
- Turned around program deficits in less than six months through corporate and individual fundraising, renegotiating contracts, cost-cutting, and comprehensive budgeting.
- Overhauled all programs to follow evidence-based, Motivational Interviewing approach.
- Combined redundant administrative procedures into one real-time integrated database.
- Director of Marketing and Operations (ARTS Manhattan), Creative Arts Coordinator (My Friend’s Place – Hollywood homeless youth drop-in centre; two Los Angeles Unified School District alternative schools for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning youth) – 8 years.
- Produced full schedule of well-attended fundraisers, mixers, events, excursions, and educational programs, thoroughly documenting for marketing and funding purposes.
- Generated excitement and incentive for client learning and engagement, as well as press articles for events and programs: job skills workshops, creative arts workshops, monthly “open mic” nights, two published books, two audio CDs of radio plays, an extensive web site, and an exhibition of client works at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
- Manager of a 24-bed men’s alcohol and drug recovery house (Liberty House, Century City, California) and Support Worker in group home and recreational programs for developmentally disabled youth (City of Manhattan Beach, California) and adults (Social Vocational Services, Los Angeles, California) – 5 years.
- Performed client intake, mediated conflicts, arranged and oversaw activities, chores, meals and schedules, facilitated daily house meetings and weekly family meetings.
- Adjunct Professor (California State University – Fullerton, Communications and Radio-TV-Film Departments); Instructor (various vocational colleges, schools and conferences) – 14 years.
- Radio station faculty advisor; taught public relations, interactive media, writing, design, management, ethics.
- Created service-learning projects that connected educational programs to the community, gave students real-world experience and generated publicity.
- Coauthored three textbooks on media, ethics & production, published by Elsevier.