Monica Perez Nevarez
136 East 76th St. NY NY 10021
(508) 418-3596, mp2991@columbia.edu
Curriculum Vitae
2/15/2015
2/15/2015
Sustainability Consultant at Chrysalis Management Services. Extensive
corporate and entrepreneurial experience in communications, management,
sustainability, government, and publishing fields. Proven expertise in social
media, enabling the successful launch of several environmental and social
investment initiatives.
My strengths are communications
and social media; managing sustainable business; creating a steady state
economy; and acting as liaison between people,
community, government, non-profits, and corporations who are working to
transition to sustainability.
Large corporations can pay to have a CSO (Chief
Sustainability Officer), or a sustainability team; but most communities and
small businesses do not have the economic leeway to pay a sustainability
manager or a social media director. So I am dedicated to bringing
sustainability to communities and small businesses through social media,
workshops, books and lectures. (As per the US Census, small businesses make up
99.7% of U.S. employer firms and 49.2% of private-sector employment. In 2010
there were 27.9 million small businesses in the US. In contrast, there are
about 5,000 publicly traded corporations which make up the rest of the private
sector).
As a Sustainability
Consultant I organize communities to transition into sustainability; create
green entrepreneurial incubators; develop and re-organize sustainable
businesses; design and write sustainable business plans and social media plans;
help owners create and manage annual budgets, forecasts, and financial
statements; help businesses get out of or avoid bankruptcy; help develop green
start-ups, and act as public/private sector liaison. I design and help build
triple bottom line communities.
In a nutshell: I studied business management; consulted for small biz startups; was always a freelance writer and photographer; always an environmental activist, moved to financing small businesses; pivoted to writing and editing a business magazine, studied sustainability, and was seduced by social media.
I work at the intersection of Social Communications,
Environmental Health, Business Sustainability, and the New Economy. Check me
out here: https://www.vizify.com/monica-perez-nevarez/links.
See my "social media 101" website at: http://guayaba.wix.com/mpn-social-media
for more info.
Work Experience
Blue Planet
Environmental Inc., New York NY 2013 - 2014
BPE
designs and sells nano-bubble water aerators for hydroponics and water
remediation.
Social
Media Developer: Developed BPE’s sustainable business plan and marketing plan;
co-wrote their website, launched
their facebook and twitter feeds, and wrote, managed and curated
their Blog.
The Environmental Heroines wiki project New York NY 2012 to present
Wiki
research project on Environmental
Heroines through the ages, for the Women’s Congress for Future Generations. Producer: I researched and compiled a list of women
environmentalist biographies, past and present, local and international,
current and historical, that put environmental activism in a female context.
Columbia Impact Investing Initiative New
York NY 2011-2013
CI3 is an
investment group made up of Columbia University graduate students that fund and
manage bespoke impact projects across the world. Communications
Chair: I curated the http://ci3online.ning.com/ website (defunct as of 2014), started CI3’s presence on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and oversaw their social media.
ECOPRISE, Advisor 2013 – 2013
Telecommute between New York City and Kathmandu Nepal
Ecoprise sells off-grid solar power systems to rural Nepalese
communities through microloans. I helped them research crowdfunding
opportunities, develop a social media strategy and social media engagement.
Bio-Lipidos de Puerto Rico, Communications and Business Development 2009 – 2014
San Juan, PR
Bio-Lipidos de Puerto Rico / Replenish Energy is a zero
footprint start-up organic algae aquaculture farm in Puerto Rico, with 200
acres of open ponds in Dorado. Partnered with the University of Georgia and the
University of Puerto Rico, we received a $5 million dollar grant from the Dept.
of Defense to develop algae fuel. I worked in Communications, Investor
Relations, Funding Strategy Development, and as a blogger.
PARE Este Animal Advocacy, Treasurer 2007 – 2009
Fajardo PR
Advocate for stray dogs and cats in Puerto Rico, helping defray cost of
spaying/neutering their pets. Implemented community outreach and social media
programs.
Business Puerto Rico magazine, Editor 2006 – 2009
San Juan, PR
Editor of a monthly glossy business magazine in charge of content,
guest writers, guest editors, freelance writers, Op Ed pages and all visual
content. Overlay of sustainability embedded in every topic and every article.
Introduced the concepts of sustainability and climate change into the business
sector in Puerto Rico. Was developing a social media strategy when the Great
Recession hit and advertising revenues dried up. The magazine closed its doors in 2009.
Corredor Ecológico
del Noreste, Social Media Consultant 2006 – 2008
Luquillo, Puerto Rico
Advocate for the creation of a Northeast Ecological Corridor along the
NE coast of Puerto Rico to safeguard the last remaining untouched parcels of
land along the coast. Eventually won political and legislative battles to have
the land named a Reserve in perpetuity by law. Photographic Historian of Court,
Senate and activist events for the Corridor.
Coralations, Social Media Consultant 2006 – 2007
Culebra, PR
Designed an internet presence for the group, to be implemented by
staff, including email lists, social media membership, education for students
and staff on how to use social media to communicate.
Small Business Administration, Loan Officer, Team Leader, FEMA
Liaison 1996 - 2006
New York
Area 1 (NY) Loan Officer, Officer in Charge, Team Leader, Community
Outreach, Supervisor and FEMA Liaison; analyzed personal and commercial loan
applications, financial statements, processed loans, appraised fiscal health of
companies, explained SBA program to clients. Served during disasters in:
Katrina, Florida hurricanes, 9/11, etc.
Coastkeeper of Puerto Rico, Waterkeeper Alliance; Funding,
Development, and Communications San Juan, PR 2005 – 2005
Developed a funding strategy and community engagement.
Law Offices of Senator Jose Izquierdo, Esq., (D Ret.) Project
Manager 2000 – 2001
San Juan, PR
Administrator, project manager in charge of presenting and winning an
environmental zoning variance; research, community relations, presentations,
municipal liaison.
Law office of Senator Oreste Ramos, Esq. (R-Ret), Administrator,
legislation copy editor,
San Juan, PR 1997 – 1997
Administered the four lawyer firm, edited pending legislation, ran the office,
wrote the budget, created annual financial statements, kept schedules, answered
all communications, and supervised three employees.
Business Puerto Rico Magazine, Editor, Writer 1996 – 1996
San Juan, PR
Edited freelance agents and contributed interviews to the monthly
magazine
Caribbean Business Newspaper, Journalist, Small Business Beat 1995 – 1995
San Juan, PR
Created and curated a Small Business section for Caribbean Business, a
weekly business newspaper. Interviewed most of Puerto Rico's business
celebrities, covered business and entrepreneurship news, networked with
freelancers and other business writers.
Business Funding Group, Account Executive, Branch Coordinator 1988 -1994
Newton, MA
$70 Million (personally sourced and managed) portfolio, Boston
Coordinator for Philadelphia branch office, presented client's financial
packages to Finance Board for approval, managed client's payment schedules,
instituted checks and balances later used office-wide. Wrote, photographed and
produced monthly newsletter.
Bond and Burkhardt, Assistant Manager 1987 – 1988
Newton, MA
Helped run front of the house daily, charged with closing the store
nightly, in charge of product staging and counter appeal.
Hospital Nuestra
Señora del Rosario, Administrator 1982 – 1983
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
Hired to reorganize a financially faltering 36 bed hospital in rural
Puerto Rico. Successfully cut expenses without firing staff, and negotiated
monthly payments to overdue supplier bills, while working on a strict cash
basis for new orders. Brought the hospital back into financial health, and was
able to successfully sell the hospital to a larger regional medical entity.
Clinica de
Diagnóstico y Tratamiento, Office manager 1980 – 1982
New York City
Managed the first Hispanic outpatient clinic in Manhattan. I oversaw
the schedules and files of 38 doctors' offices and supervised three assistants.
Wrote and performed all radio spots for the Clinic.
Benmarl Vineyards, Field hand, Tour Guide, Newsletter 1979 – 1980
Marlboro, NY
Worked as a field hand during the week, and on weekend I gave tours and
wine tastings to visitors. Wrote, photographed and published internal events
newsletter.
Sally Jesse Raphael's Wine Press Restaurant, Assistant Manager 1979 – 1979
New York City
Executive Assistant to Sally Jesse, afternoon Assistant Manager of her restaurant,
evening Hostess.
Languages
·
Spanish
(fluent)
·
English
(fluent)
·
French
(working knowledge)
Education
Columbia University in the City of New York
Master of
Science, Sustainability Management, Environmental Ethics, Risk
Communications
Sept. 2010 – Dec. 2012
Columbia's MSSM program is an MBA embedded with sustainability. I took
all the regular MBA courses (finance, economics, accounting, management etc.) overlaid
with sustainability, as well as environmental courses (ecology, hydrology,
environmental law, and environmental ethics). I added communications courses
(science writing, Risk Communications) and worked a Capstone Project for the
New York Park and Recreations office in Communications, and took workshops in
LEED, GRI, Life Cycle Analysis, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Social Media, and
Strategic Communications.
Boston University
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration; Management,
Economics
1983 – 1985
Business, Management
1977 – 1979
Interests: Travel, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, US, Latin
America, Europe, meeting people, interviewing people, writing, editing, reading,
art, crafts, photography, languages, cooking, gardening, growing
food, urban agriculture, environmental health and diversity, sustainability,
philosophy, ethics, sustainable development, re-localization of the
economy, food and water resilience, alternative energy, off-grid
living, tiny houses.
Social
Media blog http://guayaba.wix.com/mpn-social-media
