PENNY NEWBURY holds a Ph. D. in English with a concentration in critical theory, American and British Literature, and Creative Writing. She has taught part-time at the university level since 1985 and has acted as advisor for theses and dissertations in the areas of literature, political/social science, law, philosophy, psychology/social work, and business administration. Her professional experience also includes over fifteen years' experience in non-profit and NGO management, with six years' international experience (South America, East Timor, Kosovo), in administration, policy development, strategic planning and grants/contracts management. She has extensive experience working with post-gradate professionals and non-native speakers of English, and is fluent in written and spoken Spanish.

Her dissertation was a published novel. She's been an adjunct faculty member since 1986 at the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University and Mitchell College, and has taught Literature, Creative Writing, Feminist Criticism and Theory, Poetry, and Linguistics.

Additionally she has over thirteen years experience the field of non-profit management and grants/contracts administration, and four years' international experience in local governance development, capacity building and establishing projects that strengthen civil society. One of her specialties is translating complex concepts into prose that's easy to understand, so that these ideas can be transformed into concrete projects.

She has edited a number of literature, criminal justice and psychology dissertations and theses, and rewrote the State of Connecticut's Certified Alcohol Counselor (CAC) manual. She's written grants that total approximately $30 million in the areas of substance abuse treatment, criminal justice programs for adults and adolescents, AIDS prevention and housing, alternative incarceration, community development, capital projects, property mapping, water systems, and Board development. She's published a number of short stories in literary journals and magazines including the Mississippi Review, Story Quarterly, and Gargoyle , and has written two novels, published as chapbooks. She also helped rewrite the Paraguay section of the latest edition of the Lonely Planet travel series.

She has been Training Director for the US Peace Corps, and has helped develop their Health Promotion and Local Governance sectors. She's worked with a number of human rights, conflict resolution and justice advisory organizations in the development and presentation of proposals to World Bank, USAID, AUSAID and other international donors.

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

Over fifteen years' professional experience, including five years' international experience, in non-profit/NGO management, strategic planning, municipal strengthening, grants/contracts administration, and community education

Experience with federal, state and international donor and agency regulations regarding policy development, funding, grants/contracts administration, and program planning

Extensive experience in the development and implementation of civil society strengthening programs and human rights initiatives

Technical Training and Capacity Building in strategic planning, institutional strengthening, cultural competence, community organizing, program development

Thorough knowledge of CQI, Program Evaluation, and program standards implementation

Fluent in written and spoken Spanish

EDUCATION

Ph.D. (English), University of Rhode Island, 1996

BA, MA (English), University of Connecticut

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

(Current:)
Grants/Contracts Manager

Town of Sprague, Connecticut

Contracted:

2005: Program Manager, American Refugee Committee International, Kosovo. Responsible for administrative and programmatic operations of one of the programs of a US-based NGO specializing in the return of refugees and displaced persons to their place of origin in the Balkans, Asia and the Middle East. Responsible for management and training of fourteen local staff, project proposal and program development and implementation, and coordination with other international organizations conducting returns activities in the area including the Danish Refugee Committee, ICMC, Mercy Corps, UMCOR, and the various UN affiliates, specifically UNHCR, UNDP and the peacekeeping force. Responsible for initiating communication with local municipal leaders in future return areas, and preparing for eventual self-administration of the program by Kosovo staff.

2003: Training Director, United States Peace Corps, East Timor. Developed comprehensive community-based training program for the agency's newest post. Hired staff, coordinated language and technical programs in Local Governance Promotion and Health Promotion, developed policies and procedures, oversaw development of training materials/seminars including language competency, cultural adaptation and technical proficiency, country overviews, PDM (Project Design and Management), Rural Participatory Planning, and safety and security systems. Trained local staff in the implementation of these materials, as well as in the administering and facilitation of Open Space Workshops and in administrative/program support. Developed relations with local ministries and international/national donor community to introduce the agency to host country nationals and collaborate on technical and cross-cultural training strategies.

Pro Bono:

September 2002-February 2003: Interim Executive Director, The Puerto Rican Organization Program, Inc. Involved in agency restructuring, Board Development, grants procurement and program development of a Latino advocacy agency serving eastern Connecticut.

May 1999-September 2002: Municipal Services Developer, United States Peace Corps, Paraguay. Responsible for developing initiatives and working with local governments to involve citizen-based coalitions in strategic planning efforts. Participated in several BID and World Bank trainings/conferences with local and government representatives, in the design and management of social projects in South America, and the establishment of sustainable tourism and development projects. Organized and facilitated committees and workshops in the areas of transparency, principles of self-government, production, environmental protection/conservation, voting rights, parliamentary procedure, civil society strengthening, and tourism; led focus groups at town-wide assemblies.

Salaried:

1987-1999: Administrative /Acting Executive Director, Grants/Contracts Manager, Perception Programs, Inc., a twelve-program non-profit agency with an annual budget of $5 million, providing substance abuse treatment, criminal justice services, and AIDS outreach/prevention to approximately 2,500 recipients in eastern Connecticut. Responsible for program planning and development, staff supervision and training, Board Development, and interagency/legislative relations. Administrative Supervisor of a Management Team of twelve individuals (with a total staff of 200), oversaw yearly continuation of funding for all programs, developed policies and procedures, and made decisions regarding new funding directions.

Academic:

1984-1998: Lecturer and Adjunct Faculty (part-time)
English Departments of the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Mitchell College. Taught Composition/Rhetoric, Poetry, Literature Survey courses, The Short Story, and Creative Writing (Poetry and Fiction).

PUBLICATIONS (fiction and poetry)

• Southern Review
• Mississippi Review
• Descant
• Wisconsin Review
• Changes
• Green Feather
• Conjunctions
• Northeast Magazine
• Story Quarterly
• Crowdancing
• ACM
• Primavera
• Gargoyle
• Poets On
• Hey
• University of Connecticut Press
• University of Rhode Island Press
• Event Travel Magazine (online)
• InTheFray (online)

Feedback