Human Services & Social Impact

Saada Hilts

Everett, WA 719-***-**** *****.*****@*****.***

Professional Summary

Human Services Planner, Case Manager, and Life Skills Coach with over 12 years of experience leading community engagement, program management, and collaboration, through an equity framework. Expertise in program oversight, strategic planning, outreach, and event coordination to strengthen community ties and foster civic participation. Proven ability to connect diverse communities to resources, advocate for underserved populations, and build sustainable partnerships across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Skilled in designing and implementing initiatives that increase accessibility, participation, and outcomes for communities, while using data-driven approaches to measure success and adapt strategies for improvement.

Skills

●Community Outreach & Engagement

●Event Planning & Program Coordination

●Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI) Integration

●Public Speaking & Facilitation

●Relationship Building with Stakeholders

●Conflict Resolution & Community Empowerment

●Budget Management & Fiscal Stewardship

●Program Evaluation & Data Reporting

●Strategic Planning & Cross-departmental Collaboration

●Volunteer Management & Training

●Multi-Channel Communication Strategy (Website, Social Media, Reports)

●Cultural Competence & Sensitivity

●Customer Service & Stakeholder Relations

Work History

Human Services Planner

City of Bellevue- Bellevue, WA 12/2022 to Current

●Cultivate relationships with agencies serving low- to moderate-income households in Bellevue.

●Oversee $7M in federal funds (ARPA), including negotiating, preparing, and administering contracts.

●Monitor program performance and evaluate compliance with contractual and internal management standards.

●Deliver presentations and training to the Human Services Commission.

●Conduct research and respond to internal and external information requests.

●Develop and recommend policies and procedures to improve program effectiveness.

●Prepare and manage budgets for agencies receiving federal funds.

●Continuously enhance operations, streamline processes, and ensure high-quality, customer-focused service.

Program Manager/Life Skills Coach 11/2017 to 12/2022

Everett Community College – Everett, WA

●Providing comprehensive case management for student participants to support them with problem-solving, allowing for full, reportable attendance in the WorkFirst program.

●Successfully working closely with low-income individuals in hosting interactive and effective life skills classes, empowering the students to be self-sufficient and holistically well.

●Driving sustainable changes in people's lives and the community, working with low-income individuals as a Life Skills coach, while bridging communities and making resources available to all.

●Facilitating the process for admission, enrollment, and guiding students into college coursework, as well as maintaining appropriate student records and coded student activities, and managing student progress through government software.

●Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with the college's internal and external community partners, including specific DSHS and ESD case managers to assure coordinated services.

●Effectively supporting students by organizing and managing the General Education Diploma to credit-bearing coursework, as well as preparing monthly and quarterly reports regarding the program participants.

Program Manager – College of Hope 08/2016 to 11/2017

Housing Hope – Everett, WA

●Effectively cultivated a collaborative relationship with employers and community partners to increase engagement, allow greater access to participants, and build a culture of inclusion.

●Successfully ran workshops, orientations, and presentations to actively engage participants with community partners and available services, and connected clients with WorkSource, WorkForce, Goodwill, Refugee, and Immigrant services.

●Led stakeholder meetings and coordinated a public/private, interdepartmental, and multi-agency team working effectively together to ensure the coordination of services and linkages with outside agencies or providers.

●Enrolled clients in BFET and WIOA to provide financial aid in their job search, while maintaining detailed case notes and grant reporting to ensure compliance and maintain funding.

●Oversaw the APM in monitoring contracts, ensuring services were performed as required, as well as provided oversight of data collection for program evaluation, providing to funders, City agencies, and internally upon request.

●Contributing to staff recruitment by working with the Human Resources Department to attract individuals from a diverse and qualified pool of applicants, and filling vacant positions in a timely fashion.

Program Director 11/2015 to 08/2016

We Go Global – Rincon, PR

●Oversaw the development and implementation of annual operational plans and budgets, including collaborating with Accounting to provide detailed costs and pricing for all aspects of international trips.

●Strategically planned programs from start to completion, including deadlines, milestones, and processes, as well as initiated and set goals for programs according to the strategic objectives of the organization.

●Successfully fostered collaborative relationships with local, regional, and national businesses to increase engagement, corporate giving, and opportunities.

●Recruited, trained, and managed teams of 10-15 student interns who received credit from their school, and developed college-approved learning objectives, curriculum, and goals.

●Designed and implemented volunteer/intern schedules, as well as continually discovered ways to enhance the efficiency and productivity of procedures and people.

Case Manager & Outreach Advisor 05/2013 to 10/2014

Salt Lake Community College – Salt Lake City, UT

●Effectively served in a dual role, while monitoring and evaluating programs, services, and activities to ensure Club and child safety, along with quality programs.

●Directly managed a portfolio of 25 cases of 25 refugee youth, ensuring they excelled in their homes and their education while developing the youths' self-esteem and self-efficacy through activities and engaging programs.

●Developed case plans that built on students' strengths and addressed their needs, incorporating formal support as much as possible, as well as tracked and evaluated outcomes through periodic activity reports.

●Worked closely with diverse populations, and demonstrated sensitivity to, respect for, and understanding of the needs of economically and educationally disadvantaged youth.

Community Involvement & Volunteer Experience

●Co-Leader of the Reconciliation Committee between the Decentering Whiteness and Black Affinity

●Advisor for the African Diaspora Club- 11/2017 to Present

●Co-Founder of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges Chapter – 3/2020 to Present

●Leader of the WA Statewide Black Affinity – 06/2020 to Present

●Co-leader of the African American Family Night – 07/19 to Present

●Co-Founder of the Parent Support Group in Partnership with Everett Community College and Domestic Violence of Snohomish – 08/2020 to 08/2021

●Co-leader for the WA Statewide Black Solidarity Data Work Team – 06/2020 to 11/2021

●Member of the Asset Building Coalition of Snohomish County – 04/2020 to 04/2021

●Advisor for the Students of Color Career Conference – 01/2021 to 05/2019

●Committee Member of the Accessibility Task Force – 03/19 to 05/2020

●Co-Leader for the Yale Trip for Students of Color – 03/2019

●Member of the Advising Committee for Housing Hope – 08/2018 to 08/2019

●Zaporizhia, Ukraine- Human Rights for Communities with Disabilities – 03/2017

●New Delhi, India- TruthSeekers International – 03/2011

●Chaing Mia, Thailand- Chaing Mia Fish Farm – 03/2009

Education

Denver Seminar – Master of Arts in Counseling Ministries, Denver, CO - May 2023

North Park University – Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Chicago, IL – 05/2013

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