Other Services

Rhonda has a powerful message. She has many stories from her life to share including:

• global work
• deep healing journeys including near death experiences
• advocacy work on all levels and on many thematic areas
• experiencing disability inclusion (or lack thereof) from many perspectives and cultures

Rhonda can weave stories with strong messages of action into keynotes that will be engaging and inspiring.

Available for personalized speeches for events or conference that can be funny, engaging, witty and intelligently powerful, Rhonda will offer keynotes that will more than fully meet your needs.

Available for any other form of talks — including TED, TEDx — as well as other opportunities to speak with the media or other informational sources as a resource.

Projects could include pinch-hitting on advocacy and lobbying efforts

Rhonda is available to consult or advise on include how to work in and with coalitions. This includes how to engage with colleagues, negotiation and reflective listening skills.

Rhonda has worked with coalitions throughout her career. At the international level, she worked with the following coalitions:

• International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC). Rhonda advocated for the inclusion of disability within the universe of global human rights organizations.
• International Disability Alliance (IDA). Rhonda worked to represent a human rights/social model of disability actions among global disability -specific and cross-disability organizations.
• She was an active member of InterAction and its disability working group for many years over many jobs spanning 20 years. Rhonda’s work in this coalition aimed to work with all U.S.-based organizations working in the area of international development to be aware, educated on, and inclusive of people with disabilities throughout the field of international development. This included from inclusion at the leadership and board levels through all staffing (including interns and field staff) – to all programming and policies.
• She served on the Board of the Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD) which was a global initiative working to strengthen international cooperation to accelerate the integration of disability issues and considerations into mainstream social and economic development efforts.

Domestically in the U.S. she was an active member of the following coalitions:

• Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and, more specifically, their rights, education, healthcare, transportation and international sub-committees. Rhonda advocated for the rights of persons with disabilities and a civil rights/social model of disability amongst U.S.-based disability groups.
• Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) and, more specifically, their education, healthcare, human rights, task forces. Rhonda heavily advocated for the inclusion of disability as a human and civil rights issue within the LCCHR along with all aspects of social justice.
• Aging and Disability coalitions and actions including Caring Across Generations.
• National Partnership for Women and Families (NHelP)’s National Health IT Collaborative which gathered to plan for the elimination of reduction of health disparities in our national healthcare policy.
• Consumer Partnership for eHealth which helped draft priorities for health outcomes — and policy priorities.
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) roundtable discussions on improving healthcare systems and addressing disparities in funding and research. Also, in supporting individuals to make informed healthcare delivery and outcomes.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
– Rumi

Rhonda became a Mediator in January, 2004 and an Attorney in 2007. Following her training, she worked as a Mediator at the Community Mediation Center of Baltimore, the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, and the Baltimore City and County Courts.

Rhonda’s mediation brings clients beyond ideas of ‘us and them’. She aims to find common ground from where to create a new vision.  She uses this philosophy to see private clients working on issues such as:

• divorce or separation
• custody and child planning
• neighbor issues
• business disputes
• organizational or community conflicts
• interpersonal conflicts

She has knowledge and experience in the area of restorative justice, talking circles, group facilitation and process. Rhonda also has experience in local and global conflict resolution and was a founding member of Mediators Beyond Borders. She was also the co-chair of the Latin America sub-committee and lead the Columbia project for 3 years.

It is a personal desire for Rhonda to offer to support to others as she has been mentored herself. Rhonda has coached individually and organizationally. She has also served regularly as a mentor. She has managed and supervised interns and has the ability to give support to those finding their path, including  educational and employment opportunities.

In 2001-2002, Rhonda also worked to advise graduate students at Brandeis University’s program in Sustainable International Development (SID) at the Heller School of Social Policy and Management. She assisted students in their search to find internships and employment opportunities, improve their resumes and find their place and path towards their careers. She is available for any or all of these services and supports.

Additionally, Rhonda is available for hire by the hour, day, or a negotiated period of time for coaching or mentoring. She is available to help someone get well-versed in areas such as:

• *Disability rights 101*
• *A right-based approach to disability*
• *Lobbying 101* – What does lobbying actually mean? How does it work in the U.S. or on a global level? How do you get face time with our elected representatives and their staff? How do hearings work and how can I or my organization affect and influence such hearings? Bring to this, all the questions you’ve wanted to know but have not known who to ask. This may include stories and experiences from doing this work hands-on.
• *How to find work and where in inclusive development/DC-based or global advocacy*.
• *Preparation of resumes, interview skills and career guidance*.
• If you’re a parent of a child with a disability (especially a child with limb differences/amputations), I’m happy to share my story, experiences and how to move forward confidently (including how to envision an amazing future for your child, how to advocate for your child, where to find community and become a part of the disability movement, what laws affect your child’s education, access and rights — and more!
• *Advice, coaching and mentoring on advocacy 101* — If you are starting a new job, are just out of graduate school or simply have questions about advocacy efforts that you’d like to know more about, ask the questions that might feel silly elsewhere – stories and advice might be helpful.
• *Advice, coaching and mentoring on grassroots organizing* – if you are thinking to start or want to improve your grassroots advocacy campaign, we can discuss grassroots efforts, explore ideas and actions you can take and develop a plan and next steps.
  
• Many other topics and questions!

Do you need coverage for a conference by someone with the ability to represent you or your organization?  Rhonda has a wide range of subject-matter expertise and networking experience and can be an asset in this regard. She can represent you if you are short- staffed and desiring a mid-career, high-level professional to support your work at a conference or event

In her 20 year career, Rhonda has attended numerous conferences, high level meetings, events, briefings, press conferences, rallies, gatherings and summits. She has been an active part of advisory committees and boards. She has also been solicited to provide counsel or testimony in various forums. Examples of these are below.

International:

• The Conference of States Parties (COSP) for the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). She has also coordinated, hosted and presented at side events held at the COSP.
• High level meetings on disability held in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Conferences and internal meetings with global disability organizations, human rights organizations.
• Worked with local Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) globally to advise, collaborate, fund and/or support projects and advocacy.

Domestic:

• Worked to advise and counsel U.S. federal agencies in many varying capacities including the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, U.S. Agency on International Development (USAID), Department of State, Department of Transportation.
• Conferences of disability organizations, international development organizations, social justice and civil right organizations.
• Policy briefings to the disability and social justice communities.
• Hearings on a wide range of topics related to disability rights, civil rights, social justice and human rights.

Contact Rhonda for more information on representation opportunities.

Using social media for advocacy is an important part of the work. There is much knowledge to be gained to increase your ability to use social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.  Utilizing these sites can increase your impact on Congress, governmental agencies, non-profit or other organizations, and in any arena. Learn how to maximize your potential reach and often at low or no cost.

“We can never find peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
– Dalai Lama

I support the people who support others.

In current times advocates must continue to do their work while being constantly bombarded by excessive stimuli in the media and politics. Our bodies were not built for so much overwhelm that we are inundated with daily.

In these sessions, Rhonda will help to support advocates to better cope with things that come up both personally and professionally.  This type of work can be similar to coaching — or it can be deep healing sessions.

Who is this offering for:

This specific offering is for advocates, lawyers, grassroots organizers or anyone who is working towards social justice, environmental causes, civil rights and global human rights development. It can also be for the individual who cares about and/or is stressed by daily life right now.

It is for you if you are feeling any of the following:

• The weight of the world blocking you and weighing you down
• Low energy and hopelessness both physically and emotionally
• Constantly angry/or pissed off
• Irritated overwhelmed even by seemingly small things
• Aware of having a short-fuse and of being easily triggered
• Un-grounded
• Inundated by constant media, social media barrage of information and “troubling news.”
• Overloaded, off- center and aware that things just don’t feel right

You are not alone. This is what is the state of the world.

Why is this necessary?   Rhonda is offering this, especially now, because so many of us in the non-profit field are over-worked, burned out and stressed by the inherent pressures of this field of work. Additionally, old methods for dealing with this stress are not sufficient in current times. We are just expected to deal with this excessive stress with old tools that no longer work. It is therefore imperative to learn new ways to balance our energies so we are more effective in the work we do in the world.

What kinds of stresses might be rising from the current national and global realities?

You might find this offering exciting if you are aware of or are feeling any of the following — and are ready to take a leap and try something new to shift what you are experiencing.

• Bullying, Controlling, domineering and narcissistic attitudes and actions from this administration which create divisiveness insensitivity, lack of care and consciousness coming from Trump’s attitude and actions. ???
• The “me too” and #WhyIDidNotReport” movements bringing up people’s past wounds including assault, rape and other trauma. This includes current triggers for abuse survivors regarding Kavanaugh and the treatment of Dr. Ford.
• National traumas such as children in cages, immigration issues, racism, climate change, and education.
• The shifting of the patriarchy.
• Constant attacks from everywhere, “fake news” and being provoked to fighting.

If you are feeling in survival mode, freaked out or simply that too much is coming at you, then we can work together to find solutions and a plan for greater balance and harmony in your life.

More support is needed right now.

We live in difficult and challenging times. From the need to clarify what is “real news”, to fighting for recognition, to resisting nearly everything – there are extraordinary weights on our shoulders. For many, it creates a hopelessness and anger about our current political climate. Many have been reporting trouble sleeping, health issues, stress-related conditions or simply the inability to find peace-of-mind.

This offering will provide you with new, ‘outside -of – the -box’ tools for self-care, healing and releasing what our bodies hold on to which impede our ability to do our work.  These tools and process also assist us in maintaining our ability to remain present and “okay” in this new world.  We need these supports now more than ever!

Why now?

If you’ve tried the usual ways and are ready to open yourself to something new, Rhonda is here to offer tools and skills, and to shine some light in the darkness. Remember, if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten. If you are ready for a new outcome, then you are ready for a new approach!

Offering both individual and small group options, as well as bigger-picture presentations on this subject matter as described in the Trainings and Workshops section of this website. Sessions can be done from wherever you are; in-person and distance options are available!

Rhonda has led and managed many substantive projects. Examples include the Making it Work Initiative (HI), World of Options (MIUSA). She is creative, comprehensive and dynamic. Her ideas are innovative and her management style is informal and efficient. She has skills in interviewing, data collection, participatory evaluation, project planning and assessment and collaborative research. She is skilled at leading projects from the initial idea and design phase through completion and evaluation.

Rhonda has exceptional writing skills. She worked as a Public Relations Coordinator, Advocate, Lawyer and Project Manager. She could

– advise on, coordinate or carry out PR campaigns, write law review articles, media materials, website text. She could also work on gathering and sourcing information for and writing project materials, reports, analyses, and other research papers, white papers, investigational documents, or grant applications.

She has collaborated on the drafting of RFP’s, RFA’s and periodic reporting. She is strong on the interpersonal skills needed for research and data collection as well.  She can also advise students, young adults and others seeking employment in the social justice, disability rights and international development world on their resume and other job search documents.