Professional
Bridging the Divide Between Politics and Technology
Educator. Legislative staffer. Researcher. Policy analyst and state lobbyist. IT technician. Copywriter. Web Designer. It's been quite a journey, but the experiences and knowledge I have gained along the way have been invaluable. Here's a little bit about how I got to where I am today professionally.
IT and Web Design
2022: Started RojaTech, LLC and full-time web design
2021: Earned CompTIA A+ Certification
2018-2021: Executive Assistant/IT Liaison at the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer. This position also entailed building and updating websites and pages using Microsoft SharePoint and Drupal.
2015-2019: Designed, built and managed websites for political candidates using WordPress and Wix
2015-2017: Earned a certificate in web technologies from Gaston College
2009-2011: Used technology extensively in the classroom and to keep in touch with students’ parents via electronic newsletters
2009: Created an extensive online portfolio for my master’s program using WordPress
2000-2001: Built and maintained a website for my church youth group using FrontPage ’98
Politics, Government and Policy
2021-present: Serving as the NC Senate appointee on the NC Board of Funeral Service
2018-2022: Worked for the Chief of Staff of a state agency led by an elected official (NC Dept. of State Treasurer)
2016-2018: Policy Analyst and Legislative Liaison for the NC State Board of Education
2014-present: Assistant Treasurer for Citizens to Elect Kathy Harrington
2013, 2015: Assistant Campaign Manager for Jim Gallagher’s county commission campaign
2013-2015: Served as a member of the Wake County Library Commission (appointed by Wake Co. Commission)
2013: IOPL Fellow (NC IOPL: Institute of Political Leadership)
2012-2016: Staffer at the NC Senate for GOP senators (Senators Kathy Harrington, Bill Rabon and Joyce Krawiec) 2009-2011: Taught high school Civics & Economics and History in NC public schools
2008, 2010: Political operative for Citizens to Elect Kathy Harrington
2002: Volunteered for now-Congressman Patrick McHenry’s successful state house campaign
2001: Joined the Gaston Co. Teenage Republicans and started working on campaigns
Writing and Publications
2018-2021: Served on the Communications Team for the NC Department of State Treasurer. This involved writing and editing press releases, letters, policy briefs, as well as articles published in newspapers across the state.
2016-2018: Wrote and distributed a weekly electronic newsletter from the State Board of Education on the topic of education legislation to legislators, teachers, and over 100,000 education professionals and stakeholders in North Carolina. I am credited as a compiler of the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Report on Education Legislation, published by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction/State Board of Education.
2012-2016: Developed, wrote and distributed weekly electronic newsletters from senators’ offices for distribution to thousands of individuals, companies and media outlets in their home districts. During this time, I also wrote numerous speeches, some of which were delivered on the floor of the NC Senate, along with op-eds, letters, press releases and other written materials.
NC IOPL Campaign Ads and Interviews
In 2013, I completed the NC Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) Fellows Program. This months-long, intensive training program teaches up and coming political leaders the ins-and-outs of political campaigning and public service leadership. Many office-holders past and present in North Carolina are graduates of this program, and I know I certainly learned a lot from it.
In the videos on the right, I am making commercials and participating in interviews for my hypothetical campaign for Mayor of Gastonia, NC. IOPL provided fellows with access to the TV studio at UNC-Wilmington so that we could gain experience thinking on our feet in front of cameras, microphones and reporters.
This provided valuable insight into the pressures faced by public figures, and the realities of being interviewed (you can’t start over or go back – the show must go on!).
Education
An Education By Rivals
As a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, I have been to both sides of Tobacco Road and have had the opportunity to learn from two great North Carolina institutions. Academic pursuits are a passion of mine, and I didn’t stop after earning my Master of Arts degree from Duke. I’ve continued to learn and develop my skills, completing a Certificate in Web Technologies at Gaston College in2017 and earning my CompTIA A+ Certification in 2021. This certification demonstrates competence in troubleshooting and servicing computers and mobile devices.
Academic Degrees
UNC-Chapel Hill
Bachelor of Arts in History and Peace, War and Defense
Duke University
Master of Arts in Teaching
Gaston College
Certificate in Web Technologies
Professional Certifications
CompTIA A+ Certified (2021-2024)
This is a certification from CompTIA, the largest professional organization for the IT industry in the United States. This shows my competence in troubleshooting, repairing and servicing PCs, smartphones, tablets and networks.
To verify, click the CompTIA A+ logo image above and enter the following code: 2V4LEZDF9H1EQDKV
A Plug for RojaTech
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Well, you can have all that and more if you hire my company, RojaTech, LLC. We (or, rather, I) will do a bang-up job and give you the website of your dreams. Hire me at the link below! Thank you!