About

Claudia’s expertise includes integrating equity and inclusion into standard operating procedures, creating and facilitating trainings and workshops on bias and anti-discrimination, delivering inspiring and engaging speeches and sermons, and using digital storytelling to encourage organizational transparency and community engagement.

 

While pursuing a PhD in English at the University of Maryland, College Park, Claudia served as a Teaching Assistant to Dr. Kimberly Coles, assisting with her course “Race and the Cultural Politics of Blood,” and served as a Research Assistant to Dr. Mary Helen Washington. In the midst of her doctoral studies and teaching, Claudia discovered her purpose in life was to serve communities, ensuring that all people have access to the resources and opportunities necessary to live dignified and humane lives free from discrimination and the threat of violence.

 

This passion led Claudia to leave her doctoral program and pursue opportunities to travel across the country and internationally, speaking at colleges and universities, churches, and conferences on the intersectionality of faith and social justice. Whether serving as a guest lecturer at Andrews University Theological Seminary, lecturing at a conference at Yale Divinity School, serving as keynote speaker at the University of Idaho, or speaking in Melbourne, Australia, Claudia has educated and inspired people of all backgrounds in the work of justice.

 

As a writer, Claudia has published articles on faith, culture, and justice in religious and non-religious magazines, journals, and books. She is a contributing author to Rev. Dr. Gayle Fisher-Stewart’s Preaching Black Lives Matter and Dr. Maury Jackson and Nathan Brown’s A House on Fire: How Adventist Faith Responds to Race and Racism. On January 18, 2021, Claudia received the inaugural Drum Major for Justice Award from Washington Adventist University in recognition of her commitment to social justice, community service, and civic engagement. On October 19, 2024, she received the Young Professional Award from the Society of Adventist Communicators for “being a renowned speaker and experienced communicator specializing in bridging the humanities and public affairs; and using communications that infuse principles of racial equity and inclusion.”

 

Desiring to further her work and deepen her impact, Claudia began working for the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity as a Community Outreach Coordinator in July 2021. In this role, she conducted trainings on equity, cultural intelligence, bystander intervention, and anti-discrimination as they relate to the protected classes and the Howard County Human Rights Code.

 

During her time at Howard County, Claudia created initiatives and trainings, two of which received Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). In August 2022, she won an NACo Achievement Award in the Libraries category for “Reading Human Rights,” an initiative she founded and facilitated in partnership with Howard County Library System. “Reading Human Rights” was a monthly book discussion that encouraged literary exploration and community dialogue around a variety of human rights concerns, including race and racism, displacement, religious bias, LGBTQ+ inclusion, discrimination, equity, and gender-based violence. The program explored works of fiction and nonfiction to teach community members about the various ways individuals, cultures, and communities celebrate their identities, combat injustice, and promote healthy communication. That same year, Claudia led the Outreach team to be recognized as the best Public-Facing Customer Service Team by Howard County Government for outstanding service and significant contributions to individuals, organizations, and businesses in the Howard County community.

 

In 2023, Claudia’s “Cultural Intelligence & Diversity Training” with the Howard County Police Department won an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). This original 60–90-minute workshop was created by Claudia to enrich and develop the staff and officers serving in the Howard County Police Department. The training gave staff, officers, and dispatchers an understanding of the impact of environment and experience on bias, increased their awareness of the role of culture in their interactions with diverse people, provided knowledge of the 2021 Cultural Statistics of Howard County and the cultural implications of Howard County’s behavioral health statistics, and reinforced community policing.

 

While leading the Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity’s Outreach Team, Claudia implemented and executed over 175 outreach initiatives and facilitated over 50 trainings and workshops for community members, county employees, and community organizations and businesses, training over 1,100 Howard County residents and employees on unconscious bias, allyship, and other human rights and discrimination topics using curriculum she created and designed. In addition, Claudia facilitated OHRE’s inclusion in the Princeton Bridging the Divide Initiative’s National Bystander Intervention Directory for their “Bystander Intervention & Cultural Awareness Training,” making the Howard County Office the first in Maryland to be included in the directory.

 

In addition to leading outreach efforts and creating and facilitating human rights trainings, in her role as Outreach & Communications Manager, Claudia served as a member of the Senior Management team, served as Acting Administrator at the request of the Administrator and appointment of the Chief Administrative Officer, served as Case Manager for the Human Rights Commission, served as a Commissioner responsible for drafting and editing reports for the Public Spaces & Facilities Commission researching the history of the naming of County buildings, was the lead staffer for the LGBTQIA+ Commission, managed all internal and external communications for the Office, and served as the Office’s liaison to the Howard County Public Information Office.

 

This work led to Claudia being nominated by her Administrator, Yolanda F. Sonnier, as one of The Daily Record’s 2023 Leading Women Under 40. In addition, the President of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies, Dr. Alisa Warren, gave the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity the President’s Award for their outstanding work, particularly the work of the Outreach team. That same year, Claudia received the 2023 Customer Service Public Award from the Howard County Office of the County Executive, the Howard County Department of County Administration, and the Howard County Office of Law, honoring her as an outstanding employee in all of her dealings with the public in a friendly, courteous, and efficient manner.

 

Claudia then accepted the opportunity to serve as Director of Advancement for Maryland Humanities, the state non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. In this role, she fostered relationships with local, state, and federal government officials and staff, managed all internal and external communications, and provided strategic leadership for fundraising efforts, including grants, corporate sponsorships, and government funding.

 

During her time with Maryland Humanities, Claudia served as a member of the Executive Leadership team, provided oversight and strategic planning to the Advancement team, assisted in the development of FY25 and FY26 budgets, drafted reports on communications, advocacy, and development, managed all internal and external communications, strategized with the Development Specialist in the implementation of fundraising strategies to improve individual giving, designed an Annual Appeal campaign that raised over $30,000, partnered with the CEO, Development Specialist, Grants Specialist, and Communications Specialist to raise over $400,000 in four months after DOGE cut the organization’s NEH General Operating Support, designed and polished the organization’s visual branding, served as the point person working directly with the contractor on upgrading Maryland Humanities’ website, worked to introduce and maintain relationships with elected officials and local, state, and federal government staffers, and attended community events to develop partnerships with corporate entities and other Maryland nonprofits.

 

In December 2025, Claudia was appointed the Assistant Director for Anne Arundel County’s Office of Equity and Human Rights. In this role, she leads all equity initiatives, partnering with the Office’s Director, Asha Smith, and Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. Claudia looks forward to creating initiatives, trainings, and workshops, as well as informational resources to help leadership and staff across Anne Arundel County government operationalize equity policies and procedures across all departments and agencies. In this role, she sits on various Commissions and Councils while serving on the Senior Leadership team, assisting the Director with the oversight of the Office’s operations.

 

Claudia’s commitment to this work led her to earn a professional certificate in “Promoting Racial Equity in the Workplace” from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education Program and a certificate in “Community Engagement: Collaborating for Change” from the University of Michigan. In addition, she has been trained in the Maryland Open Meetings Act and has a certificate in “Theology & Racialized Policing” from Howard University School of Divinity. She holds a Master of Arts in English from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Leadership from Andrews University.

 

Whether in the classroom, through digital media, with nonprofit organizations, or in government offices, Claudia uses her gifts to inspire, educate, and advocate for positive change. She believes that, in the words of Philippians 2:13, it is “God working in her both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.”