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ABSTRACT

This piece presents current and past projects in summary.  These summaries are written in a relaxed style and give my personal impressions of each project and my objective view of my performance in each project.  I also include ideas for future follow-up and suggestions on how to improve each item being discussed.  The purpose of this post mortem style is to allow future clients an inside view of my capabilities and flexibility in a variety of situations.  The main focus is to inform as well as entertain.  This page will be fully completed by the end of the summer 2003.

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Angled View Twin Towers
by Gritsik 

WITNESS

I started a graduate internship with WITNESS in February 2003.  My primary goal with this project is to provide a needed service to the staff at WITNESS.  This is a particularly hard working group of young people devoted to exposing the wrongs committed against our human brothers and sisters all over the world.  Witness’ primary mission is to provide material and training to activists in the field to expose those wrongs that the news cameras miss.  Positive power for change through technology. 

My focus is to provide various quality of life improvements through in kind donations to the WITNESS staff and therefore, to their overall mission. Empowering the people who empower others is a noble pursuit and easier than you might think.  Within my first month I was able to obtain for the staff, free massages, discounted yoga classes with Kula Yoga Project, a influx of new volunteers from the tri-state university system and a group of advisory IT professionals to donate their knowledge via an advisory knowledge exchange system.  I am also spearheading the new music archive project.  The archive is comprised of donated music from unsigned artists to be used in future documentaries produced by WITNESS.  It is my hope that the archive will serve as a outlet for the artist's art as well as their compassion to the cause.   

Over the last few weeks, while looking for volunteers to help our IT group expand and update the database, I came across the wonderful group of people at Geek Corps.  And with the help of Neil Bibbins at Geek Corps, I was able to introduce the organization to the executive leadership at WITNESS.  Now, Geek Corps and WITNESS (through Sara Federlein's hard work and belief in the idea), are now moving ahead together to combine missions and help ngo's (non governmental organizations), with technical help and training.  

The printing of materials, training manuals, business cards etc. is a considerable expense for non-profits.  While with Snickelways Interactive, I developed a close relationship with all of my vendors.  Genesis Industries is a local printing house located near Penn Station and one of my favorites.  I thought it would be ironic and incredibly fitting if Genesis would take on the job of printing all of WITNESS' materials given Peter Gabriel's performance history.  The staff at Genesis and WITNESS loved the idea and we were quickly able to negotiate a cut rate price for their services.  Genesis Industries now manages all of WITNESS' printing supplies and materials and an excellent coup for my relationship management skills.  I was so tickled to have been able to make this happen for the staff.  

This project summary will  be updated bi-weekly going forward.

DAVID GRAY

I joined the ATO Records (According To Our Records) Street Team several years ago.  ATO Records is owned by Dave Matthews of The Dave Matthews Band.  The Street Team concept is based on the bands own concept of marketing through grass roots.  I was able to work on the USA leg of David Gray's tour this year interviewing audience members and contributing exclusive photographs for the website via ATO's marketing partner, Colony Marketing in South Carolina.  I've enjoyed my affiliation with ATO and hope to work more closely with them in the future.

THE NEW PERSPECTIVES THEATRE COMPANY

I joined the theatre company as part of their management team several years ago.  NPT aspires to casting a wide net to all with regards to casting as well as to the content that they produce.  It is a vibrant organization run by Melody Brooks.  I was able to design and launch a intense workshop last summer for student actors and teachers called, The Shakespeare Bootcamp.  The workshop ran for eight days and was a huge success.  The workshop incorporated body work, vocal work, on stage presentation as well as literary criticism.  This approach gave participants an accessible working knowledge of Shakespeare. This summer, another workshop is planned and I am very pleased that the organization will continue this format of instruction and play in the seasons that follow.  It was an extremely gratifying experience.

SPENCER & WALSH PC

I began work with Spencer & Walsh in the summer of 2001 two weeks prior to the attack on September 11th.  The offices for Spencer and Walsh are located three blocks from ground zero.  Initially I was signed on board to help the principals ramp up to their PC/LLP.  Obviously, the attacks made the real job of rebuilding and reestablishing stability and systems a priority.  By the end of the year I was able to complete their local area network as well as a working VPN with the stellar help of Derek Teitel at Star Computing.  

I was hired as Creative Coordinator with Snickelways Interactive in November of 1999.  My background in theatre and production management made this job no less challenging though extremely fulfilling.  I reported to Senior Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Stephen Vardy, four time Emmy Winner for news production.  Working alongside Stephen, I was always touched by his warmth, humanity and biting dry wit.  Team building was my primary goal as well as creating an atmosphere where Stephen could feel free to telecommute one day a week from his home in CT near the MA border.  I was able to do this by Spring of the following year.  Six months into my posting with Snickelways I was promoted to Manager of Administration overseeing the day-to day for 200 employees divided between the two locations at 22 Cortlandt and One Liberty in New York City.  I was also able to initiate an internship program with the area high schools and universities.  

download as pdf 6/01/03