Awards and Honors

Executive Director of The Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions

In addition to her volunteer work, Kim is also the Executive Director of The Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions (ISPS) at St. Petersburg College. ISPS is a think tank that aims to ENHANCE understanding, EDUCATE students and citizens, and ENGAGE conversation in support of effective, solution-oriented public policy. Housed on SPC’s Seminole Campus, ISPS provides a forum to explore local, state, national, and international issues. Through her position at ISPS she works to promote student engagement, enhance civic and community involvement, facilitate a center for public discourse and identify economic initiatives.
Kim has gone “above and beyond” to help others by using her time to give back to so many organizations in our community that directly impact the lives of underserved St. Pete residents. Kim has integrated herself with many people among different races, religions, and economic status, and is comfortable in sharing who she is as a person and being open to hearing someone else’s story. Because of this, members in our community trust her to advocate for them and she is able to put the needs of the community in front of the people who can make real change. She is the person in the room that is not afraid to have hard conversations if it means growth for her community and she uses her access to create positive outcomes! Her involvement as not only a member, but a leader, in many community organizations shows that when Kim is called to duty she always shows up for those who need her.
When asked what legacy Kim wants to leave through her community involvement her response is, “I want St. Pete to be better off than when I got here.” She says, “I want to know that my daughter won’t be looked at strangely, and won’t be judged for being a woman, a woman of color and with a disability. She won’t be judged by exterior limitation.” She wants to make a more equitable and just future for her community by breaking down meaningless artificial barriers. She wants to create more economic access for the underserved members in her community. For Kim her community involvement will result in more equity, more accessibility, more understanding and more acceptances.