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Katherine Wald
Senior Permanency Specialist at Ampersand Families
Professional Background
Katherine Wald is an accomplished professional in the field of social work with a diverse background that reflects her commitment to supporting families and children in need. Currently, she serves as a Senior Permanency Specialist at Ampersand Families, where she leverages her extensive knowledge and experience to promote permanency solutions for children in foster care. Her work at Ampersand Families highlights her dedication to enhancing the well-being of children through strategic family placements.
Before assuming her current role, Katherine excelled as a Permanency Specialist at the same organization. Her responsibility involved working closely with families and stakeholders to ensure that children experience stability and permanency in their living situations. Katherine's proactive approach and deep understanding of child welfare practices have significantly impacted numerous lives, fostering secure and nurturing environments for children.
Katherine's career is a testament to her passion for social justice and mental health awareness. She began her journey at Rice County Social Services as a Children’s Mental Health Intern, where she gained invaluable firsthand experience working with children facing mental health challenges. This role solidified her resolve to advocate for children and families, providing a foundation for her subsequent positions in the field.
Her commitment to public service extends beyond her roles in social work. Katherine interned at the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she was immersed in the legislative process, providing her with insights into policies affecting social work and family services. This experience has undoubtedly enriched her perspective on the vital role that public policy plays in shaping effective social service frameworks.
In addition to her social work experience, Katherine demonstrated leadership and organizational skills during her time as Vice President of the St. Olaf Orchestra. This role allowed her to cultivate strong teamwork and project management skills, all of which she carries forward into her professional endeavors today.
Education and Achievements
Katherine Wald pursued her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from St. Olaf College, a choice that reflects her passion for helping others and her belief in the power of community. During her time at St. Olaf, Katherine was an active participant in various programs and initiatives that enriched her education and social work acumen.
As Vice President of the St. Olaf Orchestra, Katherine honed her leadership abilities and learned the importance of collaboration in achieving group goals. Her role not only enhanced her organizational skills but also allowed her to foster connections with peers, enhancing her ability to work within diverse teams.
Her various internships demonstrate her proactive approach to gaining practical knowledge in the field. As the Program Director of Finances at The Homeless Outreach and Relief (THOR) Project, Katherine showcased her financial literacy and program management skills, which are essential in the nonprofit sector. In this role, she managed financial processes that supported outreach initiatives aimed at reducing homelessness in her community.
In addition to her role at THOR, Katherine’s internship with the Children's Home Society & Lutheran Social Services as an Adoption Education & Children's Program Intern provided her with a deeper understanding of adoption processes and child welfare issues. These experiences underscore her commitment to continuous learning and growth in the social services landscape.
Notable Contributions
Katherine Wald has made significant contributions to various organizations dedicated to enhancing child welfare and mental health services. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating positive outcomes for children and families, driven by her strong belief in the importance of family permanence when it comes to child development.
The skills and knowledge she acquired during her internships, coupled with her leadership experiences, have provided Katherine with a well-rounded perspective in her field. Her ability to navigate complex emotional and social challenges makes her a valued team member and leader in her current role as Senior Permanency Specialist.
In her various positions, Katherine has been a powerful advocate for child welfare policies and practices, demonstrating a keen understanding of the challenges faced by families in her community. Her passion and dedication to social work are evident in every project she undertakes, whether it's working directly with clients or contributing to larger scale initiatives aimed at improving social services for children.
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Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.