When I was in high school in rural Michigan someone asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I knew the answer right away – “I want to make a difference”. I have spent all of my time since then figuring out what that actually means!

In college I thought I would be making a difference internationally through non-governmental organizations. I became fluent in Spanish, worked in a number of communities in Latin America and received training in Participatory Human Development (based on popular education) in the Philippines. I spent the better part of two years traveling internationally and eventually settled in Guatemala for a short time before returning to the United States, and Oregon specifically, to figure out what the next phase of “making a difference” would look like.

Now I have more than 25 years of experience in the Portland Metro Area in non-profit, local government, community health and social services. I bring perspective, knowledge and experience that will support you and your organization in a number of areas. Here are some things about me that I really want you to know about how I work:

• I work from a strength-based perspective.
• I am committed to my own journey of understanding racism at individual, system and cultural levels and how I can contribute to dismantling racism in every aspect of my life.
• I bring the values of collaboration, humility and accountability to complex situations
• I believe the best successes come from a place of positivity

My professional and personal experiences have led me to the belief that collaborative action is what brings about sustainable and empowering changes in individuals, organizations and systems. Whether your needs are relatively “simple” such as creating a strategic plan, or you are engaging in complex collaboration, I would be honored to have the opportunity to support your efforts.

On a personal note, I have the privilege of being the mother of two amazing young women and a cat. Family is very important to me and I am fortunate that over the years all of my immediate family has relocated from Michigan to Portland. My parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, niblings and even my great niece! My family and friend support structure allows me to support others and I could not do any of what I do without them!