ME

My Professional Story

Professional and professionalism are terms that have been getting eagle-eye attention, and rightfully so. Historically, the finely groomed ideas of being a professional asked us to leave our authentic selves at the door. With that request, we've often lost out on experiencing the dimensional qualities of being human that elicit empathy, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. I want to liven my story up a bit: punching a hole into that limiting request. 
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As you'll read, I am a multifaceted professional with management experience in the private and nonprofit sectors. I thrive in creative environments of big-picture thinking that focus on collaborative strategies for targeted solutions. I've learned to love the often-overlooked joys of the process: where the details that pull it all together are. I am a passionate leader who believes in building teams that value: equity, diverse perspectives, growth, and mentorship.

My resume won’t tell you my own bigger picture, but I will here. I’m 59 years old. Before my brand-licensing career, I fell in love with photography and visual storytelling. I did my first photo-documentary project when participating in a nuclear arms race peace march up the coast of California in 1987. When I returned to New York, I worked for a world-recognized news photo agency (SYGMA Photo News) as an editor/researcher in the advertising/education department. I was born on the North Shore of Massachusetts and grew up in Colorado—a bit of a wild outdoor child of the 70s. My family lived in a tipi for a summer on Padre Island, Texas, when I was a kid. We built and sewed it over the previous winter. I was late to start my college education, and it took much longer than anticipated. I raised my daughter in New York City/Brooklyn—she is now 31. My resume also won’t tell you I graduated high school in Colorado with a vocational cosmetology license. It was a great starter career that gave me the freedom to roam around the state before heading back east. I survived colon cancer at forty-six and have faced periods of anxiety and depression over the years, and find opening up about my mental health challenging as it often carries a stigma. Surviving cancer makes you a hero. Mental health is a part of our whole body health, which we can experience with the same grace and courage as our physical health. I hope my openness allows others to be bold and authentic as well.