Learner, Leader, Thinker, Doer 

As a child, I had two first loves; one was “playing school” with my seven younger cousins. At kindergarten graduation, I declared that I was going to be a teacher. Not only was I committed to instructing my cousins for hours on end, but education was also our family passion. My mother and grandfather served on the school board and all three of my aunts were teachers in our small town. Clearly, I got away with nothing! I did, however, observe throughout my youth the transformative power of education and as a result, our family passion became my own.

My second love was immersing myself in the vast mountain landscape that the San Luis Valley (a diverse community located in southern Colorado) offered. My grandfather and I skied 100+ days each season; we camped, backpacked, rock climbed, and listened to Johnny Cash. When I was in my 20’s, we embarked on a particularly grueling backpacking trip traversing the Continental Divide trail during which we realized that we were completely lost. Drenched by pouring rain and uncertain of how we were ever going to get out, what I knew for sure was that all of the years of adventures in the wilderness forged within me a steely backbone full of grit, determination, humor, and problem solving.

These two first loves have remained as constants. During my undergrad, I stumbled upon a posting for an after school assistant at a Montessori school. Knowing nothing about Montessori then, I was awed by the children’s engagement and joy. I earned my Primary teaching credential and taught in the mornings while I went to class in the afternoons and evenings. After graduating with a BA in History and being selected as History Student of the Year, I received my graduate degree at the University of Chicago and also worked as a researcher at the Erickson Institute.

I joined the Montessori School of Evergreen (MSE) as Assistant Head of School in 2005. The School had been privately owned for 30 years and enrolled 300+ students. As the owner sought retirement, we worked together, along with an advisory committee, to transition MSE to a nonprofit school. The administration consisted of the current owner, administrative assistant, and myself. I became simultaneously the first business manager and program director; I loved every minute! In 2007, the previous owner retired and I served as Head of School until 2015. While I am most proud of the experience we provided for students and teachers, we also created an effective board of trustees and risk management program, cultivated a culture of philanthropy to support annual giving and a successful capital campaign, and earned dual accreditation from the American Montessori Society and Association of Independent Schools. In addition, we built an effective administration, increased FTE enrollment and collaboratively started: a pay for performance option for faculty, a young entrepreneurs program, a toddler program, and a full day primary program. 

Leading a school is more of a lifestyle than a job and when I commit to anything, I am all in – heart and head. And though it was bittersweet to leave MSE, my goal was to balance time with my young child while still impacting education. I am grateful to have met this goal by building an engaging consulting practice. I love spending time with my daughter, husband, and our three dogs, as well as working with school leaders to realize their boldest goals and maximize their impact on students.