What We Do

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My core values say it all:

• Creativity 
• Continuous Learning
• Making a Difference 
• Nature as Sacred Space
• Vision

I am a leadership coach, strategy consultant, author and a gardener who helps plants and people grow and thrive. I am passionate about the power of nature and art to inspire, heal, and connect us across divides of heritage, history and circumstance. As an organizational and brand strategist, I help my clients envision, plan for and achieve transformational new initiatives at the individual and organizational levels. Much of my work has focused on developing, launching and repositioning cultural, educational and philanthropic organizations, as well as new products and businesses. As a coach, I support change makers working in nonprofits and social-benefit enterprises who seek to shift from ego-centered to eco-connected leadership by reigniting their passion and purpose in service to people and the planet. 

Because I believe the adage that “organizations don’t change unless people do,” in this third chapter of my career, I pursued training to become an executive and leadership coach. I incorporate nature and creativity-based experiences into my coaching and facilitation work to give clients greater access to the transformative powers of intuition, wonder, compassion and connection. 

I have served as President & CEO of DataArts and The American Horticultural Society; Deputy Director of the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; and Senior V.P. for Communications and Planning for The Freedom Forum and Newseum. In 2013, I co-authored Magnetic: The Art and Science of Engagement (AAM Press), which became a best-selling primer for museum leadership. I also drew on experience as a corporate marketing executive to advance positive youth development, equity, and civil and constitutional rights while serving in leadership roles at America’s Promise: The National Alliance for Youth and People for the American Way. 

I am a certified E-Co Leadership Coach, affiliated with the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership. I served as a visiting fellow (2012-2012) at the Georgetown Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership. I hold International Coach Federation certification as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and am a certified Positive Intelligence Coach™.  A graduate of  Brown University, I currently serve on the Board of Advisors for the National Center for Arts Research at Southern Methodist University and am a member of The Museum Group and am a member of the Equal Justice Initiative/Alexandria Community Remembrance Project. I reside and garden with my husband and dog  in Alexandria, VA.