Born in Minnesota. Immediately set out to greet everyone in the room.
Started learning to play the trumpet. After wrestling with it for a year and considering the impracticality of the cello, settled on learning to play the oboe.
Learned how to ride a horse, and spent summers riding across the prairie of Western Wisconsin.
Before age 18, was an oboist with the Youth Symphony, page to the Minnesota State Senate, and regional math team competitor graduating near the top of the class.
Went to Purdue for two years of college. Discovered sociology and marched on Washington.
Carved out the first program in Environmental Education at the U of MN. Was the co-chair of MPRIG and was involved in the outdoor leadership program. Spent time rock climbing and kayaking.
After graduation from college, traveled solo across the country by train to Southeast Alaska where I spent the summer. Worked in a fish hatchery and nearly drowned in a rafting accident.
Was sent to the rainforest of Central America, where I lived in a small house with no electricity and only cold running water an hour and a half walk from the nearest bus stop. Gathered a team and produced the curriculum for training teachers nationwide. Started meditating and learned how to salsa.
Went on walkabout in the Colombian Andes, meeting gypsies, thieves, and shamans.
Lived and traveled as an artist, bringing my work to juried art shows throughout the upper Midwest. Realized that people were asking me for coaching, so I started a coaching practice.
Coached for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help communities recover in national disaster areas of Southwestern Wisconsin.
Took my 8th grade son on a year long sabbatical to Latin America, where I could be found coaching from the deck of a sailboat floating in the Caribbean.
Moved to the Bay Area of California, where I enjoy making music, doing yoga, and walking on the beach.
Founded Santa Cruz Coaches, a 501(c)6 nonprofit which promotes professional and lifestyle coaching as a valuable resource in the region.
Inducted into Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches.
Completed more than 3500 coaching hours and 200+ training hours as a coach. Received the International Coach Federation Master Certified Coach credential, an elite award given to the top 1% of coaches worldwide.
Earned my Master’s degree in transformational and depth psychology with a specialization in Organizational Development. Wrote my thesis on the science of intuition.
Started delivering well-being and resiliency coaching at Facebook, and trained teams and leaders at Apple in next-level conversational tools.
Took Santa Cruz Coaches statewide, rebranding the organization as California Coaches, and began the process of facilitating a merger with a sister nonprofit, the Professional Coaches Alliance. After five years as founder and executive director, stepped down from the board.
Joined the US Department of Energy to develop the exceptional talent necessary to achieve meaningful science and innovation that matters to the nation — and the world.






