The Long Version . . .
For twenty years, I have been working directly with and in grassroots, community, and collaborative groups and organizations. I have experienced groups working together along the entire spectrum from the genesis of an idea to mature organizations. Over the past two decades, I have gained insights into group and organization development from multiple perspectives- from Founder to Board Chair, Volunteer to Executive Director. As an organizer, advocate, coalition-builder, campaign planner, volunteer coordinator, leader, manager, administrator, fundraiser, and facilitator, I know through practice how to understand and navigate group work effectively.
I first became involved in community-based and grassroots organizations to help provide platforms where people with little or no voice could be heard. Through the course of my work, I was trained in and learned on-the-ground how to build campaigns, coalitions, and community towards building capacity at the grassroots level through community organizing, advocacy, and lobbying. I became skilled in convening and facilitating collaborative efforts and found myself drawn to engaging others in public planning processes.
Upon moving to Tucson, I was fortunate to work in a unique government and nonprofit partnership, where I gained a real appreciation for asset-based approaches to organization and community development. As a leader in nonprofit organizations trying to make a positive impact in the world, I repeatedly learned the lesson that, particularly in times of such dramatic economic and environmental change, we must move beyond what we have always done. And, we are most effective in doing that when we engage multiple perspectives and build on what is going right.
While in law school, I became weary of the long-term negative effects of the system’s default adversarial approach to conflict and power. At the same time, I remained passionate about all people deserving an equal voice and developing those voices to lead. Thus, I seized every opportunity inside and outside of school to train in collaborative and healing approaches like mediation, interest-based negotiation, therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, peacemaking and non-violent communication. I developed manuals and workshops on how to use public participatory processes like those required through the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act to meaningfully engage people at grassroots, community, and regional levels.
All of this has led me to where I am now- helping leaders, groups and organizations transform themselves and their organizations. I am passionate about helping people expand their perspectives to get out of the proverbial box by meaningfully engaging different viewpoints at the table, in the field, or anywhere else a group may gather. My ultimate goal with Elan Consulting is to realize compassionate, healthy, and resilient communities by helping others build momentum for change and achieve greater impact.
I first became involved in community-based and grassroots organizations to help provide platforms where people with little or no voice could be heard. Through the course of my work, I was trained in and learned on-the-ground how to build campaigns, coalitions, and community towards building capacity at the grassroots level through community organizing, advocacy, and lobbying. I became skilled in convening and facilitating collaborative efforts and found myself drawn to engaging others in public planning processes.
Upon moving to Tucson, I was fortunate to work in a unique government and nonprofit partnership, where I gained a real appreciation for asset-based approaches to organization and community development. As a leader in nonprofit organizations trying to make a positive impact in the world, I repeatedly learned the lesson that, particularly in times of such dramatic economic and environmental change, we must move beyond what we have always done. And, we are most effective in doing that when we engage multiple perspectives and build on what is going right.
While in law school, I became weary of the long-term negative effects of the system’s default adversarial approach to conflict and power. At the same time, I remained passionate about all people deserving an equal voice and developing those voices to lead. Thus, I seized every opportunity inside and outside of school to train in collaborative and healing approaches like mediation, interest-based negotiation, therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, peacemaking and non-violent communication. I developed manuals and workshops on how to use public participatory processes like those required through the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act to meaningfully engage people at grassroots, community, and regional levels.
All of this has led me to where I am now- helping leaders, groups and organizations transform themselves and their organizations. I am passionate about helping people expand their perspectives to get out of the proverbial box by meaningfully engaging different viewpoints at the table, in the field, or anywhere else a group may gather. My ultimate goal with Elan Consulting is to realize compassionate, healthy, and resilient communities by helping others build momentum for change and achieve greater impact.
My Education
Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Studies, California State University, San Bernardino (1998)
Master of Arts, American Indian Studies, University of Arizona (2003)
Juris Doctorate, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law (2003)
Institute of Cultural Affairs, Technology of Participation Facilitation (1999, 2012, 2014)
Integrated Coaching Certification, Prescott College (2015)
Master of Arts, American Indian Studies, University of Arizona (2003)
Juris Doctorate, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law (2003)
Institute of Cultural Affairs, Technology of Participation Facilitation (1999, 2012, 2014)
Integrated Coaching Certification, Prescott College (2015)
Organizations For Which I Worked
Native Seeds/SEARCH, Executive Director
Arizona Court of Appeals, Judicial Law Clerk
California Wilderness Coalition, Desert Program Director
Center for Biological Diversity, Legal Intern and Organizer
Border Action Network, Co-founder/Board Chair
PRO Neighborhoods, Project Secretary/Resource Library Coordinator
Arizona Court of Appeals, Judicial Law Clerk
California Wilderness Coalition, Desert Program Director
Center for Biological Diversity, Legal Intern and Organizer
Border Action Network, Co-founder/Board Chair
PRO Neighborhoods, Project Secretary/Resource Library Coordinator