About

ELM Collaborative is a consulting agency that provides services to educational organizations, arts advocacy groups, nonprofits, and businesses interested in socially just, joyful, and sustainable approaches to their work. 

After studying Visual Art and Theatrical Costume, I spent several years working as a commissioned artist and costume designer while pursuing a master’s degree in Culture & Spirituality. I have always been interested in the ways in which our beliefs and values inform our sense of purpose. I became interested in public education and teaching as a path to creating a just and equitable world.

After more than ten years serving across the TK-12 and college continuum as an art teacher, teaching coach, curriculum specialist, and grant coordinator, I taught a group of students who changed my path. While I have had always believed that public education is one of our greatest tools for building democracy, I realized we were failing to give all students access to the same quality and depth of opportunities. I had to do something to change that, so I jumped into school leadership.

I attended UC Berkeley’s Principal Leadership Institute, earning a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. I have since served as a school and district leader in urban, suburban, and rural school districts for over fourteen years. Collaborating with visionary educators, makers, thinkers, and leaders inspires me and gives me hope for our future.

I believe we share a collective responsibility to make the world better for everyone. My core values of social justice, integrity, and joy have remained constant throughout my life, and these values make working with educational organizations, mission-driven businesses, and arts advocacy groups particularly important to me.

I have expertise coaching and supporting teams to set long- and short-term goals, evaluate the effectiveness of their work, build trust and coherence, accomplish priorities, and dive deeply into the questions and challenges at the heart of growth and change. I am an experienced grant writer, program evaluator, and designer of both plans and the tools needed for tracking and evaluating plan progress. I also have extensive experience in personnel management and human resources, contract and labor negotiations, department and organizational workflow, and systems development.

I am based in Northern California, somewhere between the fog of San Francisco and the vineyards and orchards of Sonoma County.  When I am not focused on a project, I am likely running on a trail with my dogs, volunteering at our local animal shelter, creating art, making soup, or traveling to better understand the magic of this remarkable planet and the people on it.