My mission: I help organizations that solve environmental and public health challenges clarify their message and increase their impact. Clear, strategic communication can foster change, leading to a healthier, more balanced world. I approach my work with listening, collaboration, and writing skills grounded in curiosity and a passion for fostering social, cultural, and ecological resilience.
I began my career as an environmental resources specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, coordinating with interdisciplinary teams to develop ecosystem restoration plans and ensure compliance with environmental regulations for Native nations and government clients. The Corps gave me an award for high-quality client coordination and timely completion of documents for a high-profile project that required me to quickly learn about a topic outside of my expertise, preventing predation of the threatened piping plover.
I then pursued a PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to study applied ecology at the intersection of social and ecological resilience, deepening my understanding of factors that increase resilience.
After a postdoc with the USDA, where I studied pollinator visitation to oilseed crops, I became a program manager at the Tallgrass Prairie Center. I serve county roadside vegetation managers who collectively manage over 308,000 acres of vegetation. I empower them to manage diverse native vegetation by facilitating communication and providing resources.
Early in my position at the Center I collaborated with social scientists to design surveys of the key stakeholders affected by my program, county decision makers and roadside managers, to understand their perspectives about roadside vegetation management. These survey results, one-on-one conversations, and training in conservation communication and social marketing have helped me develop materials tailored for each of these audiences.
I also serve clients as a freelance science writer, editor, fact checker, and content strategist. I write and edit reports and articles on environmental and public health topics. My interests include ecosystem restoration, conservation, resilience, native plants, clean energy, and air quality.
I am a U.S. citizen and an enrolled citizen of ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ (Cherokee Nation, one of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes).
Most of the posts on this blog originate from posts on my LinkedIn profile, so head on over there if you like to receive content on that platform.