Our Team

Year I joined IP: 2022 

What I bring to IP: I have a diverse professional background in social services, education, economic and community development, social innovation, storytelling, and the trades. A few career highlights include curating and producing TEDxDirigo, being the founding curator of the Portland Global Shaper Hub as part of the World Economic Forum’s, helping build farm to school programs, leading the facilitation of a regional vision and action plan that still guides the Katahdin Region of Maine five years later, and being named a Distinguished Alumni by the Institute for Civic Leadership.  

My lifelong commitment is to live well in my place and with others, and to learn and listen deeply. I hold an MA in education from Goddard College, a BA in history and a BA in psychology, both from Thomas Edison State College. I am a non-traditional student and first-generation college graduate. I am also a Registered Maine Guide. 

What I love most about my work:  I love being a trusted partner to develop and actualize strategy for the Peter Alfond Foundation in Maine and the Northeast. I love the space and support from the team to be myself, and to do my best work.  I’m grateful for the dynamic ways in which IP does its work both internally and with our clients. 

What I am most excited about learning right now:  I’ll forever be learning about how people can work together to accomplish things bigger than themselves and perhaps their lifetimes. I’m deeply engaged in how community-based youth development supports youth thriving and how to practice philanthropy through reciprocal, evolving relationships with community partners. I’m having fun re-learning Spanish and learning how to play Squash, both with my oldest kid.  

What I do in a typical week:  Throughout the week I do various things in service of values-based work with a philanthropic mission. I work in partnership with my colleagues, board, our community partners and peer funders. I do project management to get my thrills as an enneagram 8. I learn as much I can about philanthropic and foundation best practices, and the Peter Alfond Foundation’s focus areas for impact. I synthesize all that I am learning, hearing, and seeing to continue to inform a meaningful strategy for the foundation, Maine, and the Northeast with the team here at IP and with trustees.  

What I do when I’m not working: I spend time with my family, garden, wander around in the woods, forage wild mushrooms, bike, play squash and board games. I love to spend time with friends doing any of those things or just sharing a delicious plant-based meal.