I am a "recovering" lawyer who has been engaged in collective impact and systems-building work in the early childhood and K-12 space for nearly a decade. As the Senior Program Officer for Education at GAR Foundation, my role is to refine and lead the implementation of the Foundation’s education strategy, rooted in collaborative, interconnected grantmaking work and systems-level change initiatives.
Prior to joining GAR, I served as the Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Strategic Partnerships at the University of Chicago's TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health. The TMW Center applies science, data and AI technology to create tools that support early brain development, designed to ensure all children have the opportunity to realize their full potential. In that role, I oversaw the work of the Center and led efforts to develop strategic partnerships nationally and internationally. Before that, I worked at Summit Education Initiative, where I helped to advance cross-sector partnerships and played an active role in local, state and national policy efforts around early childhood, K-12 schooling and post-secondary education.
I am the proud mother of 4 adult daughters and 2 bonus daughters. When not working, I love to travel, visit with family and friends and attend any kind of live performance!