Board partnership & risk
CEO and board engagement, strategic priorities, decision rights, financial oversight, and cross-functional risk management.
Career
I read the balance sheet and the room.
My work connects operating discipline, shared responsibility, and respect for local judgment across departments, campuses, and communities.
How I work: I find where work stalls, build agreements with the people affected, make decisions and tradeoffs clear, and develop others through curiosity, care, and clear expectations.
Breadth of responsibility
CEO and board engagement, strategic priorities, decision rights, financial oversight, and cross-functional risk management.
Competency-based hiring and development, onboarding, manager support, performance expectations, and the conditions that shape retention and transitions.
Translating values into resource decisions, access, service expectations, and practices. My work has included transportation equity and financial learning for staff.
Owned budgets up to $300 million and contributed to a $20 billion private-label card portfolio. Team figures describe cross-functional leadership, not necessarily direct reports.
Selected work
Selected outcomes and operating approaches, summarized without sharing proprietary work products.
Professional experience
June 2024–present
Washington, DCAdvisory & professional services
Founder & Principal
Executive advisory, leadership development, and research.
Developed a leadership methodology drawing on cross-sector operating experience, with a focus on organizational design, governance, and the conditions that support effective work.
April 2022–May 2024
Washington, DC
Nonprofit advocacy & membership
Chief Operating Officer
Established the organization’s first national COO function.
Partnered with the CEO, board, and senior leaders on strategic planning and business-model redesign. Built operating frameworks across finance, people, technology, facilities, legal, compliance, and chapter engagement. Clarified decision rights between the national organization and autonomous local sections, connecting shared priorities with local ownership.
October 2015–April 2022
Missouri & Arkansas
Public charter education
President of Operations & Chief Operating Officer
Leadership across KIPP St. Louis and KIPP Delta; promoted to President of Operations in 2021.
Led operational functions across six campuses, including finance, human resources, facilities, data, transportation, and child nutrition. Worked across rural Arkansas communities and metropolitan St. Louis. Created service-level agreements to clarify support-team responsibilities and led transportation redesign with backup capacity in place before campuses changed their operating model.
July 2012–October 2015
Charlotte, North Carolina
Public K–12 education
Director, Project & Change Management
Office of the Superintendent · Broad Resident
Led strategic planning across a 168-school system, engaging 22 task forces and more than 4,000 community stakeholders. Directed a 66-member cross-functional team in the Office of the Superintendent, largely through influence rather than direct reporting authority. Connected district priorities with a $295 million capital strategy and developed leadership and project-management practices.
July 2008–June 2012
New York · Chicago · FloridaBanking & financial services
Senior Vice President
Risk, technology, and infrastructure governance.
Contributed to a $20 billion private-label card portfolio through risk governance and program leadership. Coordinated risk, legal, compliance, finance, marketing, and operations around testing, approval, rollout readiness, and ongoing controls. Led a 30-person cross-functional pilot team with a $550,000 pilot budget during a period of intense financial and regulatory scrutiny.
June 2000–August 2006
Auburn Hills, Michigan · Kokomo, Indiana
Automotive manufacturing
Operations leadership
Labor relations, logistics, and procurement.
Worked across workforce planning, labor relations, transportation, and distribution. Worked in labor relations within a 3,000-employee plant and held responsibility for a $4 million transportation budget. Supported UAW contract negotiations, improved manpower-placement practices, and received the EVP Award of Excellence.
Education & continued learning
BBA, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
Education leadership study through the Broad Residency
My current learning includes applied artificial intelligence through Wharton Executive Education and Michigan Engineering Professional Education.
More about my education and communityRecognition & professional engagement
I am exploring executive leadership opportunities. If my experience fits the challenges your organization is working through, I welcome a conversation about the role and its priorities.
Connect about a roleFor fractional leadership or advisory services, visit Power in Practice.