Proud product of Philadelphia public and Durham NC public schools. Graduate of the oldest public university in America: UNC Chapel Hill. (Go Heels!), where my studies were focused on public policy and urban planning. Teacher-trained in LA Unified, followed by nine years of life-shaping classroom experience in Houston and NYC middle schools. After teaching, I spent 20 fulfilling years at the Chicago affiliate of Communities In Schools, working in a variety of capacities - program design and evaluation; board management and governance; operations; and MARCOMs - to help students unlock their potential and stay on the path to graduation: That work was great preparation for my current role at the Wayfarer Foundation. It had been my goal for some time to work within the philanthropy sector, and I couldn't think of a better place to get that start. Wayfarer is striving to build a peaceful, caring world by investing in grassroots organizations across the country that promote unity and social justice through spiritually rooted practices. More than ever, we need this type of bridge-building and healing work to flourish, and it's great to be part of the Foundation's growing team, focused on building the capacity of its dedicated board of directors to advance the Foundation's long-term goals.