As a native of Nashville 'Music City' Tennessee, I am passionate about helping the garden industry use creativity as their competitive edge—a path to financial sustainability and a way to connect people with plants in meaningful ways.My professional roles have spanned major gift and institutional fundraising, program design and interpretation, and content creation in and around gardens. With civic service and professional experience in historic preservation, I specialize in developing awareness for historic landscapes and structures. My work has further focused on collaborative programming between US and Japanese cultural institutions. As a member of the US-Japan Council and Japanese Language Proficiency Test-certified speaker, I lead staff trainings, participate in international exchanges, and develop programs to champion Japanese gardens as catalysts for community well-being and venues for creative expression. As a Longwood Fellow, I spent 2019-2020 advancing my executive leadership skills within the landscape of America’s public gardens. When I'm not at work, I'm probably on a road trip to a public garden or spending time with my dog Strawberry.