Varus Insight helps organizations align their communication, people, and strategies to ensure an authentic connection for effectively leveraging opportunities and resources. Our approach is based on understanding, connecting with individuals and focusing on meaningful engagement.

CommunicationsHelped communicate across a sprawling US$5.5B organization and with numerous external stakeholders to ensure engagement, secure policy approval, maintain public and lawmaker support, and ensure good corporate governance. Board Leadership• Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents• Chair, Strategic Planning Committee: Examined the major trends and challenges to higher education, including shifting demographics, online courses, MOOCs, for-profit colleges, non-traditional credentialing, declining public approval ratings, increased use of big data for intrusive advising, the pressure to improve completion rates, etc. Planned five board retreats. • Chair, Budget and Finance Committee: Explored the major issues impacting the economic well-being of the university, including enrollment management, differential tuition, research reimbursement rates, reduced public financing, and dealing with a major economic downturn. • Chair, Academic Affairs Committee: Examined the major issues facing the academic functions, including freedom of speech, protection for tenured professors, core curriculum, transfer issues, grade inflation, curriculum development, tenure and tenure-track teaching loads, the increasing use of instructors and adjunct professors, costs of course materials, etc. • Chair, Laws and Policies Committee: Developed an extensive working knowledge of how policies—if not crafted properly and updated on a regular basis—can help or hinder an institution from being flexible, innovative, and accomplishing its goals. • Chair, Audit Committee: The university auditor reported directly to the Board. Identified key areas of risk and compliance issues. Reviewed and provided feedback and guidance on numerous audit issues. • Chair, Capital Construction Committee: Reviewed and provided initial approval for all capital construction projects across the four-campus system, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars in new projects.

Responsible for global strategy, marketing and communications for the US$1 billion energy (oil, gas, chemicals, power) unit of CH2M HILL, a FORTUNE 500 firm. This business unit has more than 5,000 employes operating in 10 countries.

I am the lead on all global strategic marketing and internal communications, with a seven figure budget, for $1 billion business unit with 6,000 employees that serves oil, gas, and chemicals clients in 10 countries. I have a thorough knowledge of significant trends in the global oil and gas markets and provide daily market intelligence to senior leadership.

Won second state-wide election for a seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents, securing over 1 million votes.Skills used in the campaign as they relate to work : Strategic Communication: Crafting and delivering impactful messages through marketing, branding, media relations, community engagement, and public speaking to reach diverse audiences across various demographics and geographies is a requirement to run for office successfully. By balancing long-term vision with immediate objectives, I have sharpened my ability to execute corporate strategies and enhance market positioning effectively.Guerilla Marketing: Leading a campaign on a limited budget demanded innovation to attract media and stakeholder attention. Through social media engagement, compelling campaign videos, and creative visuals, I consistently achieved results. I apply the same ingenuity to internal and external communications campaigns, both in my professional career and in work with clients, delivering measurable outcomes.Strategic Planning: Formulating and executing campaign strategies with agility, adjusting to evolving events while managing multiple stakeholder interests. These skills are integral to the strategic initiatives I lead in my current work.Coalition-building and Negotiation: Another requirement for a successful campaign, I engaged the community, business, special interests, and others to build powerful alliances, and secured endorsements from key individuals and groups. This skill set has been pivotal in forging consensus and advancing organizational goals.Public Affairs: I worked alongside elected officials and candidates at the local, state, and federal levels, which has provided me with a deep understanding of the political landscape. Running for office has given me invaluable insights into the needs and concerns of elected leaders, which I leverage to drive success in public affairs efforts.

Won state-wide election for a seat on the University Colorado Board of Regents.