I am a designer, photographer, art director, and nonprofit leader with over two decades of experience shaping brands and building mission-driven work.
As the founder of a creative services studio and the founder and executive director of a mental health nonprofit, I’ve built my career around a client- and cause-focused mindset — cultivating teams, strengthening organizations, and creating work that contributes to meaningful change within communities.
My professional path spans freelance, agency, and in-house roles, where I’ve developed expertise in logo design, brand identity systems, and comprehensive style guides that ensure clarity and consistency. I’ve also led strategic planning and executed integrated marketing campaigns across print, digital, editorial, and environmental platforms — balancing concept, craft, and execution from start to finish.
Recognition in print design, photography, event management, and film has led to opportunities to serve as an adjunct professor in Design and Photography, conduct portfolio reviews, and mentor emerging creatives.
I am genuinely eager to contribute to impactful, creative endeavors alongside other cool humans.
Here are the highlights from more than 20 years of experience in the creative services industry; for my expanded CV, click here. Or explore my portfolio with a curated selection of work.
And what will you not learn about me just by reading my resumé? Scroll down for more of my personal story.
There is more to my story than what is on my resumé.
I am a first-generation American, raised by Irish and Danish-born immigrant parents along the shoreline of Connecticut. I grew up in a culture of hygge — grounded in simplicity, wood-burning stoves, tea times, and a deep appreciation for nature. My childhood was marked by simple freedoms: exploring nearby woods, making “paintings” from mud, and swinging from the bent dogwood I lovingly called the “elbow tree.”
Creativity and craftsmanship run deep in my family. For generations, we have designed, built, and cultivated beautiful, intentional things — a legacy that naturally led me to study fine art direction. My parents and grandparents modeled an entrepreneurial spirit, building small creative businesses while also demonstrating the importance of giving back and serving their communities.
After graduation, my career unfolded across industries including adventure travel, conservation, human resources, finance, and signature event planning. I traveled nationwide — from New York City to Sitka, from San Francisco to Sayulita — producing large-scale events, implementing brand systems, collaborating with press, and developing integrated marketing campaigns. I worked behind the camera and at the computer, presented to clients and teams, and wore whatever hat was needed to bring projects to life.
Alongside agency and in-house roles, I built my freelance practice and eventually established { The Summer House }, a studio that intentionally offers reduced-fee and pro-bono creative services to nonprofit organizations.
As my personal and professional lives evolved, so did my desire to make a deeper impact. Through collaboration with trusted colleagues, I co-founded Equuvation — a nonprofit providing equine-assisted therapies and accessible mental health services in an underserved region of North Carolina. My lifelong connection to nature and animals, combined with my creative leadership, has allowed me to shape Equuvation into both an innovative think tank and a therapeutic community — connecting people to horses and nature for healing, wellness, and education.