Experience

Built, permitted, and operated a neighborhood corner market and cafe specializing in local, healthy food and drinks and a neighborhood bar that further served as a community building hub
Conducted all aspects of the businesses from payroll to ordering, customer service, hiring and training employees, taxes, equipment maintenance, events and more
Grew a loyal following, creating vibrant community spaces with both businesses

More than doubled the number of schools reached by the Foundation’s youth nutrition and cooking education program, saturating the Puget Sound region
Established the program in New York City, now reaching students and teachers in more than 100 schools in the nation’s largest school district
Increased the program’s impact by improving quality of instruction, updates to curricula, videos, and lesson extensions
Increased awareness among key stakeholders through media outreach, new brand strategy and identity, including logos and new website, presence at local, regional and national food education conferences and events
Taught hundreds of nutrition and cooking education workshops in youth classrooms as well as adult programs for teachers, school district personnel and corporate partners
Hired and trained more than 20 instructors
Created a robust system for tracking and evaluating short and long-term program impact from data collected in pre- and post-workshop quizzes and follow-up surveys with students, parents and teachers
Forged strategic and funding partnerships with local and national foundations, Whole Foods, school districts, and private donors

Produced landscape analysis identifying key players, challenges, and interventions to improve the environmental and public health outcomes, economic impacts, and humane treatment in animal agriculture to inform grantmaking strategy for the Schmidt Family Foundation’s 11th Hour Project
Re-branding, message development, and communications strategies to boost funding for Chef Ann Cooper’sschool food reform initiatives
Stakeholder interviews, media audit, and strategic communications planning to improve the effectiveness and impact of climate change science communications initiatives on behalf of Resolve for The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Mapped the landscape of climate communications and engagement efforts, stakeholder interviews, evaluation of various approaches and strategies, and wrote findings report for The Resource Innovation Group, The Social Capital Project, and the Skoll Global Threats Fund

Co-founded this mission-driven firm to increase awareness of issues related to food, what we eat, why we eat it, where it came from, how it was produced, by whom and for whom, as a unique gateway to the most pressing issues of our time – environmental sustainability, public health and narrowing the gap between rich and poor
Developed communications strategies for new agriculture grantmaking programs at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and The Schmidt Family Foundation’s 11th Hour Project
Provided policy advocacy and strategic communications to advance the work of dozens of farmers, food businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and philanthropists working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system
Designed and conducted public opinion research including polling, focus groups, and stakeholder interviews
Data analysis and reporting to stakeholders
Message development, communications strategy and media outreach to increase consumer awareness and sales of sustainably produced, healthy, whole foods

Senior publicist in this organization formerly known as Environmental Media Services based in Washington DC, leading media campaigns on the nation’s first organic standards, marine conservation, efforts to expose the public health threat from toxic chemicals, and wilderness protection campaigns
Directed the new West Coast offices, growing Resource Media to include staff in CA, CO, MT, and OR as the communications arm of dozens of issue change campaigns
Provided communication services to frame policy change campaigns, train spokespeople, counter opposition and leverage media coverage as a tool to boost decision-maker awareness of critical public health and environmental protection issues

Directed communications for national offices in Washington, DC and San Francisco headquarters
Wrote press releases, op-eds, talking points and speeches for president, board chair and senior staff
Conducted media trainings and support for dozens of state and regional chapters
Participated in national Green Group communications strategy and coordination of multi-group initiatives
Media support for president and board chair at Kyoto Global Warming Summit

Developed strategic communications plans
Wrote press releases, talking points, and op-eds
Conducted media training for spokespeople
Pitched stories to reporters and set up press briefings and interviews for spokespeople

Deputy press secretary in the Majority Leader’s office
Press Secretary to U.S. Senator
Primary liaison with reporters, processing interview requests, serving as spokesperson
Wrote floor speeches, created issue briefings, press packets, talking points, op-eds
Prepped Senators for media interviews

Coordinated press corps coverage for press conferences and photo-ops
Wrote and distributed press releases
Briefed Press Secretary, the President and other senior staff on reporter stakeouts with members of Congress and other visiting dignitaries
Traveled as a liaison with the press corps domestically and internationally
Processed requests for interviews and news show appearances for senior White House staff