My mission is to help busy leaders learn to act strategically each day. One of the big ironies of leadership is that while we look to leaders for vision and inspiration, most are too busy managing day-to-day operations to actually move the organization towards the vision. After observing the same situation with leaders in organizations across multiple industries, I decided to tackle this issue head on and, in July 2018, founded Strategic Leadership Consulting, LLC.
I have been a teacher, coach, and change agent for over 30 years. Most recently, I invested 13 years developing and coordinating training programs for aspiring school leaders at Clemson University (2013-2019) and Western Carolina University (2006-2013). At both schools, I led innovative redesigns of old programs. During this time, I’ve written extensively on leadership development, ethics, and the dark side of leadership, in both scholarly and practitioner journals.
My unique blend of scholarly training (EdD in Organizational Leadership from Bowling Green State University), athletic coaching, P-12 teaching and administration (17 years), and public and private sector leadership development (20+ years) provide me with multiple perspectives and insight into the fundamental truths of leadership.
My current work focuses on combining what research tells us about leading organizations with the realities faced by real people in real organizations. I distill complex ideas into simple actionable principles. My most recent/current projects include:
Leading and facilitating the design of Now + Next, a leadership model for non-profit, health care, and governmental leaders in Western North Carolina
Implementing strategic leadership practices across all levels (district, school, classroom)
Collaboratively designing and implementing a streamlined coaching model for school leaders
APEx, an online professional development resource for assistant principals
After studying Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies with minors in Spanish and Global Studies at Appalachian State University, I began recognizing a need for inclusion and outreach in many different organizations and collectives.
As the inclusion strategist for SLC, I strive to create more inclusive, accessible, and intergenerational content through different spaces and mediums. This includes developing the LEADnow! program, aiming to challenge common ideas and requirements of what a leader looks like by bringing young folks into the conversation.