I coach government and non-government leaders working in complex, high-stress environments.  

I empower individuals to identify their goals, re-discover strengths and values, work through challenges and barriers, and move forward on their unique adventures.  

My clients appreciate the safe space I create, the renewed sense of purpose they gain, and support for showing up effectively at work, in their personal lives, and for themselves.  

I was born in Whitehall, Wisconsin, and grew up on the shores of Shell Lake, where I learned to paddle a canoe, build sandcastles, gather wild raspberries, play hide-n-seek in the pines, and swim with the tadpoles.  I listened to the songs of the loons, the laughter of my cousins, and my grandmother reciting poetry.  

I eventually discovered my own poetic voice while studying at Colorado State University and learned to be a voice for others as a lawyer and human rights advocate.  My human rights career spans more than two decades and includes government and non-government service, including as a Labor Attaché for the U.S. Department of Labor at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, a Deputy Senior Coordinator in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Office, Acting Chief of Staff for the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, Policy Director for Polaris in Washington, DC, and Staff Attorney for The Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I am proud to have advanced justice and human rights for vulnerable populations and held perpetrators accountable for their abuse.

I live in Washington, DC, am married to Olga Juárez José, an economist and advocate for women’s economic empowerment, and have two feline children—Fina and Cheeto. I love being an aunt, daughter, niece, cousin, sister, and friend. I enjoy bicycling, cross-country skiing, hiking, kayaking, tennis, and good food, music, and theater from all cultures.  

I love to study world religions and engage in interfaith dialogue.  I was baptized in the Lutheran church, confirmed in both the Lutheran and Catholic churches, and received in the Episcopal church. I currently worship at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC.  I also practice centering prayer and insight meditation.

I am a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and a member of the International Coaching Federation.