About

My Story

Leaving Europe in 2001 to begin a new chapter in Oregon, USA was the most significant change of my life. The depth of that change has revealed itself slowly over the years and continues to be one of my greatest teachers.

While I was deliberate and clear about my decision to emigrate, I could never have predicted how — or where — the possibilities and challenges of change would appear.

What has followed has been a long season of learning, seeking, and experimenting. What may look directionless to some has always felt alive and creative to me. It’s been a journey to understand and celebrate my own preferences in a world that prizes knowing, achieving, and producing. Above all, it has been about consciously writing — and owning — my story of becoming.

I’ve always been deeply curious about people and places. My lifelong question has been: “Why do people do what they do?” My everyday questions: “What is possible from here?” and “What if the opposite is true?”

Professionally, I founded Oaks Impact LLC after 25 years working across human development and performance, corporate social responsibility (Environmental, Social, and Governance management), strategic communications consulting, and organizational development. My work with professional services firms and global clients — including Microsoft, Volvo, SAP, Tiffany & Co., and social enterprises such as YWCA, Boys and Girls Club, and Mercy Corps — shaped both my craft and my conviction.

Working in corporate social responsibility for over 15 years taught me that leadership is both an inner and outer practice. It revealed the realities of organizational change, the complexity of human behavior, and the courage it takes to hold a vision, lead with values, and become the leader you want to be.

Today, I’m energized by helping individuals, teams, and organizations navigate change — to own and rewrite their stories, expand their range, elevate consciousness, and create capacity and capability to thrive in the face of change.

Outside of work, I’m often found golfing, practicing yoga or Pilates, hiking and photographing nature, attending local art workshops, volunteering, or traveling in search of beauty, culture, and connection.

I grew up in a bilingual English–Welsh household in Wales and was educated through the medium of Welsh — which made learning French and German especially entertaining! My favorite places in nature are near the coast or on islands — whether in the United Kingdom, Japan, Portugal, Italy, or the Galápagos.

Certifications And Trainings

• Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
• Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
• Leadership Circle Profile Certified
• Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP) Certified
• Belbin Certified
• Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC™) Trained
• Barret Values Center Trained
• Dare to Lead Trained
• PROSCI Change Management Certified
• M.S. in Public Relations; University of Stirling
• B.S in Business Management with German; Royal Holloway, University of London

Why Oaks Impact?

I’m inspired by the outdoors – by our interconnectedness with nature and the quiet wisdom it offers. The oak tree, in particular, has always been a teacher.

I grew up surrounded by oak trees in Wales, and today they define the landscape of my family’s farm in West-Central Minnesota. Over the years, I’ve watched countless acorns grow into a thriving oak forest — each one a story of patience, resilience, and care. These trees sustain the land, shelter life, and shape a view of enduring possibility.

Like acorns, ideas and actions — when planted with intention — can create lasting impact. I’ve seen how small beginnings, when nurtured, can transform individuals, teams, and organizations.

The oak tree is a living metaphor for life and leadership:
rooted and resilient, standing tall through the seasons, and always seeding new possibilities.

That is the spirit — and the inspiration — behind Oaks Impact.