About

I'm passionate about sustainability, making community connections, supporting local businesses and organizations, and helping others. I like to say I'm a catalyst and curator of experiences.  Live music and biking are my lifelines. 

I graduated from DePaul University with a BA in Communications and a minor in Social Behavior. I studied for six months at the University of Reading, England, and did a four-week backpacking trip in the Wind River Wilderness through NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School.

I am currently a social media/marketing specialist at Sketchbook Brewing Company and marketing communications specialist and staff writer at Natural Awakenings Magazine. I have done freelance writing for newspapers, magazines, blog posts, and local businesses for over ten years. I am a member of the Chicagoland Writer’s Association, and have an essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias.

I serve as the Chair of Events, Outreach, and Communication for The Talking Farm, a non-profit based in Skokie that is committed to expanding the awareness, importance, and availability of locally grown produce. 

I’ve worked with Alzheimer’s residents in long term care for years, and served on the board for the Chicagoland Activities Professionals Association (CAPA) as Newsletter Editor for two years. I am an active volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association and have written and spoken extensively about the disease. For more about my advocacy efforts, see my Alzheimer's page.

I have been a Certified Dementia Practitioner, a certified Alzheimer’s support group facilitator, and completed the 36-Hour Activity Director’s Course on a full scholarship. I trained for years at ComedySportz, and find that improv comedy skills help out in a lot of everyday life situations.

I currently live in Evanston, Illinois, and am very active in my community. I attend and support as many community functions as I can, and am a member of Art Encounter, Evanston Made, Wild Onion Market, White Antiracist Group,  and a number of other local organizations. 

I am passionate about biking, yoga, community, nature, music, craft beer, social justice, the arts, writing, sustainability, comfortable shoes, shopping at thrift stores, honesty, laughing, and my godson Jahmar.