After the past few years working part time and raising my two wonderful little boys, I am thrilled to be back in the field of conservation full time. It is through this position as the Conservation Awards Associate at the NFF in Missoula, MT that my passion for restoring the natural world is ignited once again. I look forward to working with this amazing team and meeting all of the partners and field staff over the years.

As an undergraduate at Penn State University, I got my first experience in the western U.S. while working at Yellowstone National Park. Every year following that first summer, I drove back out west to visit the many National Forests and Parks that we are so fortunate to have.  My final year of college, I was an intern with a research crew based in Lassen National Forest.

Following undergraduate studies, I developed a stream monitoring and education project for the Kiski-Conemaugh River Basin in Western Pennsylvania and then decided to venture westward to pursue a Master’s degree at The University of Montana. I was privileged enough to jump right into a marine restoration project in French Polynesia on the Island of Moorea as part of my master’s thesis. Post graduate work involved managing a database and web interface project at The University of Montana for the Herbarium in the Division of Biological Sciences. 

My family enjoys our National Forests regularly while skiing, biking, hunting, camping and hiking. It is my hope that these beautiful places will remain intact for my children and grandchildren in the generations to come. I am thrilled to play a part in restoration and conservation of these many treasured landscapes. It is a pleasure to be here.