Originally from Maitland Florida, I received my undergraduate degree from USF with a concentration in geography under Dr. Robert Brinkman. After completing my degree, I traveled around the country and worked at numerous resource management jobs, the first of which was teaching environmental education in the northeast.

Following that time, I worked for a season at Muir Woods National Monument in California, primarily providing redwood ecology talks, monitoring salmon spawning, hooting for northern spotted owls and collecting and propagating seeds. The next opportunity took me to Washington State where I lived and worked on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for almost four years. During my time in Washington I worked on trail construction and reforestation projects, riparian surveys, exotic removal projects, and a comprehensive watershed analysis for the basin. I also participated on elk telemetry surveys, northern spotted owl surveys, a western pond turtle head-start program, and Larch Mountain salamander surveys. One unique opportunity there allowed me to participate on the Wind River Canopy Crane research project.

From Washington, I moved to Paraguay in South America and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for 27 months focusing on soil conservation techniques and Agro-forestry systems with subsistence farmers. I came back to Florida in 2000 and took a position with the Florida Park Service administering their statewide AmeriCorps volunteer program. Half of my time was spent in the field with the volunteers assisting them on prescribed fires, gopher tortoise surveys, habitat restoration projects, disaster response/recovery and exotic removal projects.

During that time I also completed the Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute (UF IFAS) which focused on practical skills in facilitating and working with diverse stakeholder groups to resolve environmental issues. This program gave me the inspiration to enroll in graduate school at FSU where I am completing a degree in Public Administration & Policy, with a specialization in planning dispute resolution. In 2006, I was offered a position with Florida Communities Trust (Florida Forever) as a planner primarily reviewing management plans, conducting site visits, and ensuring compliance through annual stewardship reporting for approximately 120 public parks in SE Florida.

In my spare time, I enjoy volunteering in the community, traveling, biking, hiking, backpacking, snow boarding, skiing, mountain climbing, kayaking, and anything else that fuels my passion and adrenaline. My most recent trip was hiking in the Okanagan Mountains in British Columbia, Canada, where I had the opportunity to view big horn sheep and mountain goats.