A story of quiet leadership and complex systems. In a coastal North Carolina community shaped by deep pride and layered trauma, I helped seed conditions for connection, healing, and change - by holding a container, honoring resistance, and working gently at the edges of what could be spoken.
An effort to build the invisible social infrastructure needed to support North Carolina’s local food system - structured around deep collaboration, community voice, and distributed leadership. I conceived and led a statewide effort to knit together regional actors, bridge institutional divides, and cultivate a systems-oriented network poised to adapt and endure.
As a guest speaker for students, faculty, and staff, I spoke to the role of the nervous system as we commemorated the legacy of Dr. M L King, Jr., whose teachings emphasize the need for belongingness and social connection across diverse groups.
Following an on-campus shooting at the University, I, along with colleagues Ann DuPre Rogers and Kim Wright, was invited to speak with faculty, staff, and MPA students about the need for trauma awareness in the local government profession.
I collaborated in a network weaving workshop with Christy Gabbard - acting intentionally to cultivate connections between people, groups, communities, and systems.