Staff Profile

I spent a short period of time  as an English Teacher, and since leaving the classroom I spent most of my work life in the nonprofit field.  Over the years I've worked for healthcare and environmental organizations doing program development and implementation, database work, volunteer management, and fundraising.  As a development director for seven years, I wrote a grant request or two (or three) and from my experience in development, I understand the ongoing effort necessary for nonprofits to fund their good work.  I remember well coming to the Meyer Memorial Trust office years ago to visit with MMT’s first Executive Director, Charles Rooks, to tell my nonprofit’s story.  I've worked at MMT for 10 years.

David Douglas High School in Portland

A teacher

I was a high school English Teacher (well, really, the whole English Department, girls' Health Teacher, & cheer leader advisor) my first year out of college at a very small rural high school (total 90 students). Simply put, it was really, really hard. After that first year I left teaching and I started working in the nonprofit field. This was, in part, in response to hearing about students' experiences as they were dealing with some pretty big personal and family problems and my concern about injustices in the world. I realized I wanted to do something to make the world better. I consider myself a nonprofit "lifer" and hope that over the years I have had a small part in making the world a little bit better. I did try being an English Teacher one more time about twenty years after leaving the field. A long-term substitute job at a middle school provided the "ah-ha" moment for me (okay, it totally slammed me). I finally, and completely, realized that I wasn't cut out for the profession. That experience, however, cemented my continuing deep, deep, DEEP respect for those who have chosen to be a teacher. As I mentioned above, I realize that teaching is very hard work. Generally, my English degree -- although not guaranteeing a high-paying job, DANG! -- has served me well. Reading, writing, and communicating skills have come in handy in all of the jobs I've had since teaching.

Learn more about the world: dream bigger.

Hanging out with friends, student government, journalism (yearbook), speech, Future Teachers' club, reading.

Folk music. It seemed like everybody owned a guitar (I tried strumming a mandolin for a while, but it didn't stick) and there was a lot of singing (not necessarily good singing, just singing) going on. Lots of the protest songs helped to focus feelings about the war, race relations & other issues at the time. During my first few years of college I had a GREAT part-time job as event usher. I got to see a lot of the big name musicians that came to Eugene to play on campus. I saw my beloved Simon & Garfunkel, but also got to see the likes of Ike & Tina Turner, Sly & the Family Stone, Donovan, Cat Stevens, The Supremes, Fifth Dimension, BB King & lots more. It was a fabulous way for a kid who didn't get out much to expand my musical tastes. That way, I even got a small paycheck while I could see a concert (which I couldn't have afforded a ticket to anyway)!

blush.

I love to laugh.