Travertine Strategies

I have 25 years of experience with organizations dedicated to affordable housing, community development, and land conservation. Before launching Travertine Strategies, I spent ten years at Solid Ground Consulting, and prior to that, was principal of Heron River Group. I served as executive director of Proud Ground in Portland, Oregon, and founded a... nd managed the CLT Land Stewardship Program for the North Missoula Community Development Corporation. I got my first taste of public service as a land use planner in Missoula. I have served on the boards of the National Community Land Trust Network, Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition, and Growing Gardens. My work with land trusts of all stripes has been a happy marriage between my Master of Science in environmental studies (University of Montana) and Bachelor of Arts in philosophy (Williams College). At the heart what I do is my interest in conserving land to meet a range of community needs, from cultural resources to food production to housing to wildlands. As a staff member, executive director, nonprofit board member, and consultant, I have broad experience in strategy and planning, fundraising, governance, stakeholder engagement processes, collaboration, and mergers. Im interested in organizations working toward a healthy built and natural environment, and bridging ideas across those sectors. It's not "all strategy, all the time" for me, though: I love being outdoors - backpacking, cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing. My status as a geology and fossil nerd is evidenced by the dinosaur toys, fossil ammonite, big chunk of obsidian, and beautiful piece of stromatolitic jasper in my office, plus my collection of excellent books by John McPhee and many of the books in the "Roadside Geology" series. (Who else would name their company "Travertine" but a rockhound? See below for more about travertine.) I'm also a musician. While I don't keep the banjo or the guitar in my office, they are nearby and ready for action. At any given time, I've got various musical ...Read More