I've spent my career working toward a goal shaped by my own experience: helping create education systems where every student has opportunities to thrive. Growing up in a mill town in northern New Hampshire as the first in my family to attend college, I experienced how education can open worlds. That's what drives my work—ensuring all students, not just some, get those opportunities.

My path began in the classroom—first in Japan, then as a social studies teacher in Boston and Framingham. Teaching across different cultures deepened my understanding of how context shapes learning, but also revealed a universal truth: traditional systems too often focus on grades and compliance rather than helping students engage with meaningful, relevant learning. 

Moving to the Center for Collaborative Education as a researcher changed everything. I discovered performance assessment—not just as another tool, but as a key lever for transformation. It wasn't only about access to education; it was about fundamentally rethinking how students learn and demonstrate understanding through authentic application. As Director of Quality Performance Assessment, I built partnerships across states to bring this vision to life. Most recently, leading CompetencyWorks at the Aurora Institute, I helped steward the national competency-based education field.

Throughout this journey, I've developed a unique perspective: I see the big picture of systems-level change while understanding ground-level implementation. I design strategic frameworks and facilitate their real-world application. Now, as an independent consultant, I bring that experience to districts ready to transform vision into practice.