I was identified as “super-creative” in kindergarten—an early label that turned out to be prophetic. . In elementory school, I was selected as a research subject for the work at Long Beach State that would later result in Betty Edward's 1979 book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain."  As a senior, I received a statewide honor from Nancy and Governor Ronald Reagan, representing the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary, for a soft sculpture piece—an experience that affirmed art as both a calling and a serious pursuit. Awards from subsequent art submissions helped fund my first year at Cal Poly, where I studied Landscape Architecture.

While my professional career led me into private development and infrastructure project management, city planning, and municipal management, art never left my life.  Fiber work remained a constant thread through adulthood. I continued entering exhibitions and competitions, often working in sculptural paper and fiber; one of my pieces was selected for the poster of a Peace and Justice art competition in New York. Over the years, I’ve explored nearly every fiber art technique, everything except bobbin lace, and I bring an engineer's mind to my making; blending structure, problem-solving, and precision with play, texture, and intuition.

Today, I’m semi-retired and joyfully refocusing on creative work. I live at 7,700 feet in the largest mountain valley in the world, in south-central Colorado, surrounded by wide skies, mountains, big ideas, and a lively household that includes two Corgis, two cats, and six chickens. I’m currently obsessed with the lyrics of the B-52s and am translating that energy, humor, and rhythm into a new series of sculpted paper pieces. My work reflects a lifetime of curiosity, craftsmanship, and creative persistence—proof that art isn’t a phase, but a way of living.

I encourage you to tap into your own creative genius. I assembled a guide based on my research and experience. You can download it without fear that I am capturing your email for other uses.

Credentials

  • 40 years in local government and major development entitlement management
  • Las Vegas and Desert Rose (Tucson) Catholic Worker - live and work volunteer homeless & migrant ministry
  • Chaplain Residency (CPE units) Bridgeport Yale/New Haven Hospital, Internship Banner Good Samaritan, Phoenix
  • Extensive mediation and conflict resolution training from C.D.R. Associates, Boulder, CO
  • California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, B.S. Landscape Architecture
  • National University, M.B.A.
  • Creighton University, M.A. Ministry
  • International City Managers Association Certified City/County Manager
  • Government Finance Officers Association Member
  • Member, American Institute of Certified Planners
  • Member, American Society of Landscape Architects
  • Advocate Safehouse Project Board, founding member (domestic violence program)
  • Lake City Medical Center board member
  • Founding member, Symphony of the Valley, Glenwood Springs, CO
  • "How to Deal with Rapid Change" presentation at the 1995 Colorado Municipal - top-rated by conference participants
  • Heartland Center for Leadership Development Rural-Urban Connection think tank
  • Speaker and workshops for Colorado Association of Ski Towns, Colorado Governor's Smart Growth Conference,  Leadership Aspen, International Sleep Products Association
  • Extensive mediation and conflict resolution training from C.D.R. Associates  
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