Seattle Arts and Lectures

As the Executive Director of SAL, I lead the Board and staff to co-create a compelling vision for the organization and then to make it all happen—kind of like the conductor of the orchestra of folks who make SAL possible. I grew up in North Carolina, and have lived all over the U.S., including Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Seattle. Before I came to SAL, I was lucky to spend 20 years leading organizations working at the intersection of arts, education, community building, and social justice. On my desk, you might find: books, notes from SAL lectures, a zillion post it notes, lists, more books, materials from peer organizations that inspire me, a dozen half-read New Yorkers, cards from kind folks, stones I found at the beach, and a tiny Daruma to make wishes come true. When I’m not at SAL, I can be found reading, walking, reading, cooking, reading, writing, reading, and petting (or vacuuming up after) my dog, Lannan. My personal motto is, “I’m a big believer in big dreams. And the road to yes is paved with no.”