Professional Background
My purpose is to expand what we think of as religious or intentional communities to help people create relationships and spaces that promote belonging, meaning-making, and telling our stories to one another and to the world. I do this through congregational ministry, creating ceremonies, community building, building educational programming, and sharing my ideas in a variety of venues.
Current Work
2026-Present
American Humanist Association
As the Education Director at the American Humanist Association (AHA), I oversee the Kochhar Education Center which offers resources and programs for Humanist individuals, groups, and families. I also coordinate with the Humanist Society, the credentialing body for Humanist Celebrants and Chaplains.
2025-Present
Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association
As the President of the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association (UUHA), I lead our board of directors and supervise our staff in building bridges for UU Humanists between UU communities and the Humanist movement.
2021-Present
United Lutheran Seminary
In my studies in the Doctor of Ministry program at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, I have completed all the necessary coursework and am focused on my final research and writing. The topic I am exploring is spiritual practices for non-theists and the religiously unaffiliated. My working label for these are Practices of Connection and the current title of my research is: Navigating the Practiced Life: Drawing a Constellation of Practices for Non-theists.
Education
2015-2018
Master of Divinity Meadville Lombard Theological School
My seminary program combined the practical skills development needed for ministry with deep knowledge of Unitarian Universalism as a tradition and personal identity formation as a liberal clergy person. Meadville Lombard is a national UU seminary and as such my fellow students came from contexts across the continent and from several other countries. This experience helped me understand Unitarian Universalism not only at the congregations I have direct experience with but as a living tradition that takes many local forms.
2012-2015
Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management Hamline University School of Business
The focus of this graduate degree was learning how to lead and grow successful nonprofit organizations through operational, programatic, and strategic skills development at the executive level. During my studies, I traveled to Jerusalem and around Israel as part of a course called: Conflict Resolution from Religious Traditions. Through my Poverty & Public Policy course I participated in Homes for All lobbying and advocacy & contributed to "A blueprint to end poverty".
2009-2012
Certificate in Humanist Studies & Leadership
The Humanist Institute
My three years as a student at The Humanist Institute were part of my personal deepening in my Humanist identity and learning about the Humanist institutional ecosystem across the United States. Through my experiences in this program, I developed leadership skills and a sense of calling toward national work in non-theistic communities.
2003-2007
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology,
Criminal Justice, & Forensic Sciences with minors in Psychology and Biology
Hamline University
Many times I am asked what I learned through this broad array of Liberal Arts coursework. Beyond the common, though true, answers of critical thinking, academic skills, and personal development -- I would say I began to learn about human beings and what makes us tick: from the cellular to the societal. I was able to appreciate the ways we function and dysfunction biologically, socially, and psychologically as well as the ways we work well together and hurt each other in groups, families, and our broader society.
Activities and societies: Psi Chi Inductee, Graduated with Honors in Anthropology, Received the Belle and Leland Cooper Award in Anthropology.