Biography
I am an executive coaching and strategy faciliator who believes the answers are already in the room - I just help you find them. When I am not helping teams unlock breakthrough thinking or navigate organizational complexity, I am logging miles as a two-time Ironman triathlon finisher. My training mantra, "Foward is a pace" also sums up my coaching philosophy. I know what it takes to do what feels impossible.
Details:
I am an ICF ACC-certified executive coach, leadership developer, and innovation consultant with more than 25 years of experience working at the intersection of organizational effectiveness, public health, and human-centered leadership. Based in the DC-Metro area, I bring deep expertise in federal health policy, payment reform, and large-scale organizational transformation - and an equally deep commitment to helping people lead with clarity, courage, and purpose.
My federal work spans a decade and eight agencies. As a Senior Principal at MITRE’s Health Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), I oversaw a department of 25 staff managing approximately 30 projects with an $85M budget, delivering innovative solutions across agencies. I also led the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network (LAN) for HHS, directing strategy, staffing, and senior-level communication across CMS and the private sector as the federal government worked to accelerate the shift to value-based payment models. Earlier in my career, I led strategic operations and specialty care initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, achieving organizational performance targets and reducing costs while improving access to care for thousands of patients.
Across my federal and private-sector career, I have built and led comprehensive leadership development programs at scale. At MITRE, I created and executed a multi-faceted program for 150+ leaders in the Health practice, spanning Director-level executives to Project Leaders, resulting in a 50% increase in project-ready leaders and measurable improvements in client delivery and innovation outcomes. I also served as an adjunct trainer on MITRE’s Inclusion & Diversity team, facilitating sessions on building and leading diverse teams with equity-centered approaches, and chaired MITRE’s 900-member Women’s Community Resource Group.
Today, I am the Co-Founder and Executive Coach at The SparkLit Group, a boutique consulting firm partnering with leaders and organizations navigating complex challenges through executive coaching, innovation facilitation, and strategic storytelling. Our clients range from biotech startups and health-focused nonprofits to the U.S. Air Force and legislative branch of the U. S. Government. As an ICF-certified Leadership Circle Profile coach, I bring a strengths-based approach to 1:1 and team coaching - one grounded in deep listening, meaningful inquiry, and a genuine commitment to helping people uncover their leadership strengths.
Certified in multiple innovation frameworks, including the MITRE Innovation Toolkit, Facilitative Leadership, Accelerating Implementation Methodology, and Interest-Based Problem Solving, I design and lead workshops that help organizations learn to innovate together, solve mission-critical challenges, and build cultures that sustain change. I am also a qualified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) facilitator and a co-host of Listening for the Questions, a podcast exploring leadership, coaching, and how to listen for the questions that open new possibilities.
I have a Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from James Madison University. I received my coaching certification through GWU’s ICF-accredited One Humanity Lab program.