As the main point of contact for the Center’s Meat Processing Loan program, I support local processors with their financing and business goals. I also work with other food and farm businesses, providing guidance on access to capital, grant opportunities, and other resources to support their success and growth.
For more than 15 years, I’ve worked at the intersection of local food, agriculture, sustainability, and civic engagement, mostly in the nonprofit field. I believe that when we work from a place of shared values, it shifts the power away from political ideology to uniting on principles. That belief has guided my approach to community building and is why I thrive working in rural communities—building bridges of mutual respect for the common good.
My passion for rural communities runs deep, and I was hooked on the Center’s mission since I learned about the work decades ago. The Center’s commitment to rural communities has only strengthened the pride I feel for my own rural upbringing, making it a natural fit for me to be part of this team.
I live in Lincoln, Nebraska, but I’ll always consider the rural Nebraska Sandhills my home. I grew up on cattle ranches near Bassett, and stayed in the area until I graduated and moved to Lincoln. Since then, I’ve lived in California and Seattle, but continued to find my way back to doing good work here in Nebraska.
I’m a bird nerd, nature explorer, and a true lover of Nebraska’s landscapes, including the salt marshes around Lincoln, the Sandhills, and our riverways. Talk to me about your favorite Nebraska adventures, and I’ll share what I know about hidden waterfalls on the Niobrara and the best places to catch a full moonrise.
Q&A
What book has impacted you the most?
“Banker to the Poor” by Muhammad Yunus has stayed with me as an impactful and inspiring book about the transformative power of mission-driven lending. Looking back now, it’s no surprise I ended up here at the Center and loving the work in food system financing.
What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
Thanksgiving. There’s a fun tradition in my group of friends to walk the length of Wilderness Park. And I love to gather good people around good food, bringing gratitude and acknowledgement to the holiday.
If you could instantly be good at something, what would it be?
Speaking multiple languages! It would make traveling more fun and I’d love that connection with Nebraska’s richly diverse communities.
