In August 2006, I landed at the Regenerative Design Institute as a work trader. With a background in design and a burning desire to live in a more connected way with the land, I was curious about what solutions permaculture had to offer. After a long journey traveling and living abroad, I was tired of moving. When I landed at RDI, I knew I had found a unique place -- but I did not know how transformational the next four years of my life would be. I lived on site, beginning a 4-Seasons Permaculture course and loving the beauty of the valley and the lifestyle. After a month, I felt a deep calling to participate in RDNA, and then in the Ecology of Leadership Program.

Through my leadership project in the EOL program with James Stark and Christopher Kuntszch, I articulated my personal life vision, deepened my skills in designing my life and found balance in my personal "core routine" practices. My leadership project was called My Personal Vision - I envisioned a place that was a community center, my home, a demonstration center, a permaculture farm. A few months later I was offered an opportunity to step into my vision by becoming the assistant director for The Center for Community Empowerment, Inc., which in September 2009 moved me to Jasper, Indiana. 

The Center’s mission is to strengthen community vitality through collaboration and by sharing our skills in sustainable living, permaculture/organic gardening, personal and community growth, and healing arts. We dug contour swales, are growing food, staked out where the greenhouse will be, and I've been selling flowers at the local farmer's market.

But my true passion is for the personal and leadership development work that we did in EOL. Since here, I've led groups through the "What's Your Tree" program -- a program started by Julia Butterfly Hill -- helping people do the kind of work that was so important to me. I provide personal holistic life coaching services here, inspired by Christopher Kuntzsch and the work he does. 

 I've also been exploring the connection between astrology and permaculture -- looking at the patterns in our landscape as well as the patterns in the cosmos. I relate the cycles of the planets and stars to the 8 Shields model and the medicine wheel. With my coaching clients and in my What's Your Tree groups, I look in the astrology world for patterns that will help them. It's another tool to help people move forward in their leadership and their vision for their lives and their communities.