Tell us about your personal and/or professional background (as little or as much as you'd like to share)

I've worked in the Pittsburgh environmental nonprofit industry for almost 20 years. Having been raised in rural Pennsylvania and as a transplant to the community, I can't imagine raising my 4 children anywhere else. We love spending our time exploring the cultural scene as well as Pittsburgh's many outdoor amenities. Professionally, I'm an outdoor leader with expertise in the nonprofit industry. Personally, I'm an amateur athlete, writer and lover of change! I value supporting the holistic individual both in my personal life and my professional life.

What inspired you to support our work with a donation?

1Hood Is an organization working authentically to change lives. As a nonprofit leader, I'm rather picky about where I choose to allocate donations. 1Hood and their talented team of individuals strive to create change within our communities that will have lasting ripple effects for generations to come. I want to put my support and my donations behind organizations with a mission and passion for ensuring an equitable future. 1Hood encapsulates this perfectly.

1Hood's Advocacy work is probably the most important thing the organization can do. Much of what we try to combat in the nonprofit industry is due to systemically racist and discriminatory policies and practices that continue to persist. Advocating for change at the state and national level while educating community members is imperative.

At our very basic level, we are all humans striving for the same happy existence. While it's so important to have affinity communities with like-minded individuals, we are all together in this journey. To me, our community our support means equity in the human existence.