I am the new Marketing & Communications Director at Children’s Home Society of Washington, an organization whose mission deeply resonates with me. I am driven to incent action and change through my professional craft – communication.
My philanthropic drive developed at a young age. I am the youngest of three, with one sibling being my twin brother. We were born two-and-a half-months premature, weighing just 2.5 pounds and measuring 12 inches. We both suffered immense trauma from the early birth and were in incubators for over a month. As an unfortunate turn of events, the oxygen to my twin brother, Greg, was cut off for several minutes, which would later materialize as severe cerebral palsy.
As we grew up, Greg continued to be extremely impacted by the implications associated with cerebral palsy, and the lighthearted, quick witted spirit of a mentally bright kid born in a broken body quickly began to diminish. I stood by and helpless watched, with severe “twin guilt” from my ability to behave as a “normal” kid. Greg’s battle with the complications associated with cerebral palsy ultimately took his life, marking the 10-year anniversary of his death in 2020.
While I know Greg’s fate was unavoidable, and we were more fortunate than other families to have adequate means to cover his care and medical expenses, it doesn’t make it any easier to have lost my other half. There are so many kids out there who are dealing with challenges as severe if not more so than what Greg dealt with – physically, mentally and environmentally – without the family support or monetary means. That’s why the work we do at CHSW is so meaningful to me, because if I can have even a small part in making a difference in the lives of children who need additionally support in life, it will all have been worth it.
As a seasoned communications professional with more than 15 years’ experience in the public relations agency and in-house roles, I began my professional development in the traditional communications space, working on campaigns like “Girl Scouts Beyond Bars” with The Girl Scouts of the USA, and Target Start Something character education programming.
Through the only constant in life – change – one thing remains clear as a driving force behind my professional trajectory: the desire to pioneer communications strategies that are altruistic, instill action and “give back” to those who need it most.
