I write about my search for solace in art and nature, lessons learned often in the most unexpected ways.
I serve and facilitate by applying lessons learned to issues we face, as we navigate the present and future of museums for visitors and for those of us who work within these cherished places.
she/her/hers
CEO, The Solace Project
Former President & CEO NYBG
Former Deputy Director, The Met
Former Curator of American Art, The Met
PhD, CUNY // MA UCLA // BA U of I, Chicago // Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, Columbia Business School // Certificate in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Brown University
Board member American Alliance of Museums // American Public Gardens Association // Omega Institute for Holistic Studies Stewardship Council // The Wellbeing Project
Museums and public gardens—-keepers of art, science, plants, hopes and history—are vital to America’s infrastructure of education, health, and economic growth. Now more than ever, the comfort and community created by viewing art, listening to music, and walking in nature is essential to our lives. We gather in these spaces for shared experience and reinvigoration of our spirit.
I am a cultural leader, curator, and historian of American art specializing in leadership transition and institutional renewal. I do my best work in moments of change — helping museums, historic houses, public gardens, and cultural organizations stabilize, refocus, and prepare confidently for their next era of leadership.
My career spans senior roles at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Botanical Garden where I led multidisciplinary teams, strengthened governance, shaped programs, and guided both organizations through complex leadership transitions.
Boards and executives turn to me when the stakes are high and clarity matters. I bring steady leadership, strategic focus, and respect for the people doing the work. I align governance, culture, and organizational wellbeing so institutions emerge from transition stronger, more resilient, and more self-aware.
Today, through consulting, lecturing, and curatorial projects, I support institutions navigating leadership change, program innovation, financial sustainability, and the thoughtful integration of art in museum and public garden settings.
If your organization is entering a period of transition, seeking renewed clarity of purpose, or interested in the ways art can shift lives, I welcome a conversation.