Experience
Executive Director SLO County Arts Council, San Luis Obispo, CA | November 2021 – July 2026Served as sole full-time staff member building organizational infrastructure from the ground up. Secured and administered over $170,000 in individual contributions and multi-county grant initiatives totaling $240,000, including a $60,000 arts education grant from the SLO Community Foundation. Founded the Blank Canvas Arts Grant (2026), the first open grant program for individual artists in SLO County. Served as organizational lead for the Central Coast Creative Corps (2022–2024), overseeing regional professional development workshops reaching 2,000+ artists across a six-county initiative. Reinstated the SLO County Poet Laureate program (2025), producing an inaugural sold-out reading of 200 guests featuring California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick. Produced the 2025 Arts and Culture Economic Impact Report end-to-end — contracting economists, writing the literature review, synthesizing executive interviews, designing the publication, and hosting a sold-out 150-seat community launch event. Managed state and local grant compliance, donor stewardship, public programming, and board relations.
Gallery Assistant and Curator | Edna Contemporary, San Luis Obispo, CA | 2026
Current Gallery assistant and curator of the Edna Pocket Gallery
Founding Partner | Walker Street, San Luis Obispo, CA | 2026
Co-founded artist-led creative venue at 1335 Walker Street, San Luis Obispo
Independent Contractor | Uplift Catalyst Grant | July 2026 – September 2026
Executing SLO County deliverables for a California Jobs First Catalyst Predevelopment Grant awarded through the Uplift Central Coast Coalition, a six-county economic resilience initiative funded by the state of California; scope includes Artist Directory relaunch, community workshops, and grant reporting.
Freelance Grant Writing | 2020 – ongoing
Grant writing for individual artists, including secured awards from the Power Plant Grant and the SLO Community Foundation Renner Genius Award. Grant writing and administration across local, state, and federal funding streams including California Arts Council State-Local Partner program and Creative Corps.
Teaching Creative Writing and College Writing | University of Montana, Pomona College, Hyperlink Academy | 2016 – 2021
Selected Writing and Publications
Full length debut collection | How Gross, My Séances | Published by 53rd State Press (2024)Additional essays, performance scores, and creative writing published in Jacket2, Tarpaulin Sky, Adroit Journal, and others.
Selected Talks and Panels
805 Creative Economy Townhall, Community Arts Workshop, Santa Barbara, CA | 20262025 Arts and Culture Economic Impact Report Community Reception, Octagon Barn, San Luis Obispo, CA | 2025
Paso Robles Tourism Roundup, Paso Robles Inn Ballroom, Paso Robles, CA | 2025
"Thinking Its Presence" Conference, University of Arizona Poetry Center, Tucson, AZ | 2017
Montana Book Festival, panel with Prageeta Sharma and Lara Mimosa Montes | 2020
Education
MFA, Creative Writing — University of MontanaBA, International Studies — University of Oregon
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