Describe your role at Perigee Fund.
I lead and serve as a resource to Perigee’s incredible Program Team so that our programmatic and policy investments are aligned with Perigee’s strategic framework. I also maintain a select portfolio of special projects with an emphasis on collaborations with other funders — for example, Funders for Maternal Mental, the the Maternal Mental Health Equity Fund, and Pediatrics Supporting Parents.
Related to your role, what are you passionate about and/or what is the philosophy you bring to the organization?
As a mom, I passionately believe that the love and rage of mothers can move mountains, especially with the support of the village.
Tell us a little bit about your professional background, starting with your most recent position.
It has been my honor to serve others through a career in philanthropy. Most recently I was with St. David’s Foundation in Austin where I worked on the health of women and girls, including maternal health. Before that I led policy and communications focused on health equity at Connecticut Health Foundation. I started with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the CDC Foundation.
In 2010, I was selected to be part of Grantmakers in Health’s inaugural Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy. In a full circle moment in 2023, I was invited to join GIH’s board of directors on which I continue to serve.
What excites you about working with Perigee Fund?
Three things: 1) It is powerful to understand how prenatal-to-age-3 mental health can help heal intergenerational trauma. 2) Our plans to sunset in 10-15 years require an additional layer of interesting considerations in our funding decisions. 3) I grow from listening to and developing my colleagues who represent the next generation of philanthropic leaders.
What is your favorite way to develop early connections with the babies and young children in your life?
Holding babies and toddlers is a meditation because it invites me to be present and reframes what is most important.