Building. Uniting. Inspiring.
Three ways I lead: build what’s needed, unify what’s fragmented, and inspire what’s possible.
Over the years, I’ve seen leadership take many forms — from the structured to the spontaneous, the hands-on to the high-level. Those experiences shaped how I lead today: less about hierarchy, more about harmony.
Inspire
Leading through influence in complex, decentralized environments
In a system this big, leadership isn’t about control; it’s about connection.
NorthropGrumman.com serves legislators, military partners, media, and job seekers across a global enterprise. With more than 100,000 employees working across divisions and time zones, most of the teams shaping the experience don’t report to me directly. Their priorities differ. Their timelines compete. Their definitions of success aren’t always the same.
That’s where leadership becomes influence.
I focus on building alignment where none is required—starting with listening, then translating diverse priorities into a shared vision for how the digital experience can serve all audiences. From there, I introduce structure that enables rather than restricts:
A unified intake process that brings clarity to requests and prioritization
Shared governance models that create consistency while allowing flexibility
Streamlined workflows that reduce friction and make collaboration easier than working alone
A refined information architecture that connects content across divisions into a cohesive, user-centered experience
These are not mandates. They are systems that invite participation and make alignment the easier path.
Over time, that approach has led to meaningful outcomes:
Significant increases in engagement and on-page interaction
A more intuitive, connected digital ecosystem
Shared processes that replace duplication with coordination
A culture of shared ownership across teams
Because in complex environments, success doesn’t come from enforcing standards—it comes from inspiring people to build something better together.
Unify
Aligning people, process, and purpose to move in one direction
Sometimes leadership means building bridges before building campaigns.
At Washington and Lee University, admissions and marketing were each doing strong work—just not together. Messaging was inconsistent, efforts overlapped, and enrollment goals weren’t fully aligned with the broader university narrative.
The work began with relationships. Listening first. Understanding where priorities diverged, where friction lived, and where trust needed to be rebuilt. From there, I introduced a shared vision for enrollment communications—one that connected admissions goals to the institution’s larger story and gave both teams a common direction.
To support that vision, I designed a unified operating model:
A shared workflow and approval process that clarified ownership and reduced bottlenecks
A centralized project management platform that brought visibility to timelines, deliverables, and dependencies
A production pipeline that surfaced and resolved friction points before they slowed progress
What emerged was more than efficiency—it was alignment. Teams that once worked in parallel began working in partnership, with transparency, shared accountability, and a common purpose.
The impact was both cultural and measurable:
32.5% increase in applications during a national downturn
Stronger alignment between admissions, marketing, and institutional storytelling
A sustainable model for collaboration that extended beyond individual campaigns
Because alignment isn’t something you mandate—it’s something you build, relationship by relationship.
Build
Designing teams and systems that make transformation possible
My charge was to deliver a bold institutional campaign, improve how communications worked across admissions, athletics, advancement, and alumni agencies, while earning trust from senior leadership including the Superintendent and the Board of Visitors.
In the midst of budget reductions, I built a high-impact team from the ground up—designing each role with intention rather than inheritance. A new content and social strategist role was created to meet audiences where they were, bringing voice and consistency to a fragmented landscape. A marketing director role emerged through reorganization, aligning strategy and execution under a unified vision. A retiring IT team member was thoughtfully transitioned into a website content specialist role, preserving institutional knowledge while modernizing the digital experience. Alongside a content developer, this became a team designed to function as a system, not a set of silos.
The team operated with shared ownership, where strategy, content, and execution informed one another in real time—creating a rhythm of collaboration that allowed us to move faster and stay aligned.
Together, we transformed a legacy, PR-driven model into a fully integrated marketing ecosystem. We led the migration from Ektron to TerminalFour, introduced a standalone recruitment application and internal staff portal, and redefined how the institution connected with its audiences.
The impact was measurable and sustained:
Supported a capital campaign that exceeded its goal
Increased attendance at 30+ nationwide recruiting events by 26% while saving $150,000 annually by bringing strategy and execution in-house
Drove a 19% increase in female applications and contributed to a steady decline in attrition
Designed and launched a new NCAA Athletics brand and identity system
Because building a team isn’t about filling roles—it’s about creating the conditions for something better to take shape.