I’ve built a distinguished career in environmental law and policy, with expertise in fossil fuel infrastructure development, public safety, land use management, and equity and inclusion in nonprofit organizations.

Professional Background

For five years, I helped lead Northwest opposition movements to false clean energy solutions like fracked gas. When I began my work in the Pacific Northwest, there was little to no opposition to fracked (aka “natural”) gas and petrochemical proposals, and few understood the life cycle emissions of natural gas. I was instrumental in shifting regional attitudes and messaging on fracked gas, eventually shifting the positions of elected officials including Governor Inslee of Washington State. My work was also a catalyst to the formation of Power Past Fracked Gas, a regional coalition that now counts every major environmental player in the Northwest as a member.

I apply my expertise in energy policy, environmental justice, and messaging to a range of environmental topics to help my clients and partners successfully push back against well-funded, high-powered fossil fuel corporations. I have published detailed research on the safety and climate implications of fracked gas and fossil fuel transportation, including pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and petrochemical facilities. Additionally, I’ve provided analysis and strategy guidance on land use ordinances that restricted fossil fuel development in Washington and Oregon.

Education

I’m a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, where I received a Chancellor’s Law Scholarship and American Bar Association fellowship in environmental law. I was the managing editor of the Environmental Law & Policy Annual Review and served on the ABA International Energy & Resources Transactions Committee. I also hold a Master’s of Education and undergraduate degrees in both English and African-American Studies from Oberlin College. I studied abroad at the University of Ghana at Legon.

My Passions

I was a classroom teacher for five years, during which time I incorporated environmental studies and outdoor education into my schools’ curriculum. I love teaching people of all ages about science.

When I’m not studying fossil fuels, I focus on increasing access to mental health services in low income communities and communities of color. As a Hurricane Katrina evacuee who, like many others, was diagnosed with PTSD after the disaster in New Orleans, I connect the dots between climate change, severe weather events, and mental health. I have served on the board of Washington Therapy Fund, and I write frequently about mental health and neurodivergence among Black women.

In my free time, I enjoy playing video games.