Professional Background
I am an occupational therapist who has specialized in assistive technology for more than 20 years. I graduated from the Washington University School of Medicine in 1999 and hopped right into the field of AT. I worked as an AT consultant in both the Chicagoland area and Muskegon County before heading to Traverse City where I have now collaborated with school teams for almost 20 years. In each position, I served as a consultant to school districts throughout the region, supporting students with disabilities in exploring technology for reading, writing, and communication (with a focus on access). I have worked with some of the coolest people in the world who do amazing things!

Passion for AAC
As I am sure you’ll read on this page 10 times, I just really believe that every person has a right to communicate. I have a strong passion for combining AAC and literacy, believing and teaching others that our students must have a voice and must have access to high quality literacy instruction. Only when people are able to spell (at least phonetically–and, really, that’s my favorite stage of spelling!) are they truly able to say anything that they want to. Beyond literacy, my other passion related to AAC is access. I love to help a team explore options for a person with a complex body to be able to access AAC (or a computer or driving a power wheelchair).

Fun Fact
I’m a single mom of an amazing young woman (no, there’s no bias there!) who has also grown, as an adult, to be my best friend. I’m blessed to live in a small, supportive community in Northern Michigan surrounded by family and friends. In my spare time, you’ll find me playing pickleball! I also like to go to flea markets, knit, and do (don’t laugh) paint by numbers!