About Me

I am an experienced public affairs professional focused on transformative climate solutions. I've secured billions of dollars for high-speed rail projects and helped change the conversation on climate. My skills include government relations, coalition-building, planning and management of issue campaigns, stakeholder engagement, nonprofit management and fundraising.

A former journalist, I talk with primary sources to gather reliable intelligence and expert opinions on the issues. I facilitate rigorous strategy development, working with colleagues to hone and execute plans of action grounded in realistic assessments of our opportunities, risks, resources and capabilities. I drive organizations and campaigns to achieve unexpected successes by fostering an enjoyable, mission-driven culture and building strong relationships with strategic allies from a diversity of sectors.  

In my role as Political Director of the U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition, I managed the campaigns that secured $12 billion in opportunities for high-speed rail projects in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as well as a $4.2 billion bond appropriation for the California High Speed Rail project. We are now working to secure enough funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to demonstrate high-speed rail in multiple locations across  America. Learn more at ushsrcoalition.org.

High-speed rail is a remarkable, proven technology that will slash emissions from the transportation sector while transforming intercity travel and the built environment. To help finally make high-speed rail a reality in America, in 2021 I co-founded The U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition, which has become the voice of the U.S. high-speed rail industry. I manage the coalition's federal advocacy campaigns, mobilizing leading unions, businesses, and public servants to win billions of dollars and strong labor standards for high-speed rail. We are honored to have former U.S. Secretaries of Transportation Ray LaHood and Anthony Foxx serving as co-chairs of the coalition. The Coalition's members include leading suppliers, operators, engineering firms, contractors, architects, building trades unions, and railroad unions. 

It will take nothing less than a World War II-scale mobilization to solve the climate emergency.  That's why, in 2014, I co-founded The Climate Mobilization (TCM), an advocacy group that builds public support for a national mobilization to reverse global warming. A key step on the road to an emergency response to climate change is persuading governments to publicly acknowledge that we face an emergency. I spearheaded TCM's successful effort to launch the global climate emergency campaign, which has inspired 38 countries and over 1,800 sub-national governments  representing over 950 million people to declare a climate emergency since 2018. The resulting 10,796% increase in the use of the phrase “climate emergency” led the Oxford Dictionary to declare it the Word of the Year 2019.

Acknowledging the climate emergency is the first step. Setting in motion an emergency response is the next. After the 2016 election, it was clear that local governments would need to help fill the leadership vacuum on climate. From 2017-2019, I played a key role in the effort to establish the City of Los Angeles Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) that would help to launch a climate mobilization from the ground up. I coordinated the campaign that passed bills creating and funding the first phase of the Office. The Office's mission is to plan and coordinate a city-wide climate mobilization effort guided by the principles of environmental justice.