Behind My Passion

What inspires me to do this work? I love the idea of meeting people in their daily lives, creating bridges and connecting with them in a meaningful way. I believe in building relationships based on trust, reliability and purpose.

A few years ago, while working with Lane Transit District (LTD), I created the strategic communications and community outreach plan for the $100 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. This project was the largest public infrastructure project in Eugene in 10 years. After the launch of the new bus route, I received a thank-you card from a person who benefitted from the new transit line into west Eugene.

Paraphrasing the card, it said, “Thank you for putting in the new bus line. I live at the men’s shelter in west Eugene and the new route allows me to go to my job, see my daughter and go to appointments without having to transfer buses. I also love the artwork that you added at the stops along the way. Looking at the art makes me feel like I belong in the community. People like me never get to go to galleries or museums.”

People like me…those words ring in my head every time I write, speak or create communication materials. I focus strategy, messaging and writing on people, especially the people my clients are trying to build relationships with — their own customers, clients and communities.

My passion is in the spoken and written word and I know that through the creative use of these tools, we can create a shared understanding of the issues; good ideas can be generated; conflicts can be resolved and progress can be made. I do it for people like you.