Organizations + Communications LLC

Independent practice focusing on process consultation and coaching, with some strategic communications and policy thrown in for good measure. Specific types of work include: 

- Strategy development including through strategic planning
- Process consultation using action research and other methods to help people work better together 
- One-on-one coaching for leaders, executives and those growing in their work 
- Facilitation and workshop development for groups and teams
- Training on org effectiveness and comms topics, including Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)-based development 
- Trade education of all varieties 
- Communications strategy/planning, especially in policy spaces

Principal

U.S. Grains Council

Worked as an organizational multi-tool focused on strategy, planning, evaluation, capacity building, organization development - with comms and policy thrown in.

Director of Strategic Initiatives and Engagement 

Connected communications, outreach and trade policy functions; led interdisciplinary projects and crisis communications efforts; and oversaw communications department.

Director of Strategic Relations

Designed and executed the organization’s internal and external communications strategies to help members sell more corn, barley, sorghum, co-products and ethanol and customers improve their businesses, economies and lives.

Director of Communications

National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG)

Highlights of experience at NAWG included: 

- actively participating in the Association’s policy-setting process. 
- serving as staff liaison to the organization's operations committee. 
- developing briefing materials, talking points, press releases and letters to communicate NAWG positions.  
- producing a weekly newsletter with approximately 2,800 circulation.
- managing the Association's media relations. 
- creating and maintaining NAWG’s digital presence including www.wheatworld.org and social media.
- representing NAWG in a variety of communications and policy coalitions. 
- managing trade show booths and other special projects.

The Oklahoman

Features and education freelancer, covering the Norman Public Schools board and special events.

Stringer

University of Oklahoma

Variety of volunteer and paid positions at:

- The Oklahoma Daily, a 11,000 circ., five-day student paper;
- the What Possibilities Project, a 300-page book created to teach freshmen about the University; 
- the OU Publications Board, which oversees The Daily, the OU yearbook and Student Media's online presence; and
- The Honors Undergraduate Research Journal, the University's undergraduate research journal, which I helped edit and design.

Various Writing and Editing Positions

I like to do good work that helps the organization I'm working for meet its goals and the people I'm working with meet theirs. I find value in really knowing a subject and a colleague; understanding a system and the people in it helps get things done. 

I've worked as a reporter and editor, for trade associations that help farmers grow our economy, and with for-profit and non-profit clients as an external consultant and coach - very different environments yet often with similar challenges and needs.

My on-the-ground experience has been in building ideas, operations and publications - everything from writing a solid news story to building departments to serving on boards of directors. My academic interests center around how groups work, how individuals and systems interact, and how to help organizations function better. I combine these - both theory and practice - in my consulting and coaching practice.  

Specialties include: strategic planning, outreach strategy, policy-based communications, crisis communications, coalition building, writing, editing, managing projects, organizational analysis, process consultation, action research, culture, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, coaching...and how all of these things meld and overlap.

For easily 15 years, the scope and cost of SNAP have been internal markers to which I have compared everything from infrastructure investment to national GDPs. This program has historically been included - in fact, has accounted for the bulk of spending in - farm policy legislation on which I worked in various capacities in DC, and these numbers offer valuable context.

About 41 million people a month use SNAP benefits - more than the population of any single U.S. state and approximately the population of Canada. By comparison, about 155 million people voted in the last election, and there are about 340 million people total in the U.S. (the third largest county in the world by population, after India and China).  

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the total number of SNAP recipients includes 137,500 people in DC and 686,800 in Oklahoma, my two homes. 

The total cost of the program was about $100 billion (with a B!) in 2024 (down from pandemic years), on the range of 10x farm program payments…about 1/4 of *all salary and benefits for *all U.S. government civilian employees…and more than the GDP of more than 100 countries. 

So if you are seeing news about SNAP and thinking - that’s an astounding number of people, an astounding amount of money - you are correct. SNAP is mammoth and is a direct reflection of the fact you can work full time in the United States - even for the government! - and not be able to cover your basic needs based on your earnings. This isn’t controversial - this is math.

Now, those benefits are paused for huge numbers of people. States and local food banks and pantries are scrambling to fill the gaps, but it’s simply not possible to replace resources at this scale.

We have major systemic problems; I don’t think that’s escaping anyone’s attention. But right now, we have a very acute problem: a lot of people could be hungry tonight who weren’t last week.

Below are resources I encourage you to access to educate yourself about this program and this level of challenge - and to donate or access support as your situation warrants. 

If you have food in your refrigerator or went out for brunch today, you are lucky by any standard, global or historical. And there are no actions more noble than those that help ensure our fellow humans are fed. 

***

➡️ Places to donate or access resources in DC: 
Capital Area Food Bank - https://lnkd.in/egJH8sBh
DC Central Kitchen - https://lnkd.in/eVMmp8za

➡️ Places to donate or access resources In Oklahoma: 
Hunger Free Oklahoma - https://lnkd.in/exfpkdqA 
Iron Gate (in Tulsa) - https://lnkd.in/eekGha-J
Also, several tribes have allocated funding to support their citizens. 

➡️ Info about SNAP, including state-by-state breakdown of needs:
https://lnkd.in/eAWW_CnP

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