Career
I'm a strong believer in protecting what makes our communities special. I'm a Regional Planner by training, and I value what makes one town or place stand out from the rest. If everything looked the same, why go there? You might as well stay home if your destination is identical to where you began. Creating a sense of identity is important, whether that's in a big city or a tiny town.
For several years I was the Executive Director of the Copper Harbor Trails Club, a nonprofit organization that develops and maintains premier mountain bike trails in and around Michigan's northernmost outpost. CHTC is an advocate for outdoor recreation in a town where bikes easily outnumber people, in a region where success is judged by how many pairs of boots you've worn through, not how many bedrooms your house has. It was a highly rewarding job. I got to help grow our trail mileage over 50% (28+ miles of brand new trail!), host massive events in a town with no cell service, and encourage thousands of people to visit the Keweenaw Peninsula each year. All the while, it was highly stressful and eventually I had to get out to preserve my sanity – and love for the place I call home.
Today I work for Lumi Experiences, a cross-country ski travel company that runs guided trips to nordic skiing hotspots throughout Europe. I work remotely as our only US-based employee and am in a sales and marketing role. I arrived with a healthy dose of event know-how and community-building experience, perfect for getting people ready to travel to Scandinavia, the Alps and other destinations to tour some of the world's best trails each winter. I've essentially taken the skills I grew locally to attract visitors the UP and now apply them to North American travelers heading overseas. And before you ask, yes, I get to go to Europe to ski occasionally. The Keweenaw might have more snow, but Europe's trails are A+.
Over the years I've acquired a number of related side hustles. I've teamed up with the Visit Keweenaw to provide blog, video, and photo content on a regular basis encouraging people to explore our beautiful area. Our Wilderness Adventures collection is a growing resource for would-be Copper Country visitors. I'm proud to share my knowledge of where to go and what to see, and hope to do so on a larger scale in the future!
When Finlandia University was operational, I was an 'Adjunct Instructor,' AKA Trail Boss. I led a hiking course in the fall and a snowshoeing course in the spring. I loved it because I got to share cool places with students who otherwise wouldn't have the gumption, know-how, or gear to get out and explore their surroundings. Plus, I got to be outside even more! Unfortunately, Finlandia shut down in 2023 (on my birthday, no less) and the fun came to an abrupt end.
In addition to creating places to go adventure, encouraging others to go on adventures, and adventuring myself, I also semi-professionally keep up on my photography side hustles. I spread my photos far and wide, from planning documents at WUPPDR to informational brochures, websites, billboards, and any number of random spots you might not have noticed. You can read up more about those on my photography page. Need a photo for something cool? Message me.
Prior to working at the Copper Harbor Trails Club and Lumi, I worked with the Keweenaw Land Trust as a Project Coordinator, protecting and stewarding natural places across the Copper Country then sharing the results with the community. I also spent five summers working with Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs as their in-house photographer. Maybe you're noticing a trend in my workplaces of choice...
In summary: I'm an Outdoor Recreation Professional across a wide variety of disciplines. Outdoors by nature, community focused and dedicated to the cause.