Although technically born in New Jersey, I spent more time growing up in Rockland County, NY and so we’ll just say I’m from there. After getting accepted into, deferring from, and then getting cold feet about architecture school I stumbled into an anthropology course at our local community college and fell in love. It was a new way to understand the world around me, and I really, really love figuring out how stuff works.

I somewhat quickly decided to merge my love of stories and learning with my love of designing spaces and knew that museum life was for me. After finishing my Bachelor’s degree I moved to Washington, DC (because as my now wife wisely pointed out, there are a lot of museums there) and started in guest services at the International Spy Museum and soon after as a video production intern for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

Now understanding what it really took to advance in the museum world, I went for my Master’s and hit the ground running, working internship after internship and contract after contract to soak up all of the real-world experience I could. I’m a hands-on learner, creative problem solver, and genuinely curious person, all of which have helped me throughout my career.