As a global public health advisor with the U.S. government, I spent two decades improving systems that enhance the health and well-being of communities around the world. When it was time to choose a new path and declutter my own career, I realized my work in public health and my aptitude for order were uniquely complementary. Today, I pair my expertise in behavioral change, mindfulness and wellness with Marie Kondo's proven decluttering methods to help my clients discover the powerful connection between the state of our homes and workplaces and our personal health and well-being.
From Zambia to Washington, DC, and Swaziland to Switzerland, my 20-year career in the public health sector has covered both international and domestic arenas, with a focus on mitigating the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the equitable distribution of health services to women. My work in the field began within the housing department at the AIDS Action Committee in Boston, where I helped low-income people living with HIV/AIDS secure housing. In my work with the U.S. government, including as Country Director of Global HIV/AIDS programs in Africa and Senior Technical Advisor for HIV Prevention and Maternal Health, I became a recognized leader in diplomacy and negotiation within the global health sphere and an expert in the policy and implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
With a rewarding but stressful professional career, I always viewed my own home as a special refuge from the day-to-day challenges of my work. And after years of international living and travel, I developed an aptitude and a reputation for being highly organized. In my spare time, I helped friends, advisors and newly relocated officials with the organization and interior design of their new residences.
Having previously read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I had experienced the power of Marie Kondo’s philosophy firsthand, and it spoke to my natural appreciation for order. In 2016, I took a sabbatical from my work in public health to join Marie’s very first training program in the United States. One week after stepping away from my established career, I found myself in a New York City office training with Marie Kondo herself. After years of helping friends plan for moves, design their spaces and set up new homes in different corners of the globe, I decided to offer my experience and expertise to a wider community by launching Declutter DC.
Since that time, my work has evolved from a focus on home organization to include leveraging my experience as a speaker and health expert to engage and inspire teams to achieve greater organization, balance, success and fulfillment at work through customized workshops and speaking engagements.
As a writer and author, I’ve published numerous scientific articles and conducted countless presentations in the areas of public health policy and HIV/AIDS. You’ll find my articles on the subjects of health, home and organization in the pages of Thrive Global, MM La Fleur’s The –M– Dash and Engaged Magazine. And as one of the first KonMari-certified organizational consultants in the U.S., I’ve been interviewed by Apartment Therapy, PBS Newshour, The Washington Post and other news and media outlets on the KonMari™ Method and the power of organizing with intention. I’m currently at work on a forthcoming book.
I've seen the life-changing transformation that occurs when we prioritize our intentions and energy by organizing and simplifying the environments we live and work in. When we have a defined vision of where we want to go, it energizes us to work toward our goal.