Nest Summer Fellow-Dominican Republic

I believe I would be an ideal candidate for the summer Nest Fellow due to my long proven history in both project and people management.

As a VP, Bank Manager at Bank of America for 17 years, I learned many skills in customer service, employee management, budgeting, sales, community service and leadership. Because I was innovative, enthusiastic, positive, dedicated and successful in achieving our goals, my office was chosen to run pilot programs for the state of California. I was ranked in the top 10 out of 1,000 branches statewide for bank managers two years in a row for achieving our stated goals.  My strategy for success was always to give 110% of myself, understand every position from the ground up, because I’d worked in each position myself, and, above all, train and develop my staff while treating everyone with the utmost respect.

My earliest memories involve both art and entrepreneurial skills and I’ve been able to combine both into a successful, art based, socially conscience business that I founded, shaped and grew for the past 5.5 years. Through my business, we are able to bring art education to classrooms in and around the San Francisco Bay Area and, most recently, San Diego.

My personal passion is to work with at risk children and to this regard, we partner with non-profit organizations that serve this population of children by offering our services at cost or free. To learn more about my company philosophy please view the Philosophy page of the Dragonfly Designs, jewelry with a conscience website.

In addition to teaching jewelry making in our classes, I’ve also developed a curriculum to teach children in 2^nd grade and up, entrepreneurial skills; the class is titled “Jewelry Making for Budding Entrepreneurs.” During the course, young children, tweens and teens learn all aspects of running a socially conscience jewelry business modeled after Dragonfly Designs. At the end of the course children sell their jewelry and donate the profits to an organization of their choice.

I am proud that my business, Dragonfly Designs, jewelry with a conscience, has recently become certified as a B Corporation.  To learn more about B Corps please view 

I have been a Nest participating artist since it’s inception and believe wholeheartedly in Nests’ mission. My daughters and I are excited at the opportunity to bring our skills to the women and children of the Dominican Republic in the hopes of establishing a sustainable business model.

I have always been motivated to give my best to my work and the people I serve. I feel so very fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to do what I love every day and I have a desire to share my skills and passion with others.  If my daughters and I are selected for this fellowship, we will dedicate all of our time, passion and effort to achieve a sustainable program for the families that we serve.