I grew up in Illinois, and I was raised an Episcopalian. Through early travels my mother opened my eyes and heart to learning about and connecting with people of other cultures and religions.

After graduating from Yale, I settled in Washington, D.C. where I worked on Capitol Hill for my Congressman.  I began to raise my family in Virginia, and I started to take courses in spiritual subjects, getting an adult education certificate in theological studies from Georgetown University, completing the Education for Ministry program for lay people from the University of the South, and I became a Stephen Minister.

In 1997, I founded a retreat center, the Mandala Center, on the high plains of New Mexico. My family moved to New Mexico, where we lived for about 15 years to serve those who came on retreat.  Over the years the Mandala Center has had programs on meditation, yoga, healing, Buddhism, Native American pottery, photography, writing, icon painting, and some focussed on personal growth.  In December of 2023 I gave the Center to the the Charis Foundation for New Monasticism and Interspirituality so that it can continue into the future as a place of retreat, learning and making connections.  I now live in Carpinteria, California, and my personal practice is InterSpiritual meditation, and I am a mentor in this practice, and now a teacher for online classes in InterSpiritual meditation, and the Mandala class, focussed on spiritual styles and life’s big questions.