About me.
As a coach and consultant, I have:
Advanced degrees in business management and organizational leadership
Strong business acumen and interpersonal skills
Over 30 years of real-world work experience in the public sector
Executive credibility and authenticity
More than 5 years of coaching experience
A high regard for confidentiality and ethics
One of the things I enjoy most is coaching, mentoring and actively developing the leadership skills of all those with whom I work. Clients often express their appreciation for my ability to create a safe and supportive environment where they can be challenged and grow.
Experience
I’ve spent over 20 years in executive leadership roles in local government, and I enjoyed the challenges and opportunities to grow that came with each new position. Some of my strengths and areas of expertise include: organizational and team effectiveness, leadership development, strategic leadership, change management, public sector budgeting, and policy development.
I’ve successfully led organization-wide initiatives and cultural change efforts that increased transparency, transformed operational systems, and improved overall customer service. As a local government leader, I initiated changes by restructuring the organization’s approach to fleet management, employee training and development, sustainability, and infrastructure investment in technology and facilities.
When I retired from working full-time in local government, I started Townsend Consulting where I focus my time on supporting the growth of others through providing leadership coaching and consulting. I’ve conducted numerous trainings on mentoring, strengths-based leadership, change management, and social and emotional intelligence.
I’m also currently a Scholar in Residence with the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University, which provides an outlet where I can pursue my passion of research on a variety of topics related to women leaders.
Education
I received my Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. My focus was on organizational leadership, which augmented my decades of practical, hands-on leadership experience in government.
I’m a credentialed coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), certified from ISEI (the Institute of Social and Emotional Intelligence) and I’m experienced with Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessments.