Hi, I’m Lara

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Career used to be my whole identity, until I burned out and realized it wasn’t my number one after all. So I swung the other way and treated work as just a means to an end. (Spoiler: that didn’t work either.) Now I’m finding the middle path, and I help other people find theirs, as a coach, a consultant, and an interim executive director.

While I was serving as co-CEO of Dad’s Garage, the organization received the prestigious Managing for Excellence award from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta in 2015. This award recognizes organizations that demonstrate exemplary management across eighty different criteria. I also earned a scholarship from the Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta to attend Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management at Harvard Business School.

As a consultant, I’ve supported organizations with: 

  • Board evaluations and engagement, working with diverse groups from theatres and neighborhood organizations to international aid groups.

  • Executive recruitment for youth development programs, development authorities, and arts organizations.

  • Strategic planning for maternal health initiatives, business associations, and organizations supporting people experiencing homelessness.

  • Coaching leaders in arts, disability services, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

I’ve also served as an Executive Director, permanently or in an interim capacity, for fifteen years. During that time, I’ve led two arts organizations, an organization serving families with kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a shelter supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Some of my notable accomplishments include: 

  • Turning around a financially struggling theatre.

  • Securing space after another theatre lost their home of 18 years.

  • Overseeing a $1.25 million capital campaign and securing financing for a $3 million project.

  • Transforming a church into a performance space.

  • Raising $2 million in emergency funding during the pandemic and pivoting to digital content.

  • Collaborating with government agencies and NGOs to support families with special needs in Jamaica and Grenada.

  • Receiving the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 under 40 award.

  • Being recognized twice as one of Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders.

  • Serving on the Mayor’s Advisory Council for Reopening the City after the pandemic.

As a board member, I’ve served as board chair for an organization supporting farmers facing natural disasters and a local business association. 

The most important work isn’t the plan. It’s the person implementing it. So I coach. I work with executive directors on managing staff, stewarding boards, and avoiding burnout. I work with artists and creative entrepreneurs on building sustainable careers (and revenue streams that actually excite them). And I work with people in transition (personal or professional) using the same strategic planning I bring to organizations. I’m an iPEC Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, and I’m working toward my ICF Associate Certified Coach credential.

I love trying new things, whether it's exploring the ocean while scuba diving or discovering new desserts. I’m from St. Louis, so I love frozen custard, which means I have a soft spot for soft serve. I live in the Reynoldstown neighborhood of Atlanta with my wonderful partner Zach and our incredible dog Gidget. I enjoy living in a truly walkable part of the city. I also have a sweet spot for snow cones/shaved ice, though I’m still on the hunt for a really great one in Atlanta. I had to stop eating gluten, so I’m also always looking for great gf pizza and bagels.

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