Get to know me

My career began at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where I worked alongside some of the nation’s most brilliant scientific minds. I had the privilege of contributing to world-changing programs and learning from visionaries like Ed Moses of the National Ignition Facility. I even sat in on brown-bag sessions with Edward Teller, listening to conversations that pushed the boundaries of what humanity could achieve.

That experience taught me something profound: “impossible” doesn’t exist. It shaped my belief that tenacity, curiosity, and disciplined teamwork can unlock extraordinary results — in science, in business, and in life.

From there, I built a career rooted in continuous improvement and operational excellence — first through projects and programs, and later through enterprise transformation. When PG&E faced bankruptcy, I saw an opportunity to rise up and rebuild from within. I used Lean principles to systematize affordability and prosperity, giving voice to frustrated colleagues and ensuring every dollar served a purpose. That work showed me that stewardship and strategy are not opposites — they’re partners.

Today, through Optima Advisory Partners, I help organizations across industries adopt that same mindset: transforming complexity into clarity, cost pressure into shared prosperity, and operations into purpose-driven systems of value. My work blends Lean management, financial discipline, and people-centered leadership — all grounded in the belief that transformation should feel human, hopeful, and real.

Outside of work, I live in Nebraska with my husband, Jason, and our three children: Elijah, Adelaide, and Johnny. We’re deeply involved in our local Catholic community and passionate about Catholic education. Adelaide and I serve in music ministry, and as a family, we love cooking, hosting, and traveling together. I grew up on a ranch in Livermore, California, active in 4-H and FFA — experiences that taught me the value of hard work, service, and community.

At my core, I’m a builder — of systems, teams, and trust. Whether guiding a leadership team or mentoring the next generation, my mission remains the same:
to help people and organizations prosper through clarity, discipline, and heart.

Professional Profile

Transformation-minded Operational Excellence and Affordability Leader with 10 + years at PG&E, delivering $400 M + in verified savings through Lean integration, waste elimination, and financial governance. Built the Electric Operations Affordability PMO and Power Generation Waste Elimination Center, implementing systems that sustain cost discipline and transparency. Combines Lean expertise, financial stewardship, cultural leadership, and AI-enabled innovation to convert strategy into measurable, repeatable enterprise results.

SELECTED ENTERPRISE IMPACT at PG&E (2014-2025)

PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY (PG&E) | San Ramon, CA | 2014–2025

Operational Excellence
Lean Transformation Affordability & Cost Optimization
Portfolio & Program Governance
Financial Stewardship
Cross-Functional Leadership
Data Analytics
Coaching & Change Leadership
Digital Transformation & AI Enablement (Microsoft Copilot)

Founder, Optima Advisory Partners | North Platte, NE | (2024-present)

Established a professional platform to advance affordability strategy and operational excellence concepts developed throughout my career; focused on thought leadership, framework development, and strategic collaboration in utility and infrastructure transformation.

Experience

Directed Lean and affordability programs for a $2B+ annual portfolio, achieving recurring $25M–$90M in annualized savings.
Partnered with Finance and Supply Chain to reclassify $7.5M O&M → Capital and eliminate $21M in unused purchase orders.
Standardized daily management and problem-solving routines, improving initiative throughput and reducing overdue notifications 85%.
Mentored leaders, analysts, and initiative owners to embed financial acumen and Lean thinking across operations and generation teams.
Recognized by executive leadership for “Setting the Standard in Program Management and Operational Excellence.”
Partnered with PG&E’s Enterprise Copilot & AI Enablement Team to pilot responsible generative-AI use for operational planning and waste identification; facilitated AI literacy workshops for managers and analysts.

Senior Program Manager, Operational Excellence (2020–Present)
Principal, Affordability & Business Strategy Optimization (2021–2022)
Program Manager, Transmission & Substation (2016–2019)
Project Controls Analyst (2014–2016)

Kiewit Power Engineers | Lenexa, KS | (2013-2014)

Led integrated critical-path scheduling and safety planning for $100M refinery turnaround; authored improvement plan adopted for future cycles.

Senior Planner/Scheduler, Turnaround Group

Chevron (Refinery) | Richmond, CA | (2014)

Project Controls Analyst

Developed portfolio dashboards and project controls standards adopted across district operations; supported earned- value management and change control.

Chevron (corporate) | San Ramon, CA | (2007-2013)

Franchise Rebates Program, America's Marketing

Managed capital budgets and schedules; authored job aids and templates still used a decade later; secured $15M in congressional funding for facility expansion.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | Livermore, CA | (2000-2007)

Lead Project Controls Analyst, Various departments

Led franchise rebates program for Chevron Franchise Owners in North America. Developed automated analytics and reporting driving 98% rebate program collection and distribution.

Core Competencies

Delivered $400M+ in verified savings across Electric Operations and Power Generation through Lean waste elimination, capitalization reform, and portfolio optimization.
Built the Electric Operations Affordability PMO, establishing governance for cost management later replicated in other orgs.
Stood up the Power Generation Waste Elimination Center, embedding KPIs, dashboards, and Lean cadence.
Co-led the Prosperity & Affordability Command Center, aligning finance and operations to improve forecast accuracy and cost transparency.
Led the development the PM/PCA Dashboard (SQL), automating reporting, reducing manual time 70%, and improving data accuracy 95%.
Mentored 350 + colleagues, raising Lean maturity and increasing throughput 40%.
Guided enterprise adoption of Microsoft Copilot AI tools to improve operational insight, streamline communications, and accelerate problem-solving within PG&E’s Lean management system.

Professional Credentials & Development

Project Management Professional (PMP)
Recognized Enterprise Lean Leader (PG&E Operational Excellence Program)
CIIMS Initiative Coach (Continuous Improvement Management System)
SAP Project Systems Integration Contributor (SPSI)
Microsoft Copilot Strategy & AI Enablement Mentor (PG&E Enterprise Pilot, 2024–2025)
Advanced Analytics Tools: SQL,Tableau, Power BI, SAP, Primavera P6

Highlights & Proud Moments

A few snapshots from my journey - Where purpose meets progress

Optima Advisory Partners

Founded Optima Advisory Partners to bring affordability and operational excellence frameworks to life across industries — helping organizations lead with clarity and stewardship.