As ICA’s first Director of People and Culture, Katie focuses on organizational culture; hiring and staff development; team coordination; and office policies and procedures. She drives internal organizational development and supports a thriving democratic workplace, bringing a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion to everything she does.
Originally from Maine, Katie moved to Western Massachusetts in 2014 with her daughter when she was accepted into the Ada Comstock Scholars program at Smith College (designed for non-traditionally aged women to return to college). Katie graduated with a degree in philosophy & ethics with a concentration in community engagement and social change. She is certified in change management and blends her personal experience with her professional skill sets to move projects forward with vision while maintaining a culture of care.
With a leading focus on organizational culture; hiring and staff development; team coordination; and office policies and procedures, I strive to drive internal organizational development and support a thriving democratic workplace, bringing a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion to everything I do.
Before joining the ICA team, I wasn’t very familiar with worker-owned businesses, and didn’t truly understand the power and promise they hold for changing the economic landscape. That has certainly changed, and I haven’t met a worker-owned business yet that hasn’t inspired me!
As a mother of a thriving teenager, work-life balance is key. I make a conscious effort to avoid scheduling back-to-back meetings and do my best to merge my personal and professional calendars to plan ahead. My daughter plays ALL the sports, so when I am not working, you will likely find me on the sidelines or in the stands cheering my her on!
I am based out of Northampton, where I’ve lived for a number of years after graduating Smith College as an Ada Comstock Scholar.
Adam Grant is particularly intriguing to me. As a philosophy major and systems-thinker, Think Again, really resonated with me. Most recently, Jennifer Morton’s Moving Up Without Losing Your Way: The Ethical Costs of Upward Mobility really hit home. While it is written within the context of higher-ed, it highlights the true cost and the moral and ethical barriers people from underrepresented communities face when trying to break societal norms. A perspective that is essential, particularly in equity and inclusion work.
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