Kristi’s love of people and the arts (specifically community theatre) drives her love of non-profit.   Her early experience was in academia, teaching high school, then for 9 years on the university level at Crowley’s Ridge College and Arkansas State University.  She has her Education degrees in Theatre, Communications, and Literature with a Masters in Theatre and Communications. Kristi registers 25 years of nonprofit work, culminating at The Foundation of Arts, serving as Executive and Artistic Director for 8 years.  She currently still serves her community as Artistic Director and Consultant for The Foundation of Arts.

Under her tenure, programming doubled, patronage reached 30,000 per year, volunteerism more than doubled, and her business plan increased income by 100% .  By creating the annual marketing plan, casting the organization’s vision to stakeholders, managing the FOA’s brand, recruiting partners, sponsors and donors, overseeing numerous public events, supervising all operations and reporting progress to the board, Kristi led the Foundation of Arts through the highest level of growth in its 35-year history and the 2020-2021 pandemic crisis, never closing in the midst of public pressure.  Instead, finding creative ways to serve in order to stay viable, including the Major Gifts Ramp-Up organizational plan.  The FOA never stopped growing throughout the crisis.  Her passion for communications, community, and education has helped the FOA expand its important “turn no child away” outreach component.   

At the FOA, Kristi has begun the dramatic shift toward building to scale by using solid, non-profit principles, thus laying a firm foundation, i.e. rewriting the by-laws, reorganizing the organizational structure, systems, and creating the case for support so as to make donors the primary customer, thus shifting the mindset for readiness to receive the the income that will inevitably chase after the good idea that is the mission.

She is a licensed Wellness (Certified Coaches Alliance) and Enneagram Coach (Your Enneagram Coach) and loves to discuss what self-awareness, creative success, and planning can mean for individuals and families.  She directs several successful stage productions each year, harkening to her first love, “theatre-done-well”, a phrase she coined to describe a specific process of the collaborative art form.  Her vision to create a nurturing atmosphere while aspiring for creative excellence succeeds because of the way she empowers other leaders under her tutelage.

Currently, Kristi serves on the Downtown Jonesboro Alliance Board of Directors, and the Arkansas Arts Council Advisory Board.  She is a certified Non-Profit Executive (through Development Systems International), a licensed International Coaching Foundation Executive Business Coach, and a certified yoga instructor.  

Kristi looks forward to walking alongside other people and organizations, focused on helping them provide the organization and “oxygen” they need for their personal and professional mission to thrive.  

With individuals and organizations, she helps executives, young adults, parents and teens to adjust their mindset, plans, and habits to create a life they call successful.

Kristi has been married to her husband, Kevin for 25 years and raised 6 “almost grown”, successful children who she adores.