Kate has been described as an unabashed higher ed nerd. Her own college experience at Wellesley College transformed her into an advocate for how higher education can transform an individual, open their mind to new interests, and open the door to new opportunities.

She grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a proud graduate of Jefferson County Public Schools, where she was part of the generation that was shaped by busing and desegregation policies in the district. As a student who was bussed across town for elementary school, she saw at an early age how policy could impact equity in education, particularly public education. After a few years working for Silicon Valley social entrepreneurs, she left California for graduate school in Tennessee, closer to her home state of Kentucky. Kate spent six years working in Tennessee state government, learning to deeply appreciate the ability of government entities to change lives and create educational and economic opportunity. She spent five years in communications roles at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission before moving to the communications team of higher-education-minded Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. During her time in state government, Kate met Tennesseans from every part of the state whose lives were transformed by higher education—adult learners, veterans, first-generation students, student leaders, and so many more. Traveling across Tennessee and meeting learners throughout the state cemented for her that she would always work to tell the story of higher education.

Kate comes from a family of educators, from her great-grandmother, who earned a college degree in 1899 and became a teacher, all the way to her big brother, a high school science teacher in their hometown of Louisville.

An enthusiastic but mediocre knitter, a bonafide dog person, and an extrovert who needs lots of alone time, Kate lives in Nashville, Tennessee, in a happily messy house with her three dogs. And she’ll talk to you about any and every television show, including the Real Housewives of anywhere and PBS NewsHour.