A highly rated coach for over 30 years, Chris has personally coached over 2,000 executives and leaders in industry and government. Chris’ coaching approach focuses on helping individuals achieve results that align with their personal values and vision so that achieving goals provides a true sense of joy, satisfaction and accomplishment.
As a former leader in government, Chris understands the challenges of working in this unique and complex environment. She has a passion for helping and supporting federal leaders who she considers the unsung heroes—those who ensure the foundation of good government and provide the critical strength our nation needs. Chris strongly believes that within each of us is a spark waiting to be released into the world to help us realize our greater selves, to build meaningful connections and to use our gifts in a positive way. Since retiring from NASA, Chris has served as a coach for several Partnership leadership and executive programs.
Experience
Author of the 2023 best-selling book “If You Don’t Ask the Answer is Always No, From Stories that Hold You Back to Skills that Drive Success.” In this book, Chris shares her coaching knowledge along with numerous powerful tools and techniques that help individuals shift their mindset, build new skills and achieve their goals.
Served as coach in several Partnership programs, including the Excellence in Government Fellows Program, the Federal IT Leaders Program, the Mission Support Leadership Program, and programs tailored for members of the Senior Executive Service for the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Labor.
Served as former director of several NASA agencywide leadership development programs; envisioned, designed and implemented NASA’s coaching program Speaks internationally on leadership development, organizational change, executive coaching and the application of advances in neuroscience to improve employee learning and organizational effectiveness.
Served on the Executive Steering Committee for the Conference Board’s Executive Coaching Conference; senior consultant to the Neuroleadership Institute; founding member of the Society for Organizational Learning Public Sector Consortium; member of the High Performing Federal Agencies Group; founder and first chair of the Board of Leaders for the Council for Excellence in Government, Senior Fellows.
Education, Training and Certifications
- M.S. in Organizational Development and Applied Behavioral Science (Johns Hopkins University)
- B.S. in Oceanography (Catholic University)
- Professional Coaching Certificate (Newfield Institute)
- Certificate in Business Management (Harvard Business School)
Assessment Certifications
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; DiSC; EQ 360; Public Service Leadership 360 Assessment; NASA 360; SCARF Assessment; and Epworth Assessment
Personal
Chris lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband of 47 years, Steve. She has a passion for justice and protecting the rights of all individuals, ensuring everyone has a safe and healthy environment in which to thrive. She actively works on numerous committees within her community.