Thea has worked in operations for over 15 years. She has held increasingly senior positions in a variety of roles within the field. After completing her M.A., she was recruited to start, build, and lead the Strategic Research Department for the IUPAT – an AFL-CIO affiliated building trades union – at their headquarters in D.C. In addition to her responsibilities as their Director of Strategic and Market Analysis she also helped build and launch a national database for all chapters to share experiences and best practices, network with colleagues, and store their documents, etc. Thea led the training for this database and traveled to all 50 states to train the local union staff. She was also involved in worker coalitions, organizing for immigrant and women’s rights, and served as panelist and lecturer at many conferences and conventions. After working at the IUPAT she spent several years as a Senior Consultant for a boutique firm specializing in serving nonprofits. There she assisted a variety of organizations and schools in building, streamlining, and training teams, implementing best practices, as well as auditing processes and procedures. Thea was then hired as Director of Prospect Research and Market Analysis by The Jackson Laboratory – a medical research nonprofit with laboratories in California, Maine, and Connecticut – to professionalize and expand their prospect research and management department. In 2021 Thea started her tenure at Keep America Beautiful as Chief of Staff to the CDO. In 2022 Thea moved to a more organization-wide role as Director of Operations and Board Relations under SVP, David Scott. There she has been involved in all aspects of the organization with a focus on systems and helping to create process using digital tools to maximize resources.

Thea has her M.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in New York; her B.A. from Fairfield University in Connecticut; certificates in Business Analytics and Strategic Corporate Research, both from Cornell University in New York. She is currently working toward a second masters (M.S.) in Accounting through Southern New Hampshire University. Thea lives in North Carolina with her rescue dog, Nellie, and enjoys exploring new eateries, running, hiking, and anything outdoors.