As the Head of Development and External Affairs, Rachel manages external communications and partnership development efforts. Passionate about fostering meaningful collaborative connections, Rachel centers her work on relationship building across the climate movement. With more than a decade of experience as a development leader and former news reporter, her roots in relationship management and journalism guide her professional approach today. 

She was a television and radio broadcast journalist before pivoting into nonprofit work. In 2014, Rachel was awarded the Radio Television Digital News Association Edward R. Murrow honor for excellence in "Continuing Coverage" of the 2013 Moral Monday peaceful protest movement. Prior to joining the Planet team, she served as Regional Resource Development Director for a human services-centered nonprofit, building networks of diverse collaborators to make measurable impacts for underserved communities.

Rachel holds a BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Based in Seattle, she and her husband enjoy remodeling properties with a focus on sustainability and volunteering for habitat restoration projects.

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