Kathleen’s career profile represents over 25 years as a nursing professional in the healthcare industry as both a Consultant and a Clinician. Her years of clinical experience have been associated with providers such as Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Illinois; Lake Forest Hospital, Lake Forest, Illinois; Carle Clinic, Urbana, Illinois; and Humana Health Plan, Evanston, Illinois. Kathleen began her professional consulting and coaching career with the executive search firm of Jacobson Associates of Chicago where she assisted in the development of their healthcare consulting services. In 1994, she joined First Transitions, Inc., and expanded her career into career continuation services.

Experienced in counseling and coaching individuals, as well as conducting group workshops, Kathleen has also been responsible for the day-to-day operation of “Career Resource Centers” for clients in New Jersey and Illinois. She is qualified through the Consulting Psychologist Press in the administration and interpretation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory and assists individuals in the identification of their personality preferences and interests in relation to their personal and career development.

In 1995, Kathleen assisted in the development and expansion of services to include Organizational Development consulting with the creation of First Strategies®. The mission of First Strategies® is to partner with clients to help achieve optimal success through the strategic development of the organization's people resources. To enhance the company’s capabilities, Kathleen completed training with the Coaches Training Institute. She is qualified to coach corporate clients in professional development with a focus on personal insight and leadership effectiveness. Her experience is in coaching leaders around life, career, and organizational issues, and working with organizations to create coaching cultures. Partnering with executive teams, and utilizing the MBTI and 360˚ analysis in tandem with individual coaching, has been a significant part of Kathleen’s work. Additionally, she has facilitated Conflict Resolution sessions with managers, achieving improved communication and a higher level of Emotional Intelligence.

Kathleen received her nursing diploma from Columbus Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago. She is an active member of the International Coach Federation (ICF), Chicago Health Executives Forum (CHEF) and Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC).