Brooke joined First Nations in March 2023 as the Grants Development Officer. Brooke was born and raised in Texas where she completed her B.A. in Spanish and M.A. in Applied (Environmental) Anthropology at the University of North Texas. Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Brooke worked in the accounting department at Daisy Brand (sour cream and cottage cheese) for almost 10 years.
During graduate school, Brooke studied with the Indigenous Yucatec Maya community in Yaxunah, Yucatan, Mexico, where she worked on various projects, including developing an ecotourism program and local cultural heritage museum, conducting ethnographic interviews, translating documents, and teaching English.
Brooke’s graduate thesis included building a set of sustainability indicators for one of the most prominent ecovillages in the U.S., Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, where she also served as both Research Director and Development Director for their nonprofit, the Center for Sustainable and Cooperative Culture. It was there that she fell in love with nonprofit work and a simpler life.
After starting a family, Brooke and her partner moved to Hawaii Island where they spent five years raising their daughter, getting to know the local culture, gardening, and soaking up the salt, sand, and sun. Brooke and family have now returned to Denton, Texas.
She is passionate about using her social science education and diverse professional background to help create more just, equitable, and resilient communities for all people. In her personal time, Brooke is a foodie and enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, live music, gardening, and getting out in nature.
