Sarah helped Fresh Energy through multiple phases of organizational growth and development, leading program expansions and changes to management structures. She was a member of the three-person management team, supervised seven senior staff members, and set the tone for a supportive coach approach to management.

One specific example of her organizational leadership was her role in developing and implementing Fresh Energy’s 2021-2024 strategic framework, which centered ambition and equity as core areas of focus. In addition to serving as the lead staff of the board/staff strategic framework committee, she led program and management restructuring to effectively implement the organization’s new strategic imperatives.

As contract Director, Sarah led the Lower Phalen Creek Project from a fiscally sponsored project of the East Side Neighborhood Development Company to a free-standing 501(c)(3) organization with the necessary governance and legal framework. A key element of this project, focused on the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and regional trail system, was to ensure representation and connection to geographic and cultural communities, including Dakota tribes and Saint Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff, Payne Phalen, and Lowertown neighborhoods.

As part of a consulting team, Sarah helped the St. Croix River Association (now the Wild Rivers Conservancy) move from a 100-year-old volunteer-led initiative to a fully staffed formal organization. Her role included conducting St. Croix Watershed Assessments to identify programmatic needs and prospective partners, strategic planning, and development work to fund this transformation.