Why I Built this Practice
I spent 20 years leading inside the same institutions you're navigating and I hit the same wall you're hitting. Arête exists because the work that got me to the other side didn't exist when I needed it.
Why Work with Chris…
For more than 20 years, I've worked inside mission-driven institutions — leading teams through growth, transition, and cultural change at Johns Hopkins University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Montana State University, and The Trust for Public Land. I've raised over $100 million, worked alongside CEOs, philanthropists, faculty, and frontline staff, and I know what it's like to be in the middle of competing priorities, big expectations, and limited support. I'm not coaching from the outside. I'm still in it.
Along the way, I've also lived the shadow side of "high-functioning" success: burnout, over-responsibility, complex organizational politics, and the cost of staying loyal to systems that weren't always loyal back. My own journey has included real trauma and the slow, honest work of recovery — therapy, spiritual practice, and a willingness to reckon with how my history was shaping my leadership.
What shapes how I work:
Direct and grounded. I'm a former Marine. I value courage, clarity, and straight talk.
I've done and continue to do my own inner work. I don't ask clients to go anywhere I'm not willing to go myself.
Both head and heart. I pair formal academic training with lived experience of navigating real institutions under real pressure.
Protective of people. I care about the long-term wellbeing of the people you lead — including you.
Training and credentials:
United States Marine Corps Veteran
Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University (In Progress)
Certified Facilitator, When Everyone Leads, Kansas Leadership Center
Certified Baptiste Yoga Instructor (Mind-Body Leadership Practice)
Member, Institute of Coaching
Member, Adaptive Leadership Network
