About

Professional Prowess

She is the principal consultant and owner of theloftBRK Creative Consultancy, a progressive firm based in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. TheloftBRK offers a holistic approach, helping small businesses, nonprofits, and arts organizations flourish. The firm specializes in interim and transitional leadership, administrative organization, strategic vision implementation, and several other areas of expertise, including marketing and digital strategy, interpersonal and team coaching, and event planning.

Combining her interest with business skills, she is also a company leader at ShireHome Co., a boutique collective of luxury vacation rentals and a property management company. Working with her husband, Joe Short, she oversees daily operations and marketing strategies, contributing to its standing as a highly-rated and respected business in the Berkshires.

Community Engagement and Previous Roles

Her community involvement enriches her professional life. She is deeply committed to public service in Stockbridge, holding memberships in the Stockbridge Affordable Housing Trust and the Community Development Corporation of Southern Berkshires. She focuses on affordable and workforce housing in these roles and promotes economic development.

Her former roles further underscore her diverse skills and experiences. As the managing director of White Heron Theatre Company on Nantucket, she led marketing and development efforts with a team of professional staff. She was instrumental in launching the Pre-Professional Company’s Intensive program, aimed at career artists poised to transition into the industry. She spent eight years as Assistant Director of the Boston University School of Theatre, heading Admissions and Recruitment for undergraduate and graduate performance programs. Furthermore, her work history includes engagement with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Framingham State University, and other esteemed institutions.

Celebrated Actor

Her artistic journey began as an Elliot Norton and IRNE award-winning actor. Her acting credits encompass Off-Broadway performances and standard-setting regional theatres like the Huntington Theatre and the American Repertory Theatre. She was a founding member of Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston and a member of the Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA.

Hobbies & Interests

She is a keen homesteader who loves baking sourdough bread and gardening. Aside from building and designing sustainable homes with her husband, she enjoys hiking. After a formative bread-making class in Hillsdale, NY, she got hooked on homesteading. She finds joy and power in creating homegrown food and respite from technology.

Charitable Activities

Charity begins at home for her as she participates in local charity works. She has been an active member and financial contributor to the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center for eight years. Her charitable inclinations see her supporting local arts organizations such as Jacobs Pillow Dance, Speakeasy Stage Company, Barrington Stage Co, and The Gamm Theatre.

Awards & Accolades

Her career has been marked by recognition for her significant contributions. She has been nominated for the 2017 Best Advisor of the Year at Boston University, won the Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Huntington Theatre Company), and received recognition at the Prague Quadrennial for her production of ‘Cabaret’ (director).

Through her impressive career, she spotlighted the value of creative approaches, strategic thinking, and community involvement. Her passion for fostering growth in people and organizations has led to her considerable success.