Serving as the Assistant Director for Leadership Development, Chris transitioned to the Holden Center in July 2011. Off campus, Chris is also a Lead Facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute. Prior to the Holden Center, he was a Senior Staff Therapist and Outreach Coordinator for the UO Counseling & Testing Center—working at the UO in that capacity since 2006. He also served as a Staff-in-Residence for the UO Center on Diversity and Community from 2007-2010.

Chris attended Stanford University for his undergraduate studies and the University of California, Santa Barbara for his graduate work. In both cases, psychology was his academic focus… however his passion was in assisting others to develop fulfilling and purposeful lives. Two of his most influential courses occurred during the first term of his freshman year at Stanford: Peer Counseling and Improvisation. Later, he discovered additional courses in Group Communication and Leadership Theory. Together, these experiences not only fueled his own leadership development and identity, they also provided him a foundational framework for helping others develop their potential. His transition from a counseling/therapy role has been a shift from focusing on repairing students’ problems to a focus on helping students identify and employ their strengths—a more natural fit for his professional interests.

When not at work, Chris spends a little of his personal time running. Over the past ten years, Chris has completed 10 marathons, including two in Hawaii where he raised over $15,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And, as if running a marathon wasn’t challenging enough, Chris ran the Rock-and-Roll San Diego Marathon in a full banana costume for a Jamba Juice promotional stunt. This is not a surprise to those who know Chris’ past… understanding that he previously performed in parades at Disneyland, twisted balloon animals at children’s birthday parties, dressed as a giant squid to benefit the Santa Barbara aquarium, and spent 2.5 years as a volunteer firefighter in Idaho. In short, Chris isn’t afraid to try something wacky, silly, or adventurous. As it turns out, this attitude speaks to some of his own leadership qualities: thinking outside the box, a high tolerance for ambiguity, and a healthy disregard for the impossible.