An expert in the psychology of interpersonal relationships, communication and leadership development with strong research and analytical skills, Sydney brings to Exetor over 25 years of experience as counselor and executive coach, educator and facilitator, project manager and executive. 

As an executive, she has held positions in private and public settings in the fields of counseling services, community agency program and leadership development, and project development and management for state and federal agencies in meeting federally-mandated organizational change. Additionally, she has served as research scientist on several private and federally-funded research projects and was a member of the study directors’ team at a research center in Berkeley, California from 1998-2004.  As an educator, she has held academic faculty positions at 3 US west coast universities including the University of California at Berkeley in the fields of social psychology, social welfare and social science research methodology and analytics. 

As a consultant and executive coach, she has worked with managers and senior executives in organizations undergoing major change initiatives.  Her work enabled them to develop creative and flexible leadership styles that are responsive to the impact of change on their staff and clients.  She has worked with early and mid-tenure business people in multinational settings to develop their interpersonal skills, including authentic relationship building, effective communication processes and client-focused problem solving abilities.  Clients include Washoe County Department of Social Services, the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Washoe County Health Care Systems, U.S. Department of Child and Family Services, Region 9, the Prevention Research Center, Citibank, Cisco Systems and the Hilton Hotels.  

• B.A. in English literature, University of Houston
• M.S.W. INcounseling, University of Houston
• Ph.D. in social welfare, University of California at Berkeley (with distinction)

As a long-time meditation practitioner, Sydney brings a thoughtful approach to working with clients that focuses on in-depth personal insight, development and change, and on identifying core personal values relative to both work and life.