After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, I worked in the City of Oakland as statutory City Planner and later in San Francisco, with the Sassaki Urban Design Group, on large design projects such a Euro-Disney and the City of San Francisco downtown redevelopment. While studying at Cornell University, I continued my design research in master planning communities in New York City.

I moved to Los Angeles where I played a lead role in the urban design of the Sunset Boulevard Specific Plan and Santa Monica Boulevard Streetscape Master Plan. In the mid 1990's I continued my professional career with Wallace Roberts & Todd in San Diego, working on the Mission Bay Master Plan, the City of Carlsbad Master Plan and the City of Tucson Air Quality Master Plan. In the mid 1990's I was elected to public office, serving a four year term as trustee of the Petaluma Health Care District.

On returning to Australia, I accepted a teaching role at QUT in Brisbane and commenced my PhD research evaluating the success of sustainable development practices in Master Planned Communities. Later I joined Gold Coast City Council working in the Urban Design unit and then coordinating the Environmental Planning and Conservation Unit.