Roads Taken

From very early on, Anna Kontos knew to listen to her heart and intuition to lead her. When her heart told her education was her path, she leaned in. She supplemented part-time leave term consulting gig with substitute teaching, which she enjoyed way more. She was part of the cohort of students who took the education program and stayed a semester after graduation to student teach and gather more in-class tools. She particularly loved how her creative side was grounded by her understanding of cognitive science. But she also knew that intuition—or the art of teaching— can take you only so far and that being the best resource to kids would require more science. She pursued that science and then found many ways to apply it, teach it, and center it at the core of her own practice.In this episode, find out how from Anna how mixing science, art, and a very special sauce can create the alchemy needed to excel. About This Episode’s Guest Anna Kontos is a Learning Specialist, Private Tutor, and an educator of educators. She recently co-founded Canvas & Cortex, an integrated consultancy in the Boston area that provides family and school consulting, executive-functioning and ADHD coaching, and workshops that blend creativity with research-backed strategies for student success. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Boston area, close to her large extended Greek family. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Last we spoke with Matthew Wiltshire, he had returned to his beloved Nashville with an eye toward serving the people there. He was doing that in economic development and housing and then a bigger opportunity appeared. He took a shot at running for Mayor of the City of Nashville and learned through the process that there are many ways to serve. He also found that the health of a city and a family has a lot to do with home.//In this episode, find out from Matt how sticking with what seems most pressing can provide some of the best payoffs…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s Guest Matthew Wiltshire is a native of Nashville, Tennesse. After a valiant run in the Nashville mayoral race in 2023, he is currently the President of the Pathway Housing Fund, which utilizes low-cost capital to acquire naturally-occurring affordable housing properties in Tennessee that are at risk of becoming unaffordable and provides quality housing for residents. Prior to joining Pathway, Matt worked at MDHA, Nashville's public housing authority, and served as the Director of Economic and Community Development for the city. And somehow along the way, in addition to the properties, he has acquired six kids who keep him busy, and worried, and deeply in love.  For Matt’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to The Home Stretch. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Last we spoke with Maryam Kia-Keating, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a mom of two, she was already a full professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in its school of Education’s Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. Nearly four years later, she still has all her skills and expertise and desire to empower individuals, families, schools and communities. She’s just taken the time to discern where she could make the most impact, which has led her to walk through some unexpected doors. In this episode, find out from Maryam out how making decisions based around potential impact can open up all sorts of potential…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s Guest Maryam Kia-Keating is an author, psychologist, educator, and lifelong storyteller. After serving on the active faculty at the University of California, Santa Barbara for 18 years, she is now Professor Emerita there. Currently she serves as the director of counseling at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California, and continues to serve as a consultant for children’s media. A producer of children’s media herself, she is the author of the forthcoming A Suitcase Full, a picture book inspired by her own journey across the world as a child. Find out more about the book (and how to pre-order it) at maryamkia.com.   For Maryam’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Research in Action. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

In college, Keli‘i Opulauoho would have defined himself by the types of activities in which he participated – musical pursuits, student government, student affairs, his policy interests, particularly those related to China and international peace. But many of his classmates also associated him with his homeland of Hawai‘i. And after decades of being away, he has recently moved back home. But, despite some of the family reasons that made him originally consider the move back, it wasn't what he missed that drew home; rather what of his experiences from away that he could bring back to the islands. In this episode, find out from Keli‘i how sometimes repairing things comes from being your whole self where once you weren't. About This Episode’s Guest Keli‘i Opulauoho has had a career in corporate organizational development and learning, currently practicing his expertise at Hawaiian Electric, in Honolulu. In addition to supporting a number of LGBTQ+ organizations in Hawai‘i, he serves on the board of directors of many Dartmouth groups, including DGALA, NAAAD – the Native American Alumni Association of Dartmouth – and the Dartmouth Club of Hawai‘i. He is a proud Dartmouth ’26 parent and is a formidable karaoke performer wherever he might find himself. And despite what he might think, he’s a great hugger. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

As many of us do, Burns McKinney had a high school teacher who made things come alive, even in the dismal science of economics. With that fire, Burns knew what he wanted to study in college and sought out professors who had that same desire to go beyond theory to application and real-world significance. Starting in the investment banking world in New York City, this Texan learned the fundamentals and how to work hard, but found he would take a role and keep an eye out for what the other guys were doing. Not necessarily feeling their grass was greener, he was just open to the next thing that might be a better fit. When he found the fit in buy-side investment management and refined skills and connections in business school, he also wanted to grow a family. But he knew he wanted to do that closer to his roots.In this episode, find out from Burns how sometimes looking over the fence makes you realize the grass can be pretty green at home.About This Episode's GuestBurns McKinney is currently Senior Portfolio Manager at NFJ Investment Group, a global value equity manager in Dallas, where he's been for the last two decades. His two children are nearly grown, so you will probably find him in Dallas or traveling with his wife Barb to see live music or sporting events. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

With romantic visions of the life of an academic historian, Ryan Carey embarked on the journey he thought would lead him there. But reality was harder to replicate than the models in his mind's eye. After landing an initial position in a claustrophobic environment and putting more energy into his classroom teaching than publishing, his bid for tenure was unsuccessful and he moved away from the academy. He found a public history position in the museum world but found himself missing teaching. When a friend suggested he try teaching at a private high school, he resisted, blind to all the ways it was a perfect match.In this episode, find out from Ryan how sometimes taking a leap and going beyond the expected can bring you back to where you belong.About This Episode’s GuestRyan Carey currently serves as Director of Experiential Education and Extension Programs at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at Austin, where he specialized in environmental history and the history of the American West, and is happy to be living, surfing, and soaking up the vistas back on that coast.  Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

After two decades in the ER, Thomas Fisher encountered a true emergency that seemed all-encompassing but was just the tip of the iceberg. Reflecting on his experiences on the front lines of one of America's busiest urban hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, he realized that his community's literal and metaphorical ills--and those of much of America--are unlikely to heal themselves.In this episode, find out from Thomas getting to exhaustion and witnessing everyone else's can sometimes provide the energy necessary to take on new challenges.About This Episode’s GuestThomas Fisher is an emergency medicine physician from the south Side of Chicago whose first book The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER was named one of Time Magazine's "100 Must-Read Books" of the year. He is currently running for election to serve the people of Illinois' 7th Congressional District. You can find more about his campaign at thomasfisherforcongress.com. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Hey Roads Taken Listeners. It's been a minute. But we’re back. On the run up to the 30th Reunion of Dartmouth's Class of 1996, host Leslie Jennings Rowley will be talking to more classmates about who they were as they graduated, who they thought they’d become, and how they’ve traveled down various roads to get where they are today. They’ve have had nearly three decades of post-college life and all the highs, lows, bruises, and accolades to prove it.The new season will begin on February 2, 2026. And just like Groundhog Day, all the pageantry and questions will feel familiar but you won’t quite be sure what the guest of honor will tell us. Will it be a medical doctor running for Congress? A non-profit director fighting to make sure people get what they need? An educator with lots of life lessons to impart?If you're hearing this, there's a good chance you're already subscribed or are following the show in your favorite podcast app. But if not, please do that now and make sure your auto download feature is turned on so you don't miss any new episodes when they start dropping soon with on Roads Taken. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Last we spoke with Adam Medros, he had moved through a string of ever-more-interesting C-Suite roles. Not long after, he realized he needed to hit the pause button and embarked on a sabbatical of sorts. He filled the time with a number of pursuits, but none as sweet as his serious study of pastries—and not just as being a consumer of them but rather becoming quite the accomplished baker. (Amazingly, his telling of it made this our second episode featuring the word kouign-amann.) After a bit of time without a focus on anything more external to his home kitchen, however, he started getting the itch to hop back on the C-Suite track.In this episode, find out from Adam taking time to do nothing and some new somethings can help hit the reset…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestAdam Medros, an experienced C-level technology executive, is currently CEO of Spark Networks, the parent company of some of the most recognizable online dating brands in the world, particularly for singles over 40 and those with strong faith traditions. Among others, the portfolio includes Jdate, Elite Singles, ChristianMingle, and SilverSingles. And, of course, he is quite the accomplished pastry chef. Here are pictures of Adam with some of his pastry creations and Adam filling donuts.For Adam’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Disruptive Mindset.And for the first appearance of the word kouign-amann on our podcast, listen to Risk and Reward with Jamie Hansen. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Last we spoke with Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham, it was summer 2020 and as the head of the upper school at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in Southern California, she was still in the thick of the complexities of covid and retooling just about everything in anticipation of bringing students back in the fall. In the more than four years since, her ability to handle the unexpected has continued to be tested as she has faced fears, uncertainty, and a changing future.In this episode, find out from Jeneen how keeping service and growth at the center can keep things on track…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestThat was Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham who is currently head of school at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. She previously was Upper School Principal from 2018 to 2023 and Academic Dean, 2012 to 2018, in addition to teaching AP psychology and serving on the Board of Trustees as a parent of two graduates of the school.For Jeneen’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Independent Education and her special bonus episode about closing her school for covid lockdown and moving to online learning. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

With only two more episodes in this season of Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley, we are soliciting suggestions for future seasons. Are there any former guests you'd like to see featured on a Roads Taken Revisited episode? Or a voice who hasn't yet been featured who should be persuaded to share their story? Drop us a line through the Contact Us link at RoadsTakenShow.com. Let us know what you might be interested in hearing in a future season.(And for those Dartmouth '96 alumni out there, I hope you've put a save-the-date on the calendar for our 30th Reunion in Hanover, June 18 to 21, 2026. And if you're dying to get involved in any capacity with planning that event or with other class engagement, drop us a line through the show, too!)We are so appreciative for all of you who keep listening, week after week, season after season. Thanks so much! Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

In college, Jesse Israel knew that his major didn't really matter so much because he wanted to pursue a life in entertainment and media and early experiences landed him on the path right away. An out-of-season internship at NBC Sports landed him in the president’s office, with access to top executives and the inner workings of things. And when graduation coincided with the Atlanta Olympics, he had a job waiting, albeit a few flights down from the head office. With a career that saw him in every sort of producing role, eventually developing major star vehicles, he realized—in an industry that had transformed thoroughly since he began in it—that there might be another way to use the full range of skills he’d honed over two decades.In this episode, find out from Jesse how tapping into relationships and dealing with rejection can be quite transferable…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestJesse Israel is a certified financial planner, wealth manager, and insurance expert, who currently advises at Capstone Partners Financial and Insurance Services in Los Angeles, where he previously spent a career in the entertainment industry that spanned two decades with stints at NBC Sports and Dateline, and development roles for numerous feature film deals. Being a very proud husband and father of two girls, he is cofounder of the Dad Club, which is just the coolest. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Starting out as pre-med and a member of the development ski team, Dan Kashman changed courses a couple of times in college, first getting his ski time in as a ski instructor instead of on the team, then switching to economics. Right after graduation, he worked got an investment banking job but knew very soon he wanted to get his hands more dirty, or rather more snowy. He wrote to a number of consolidating ski resort companies and figured out how to use his Wall Street experience in a different way. Ultimately, he found that his interests and skills made the most sense in the world of marketing. Moving between smaller companies and larger shops with powerful tools, he learned to find the connections between data, technology, and creativity for companies of all sizes, including his own.In this episode, find out from Dan how changing course and pursuing longevity aren't always in opposition…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestDan Kashman is an experienced Chief Marketing Officer and entrepreneurial executive with over two decades of experience in finding the connections between data, technology, and creativity for companies large and small. His marketing consultancy Tenth Mountain is a multidisciplinary marketing firm with clients in all sectors. But as a devotee of the health and wellness space, he is also the founder of Medo, which uses AI-powered health coaching to make preventative health optimization accessible to everyone. Check them out at helloMEDO.com to learn your free Sense Score and a holistic view of your longevity potential. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

As she began college, Annie Soutter Horton had a clear, singular identity: She was a swimmer. But something began feeling off and she had to make a change that left her in search of who she really was at core and how she could feel more whole. In following a path toward education, she saw others who might not be secure with who they were and what made them well. She continued to center the idea of wellness in her work. When an opportunity came to move her family across the world to New Zealand she leaned in and found ways to incorporate indigenous ideas of wellness into her academic studies and home life.In this episode, find out from Annie how quieting yourself to tune into the elements of wellness can bring you fill circle…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestAnne Soutter Horton would tell you Three Sisters is her mountain, Metoliius is her river, Oregon is where she is from, Christchurch is where she lives, and her name is Annie. She is currently a lecturer in Educational Studies and Leadership in the Faculty of Education at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where she teaches courses on child and adolescent wellbeing and health, as well as leadership. She is raising a brood of five children with college classmate Travis Horton and, in summer of 2024, competed in New Zealand’s South Island Short Course Championships and broke longstanding national records in her age group in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When we last spoke with Jonathon Stewart, known affectionately to us as Stew, he was in LA hitting his stride in the world of screenwriting and working on animated and live-action feature films. He has continued on this path with his long-time creative partner, depsite the ups and downs that have come in this period of redefinition for the entire film industry. In this Roads Taken Revisited, find out from Stew how now, with the perspective one gets in the middle stages of life, sometimes looking at the long game really just tracks with searching for the little things that make us human…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestJonathon “Stew” Stewart is a screenwriter, producer, and consultant for business, education and content creators. With his long-time creative partner Eyal Podell, he has written for the likes of Pixar, Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, Paramount, Sony, and Netflix. He has two kids who will invariably feature in his future storytelling.For Stew’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Character Study. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When last we spoke with Pace Duckenfield, he was on the cusp of retiring from a long and decorated military career and he was weighing how he might use his skills and experience in the private sector. He parlayed the cybersecurity skills he gained in the Army into a stable day job, but he’s most passionate at this point about the business he has started with his brother through the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) program. Though he kept his roots in Georgia for continuity for his wife’s job and community they have built for their daughters, he has still found ways to branch out through the new strategy consultancy.In this episode, find out from Pace how finding gratitude for one path ending and another beginning is the key to moving on…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestPace Duckenfield is a retired Major from the U.S. Army who served four overseas tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, who is co-founder and CEO of DX3 Strategists where he leverages his extensive background in military intelligence and cyber security to guide and manage the firm’s overall operations and to assist its private sector and government clients. He lives in Georgia with his wife, two daughters, and bearded dragon, El.For Pace’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Intelligence Quotient. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Somehow, Michael Rigney always knew he wanted to work in the climate and energy space. So he studied engineering, but then wasn’t sure what the path would be. He figured the business side of that world would likely make the most sense for him, so he started out in consulting. But he was drawn to a life that would get him closer to the heart of things. In taking an early opportunity to start a business with his brother, the entrepreneurial bug bit him and after business school he worked in various start-up environments in a variety of fields. All the while, he worked on balancing his natural intensity with units of happiness and ultimately weaved all his experiences into a start-up of his own.In this episode, find out from Michael how many times the journeys that create the most meaningful things are the long ones …on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s Guest// Michael Rigney is a serial entrepreneur and current CEO and co-founder of Cala Systems, makers of the world's first intelligent heat pump water heater for the residential market. The new company is the culmination of his decades of leadership experience in climate and energy start-ups combined with a background in building products and in thermal sciences.  Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When we last spoke with Kira Lawrence, more than two years ago, she was taking a sabbatical from her tenured faculty position to work within New Jersey's Division of Clean Energy at the state’s Board of Public Utilities to try to make more direct impact on the climate crisis. Her time there made her think at length about how to best leverage her time and expertise and realized that—right now—she needs to be outside academia to have a chance to making the immediate impact she seeks. What she learns now about the skills necessary in the future, will hopefully help her return to higher education down the road to develop more people into the agents of change our planet needs. This is similar to the work she is doing to back others in the public sphere facing the broader topics of community diversity and equity.In this episode, find out from Kira how leadership is rarely about having the answers but motivating people from diverse backgrounds to take on the gnarly questions…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestKira Lawrence is currently senior policy advisor for the board of public utilities for the State of New Jersey.For Kira’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Better Environments. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

A chance trip to the Soviet Union just before the fall had a huge impact on Erika Monahan and she entered college knowing that she wanted to learn the Russian language and travel back there. Configuring her studies around travel, she became a history major and decided to focus on the present and let the future stay out there until she was ready for it. A web of connections allowed her to revisit after college some of the places she’d gone previously. But her own desire to go deeper into the history and a little adventure put her on a path to navigate other geographies for her career and family. In this episode, find out from Erika how, while clues from the past can certainly inform the future, the present provides a necessary grounding…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestErika Monahan is currently an associate professor in the department of history at the University of New Mexico, where she has been since 2008. Her research and teaching focus on the Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and Russia from the ninth century to the present, with special emphasis on the history of the Russian empire, environmental history, commerce in this part of the world, and Russia in a larger European and global context. Her writing and scholarship have won numerous awards and she recently served as an Alexander von Humboldt fellow in Cologne, Germany.  Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When Brandon del Pozo first thought about the life of an academic, it seemed way too slow-paced. Like Jack Kerouak, he needed to go experience what people were doing across America. But once he'd walked that road, he realized he could spread innovation by getting beyond the local beat. After concluding his long policing career, he did go back for his PhD and had just completed it when he first spoke with Roads Taken, somewhat in academic limbo as a postdoctoral researcher.In this episode, find out from Brandon how reflecting on what you've seen and know locally can have eventual large-scale impact …on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestBrandon del Pozo is currently an assistant professor of medical and health services, policy and practice at Brown University. He conducts NIH-funded research at the intersection of public health, public safety, and justice, focusing on substance use, the overdose crisis, and violence. Prior to his research career, Brandon served as a police officer for 23 years, 19 with the New York City Police Department and an additional four as Chief of Police of Burlington, Vermont, where he directed the city's interdisciplinary response to the opioid crisis, an effort associated with a substantial and sustained reduction in opioid overdose deaths. His book, The Police and the State: Security, Social Cooperation, and the Public Good, was published in 2023 by Cambridge University Press. You can find out more at brandondelpozo.com. (240)For Brandon’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to The Philosopher Officer.  Find out how reflecting on what you've seen and know locally can have eventual large-scale impact.. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com