Rachael began her career with a decade in international trade compliance and logistics, working closely with federal regulatory agencies, experience directly relevant to the export control and cross-border considerations inherent to space sector work. Space has long been a personal passion alongside this professional grounding: Rachael served for 10 years as a NASA Solar System Ambassador, leading community outreach workshops to promote current missions at astronomy fairs and local events, served on the managing committee of AstroCon 2017, and was appointed by the mayor of Salt Lake City to the board of the internationally renowned Clark Planetarium.

Since transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Rachael brings for-profit rigor to mission-driven organizations, helping them operate with strategy, discipline, and efficiency. She has held leadership roles across an array of mission-driven organizations, including higher education, health and social justice, and climate initiatives. Formerly the Executive Director of a global nonprofit focused on frontline medical care access, she has also served with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, one of the world's largest philanthropic service organizations, and with the National Grants Management Association, which collaborated with the White House Office of Management and Budget on federal grants management. In a prior role as Vice President of Development and Community Relations, she stewarded multi-year gifts from foundations and individual donors. Through these experiences, Rachael has honed deep expertise in operations, governance, and strategic collaboration.

Rachael holds a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the Ohio State University and a Master's in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and she is currently pursuing a PhD in Nonprofit Organizational Leadership. She has taught undergraduate philosophy at Utah Valley University and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Abundant Montana.

Rachael regularly speaks on nonprofit operations and management, with past engagements including the Washington State Nonprofit Conference, the Montana Nonprofit Conference, the National Association of Counties, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Grants Conference, among others. She holds several professional credentials, including the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from ASAE, Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional from FMA Institute, HR Essentials from SHRM, and a DEI for HR Certificate from Cornell University.