How intuitive perception, organizational strategy, and community connection helped bring a vision into reality.
Seeing the Vision
When I was recruited to join the Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation (OPWF) as Board President, the mission was clear: help bring a dedicated Parkinson’s exercise gym into existence.
Founder Lori Bonitati-Havas had spent years working with people living with Parkinson’s disease. She envisioned a dedicated space where they could strengthen their bodies, build confidence, and experience the support of a community.
When I read Lori’s written vision, something clicked. I was immediately inspired. I could see the gym in my mind’s eye, almost as though it already existed. I could feel the possibility of what she was describing.
And with decades of organizational building experience, I could also see what it would take to bring that vision into physical form.
Recognizing What Was Needed
My approach to building organizations goes beyond conventional strategic planning.
I read the field.
I tune into the relationships, patterns, possibilities, and collective energy surrounding a vision. I notice what’s emerging, where there’s momentum, where something feels stuck, and what the situation is asking for.
Those perceptions help me recognize where to focus my attention and how to apply my experience.
With Warriors Gym, what I perceived was a need for more than funding and equipment. The vision needed to become something the broader community could see, believe in, and participate in creating.
Fundraising was part of that response.
In May 2024, we held a fundraiser at Oakshire Public House in Eugene. It generated thousands of dollars, but equally important was the visibility and enthusiasm it created. People were discovering the mission, building relationships, and becoming part of something that hadn’t yet taken physical form.
Support also came through individual donors, equipment contributions, and grants from organizations including the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, 100+ Women Who Care, and the Rex Foundation.
The resources, relationships, and community support began coming together around the vision.
Bringing the Vision Into Form
Intuitive perception helps me recognize what needs attention. My organizational experience helps me translate those insights into practical action.
As Board President, I brought my background in organizational development, governance, strategic planning, and resource building to help guide the work.
In September 2024, Warriors Gym opened its doors in Eugene, becoming Lane County’s first dedicated, research-based exercise gym for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
It was a collective achievement, grounded in Lori’s vision and made possible by the dedication of board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
By the end of 2025, the foundation had recorded 4,222 gym visits from 97 unique participants. In September 2026, Warriors Gym celebrated two years of operation.
My involvement continued beyond the opening. Through board leadership and later strategic consulting, I helped strengthen governance, operational systems, fundraising infrastructure, and organizational sustainability as the foundation grew.
The Work Behind the Work
Warriors Gym is an example of how I approach bringing vision into reality.
I don’t begin by imposing a strategy. I begin by paying attention.
I listen, recognize what needs attention, and draw on decades of organizational experience to respond.
Sometimes that means building structure. Sometimes it means connecting people, identifying resources, or recognizing an opportunity that hasn’t yet been considered.
Intuitive perception informs the strategy. The strategy gives the vision a way to become real.
That’s what I bring to leaders and organizations as The Woo Strategist.
I see what’s there. But I also see what’s missing.