Thank you for visiting my page to learn more about me!

I’ve lived in Yankton since the summer of 2018, but I took the long way here. I was born on Long Island, New York. We moved upstate when I was 3-ish, and then we moved to Florida when I was 12. Upon graduation, I couldn’t afford college, so I entered the workforce. I didn’t really like living in Florida, so on the advice of a coworker who had just gotten out of the Navy, I enlisted in the Air Force…and I stuck with it for 22 years. 

My job in the Air Force was personnel, which is equivalent to human resources, and as I moved through my career into the senior enlisted ranks, I was provided different leadership opportunities. One of those opportunities was a 3-year special duty assignment as a first sergeant. In that position, I was a liaison between the enlisted force and the commander. I advocated for Airmen on topics like health, welfare, morale, and career progression, and I would walk them through administrative actions and punishments. I stood by them through the lowest points in their careers, and celebrated the happiest ones with them, too. The position required a lot of communication and a lot of trust. The motto of the Air Force First Sergeant is “people are our business,” and I see a lot of parallels between that position and being your state representative.

My final duty station was in the Minneapolis military entrance processing station (MEPS) as the senior enlisted advisor. It was very similar to the first sergeant position, but now I had four other separate units to oversee, and I was authoring and enforcing policy that affected members from all branches of the service as well as civilian employees. I had to learn how to speak their different languages to help them with what they needed help with. I see that as a parallel also–learning to speak the language of different groups within District 18 to better advocate for you. 

One of the subordinate units we were in charge of was the Sioux Falls MEPS.  Earlier in my career, I had a 7+ year assignment at Ellsworth AFB, and I had come to love this state. For those last 3 years of my career, the commander and I would make quarterly trips to Sioux Falls, and every time I saw the “Welcome to South Dakota” sign, I felt a little tug on my heart. So, when I retired from the Air Force in 2014, I moved back to Rapid City into the house I’d purchased 10 years prior.

In November 2017, I visited Yankton for the first time, and I loved it. The people were so nice, and the river brought me peace. I decided that this is my home. I went back to Rapid City, got my ducks in a row, quit my job, sold my house, and moved here.

Post-retirement, I have worked as a night auditor in a Rapid City hotel and as the office administrator in the Rushmore Mall. Since moving to Yankton, I’ve been a lunch lady at Webster Elementary (I like to say I can effectively communicate with everyone from junior kindergartners to four-star generals). I was a foster parent for a year, which was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I sold homemade dog treats at the farmer’s market for three summers. Now, I’m a substitute teacher in the Yankton school district, I teach a business class to inmates at the federal prison, and I’m a pet sitter. I have bachelor’s degrees in social psychology and business management, a master’s degree in management and leadership, and an MBA.  

Throughout it all, the most important skill I’ve learned is empathy. I’ve worked with people from so many different cultures and backgrounds, and I’ve learned that my lived experiences do not invalidate theirs. I’ve been able to find common ground and develop relationships regardless of our differences. 

Even though I’ve retired from the Air Force, people are still my business. I believe the entirety of my background and experience will allow me to serve you well in Pierre. If you believe it, too, please vote for me on or before November 3, 2026. Thank you!