I grew up in a small town, but the day I got my driver’s license I began my first job on a local dairy farm that belonged to family friends. There I learned lifelong lessons about the hard work, dedication, camaraderie, unique challenges, and exceptional rewards that characterize rural life.
Since then I have worked in agriculture, food service, banking, and education in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota, always remaining rooted in the rural lifestyle I now share with my husband and two young daughters on our acreage near Pender, Nebraska.
Serving the Center for Rural Affairs as policy director gives me the opportunity to draw on my diverse experiences to advance our goals of values, worth, and action while supporting a group of exceptional people in their tireless dedication to strong rural communities. When not at work, you’ll find me reading to my toddler, baking with my older daughter, or tending to my four milk cows.
