I grew up on a farm in South Dakota, near a town called Volga (with a graduating class of 53 students). I attended SDSU in Brookings, SD and have a Bachelor of Science degree, and in my 4th year, I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.
We lived in Duluth, MN, before moving to Minneapolis, where we live in the Longfellow neighborhood. When we moved to Minneapolis in 1998, we started out in an apartment not far from Central, so we walked to church. We’ve never left!
Most of my career has been in the retail field; financial planning/forecasting, and buying the products that various retailers sell.
I am married to Chris (whom I met at the University Lutheran Center while attending SDSU!) and have two amazing adult children, Julia and Nathan. They were baptized and confirmed at Central and are part of this church family.
I like walking along the Mississippi in our neighborhood, time with dear friends, and reading. I enjoy volunteering at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, being part of a team that can care for and love the little ones.
Fun fact: my parents met at Central through a young adult ski trip that my Dad organized in the 1960s. My dad was from SD and with his electrical engineering degree moved to Minneapolis for a job. My mom is from Minneapolis. I was actually born in Minneapolis and moved to the farm when I was five, as my father preferred corn fields to working inside.
If you could live anywhere in the world for one year, where would you choose and why?
I’d live in Hawaii for the ocean, sun, warmth, mountains, hiking, and good food. Plus, I speak the language.