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 for about 8 years 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! I am so grateful for the community at Central and how people care for each other here. It’s such a healthy culture with everyone working together and willing to help each other. And from this healthy place, Central cares for our members and everyone who comes through our doors.
Most of my career has been in the retail field; financial planning/forecasting and buying the products that various retailers sell. I have worked for brick-and-mortar stores (Maurice’s, Dayton’s & Marshall Field’s), as well as ecommerce (Target), thrift (Goodwill), and catalog (Coolibar). Most recently, I worked as the Office Manager for the Principal at Central High School in St. Paul. I worked at Central in a temporary role from December 2023-May of 2024. In my current role, I am just getting started as of August 2025.
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. All our immediate family lives in South Dakota, so we are on the road to see them frequently. We are a family of travelers and have enjoyed our experiences from State Parks in Minnesota and all the way to Japan, Norway, and Sweden – and many places in between.
I like walking along the Mississippi in our neighborhood, time with dear friends, and reading. I have enjoyed 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.