I lived in a very rural area in Nebraska, and so after obtaining my Bachelor's degree, I found that most of the positions available were in Agriculture. I knew I wanted to be associated with a company of growth and education, so I set out to find just that. I taught at the High School level briefly and then accepted a position with a brokerage firm. I realized that there were many opportunities in the insurance and financial arena, and sought a position that was well aligned with my skill set which lies in training and operations. 20 years ago, I accepted a position with Ameritas and have been here ever since. I was most recently promoted as the Senior VP of Human Resources.

I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Business from Wayne State College and went on to obtain my Master's degree in Management from Doane University. I also received Secondary Education endorsements in Nebraska, which certified me to teach at the High School level. In 2011, through LIMRA and The Wharton School of Executive Development, I earned my LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow (LLIF) Designation.

My biggest challenge was in accepting that I needed to define and create my own success and not worry about the meeting everyone else's expectations. I learned that working to live up to the expectations of others, though it may appear as success, can be unfulfilling and make you unhappy. I also was challenged to find the appropriate balance between my family and my professional life, and with successfully fulfilling my responsibilities as both a mother and a professional.

I feel my greatest strengths include my abilities to relate to people in an individualized manner and identify how I can help them grow and to apply my knowledge and expertise to people and processes. I also find my agility and my passion for learning and education to be strong assets of mine.

I am a single mother of two boys, and raising them and watching them grow into contributing and valuable members of society has been my life's greatest accomplishment. 

My goal is to create a high performance HR team. 85% of my staff have been here less than a year. I want to do more to enable our business. I have the tools, but describing specifically how much time is needed to fulfill the goal is the hard part. I intend to help my team achieve successes and create key outcomes. I will keep the motivation going and the development of the team moving forward.

Well, I love a challenge and fixing things - that's what motivates and inspires me. I do not like when things are too easy.

People tend to demonize each other, and so I want to be remembered for being kind and creating a "ripple of kindness". I would also like to be remembered for my intelligence and for being hard working.

• The United Way
• The Capitol Humane Society
• Future Business Leaders of America and Nebraska

I love to travel, especially when it comes to being part of nature. I enjoy, Jiu Jitsu. eating out, reading, going to the movies and watching my son's football and soccer games.