I have been in the Human Resources field for 26 years, and have spent 19 of those years with John Deere. While studying for my undergraduate degree in Business Administration, I took some courses in HR and it just clicked. I knew then that HR was the right fit for me. While in college I wrote a business proposal for a small company stating why they needed an HR Department and encouraged them to hire me to fulfill that need upon my graduation, and they did! The rest is history.

I earned my Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in HR and Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin and went on to earn my Executive MBA from the University of Iowa where I studied at the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. In addition to my formal education, I earned my PHR and SPHR certifications through The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

My biggest challenge is probably managing through my own feelings of guilt for not fitting into the perfect definition of a mother, as I have traveled quite a bit for work. Although I was not being judged, at times I felt I was being judged. I can be my toughest critic.

In the workplace I have had a hard time accepting and receiving success, though I have had many successes and promotions along the way.

My greatest strengths include my abilities to lead people and to engage and inspire others. I also have vision and a deeply rooted knowledge and breadth of HR and the depth of my understanding in processes enables me to effectively coach and mentor others. I am a truly a "generalist" in that I am able to adapt to many roles.

I was the lead on a pretty amazing project, which was an initiative on Integrative Talent Management aimed at moving HR talent management processes, transferring customized processes to the cloud, and turning the data into new insights that transformed the talent management space. This allowed the information to set the strategy for the company when it came to talent management in several areas and was a huge success overall.

I want to remain in HR and with John Deere and continue to grow both personally and professionally. As far as long term goals, I cannot definitely say right now, but I do see myself in the future likely moving into operations where I can lead a larger team and leverage my vision and my ability to strategize.

In order to bring this vision to fruition I have been conversing with management and I am participating in developmental programs and learning all I can within my current role. I also am working to further develop my analytical skills to create new insights.

I am inspired by the love I have for what I do - I never thought about doing anything else because I knew I was right where I belonged. I am also inspired by my love for learning new things and to continue my education. Additionally, I have been very fortunate to have had excellent mentors along the way and through my career that have inspired me and played an integral role in my growth.

I want to be remembered for the positive impact I had on others, and for making my work about the success and accomplishment of other's not about personal gain. I also want to be remembered for having integrity and morals, and for inspiring others to set high standards for themselves

• The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

• Arrowhead Youth and Family Services
• Volunteering at the local schools

I love spending time with my 17 year old twin boys and enjoying their various activities. I also enjoy running, exercising and outdoor activities.