Beginnings
I was raised in rural Iowa where my father was the County Engineer for Chickasaw County. He truly exemplified a public servant, and certainly influenced my career choices. Chickasaw County was so rural that the annual snow plow routes were based on where two groups lived: the snow plow operators and women who were about to give birth that winter. I ’ve never lost my affection for rural life, even though I’ve now lived in a city for nearly 20 years now.
My family moved to Madison when I was young and I later studied Civil Engineering at UW - Madison. To put myself through school I worked as a student engineer on highway construction projects with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Generally, I was one of very few women on any job; construction work helped me develop a thick skin and the ability to speak my mind. I never lost my cmmitment to public service, and I was a finalist in the Truman Scholar competition. For that competition, I wrote and spoke about the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), signed in 1991 by the first President Bush. My enthusiasm and hopes for innovative transportation solutions have never faded.
After receiving a BS in Civil Engineering, I graduated with an MS in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University in Chicago in 1995. I won a National Science Foundation Fellowship and returned to UW-Madison as a PhD student. I was extremely fortunate to spend some of my research time in the Netherlands. That country as created some of the most interesting engineering projects in the world to keep out the sea.
After realizing that getting a PhD wasn’t what I really wanted, I started working for Epic Systems Corporation as a Project Manager. At Epic, I honed my project management skills while helping some of the largest healthcare systems in the country implement their electronic medical systems. Since Epic was still a small company at the time, my experience there helped me understand the workings and needs of the small high tech companies in Dane County.
Law Enforcement:
In May of 2000 I became a Madison Police Officer. Since then I have seen the west side of Madison grow and change. Many changes have been positive, but many problems persist. As a police officer, I have investigated terrible crimes, and have found evidence to speak for victims who have no voice. My experience gives me a strong understanding of our criminal justice system. This will be an asset to the Dane County board and will ensure that its decisions support the goals of the local police departments.
Life on Lynbrook Circle
In 1998, my husband and I married almost nine years after we met as freshmen in chemistry class at UW. We bought a home in a lovely neighborhood on Madison's west side, and moved in with our three cats. We immediately added a small vegetable garden, a flower garden, and built a compost bin. During the 2007 summer we added rain barrels to our house to capture and reuse some of the roof run-off.
2003 and 2004 were years of change for us. We expanded our 'aniimal' family with a St. Bernard puppy named Opae (pronounced OH-pie), which means “little shrimp” in Hawaiian. We also expanded our 'human' family when we adopted a baby girl from China in 2003, and our son was born in 2004. Like all kids, they have been a handful, but are also a joy. Their innocence and wonderment as they learn about the world is a blessing on us. As parents, my husband and I look forward to their school-age and teenage years with both anticipation and trepidation. I fully understand the challenges and concerns of raising kids.
During graduate school I developed my love of the outdoors and exercise, such as rowing on Lake Mendota with the Mendota Rowing Club and taking long bike rides while training for triathlons. Of course, the roads had less traffic back then. My husband and I have each finished the Madison Marathon (in 2002 and 2003 respectively). Now we are happy doing 5K fun runs with the kids.
