I was raised in Gering, Nebraska, and shortly after graduating high school, I married my high school sweetheart, Doug. By the end of that year, I joined him in Schwabach, West Germany, where he was stationed in the Army for three years. In 1989, we returned to the United States and were stationed in Colorado Springs, where we began our family.
During that time, I worked in human resources at a home health agency and later worked for a nursing staffing agency. It was through those exposures to the nursing profession that I discovered a deep passion to become a registered nurse myself.
In 1995, we returned to the Scottsbluff-Gering area, and I went back to school to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I began my nursing career as a labor and delivery nurse at Regional West Medical Center. In 2007, I became the Director of the Birth and Care Center—a role I truly cherished. While I was no longer providing direct patient care, I found great fulfillment in supporting the nurses and staff who cared for our patients every day.
In 2015, I earned my Master’s degree in Nurse Executive Leadership and was soon appointed Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Regional West. In 2017, I began a new chapter in my career when I was recruited to Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, Nebraska, to serve as their Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer.
In 2023 I tested and achieved my CENP (Certified Executive Nurse Practice) Currently, I serve as the Board Chair of the Northeast Nebraska Surgery Center and am an active member of the Nebraska Organization of Nurse Leaders, where I past served as District 2 President. My work in nursing leadership has been recognized nationally, including speaking engagements at the What’s Right in Healthcare conference, Press Ganey, and Becker’s Hospital Review.
This year, Doug and I are celebrating 39 wonderful years of marriage. We are blessed with three children, three adorable grandsons, and three dogs. In our free time, we enjoy golfing, camping, and spending quality time with family and friends.