Let’s see, where to start…my husband and I have been married for nearly 20 years. We had a cat but he passed away in February. I have a BA in Communications, Mass Media emphasis, from UMKC. While I started college there my freshman year, I transferred to Mizzou for the next two years. I didn’t really know what I wanted to major in after all that time, and I wanted to move on with my life, so I took time off to work full time at American Century Investments in Kansas City. When I decide to go back to school, I kept working full time and going to school part time until I graduated. I probably would have stayed at American Century until I retired because I liked it so much, but my husband’s job required us to move to Florida. I wanted to get back to Missouri as soon as we could (despite the weather) because I didn’t like being that far away from my family. My dad’s health wasn’t great and my nephew was born when we moved there and I didn’t want to miss him growing up. After five years, my husband’s job let us transfer back to Missouri, but not in KC. He is in the Jefferson City office, which is how we got to Columbia.

In Florida, I worked for an internet marketing company for two years as a content writer. That company went out of business. Then I was a Communications Specialist for NationsRent. On my third day, they announced we were acquired by Sunbelt Rentals and most of us would be out of a job. Fortunately, I landed at Oasis Outsourcing, which was a Professional Employer Organization. As a Marketing Manager for them, I learned a lot about that industry and I loved that job. I wrote web content, marketing content for print pieces, managed vendor relationships, planned events and more. I was there three years, then we were transferred back to Missouri. It took longer to find a job in mid-Missouri than I expected, so I took a contract position with Sprint in Overland Park ,KS writing web content for the Sprint Store on their website. I stayed with my parents during the week and took the Amtrack to Jefferson City on the weekends to see my husband. We did this for a year and a half before I found a job in Columbia. Now I am a Content Specialist for Shelter Insurance. I’ve been here for eight years and I really like it.

In my spare time, my husband and I are on a hot air balloon crew when the weather allows. We also help Serenity Valley Winery out with events from time to time, and sometimes we volunteer at the Humane Society. I love to travel, especially if it involves warm weather and beaches. I like to try to make new recipes, reading biographies and mysteries, riding bikes on the trails, spending time with family and watching live music with friends.