What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
I work in Finance Administration and Shared Services Information Technology. That’s a mouthful… call it FASS IT for short!
What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
Rather than a fancy title, I’ll just say that I work with computers. I’m one of the people called when a computer isn’t working. More importantly, I help design computer systems so they “just work” and you don’t have think about them at all.
What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
Once upon a time, I did research at the University of Wisconsin. I had to call tech support for help, and the IT person was kind of mean and condescending. Though I knew almost nothing about computers, I made a career switch to try to help people feel more comfortable asking for computer help. And 20 years later…
What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
Only about 25% of IT workers are female, much lower in my specific area, and that’s increased a ton since I first started in IT. I’ve had to learn to be thick-skinned on the surface and to modify most of my at-work personality and behaviors to be successful in a male-dominated field. It’s like leading a double life sometimes and is still a constant challenge for me. I’m always game to chat about how to help make it easier for future females going into STEM careers.
Share a little about yourself personally:
- Family – My husband and I live at Wonderland in Cottage Grove, and we love it! We have 2 giant Great Pyrenees dogs named Elsa the Snow Queen and Princess Anna of Goldendale plus 5 cats with equally awesome names. It’s a home full of magic!
- Best movie – I’m a fan of Studio Ghibli, and My Neighbor Totoro may be my favorite. If you need a break, stop by 1715 Franklin in December and check out the Studio Ghibli tree in the front entry.
- 5 things you should know
- I really like game shows and once dressed up like a Russian nesting doll for the game show “Let’s Make a Deal”.
- My husband is high-functioning autistic, which means my home life is pretty exhausting sometimes. It also means I am lucky to see the world in a different way!
- I’m from northern Minnesota, and each member of my immediate family owns a functional flask made out of a horn.
- If you ever go to the UK and travel through Heathrow Terminal 5, think of me when they do announcements! British Airways flew me over to install the paging system there.
- Someday I want to open a quirky, kitschy, and fully accessible mini golf course so people of all abilities can play together. I’d love to make it on www.roadsideamerica.com. Fore!
What do you hope for?
Life isn’t fair, but I believe people can be. I hope people can be more honest and more respectful to each other.
(December 2021)
